NHTSA Complaint #10553424 — 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA

2009 TOYOTA COROLLA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO WATER PUMP PULLEY DISENGAGEMENT AND NEED FOR THIRD SET OF TIRES ON VEHICLE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, FOLLOWED BY A SOUND OF SOMETHING HITTING THE HIGHWAY. HE GRADUALLY SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, RAISED THE HOOD AND DISCOVERED THE FLYWHEEL FOR THE WATER PUMP SITTING ON TOP OF THE ENGINE. HE WALKED BACK UP THE HIGHWAY IN AN ATTEMPT TO LOCATE WHAT FELL FROM THE VEHICLE. HE GATHERED WHAT HE FOUND AND WAS LOOSE UNDER THE HOOD, AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST SERVICE CENTER AND HAD A NEW WATER PUMP INSTALLED. WHILE AT THE SERVICE CENTER, THE BRAKES WERE SERVICED AND A NEW SET OF TIRES WERE RECOMMENDED BECAUSE THEY WERE CUPPING. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER ESTABLISHMENT TO HAVE THE TIRES INSPECTED. FIRESTONE, INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE LEFT FRONT AND REAR TOW WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND THEY ADJUSTED THE LEFT FRONT TO CORRECT IT, BUT INFORMED HIM, THEY COULD NOT MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENT FOR THE REAR, AS THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE GIVEN THAT THE ALIGNMENT ISSUE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE CUPPING. WITHIN A WEEK OF HAVING THE NEW WATER PUMP INSTALLED, THE CONSUMER BEGAN TO HEAR A CLICKING SOUND FROM UNDER THE HOOD, SO HE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE REPAIR SHOP, TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE CLICKING SOUND. AN INSPECTION REVEALED THE A/C COMPRESSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.