NHTSA Complaint #10365779 — 2005 TOYOTA COROLLA

ON 11/9/2010 AT 5:30 P.M., MY 2005 TOYOTA COROLLA CE STALLED ON I-87 (NY STATE THRUWAY--MAJOR DEEGAN) IN THE BRONX AS IT WAS BEING DRIVEN AT 55 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR WAS OPERATING NORMALLY WHEN I LEFT WORK IN THE BRONX 20 MIN BEFORE. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR LOST ALL POWER. THE OIL AND BATTERY LIGHTS ALSO CAME ON. I PUT ON MY HAZARDS AND MANAGED TO GET FROM LEFT LANE TO SHOULDER. THE CAR STOPPED COMPLETELY BEFORE I COULD GET IT OFF THE HIGHWAY AND THE BACK END OF CAR WAS SLIGHTLY ON THE ROAD. I CALLED AAA AND THEY CALLED THE OFFICIAL COMPANY WHO HAS TO TOW CARS OFF THE THRUWAY. NO TRUCK ARRIVED FOR A LONG TIME--TWO PASSERS BY STOPPED AND HELPED ME PUSH CAR ONTO SHOULDER. THE CAR LIGHTS DIMMED AND EVENTUALLY WENT OUT. THE CAR HAD PLENTY OF FUEL WHEN IT WAS BEING DRIVEN. AFTER THE CAR STOPPED, THE CAR SEEMED ELECTRICALLY DEAD AND WOULD NOT TURN OVER AT ALL. THERE WAS NO SOUND AT ALL OR ANY CRANKING OR SPUTTERING. IT SEEMED THAT THE CAR LOST ALL POWER AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD DUE TO ITS MOMENTUM FROM BEING IN MOTION. WHEN NO TRUCK ARRIVED AFTER 45 MINUTES, I CALLED 311 FOR ASSISTANCE (NYC HELP LINE) AND THEY CONTACTED POLICE WHO CAME AND CALLED ANOTHER TRUCK AND SAT WITH ME WITH THEIR LIGHTS ON UNTIL TOW TRUCK ARRIVED AROUND 6:50 PM. IT WAS TOWED TO OFFICIAL TOWING STATION IN BRONX. THE REPAIR PEOPLE TOLD ME THE NEXT DAY IT MIGHT BE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. MY CAR IS UNDER RECALL FOR THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM). THE TOYOTA DEALERS IN BRONX SAID CARS DON'T STALL BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED THERE TO HAVE IT CHECKED. I WANTED THEM TO LOOK AT IT TO SEE IF ECM WAS THE PROBLEM. ON 11/11, WHEN I CALLED THE OFFICIAL TOWING STATION TO HAVE CAR TOWED OUT, THEY SAID IT WAS FUEL PUMP AND WANTED 1100-1200$ TO FIX IT. AS OF TODAY, I AM HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR STATION WHERE I LEAVE TO SEE IF THEY CAN DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM AND LET ME KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE STALL. *TR