NHTSA Complaint #10410887 — 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2006 COROLLA 4-DR SEDAN. VIN - OMITTED CURRENT MILEAGE 48820 ABOUT A WEEK AGO, I NOTICED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS NOT WORKING. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP (MICHAEL'S TOYOTA IN BELLEVUE) FOR SERVICE WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT THE A/C CONDENSER HAS A HOLE IN IT AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED - TO THE TUNE OF $685. I WAS SHOCKED BY THIS SO STARTED DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH ONLINE ONLY TO LEARN THAT THOUSANDS OF OTHER 2006 COROLLA OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN AC002-06 WAS RELEASED BY TOYOTA ADMITTING TO THE FAULTY DESIGN OF THE CONDENSER WHICH LEFT IT UNPROTECTED AND VULNERABLE TO ROAD DEBRIS. I'M SHOCKED AND APPALLED BY THIS. WITH ALL OF THE NEGATIVE PRESS THAT TOYOTA HAS RECEIVED IN RECENT YEARS, I WOULD EXPECT YOU TO BE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND TO ENSURE THAT ALL KNOWN PROBLEMS ARE CORRECTED. I TURNED DOWN THE SUGGESTED REPLACEMENT AND WILL CONTINUE TO SEEK ARBITRATION. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA. I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT SEVERAL OFFICIAL COMPLAINTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN FILED, YET NO RECALL. I COME FROM A LARGE FAMILY OF TOYOTA OWNERS, WE STAND BY OUR CARS & TRUCKS AS THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN EXTREMELY RELIABLE. I WILL CONTINUE TO ENDORSE THEM. I JUST HOPE THAT THEY'LL MAKE THIS SITUATION RIGHT. *TR