NHTSA Complaint #10323473 — 1999 TOYOTA AVALON

ON AUGUST 9, 2009, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER AVALON WITH OUR 8-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER IN IT, TO GRAB A BITE TO EAT IN WALNUT CREEK, CA. WHEN MY WIFE TRIED TO STOP THE CAR AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, THE CAR WAS SHAKING AND THE ENGINE KEPT RUNNING EVEN THOUGH THE KEY WAS OUT OF THE IGNITION. SINCE SHE COULD NOT TURN OFF THE ENGINE, SHE DECIDED TO DRIVE BACK HOME THAT WAS ONLY MINUTES AWAY. BUT ON HER WAY HOME, THE CAR LOST POWER AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN, WHITE SMOKE WAS ERUPTED OUT OF THE ENGINE. LUCKILY, THEY WERE TRAVELING ON THE RESIDENTIAL STREET AND MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO STEP ON THE BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR IN TIME BEFORE IT CAUGHT FIRE. EVEN PEOPLE FROM NEARBY RESIDENCE SAW THIS INCIDENT AND CAME OUT TO OFFER HELP. I COULD NOT IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THEY WERE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY. NEVERTHELESS, MY WIFE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AFTERWARD DUE TO THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. NOW THE CAR WAS DEAD!! I ORDERED AAA TO TOW THE CAR TO WALNUT CREEK TOYOTA DEALER THAT DAY FOR REPAIR. ON AUGUST 10, 2009, I WAS INFORMED BY TIM LUBECK, A TOYOTA ADVISOR THAT MY CAR STARTER STUCK ON THE 'ON' POSITION THE WHOLE TIME AFTER THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AND RUNNING, CAUSING THE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THEY HAD EVENTUALLY REPLACED THE STARTER AND THE MELTED POSITIVE & NEGATIVE BATTERY TERMINAL CABLES FOR TOTAL REPAIR COSTS OF $922.04, WHICH I THOUGHT IT WAS EXCESSIVE ' ESPECIALLY THE LABOR COST THAT WAS $475.87. I'VE MAILED A LETTER ALONG WITH A COPY OF REPAIR INVOICE AND IMAGE OF DEFECTIVE STARTER ON 3/4/2010 [XXX] TO REQUEST FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT OF MY REPAIR COSTS THAT I DO NOT THINK I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SINCE THIS WHOLE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY THE DEFECTIVE TOYOTA STARTER. SO FAR, TOYOTA DOES NOT EVEN HAVE A COURTESY TO RESPOND TO MY LETTER. I DO HAVE THE OLD PARTS, REPAIR INVOICE AND IMAGE OF THE DEFECTIVE STARTER AND MELTED WIRES. *TR