NHTSA Complaint #10442632 — 2009 SCION XB

THE ISSUE I AM HAVING WITH MY VEHICLE IS THE TRACTION CONTROL. THERE IS NO WAY TO DISABLE IT PERMANENTLY. I HAVE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER SEVERAL TIMES TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO HELP. THE INTERSECTION EXITING MY NEIGHBORHOOD IS OFTEN BUSY AND OCCASIONALLY THERE IS LOOSE SAND AND GRAVEL AT THE EXIT. AT TIMES, TO CROSS THE INTERSECTION SAFELY, I WILL NEED TO STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR A LITTLE MORE THAN USUAL. IF MY TIRES SO HAPPEN TO BE SITTING ON A PATCH OF LOOSE SAND OR GRAVEL, THE TRACTION CONTROL WILL ACTIVATE WHEN I ACCELERATE. THIS CUTS THE POWER FROM MY ENGINE AND INSTEAD OF BRISKLY CROSSING THE INTERSECTION, MY CAR, AT A SNAILS PACE, CROSSES THE INTERSECTION. THE MORE TIME MY VEHICLE SPENDS IN THE INTERSECTION, THE GREATER CHANCE OF AN ACCIDENT. THE POWER IS CUT FOR TOO LONG IN MY OPINION AND I FEEL THAT MY VEHICLE WOULD BE MUCH SAFER WITHOUT IT. A LITTLE SPIN OF THE MY TIRES WOULD OCCUR WHEN I'M ON THE LOOSE SAND AND GRAVEL BUT ONCE ON NORMAL PAVEMENT, IT WOULD BE BUSINESS AS USUAL. WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVATED, THERE IS A DELAY AND ONCE ON NORMAL PAVEMENT, IT STILL HAS REDUCED POWER. THE CAR DOES ALLOW THE DRIVER TO TURN OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL AT A STOP BUT IT REACTIVATES AFTER REACHING A CERTAIN SPEED. I DO NOT ALWAYS KNOW WHEN I HAPPEN TO STOP ON A PATCH OF LOOSE SAND AND GRAVEL AND I WON'T ALWAYS REMEMBER TO TURN OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL AT EVERY STOP. *TR