NHTSA Complaint #10463455 — 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY

I WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION A CONCERN THAT IS PRIMARILY ONE OF SAFETY BUT WHICH ALSO INVOLVES POOR AND MISLEADING INFORMATION BY TOYOTA RELATED TO THE BLU-LOGIC CELL-PHONE CONNECTION SYSTEM INCLUDED AS A FEATURE ON MY NEW 2012 CAMRY HYBRID. MY CONCERN STEMS FROM THE FACT THAT THE BLU-LOGIC SYSTEM, OBVIOUSLY COINED TO SOUND LIKE BLUETOOTH, AND EVEN LISTED ON SOME DEALER WEBSITES AS A BLUETOOTH CONNECTION, IS MISLEADINGLY DESCRIBED AS HANDSFREE COMMUNICATION AND A HANDSFREE SOLUTION IN THE SEPARATE BROCHURE PROVIDED BY TOYOTA. IN ACTUALITY, THE SYSTEM AS SUCH IS AT BEST ONLY 50% ?HANDSFREE. ONLY INCOMING CALLS MAY BE ENGAGED IN WITHOUT CELL PHONE IN HAND. OUTGOING CALLS MAY BE INITIATED HANDSFREE ONLY IF ONES CELL PHONE ITSELF IS EQUIPPED WITH VOICE-ACTIVATED DIALING, A 4G-TYPE FEATURE I WOULD ESTIMATE ONLY A FAIRLY SMALL MINORITY CURRENTLY POSSESS. SO THE DE-FACTO REALITY OF THE BLU-LOGIC SYSTEM IS THAT IT FORCES MOST DRIVERS INTO THE UNSAFE PRACTICE OF MANUALLY INITIATING OUTGOING CALLS BY MANUALLY DIALING WITH CELL PHONES IN HAND. BUT IN A DECEPTIVE OMISSION, THE TOYOTA GUIDES DO NOT EVEN MENTION THE POSSIBILITY OF MAKING CALLS IN THIS MANNER. INDEED, THE PHONE-BANK REP I SPOKE TO TOLD ME, PRESUMABLY WITH A STRAIGHT FACE, THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO DO SO, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. IT IS HARD NOT TO SEE THIS OMISSION OF BOTH SERVICE AND INFORMATION AS A CYNICAL EVASION BY TOYOTA, PART OF A COST-CUTTING EFFORT TO APPEAR TO OFFER HANDSFREE IN-CAR CELL-PHONE SERVICE, A LA BLUETOOTH, WHILE ACTUALLY PROVIDING AN UNSAFE SYSTEM WHICH FORCES A DRIVER TO USE HANDS TO MAKE CALLS. AND PART OF THIS EVASION APPEARS TO INCLUDE A COVER-UP WHEN A CUSTOMER RAISES THE ISSUE. *TR