NHTSA Complaint #10322207 — 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX

2006 TOYOTA MATRIX STALLS, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED INTO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE, AFTER RESTING OVER NIGHT, RAN FINE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED OFF. HOWEVER, I REQUESTED THAT THE DEALERSHIP RUN THE DIAGNOTICS, WHICH SHOWED AN ERROR CODE P0607 IN THE SYSTEM WHICH MEANS THE ECM IS DEFECTIVE. I HAD THE ECM REPLACED AT A COST OF $867.57, PLUS $95.00 FOR THE TOW. NOW I LEARN THAT A TSB WAS ISSUED ON THIS PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE BACK IN 2007, AND ALTHOUGH MY MATRIX WAS IN THE DEALERSHIP FOR MAINTENANCE AND SERVICE DOZENS OF TIMES, AT NO TIME WAS THE DEFECTIVE ECM REPLACED, NOR WAS I TOLD OF THE PROBLEM. THIS CAR IS PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY MY WIFE, A SOCIAL WORKER FOR A CHILD WELFARE AGENCY IN THE CHICAGO AREA. SHE IS OFTEN IN VERY UNSAFE NEIGHBORHOODS, AND WAS IN SUCH A NEIGHBORHOOD THE MORNING BEFORE THE CAR STALLED -- LUCKILY FOR US -- ONLY A MILE FROM OUR HOUSE. TOYOTA SAYS THAT THE PART WAS UNDER WARRANTY PURSUANT TO FEDERAL LAW UNTIL 80K MILES. MY MATRIX HAS 85K. TOYOTA REFUSES TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR UNLESS IT ISSUES A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. BUT UNDER THE PRESENT TSB, OF WHICH I WAS ONLY MADE AWARE THROUGH AN INTERNET SEARCH AFTER HAVING THE STALLING PROBLEM, TOYOTA HAS NO INTENTION OF COVERING THE COST OF REPAIRING THIS KNOWN AND ADMITTED DEFECT. IF THIS IS NOT RESOLVED BY A RECALL, OTHERS WILL HAVE STALLING VEHICLES ON A HIGHWAY AND GET SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED, OR IN A BAD NEIGHBORHOOD AND GET MUGGED OR RAPED, OR ON THE WAY TO THE HOSPITAL AND SUFFER HEALTH COMPLICATIONS FROM DELAYED MEDICAL CARE, ETC., ETC. PLEASE TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO FORCE A PROPER RESOLUTION OF THIS PROBLEM. BY THE WAY, WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA (800-331-4331), I WAS TOLD THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER TSBS ON MY MATRIX, BUT THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE CANNOT TELL ME WHAT THEY ARE UNTIL I AM HAVING THE PROBLEM COVERED BY THE TSB. THAT IS UNCONSCIONABLE. LOOK WHAT THAT DID FOR THE SIMILAR APPROACH WITH THE FLOOR MAT AND ACCELERATION PROBLEM.