NHTSA Complaint #10353253 — 2007 TOYOTA COROLLA

ON AUGUST 11, 2010, WHILE DRIVING OUR 2007 TOYOTA COROLLA AT ABOUT 40 MPH THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING. WE COASTED AND WERE ABLE TO GET PULLED OFF THE ROAD SAFELY. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. WE CALLED OUR TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND EXPLAINED WHAT WAS GOING ON. THEY SAID THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE COMPUTER IN THE 2007 COROLLAS AND THAT WAS PROBABLY WHAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER AND IF THAT WAS THE CASE, I.E., COMPUTER FAILURE, THE TOW CHARGE AND THE REPAIR WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE VEHICLE WARRANTY, THEY WOULD HOLD A SERVICE SPOT OPEN FOR US THAT VERY DAY AND IT WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF WHEN WE ARRIVED. THEY QUOTED A REPAIR TIME OF ABOUT 1 HOUR. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER. IT WAS A COMPUTER FAILURE. THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED IN ABOUT THE STATED TIME. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY IN A CONSTRUCTION ZONE WHERE BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD ARE LINED WITH CONCRETE ABUTMENTS AND THERE IS NO PLACE TO PULL OFF OUR OUTCOME MAY HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFERENT. IT IS FRIGHTENING TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO US WITH A STALLED CAR IN A HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION ZONE WITH NO WAY TO GET OUT OF THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. I THINK THE FACT THAT THE CAR CAN JUST STOP RUNNING WHILE BEING DRIVEN HAS BEEN UNDERPLAYED. *TR