NHTSA Complaint #10545255 — 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS

DEAR GENTLEPERSONS: TOYOTA MUST HAVE PURCHASED A BATCH OF DEFECTIVE RUBBER FROM A VENDOR BACK IN 2007 AND 2008 BECAUSE THE RUBBER THAT YOU PUSH AGAINST TO RELEASE THE LOCKING MECHANISM FOR THE TRUNK/HATCHBACK HAS TURNED TO PLAY DOUGH OR SLUDGE ON MY CAR. I CONTACTED TOYOTA IN MAY OF THIS YEAR AND THEY DISCLAIMED ANY AWARENESS OF THE PROBLEM. RECENTLY I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND IT IS WIDELY KNOWN ON SITES INCLUDING PRIUS CHAT, AND WHEN I SPOKE WITH MY SERVICE ADVISOR AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, HE SAID HE WAS WELL AWARE OF IT, THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON HIS 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA, AND THE ONLY RECOURSE IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE MECHANISM WHICH COSTS AN ARM AND A LEG. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IF THE RUBBER DETERIORATES ENOUGH, MY FINGERS WILL PROTRUDE INTO THE LOCK MECHANISM WHICH I SURMISE WOULD NOT WORK AND PLAY WELL WITH FINGERS, OR MAY HAVE AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT IF I MAKE CONTACT. I FOLLOWED UP LAST WEEK WITH TOYOTA AGAIN, AND THE REP WITH WHOM I FIRST SPOKE, INITIALLY SAID TOYOTA HAD NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT, THEN SAID THAT SHE KNEW OF THE ISSUE, AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THEY WERE AWARE OF A FIX THAT DID NOT INVOLVE A TOTAL SWITCH REPLACEMENT. AFTER I CALLED MY DEALERSHIP AS SUGGESTED, AND MY OWN SERVICE ADVISOR SHARED HIS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE ISSUE, I WAS NOT ABLE TO SPEAK WITH THE ORIGINAL REP AT TOYOTA, AND THE NEXT REP WITH WHOM I SPOKE TOLD ME THEY'D LOOK INTO IT AND I'D HEAR BACK FROM TOYOTA WITHIN TWO BUSINESS DAYS ... THAT HAS COME AND GONE. MY WIFE HAS A 2004 PRIUS AND THE RUBBER ON THE LATCH LOOKS AND FEELS TOTALLY NEW. I DON'T THINK THIS IS A WARRANTY ISSUE (WHICH TOYOTA IS NOW TRYING TO TOSS OUT TO GET RID OF ME), BUT INSTEAD, A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT HAS SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE. THANK YOU. SINCERELY, [XXXX] *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)