NHTSA Complaint #10491663 — 2006 SCION TC

ON 08/28/2012 I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK WHEN I NOTICED THE RADIO WENT OUT. I EXITED THE FREEWAY. I MADE IT ABOUT 2 BLOCKS AND WAS AT A STOP LIGHT WHEN SUDDENLY MY CAR WOULDN'T ADVANCE. A POLICE OFFICER A FEW CARS BEHIND WAS ABLE TO PUSH MY CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD MY CAR TOWED FOR SERVICE TO AN INDEPENDENT NON-TOYOTA MECHANIC. I WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW ALTERNATOR. GIVEN THIS WAS A NECESSARY REPAIR I WENT AHEAD AND HAD THE REPAIR DONE. THE CAR WAS RUNNING PRETTY WELL UNTIL 01/01/2013. ON 01/01/2013 I WAS DRIVING HOME WHEN I NOTICED THE HEATER STOPPED WORKING. THINKING NOTHING OF IT, I KEPT DRIVING. ON 01/04/2013 (ABOUT 75,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE) I WAS RETURNING FROM AN ERRAND (DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH) WHEN I NOTICED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD TURNED ON. I PULLED OVER AT A GAS STATION TO FILL UP AND CALLED AN INDEPENDENT NON-TOYOTA MECHANIC TO SEE IF I COULD BRING MY CAR IN. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO BRING MY CAR IN ON 01/05/2013. AFTER I PULLED OUT OF THE GAS STATION AND DROVE A FEW BLOCKS I NOTICED THE NEEDLE FOR THE THERMOSTAT WAS AT THE HOTTEST LEVEL POSSIBLE. THE NEXT MORNING I TOOK MY CAR IN, IT OVERHEATED IN THE 5 MINUTES IT TO ME TO ARRIVE TO THE SHOP. I WAS INFORMED THE ENGINE HAD STRIPPED HEAD BOLTS AND I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE . I CALLED TOYOTA/SCION AND THEY DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE EITHER THE ALTERNATOR OR STRIPPED HEAD BOLTS BEING AN ISSUE. THE REPRESENTATIVE, [XXX] SAID THEY WOULD OPEN UP A CASE AND I WAS GIVEN THE FOLLOWING CASE # 1301070610. I HOWEVER CAME ACROSS VARIOUS SCION/TOYOTA OWNERS ONLINE WHO HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. A SIMPLE GOOGLE SEARCH FOR "SCION STRIPPED HEAD BOLTS" WILL SHOW JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD BY [XXX] THAT IF IN THE FUTURE SCION/TOYOTA RECOGNIZES THE ISSUE(S) I MAY RECEIVE A REIMBURSEMENT BUT THERE IS NO GUARANTEE. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE FIX THAT I JUST CAN'T AFFORD. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR