NHTSA Complaint #10318314 — 2005 TOYOTA COROLLA

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) TO ADD SOME ADDITIONAL FUEL TO THE TOYOTA FIRE STORM.....I AM THE OWNER OF A 2005 TOYOTA COROLLA THAT RECENTLY HAD A "COMPUTER PROBLEM" DIAGNOSED AS A SHIFT SOLENOID PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM WAS A KNOWN ISSUE TO TOYOTA AND IT WAS SUCH AN ISSUE, THERE WAS A TSB (TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN) WRITTEN TO HELP MECHANICS DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. I STOPPED BY THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE (NEW) AND THEY TOLD ME TO CALL TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE - WHICH I DID. ALTHOUGH THEY ADMITTED TO AND RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM, THEY SAID THEY WOULD ONLY PARTIALLY REIMBURSE PEOPLE WHO HAD LESS THAN 80,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLES. I HAD OVER THAT AMOUNT. MY MECHANIC SAID IF I WERE TO TAKE IT TO A TOYOTA GARAGE, THEY WOULD JUST HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM WITHOUT TELLING ME ABOUT IT, RATHER THAN HAVE A RECALL. THAT IS THE WAY THEY CIRCUMVENT THE SYSTEM AND HAVE HIGH QUALITY NUMBERS. THEY FIX THINGS WHILE THEY ARE IN THE SHOP FOR OTHER ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. SINCE I DO ALL OF MY OWN MAINTENANCE - EXCEPT FOR MAJOR ITEMS - THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIX MY CAR. I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE ADDED TO THE EXPANDING FILE ON TOYOTA. PERSONALLY, I THINK I SHOULD HAVE BEEN REIMBURSED FOR THE ALMOST $2000 IT COST TO REPLACE ONE OF THE FOUR SHIFT SOLENOID VALVES IN THE TRANSMISSION AND THEN HAVE THE FAULTY COMPUTER REPLACED. ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED PROBLEM WITH BOTH COROLLA'S AND MATRIX'S. THEY HAVE DONE THIS A LOT IN THE PAST AND SHOULD BE NAILED FOR THIS AND OTHER EPISODES. I CAN TELL YOU AS I TOLD THE LADY IN CUSTOMER SERVICE - THIS WAS THE FIRST AND LAST TOYOTA VEHICLE I WILL EVER PURCHASE. I PURCHASED THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE BECAUSE I DROVE FROM PEORIA TO INDIANAPOLIS WEEKLY FOR WORK AS A CONSULTANT AND IT HAD DECENT GAS MILEAGE. I WILL PURCHASE A GM OR FORD PRODUCT GOING FORWARD. [XXX] *TR