NHTSA Complaint #10424649 — 2011 TOYOTA COROLLA

I PICKED UP THIS NEW LEASE CAR MARCH 8, 2011 & NOTICED THIS ISSUE AT THE END OF MARCH WITH ABOUT 50 MILES ON THE ODOMETER; CAR NOW HAS 1000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER.. I NOTICED THAT ALWAYS AROUND 40 MPH THE ENGINE ALMOST STOPS AS IF I WERE DRIVING STANDARD SHIFT (WHICH I AM NOT) & SOMEONE DOWNSHIFTED INTO ANOTHER GEAR, OR IF THE SPEED CONTROL WAS ON (NEVER USE IT) & IT CAME OUT OF THE SET SPEED.. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I KIND OF IGNORED IT BUT THEN WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I STOPPED AT THE DEALER GETTEL TOYOTA WHERE I PICKED UP THIS LEASE CAR & THE PERSON IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME "NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS GETTING USED TO MY DRIVING HABITS & THAT IF SOMETHING WERE WRONG ENGINE/DASH LIGHTS WOULD GO ON" (PP).. SO I WENT MY WAY KEEPING HIS WORDS IN MIND.. THIS PROBLEM STILL EXISTS WITH 1000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER & WHILE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT IT I DIDN'T RAISE ANY RED FLAGS UNTIL NOW I SEE I AM NOT THE ONLY TOYOTA COROLLA OWNER HAVING THIS ISSUE WHICH LEADS ME TO THINK ITS ANOTHER "TOYOTA DESIGN FLAW".. I LEARNED THAT TERM "DESIGN FLAW" FROM TOYOTA WHEN I HAD MY 2007 COROLLA & FILED MANY LEMON LAW COMPLAINTS ON IT & TOYOTA WOULD REPEAT THOSE WORDS IN THEIR RESPONSES SINCE TOYOTA DOESN'T PARTICIPATE IN LEMON LAW NEGOTIATIONS THEY TOLD ME.. I HAVE BEEN LEASING CARS SINCE 2002 & THIS IS MY SECOND TOYOTA LEASE WHICH I WASN'T GOING TO DO AGAIN SINCE I HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH MY 2007 COROLLA BUT I LIKED THE DESIGN OF THE NEWER MODEL & COULDN'T BEAT THE DEAL TOYOTA KEPT GIVING ME TO TAKE ANOTHER CAR FROM THEM.. NOW THAT I AM READING ABOUT OTHER OWNERS HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE OF THE SPEED DECELERATION I AM CONCERNED THAT THERE MAY BE A "DESIGN FLAW" WITH THE TRANSMISSION OR ENGINE MECHANICS.. ALTHOUGH THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL OF THE TIME IT DOES CONSISTENTLY HAPPEN AT 40 MPH & IS QUITE NOTICEABLE SINCE THE CAR ALMOST JERKS FORWARD WHEN IT OCCURS. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE. UPDATED 10/18/11 *TR