NHTSA Complaint #10308867 — 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA

THIS LETTER WAS DATED AND SENT JUNE132009 RE: STEERING, BRAKES AND/OR SUSPENSION OF MY 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA LE, 4 DOOR SEDAN. WITH A MILEAGE OF 11,682 TO DATE. TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, U.S.A., INC., THIS LETTER IS IN REGARDS TO THE RECENT ROAD HANDLING OF MY TOYOTA COROLLA (LISTED HEREIN). I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE TO REPLACE MY 1995 TOYOTA AVALON AS A VEHICLE TO DRIVE TO AND FROM WORK. I DRIVE QUITE A DISTANCE TO WORK HAVING PUT ON 8000 MILES ON THIS CAR IN ONLY 3 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. OUR FAMILY CAR IS A 2007 MATRIX XR. WE ARE OBVIOUSLY FANS OF TOYOTA VEHICLES. THIS PAST WEEK THE BISHOP FORD HIGHWAY, WHICH IS PART OF MY ROUTE TO WORK IN CHICAGO, WAS SCRAPED PRIOR TO A RESURFACING OF THE ROAD. THIS LEFT A STRETCH OF ROAD WHICH WAS VERY ROUGH AND WITH DEEP WAVY GROOVES CUT INTO THE PAVEMENT. WHEN MY CAR CROSSED INTO THE SCRAPED SECTION OF PAVEMENT MY CAR LURCHED ABOUT A FOOT TO THE RIGHT (WITHOUT THE STEERING WHEEL MOVING). THIS ALARMED ME AS IT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT BUT THE STEERING RECOVERED UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS BUT I REALIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG OR LOOSE IN THE FRONT END. MY WARRANTY WAS COMING DUE (12,000 BUMPER TO BUMPER) AND THE CAR DOES HANDLE WELL FOR THE MOST PART AND I NEED THE CAR FOR WORK SO I FIGURED I WOULD WAIT A FEW DAYS UNTIL THE WEEKEND TO HAVE IT FIXED ALONG WITH THE BRAKES WHICH ARE STARTING TO FEEL SPONGY. NEW PADS ARE PROBABLY NEEDED ON THE FRONT END. I WILL HAVE THEM CHECKED INDEPENDENTLY THIS WEEK AND PAY THE OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE (EVEN THOUGH THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY, EVEN IF THE BRAKE PADS ARE CLOSE TO BEING IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT AT THIS POINT). OUR SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT TOYOTA ON 30 IN MERRILLVILLE INDIANA DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES AND THE ROAD HANDLING COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED BY THEIR MECHANICS. I AM A VERY EXPERIENCED DRIVER AT AGE 45 WITH NOT EVEN A PARKING TICKET TO MY NAME. IF THERE IS A SERIOUS FLAW... *TR