NHTSA Complaint #10520321 — 2013 TOYOTA AVALON

FAILED COMPONENT IN THIS VEHICLE, AS WELL AS EVERY OTHER 2013 TOYOTA AVALON, HAS A DISTORTED REAR WINDOW AND ONE CANNOT GET A CLEAR VIEW OF WHAT IS BEHIND. ALL LINES ARE ZIG-ZAG AND EVERYTHING BEHIND IS FUZZY. THIS IS NOT A DISPUTE BETWEEN ONE CAR OWNER AND TOYOTA, BUT A DISPUTE THAT ENCOMPASSES EVERY 2013 TOYOTA AVALON AND IN WHICH THE NHTSA SHOULD TAKE INTEREST. I HAVE DOCUMENTS TO PROVE THAT ALL THESE VEHICLES HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I PURCHASED THIS CAR 12/17/12 ON A RAINY, OVERCAST DAY. AFTER DELIVERY, I NOTICED THE WINDOW, AND THINKING IT COULD BE REPAIRED BY REPLACEMENT, TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND AFTER THEY CHECKED OTHER CARS ON THE LOT, FOUND ALL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE FIELD SERVICE REP AND I MET AND HE DROVE THE VEHICLE. HE TOO, SAW THE PROBLEM. WE MET AGAIN, AND HE HAD MET WITH THE TECHNICAL PEOPLE IN JACKSONVILLE, AND NO CAR HAD A CLEAR WINDOW. HE STATED, IN WRITING, THAT HE WOULD PURSUE A RE-PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS ADVISED TO GET A CASE NUMBER AND I DID SO. AFTER WORKING FOR SEVERAL WEEKS WITH THE CASE MANAGER, HE INFORMED ME THAT ON MAY 17TH, THE DIRECTORS AND CORPORATE MANAGERS WERE MEETING AND ON MAY 20TH, HE WOULD CALL TO LET ME KNOW IF A WINDOW HAD BEEN RE-ENGINEERED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE CORRECTION COULD NOT BE MADE, SO ARBITRATION PAPERS WERE SENT. AFTER PURSUING THIS, I WAS INFORMED I WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ARBITRATION BECAUSE IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW. THIS IS A DEFECT THAT NO MFG. SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO PUT ON THE ROAD. A VERY EXPENSIVE CAR THAT NO ONE SHOULD BE CONDEMNED TO DRIVE BECAUSE ONE CANNOT GET A CLEAR VIEW OF WHAT IS BEHIND. ON 6/13/13, I WAS INFORMED TOYOTA WOULD NOT RE-PURCHASE THE CAR, NOW WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY DID NOT CONSIDER IT TO BE A SAFETY PROBLEM. IT IS. EVEN THE REP. INVOLVED THINKS THE CAR SHOULD BE RE-PURCHASED. IT SHOULD BE RE-PURCHASED AND EVERY 2013 TOYOTA AVALON SHOULD BE RECALLED.