NHTSA Complaint #10543969 — 2013 TOYOTA COROLLA

FOR THREE WEEKS WE HAVE BEEN WONDERING WHY OUR NEW TOYOTA COROLLA IS STEAMING HOT INSIDE. SINCE WE USE IT SOLELY TO COMMUTE TO SCHOOL WHICH IS JUST 2 MILES AWAY, WE SOLVE THE PROBLEM BY WINDING DOWN THE WINDOWS. THE KIDS WERE COMPLAINING THAT THIS CAR IS EXCEPTIONALLY HOT AND WE THOUGHT IT ABSORBS AND RETAINS THE SUMMER HEAT DUE TO ITS DARKER COLOR. LAST WEEKEND, WE DECIDED TO DRIVE AN HOUR AWAY FROM HOME. BY THE TIME WE HEADED FOR HOME, IT WAS AFTERNOON AND THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED UNDER THE SUN FOR ABOUT FIVE HOURS. WE TURNED ON THE AC IN THE HOPE TO COOL IT DOWN. FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, I FELT DIZZY AND DROWSY. I STRUGGLED TO KEEP MYSELF AWAKE. I WAS TERRIFIED TO FIND THAT THE AC IS NOT JUST FAILING TO COOL THE CAR DOWN, IT WAS EMITTING STEAMING HOT AIR. WE QUICKLY WIND DOWN THE WINDOWS TO LET THE SUMMER AIR IN, WHICH FELT MUCH COOLER IN COMPARISON. THE KIDS WERE VERY QUIET AND SCARED. AS SOON AS WE REACHED HOME, MY SON COMPLAINED THAT HIS EYES FELT VERY HOT. HIS WHOLE BODY FELT VERY HOT. HE FELT VERY TIRED AND SLEEPY. FIRST THING MONDAY MORNING, I SENT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER. THEY FOUND A LEAK AND HAD THE PARTS ORDERED. I HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME UNFIXED UNTIL THE PARTS ARRIVE. I AM NOW STILL DRIVING A NEW DEFECTIVE CAR WITHOUT AC. THREE DAYS LATER, MY SON IS STILL RUNNING A LOW GRADE FEVER AND I DARE NOT LET HIM SIT IN THE CAR WITH SUCH POOR VENTILATION UNDER THE HOT SUMMER SUN. I COME TO REALIZE THAT THE AC WAS BROKEN WHEN THE CAR WAS SOLD TO ME BRAND NEW. *TR