NHTSA Complaint #10323576 — 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX

I WAS SOLD A DEFECTIVE 2009 TOYOTA MATRIX. MY SON WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. HIS LANE WAS ENDING AND THERE WASN'T AN OPENING FOR HIM TO MERGE. HE WASN'T ABLE TO STOP THE CAR AND ENDED UP RUNNING INTO A TELEPHONE POLE WHICH FELL ON THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS TOTALED. HE SAID THAT HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY HE COULDN'T STOP AND COULDN'T EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED. THE POLICE OFFICER WAS UPSET AT MY SON BECAUSE HE SAID THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A REASON HE CRASHED INTO THE POLE AND SINCE NO ONE COULD FIGURE IT OUT THE POLICE OFFICERS ONLY CONCLUSION WAS TO ASSUME THAT MY SON WAS SLEEPY. IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER STATING THAT OUR 2009 MATRIX IS BEING RECALLED FOR THE DEFECTIVE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THAT I SHOULD BRING IT IN TO BE REPAIRED. I EXPLAINED TO THEM IT WAS TOO LATE THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOTALED IN AN ACCIDENT. I WAS ORIGINALLY INFORMED THAT TOYOTA WOULD DO AN INVESTIGATION. THEN AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR AN INVESTIGATION AND ALSO BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE HAS REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THE MATRIX. THE FACT IS I WAS SOLD A DEFECTIVE CAR AND MY FAMILY AND I WERE IN DANGER EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS ALSO DEFECTIVE. THE AIRBAG WAS COMING OUT OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE WHOLE STEERING WHEEL. IT WAS REPLACED BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.