NHTSA Complaint #10322826 — 2005 TOYOTA COROLLA

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I HAVE HAD A VARIETY OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SHOW UP IN MY 2005 COROLLA CE, [XXX]. THEY BEGAN ABOUT JULY 2009 AND CONTINUE TO THIS DAY, IN JULY, THE CAR WAS HARD TO START ON HOT DAYS. IT MAY BE CORROSION AT THE BATTERY GROUND OR IT MAY BE SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS. THEN, ABOUT THE 1ST OF JANUARY, THE ELECTRIC LOCKS FAILED TO WORK. ABOUT THE 20TH OF JANUARY, THEY WORKED AGAIN. THIS SUGGESTS THAT THE ECM IS SUBJECT TO WATER EXPOSURE, AND CORROSION....WHICH WILL LEAD TO OTHER, PERHAPS DANGEROUS, FAILS. FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS, THE PASSENGER SAFETY BAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON. THIS TOO, SUGGESTS SOME TYPE OF WEATHER EXPOSURE TO A FLAWED DESIGN. IT IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT COULD MEAN THE SAFETY BAG MIGHT TRIGGER SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION...THUS TRIGGERING AN ACCIDENT THAT COULD KILL ME, ANY PASSENGERS, AND IT COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING OTHER VEHICLES...RISKING THE LIVES OF MANY OTHERS. MY FINAL ELECTRICAL PROBLEM BEGAN ON/ABOUT 1 MARCH OF THIS YEAR. MY "ENGINE FAULT" LIGHT WENT ON AND REMAINS ON. I DID CHECK ALL FLUIDS ON THE TOP OF THE ENGINE AND FOUND THEM TO BE OKAY. I DON'T FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR AND IT IS NOW SITTING IN MY CAR PORT. I WON'T DRIVE IT UNTIL I CAN FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I AM EVEN AFRAID TO DRIVE IT TO THE AAMCO BUSINESS FOR THE FREE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK THAT THEY OFFER. INSTEAD, I JUST BOUGHT A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL TO HELP ME FIGURE OUT IF THE CAR IS SAFE. I ALMOST FORGOT. LAST SUMMER, THE ODOMETER SET ITSELF BACK BY ABOUT 25,000 MILES. THIS IS ANOTHER INDICATOR OF AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. *TR