NHTSA Complaint #10470744 — 2008 TOYOTA COROLLA

WHILE DRIVING, A STRAP ON THE FUEL TANK AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HEAT SHIELD BOTH, SIMULTANEOUSLY, BECAME LOOSE AND BEGAN RATTLING TERRIBLY. I CONTINUED DRIVING THE CAR IN ORDER TO GET HOME, A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 200 MILES, WITH THE LOUD NOISE CONTINUING THROUGHOUT. I THOUGHT THE HEAT SHIELD WAS LOOSE, WHICH IT WAS, BUT I DID NOT REALIZE THE FUEL TANK STRAP HAD FAILED, OR I WOULD NOT HAVE CONTINUED DRIVING BECAUSE OF THE DANGER OF FIRE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SHOWED ME THAT THE STRAP AND THE SHIELD WERE BOTH LOOSE BECAUSE BOLTS HOLDING THEM IN PLACE HAD RUSTED THROUGH. THIS CAR IS NOT OLD NOR IS IT DRIVEN VERY MANY MILES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE STRAP AND THE SHIELD AT A COST OF $476. *TR