NHTSA Complaint #10340808 — 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA

ON 24 JUNE 2010 I DROVE 1331 MILES BACK FROM VIRGINIA WITH NO ISSUES. THE NEXT EVENING, MY PERMITTED 15 YEAR OLD SON WAS DRIVING MY 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA A MERE HALF MILE FROM OUR HOME WHEN MY CAR BEGAN TO SHUTTER AND LOSE POWER. THE ACCELERATOR WAS UNRESPONSIVE AND THEN THE CAR SHUT DOWN TAKING WITH IT ALL LIGHTS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CAR DID RESTART BUT INSTANTLY DIED LEAVING US ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT NIGHT WITH NO LIGHTS AND UNABLE TO MOVE. FORTUNATELY I WAS WITH HIM AND WE WERE NOT IN TRAFFIC, AS HE IS INEXPERIENCED AND WOULD NOT HAVE REACTED WELL IF THIS HAD HAPPENED TO HIM ON THE ROAD UNACCOMPANIED IN ANY TYPE OF TRAFFIC. WE PUSHED THE CAR HOME THE MILE AND PARKED IT FOR THE NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING THE CAR STARTED, RAN FOR ONE MINUTE, BOGGED AND DIED WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL ILLUMINATED. I APPLIED A RENTED SCAN TOOL AND CAME BACK WITH A P0607 TROUBLE CODE WITH INDICATED A BAD ECU. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO TOYOTA AND WAS REPAIRED WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ECU FOR $993.40. I AM OVER THE EMISSION WARRANTY OF 80,000 MILES PER THEIR TSB WITH 94,000, SO THIS IS OUT OF MY POCKET. THIS IS FRUSTRATING AS THE INTERNET IS LITTERED WITH STORIES OF THIS HAPPENING TO OTHERS. I AM GLAD THAT I MADE IT HOME BEFORE THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED AND IT APPEARS THAT TOYOTA HAS BEEN LUCKY AS WELL. THIS IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND OCCURS WITH NO WARNING. I JUST HOPE SOMEONE DOESN'T HAVE TO DIE AS A RESULT OF A WELL KNOWN BAD BATCH OF ECU'S, BEFORE THE PROBLEM IS FIXED BY A RECALL. *TR