NHTSA Complaint #10331109 — 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA

I HAVE A 2006 AND A 2010 TOYOTA COROLLA. BOTH OF THEM HAVE SIMILAR HANDLING ISSUES, SPECIFICALLY A TENDENCY TO UNPREDICTABLY DART TO THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT. IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE VEHICLE DRIVING IN A STRAIGHT LINE (YES, EVEN ON STRAIGHT ROADS!). I HAVE HAD THE ALIGNMENT CHECKED ON BOTH CARS, AND REPLACED TIRES. NEITHER OF THESE ACTIONS HAS HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE HANDLING. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS ON WET, SNOWY OR SLICK ROADS. BACK IN OCTOBER, 2009, A TOYOTA TECHNICIAN CHECKED OUT MY 2010 COROLLA, AND TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A HANDLING CHARACTERISTIC OF COROLLAS. HE SAID THAT TOYOTA WANTED TO MAKE THE CAR HANDLE QUICKER, SO THEY SET THE CAMBER (OR CASTER--I FORGET WHICH) AT THE FACTORY SO THAT IT HANDLES QUICKER IN TURNS BUT IT ALSO IS NOT AS STABLE WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT. ACCORDING TO THE TECHNICIAN, IT CAN'T BE ADJUSTED. I'M GOING TO GET RID OF THE 2006 COROLLA SHORTLY BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A DEATH TRAP AND I DON'T WANT MY FAMILY IN IT. IN SLICK ROADS IT HAS GOTTEN OUT OF CONTROL TWICE. LEST YOU THINK I'M NUTS, I'VE DRIVEN FRONT WHEEL CARS SINCE 1975 AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS KIND OF AN ISSUE UNTIL I GOT THESE CARS. SO DON'T TELL ME IT'S BECAUSE THEY'RE LIGHT CARS--THAT'S BALONEY! I'VE HAD OTHER LIGHT CARS THAT DIDN'T ACT LIKE THESE DO. *TR