NHTSA Complaint #10504491 — 2007 TOYOTA AVALON

I WAS DRIVING MY 2007 TOYOTA AVALON ON 3/23/13 WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT, AND STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT ALL CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO A LOCAL NAPA STORE AND DISCUSSED THE ERROR/S (FOUND ON MY VEHICLE DASH) WITH ONE OF THE SALES ASSISTANTS.. THE SALES ASSISTANT THEN WENT OUT TO MY CAR AND INTERFACED HIS "BLACK BOX" WITH MY AUTOMOBILE COMPUTER AND AN ERROR CODE P 2197 SHOWED UP. AS IT TURNS OUT THIS ERROR CODE IS A FAULTY OXYGEN SENSOR IN BANK TWO OF MY RIGHT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. THE NAPA STORE DID NOT HAVE THE OXYGEN SENSOR IN STOCK HOWEVER, AS A FAVOR TO ME THEY RESET THE COMPUTER AND I REGAINED USE OF MY TRACTION CONTROL,STABILITY CONTROL, AND ELIMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH AND VERIFICATION FROM AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE IT APPEARS THAT TOYOTA HAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS ISSUE. THE TECHNICAL BULLETIN IS T-SB-0114-08. IT APPLIES TO 2005-2007 AVALON'S AND 2007-2008 CAMRY'S. THE TSB STATES THAT THE CORRECTIVE ACTION SHOULD INCLUDE REPLACING BOTH EXHAUST MANIFOLD OXYGEN SENSORS AS WELL AS THE RIGHT EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND GASKETS TO THE TUNE OF APPROXIMATELY $1,800.00. THIS IS QUITE EVIDENTLY AN EMISSION ISSUE IMPACTING THE SAFETY (NO TRACTION CONTROL AND NO STABILITY CONTROL) OF PASSENGERS IN THE AFOREMENTIONED VEHICLES. IT IS ALSO QUITE EVIDENT THAT THIS DEFECTIVE DESIGN PUTS THE REPAIR COST RIGHT ON THE BACK OF THE CONSUMER. WHO HAS EVER HEARD OF REPLACING AN EXHAUST MANIFOLD. *TR