NHTSA Complaint #10323267 — 2010 TOYOTA RAV4

TO WHOM CONCERN HI, MY NAME IS [XXX]. I HAVE A DISCONCERTING AND DISAPPOINTING STORY TO TELL ABOUT BUYING A NEW TOYOTA. MY FRIEND PURCHASED A 2010 TOYOTA RAV4 5-DOOR 4X2 SUV LTD ON 3/20/2010 AND ON 3/27/2010 THE VEHICLE FAILED. THE CAR HESITATED TO ADVANCE AND AFTER 2 OR 3 MORE TRIES DID NOT RESPONDED AT ALL. SO MY FRIEND CALLED THE DEALER TO HAVE THE DEALER PICK UP THE CAR. SHE WAS INTERESTED IN KNOWING WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HER NEW CAR. THE CAR WAS PICKED UP THE SAME DAY 3/27/2010. ON MARCH 29, SHE CALLED THE DEALER TO FIND OUT ABOUT HER NEW CAR?S PROBLEM, AND THE SALESMAN ([XXX] ) TOLD HER THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, BUT [XXX] SAID, ?THE CAR NEEDS A NEW ENGINE?. SHE LOVES THE RAV4 AND WAS CONVINCED TO ASK FOR ANOTHER RAV4, SAME MODEL, SAME PRICE; JUST ANOTHER RAV4?? SOUNDS FAIR, SOUNDS EASY, FOR HER. NOW, MY FRIEND HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO ASK FOR NO LESS THAN HER MONEY BACK. HER EXPERIENCED HAS OPENED MY EYES TO THE WAY THAT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. MORE PEOPLE WILL KNOW ABOUT THIS STORY AND I KNOW THAT IS ONLY ONE OF MANY STORIES YOU HEAR, BUT I HOPE YOU WILL LEARN A LESSON FROM THIS STORY. CUSTOMER SERVICE CAN EITHER HELP OR HINDER YOUR BUSINESS AND IN THIS CASE BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE TURNED AWAY A LOYAL TOYOTA CUSTOMER WHO WANTED NOTHING LESS BUT TO DRIVE HER BRAND NEW RAV4. MIKE CALVERT TOYOTA [XXX] BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER 2333 SOUTH LOOP WEST HOUSTON TX 77054 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR