NHTSA Complaint #10360464 — 2007 TOYOTA COROLLA

MY VEHICLE BECOMES DISABLED WHILE IN MOTION, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BECOMES ILLUMINATED AND THE ACCELERATOR STOPS RESPONDING. TO AVOID DANGER I AM FORCED TO PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY OR COAST TO A STOP AND TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON SEVERAL TIMES, OFTEN HAVING TO WAIT SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE IT BECOMES OPERATIONAL AGAIN. THE PROBLEM IS INCREASING IN SEVERITY AND HAS GOTTEN TO A POINT WHERE THE CAR IS A HAZARD AND THEREFORE IS OF NO USE UNTIL IT IS FIXED. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN HAPPENING EVERY 20-30 MILES FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS OR SO, BUT ONE TIME THE CAR WAS ABLE TO TRAVEL 150 MILES WITHOUT AN ISSUE, WHILE OTHER TIMES IT WILL STALL AND THEN STALL AGAIN NO MORE THAN A MILE LATER. THE CAR HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY RECALLED FOR SAFETY REASONS BY TOYOTA, BUT THE DEALERSHIP HAS REFUSED TO FIX THE PROBLEM, INSISTING THAT THE RECALL DOES NOT APPLY. THE RECALL: "THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) FOR CERTAIN 2005 THROUGH 2008 TOYOTA COROLLA AND COROLLA MATRIX MODELS EQUIPPED WITH THE 1ZZ-FE ENGINE AND TWO-WHEEL DRIVE MAY HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A CRACK MAY DEVELOP AT CERTAIN SOLDER POINTS OR ON VARISTORS ON THE CIRCUIT BOARD. IN MOST CASES, IF A CRACK OCCURS AT CERTAIN POINTS OR ON CERTAIN VARISTORS, THE ENGINE WARNING LAMP COULD BE ILLUMINATED, HARSH SHIFTING COULD RESULT, OR THE ENGINE MAY NOT START. IN LIMITED INSTANCES, IF CRACKING OCCURS ON PARTICULAR SOLDER POINTS OR VARISTORS, THE ENGINE COULD STOP WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH." THE DEALER INSISTS THAT MY CAR STALLS BECAUSE OF A DIFFERENT PART, THE THROTTLE, AND THEY ARE TRYING TO CHARGE ME MORE THAN $1000 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR