NHTSA Complaint #10502501 — 2008 SCION TC

ON FEBRUARY 24, 2013, I WAS OPENING MY TRUNK LIKE NORMAL AND THE ENTIRE PLASTIC PIECE SNAPPED IN HALF AND DANGLED FROM THE BACK OF MY CAR VIA THE WIRING THAT POWERS THE LIGHTS ABOVE THE LICENSE PLATE. BASICALLY, THE HYDRAULICS THAT IS SUPPOSED TO OPEN THE TRUNK IS WORTHLESS AND DOESN'T EVEN PICK UP THE WEIGHT OF THE TRUNK UNTIL IT IS TWO-THIRDS OF THE WAY OPEN. I RARELY USE MY TRUNK BECAUSE I USUALLY JUST TOSS EVERYTHING INTO THE BACK SEAT. I WOULD SAY THAT AFTER OWNING MY CAR FOR ALMOST FIVE YEARS, I'VE MAYBE OPENED THE TRUNK 50 TIMES, IF THAT. TOYOTA ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN STATING THEY KNOW THAT THE PIECE HAS EXTREME POTENTIAL TO BREAK BUT REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THE PIECE. FOR THE THOUSANDS OF SCION USERS OUTSIDE THEIR WARRANTY PERIOD, WE ARE FACED WITH THE COST OF ENSURING THE SAFETY OF OURSELVES AND FELLOW DRIVERS BECAUSE OF A POORLY MANUFACTURED, PLASTIC GARNISH DESIGNED BY TOYOTA AS A MEANS TO ENTER THE TRUNK. MY PIECE IS CURRENTLY DUCT TAPED BACK TOGETHER AND COVERS THE BRAKE LIGHTS ABOVE THE PIECE. OTHER OWNERS FACE THE ISSUE OF THE LIGHTS ABOVE THEIR LICENSE PLATE NOT WORKING WHICH MAKES THEM IN VIOLATION OF TRAFFIC LAWS THAT REQUIRED AN ILLUMINATED LICENSE PLATE. A TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN STATES THAT THE PART NEEDS TO BE REPLACED WITH AN ?IMPROVED GARNISH? AS DETAILED IN SERVICE BULLETIN S-SB-0001-10 DATED JANUARY 6, 2010. AS OF JANUARY 6, 2010, I WAS STILL IN MY WARRANTY PERIOD WITH SCION AND COULD HAVE HAD THE PIECE REPLACED WITHOUT THE HASSLE OF GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH SCION CUSTOMER SERVICE. IF TOYOTA ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THE PIECE, THEY MUST REALIZE THE SHODDY ENGINEERING OF THE GARNISH. MOREOVER, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT SCION AND TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THE TRUNK GARNISH IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT SCION OWNERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES WON'T BE FACED WITH THE SAME HEADACHE AND POTENTIAL DANGERS. *TR