NHTSA Complaint #10574167 — 2003 TOYOTA ECHO

ON MARCH 17, 2005 I PURCHASED A 2003 TOYOTA ECHO FROM TOYOTA OF NASHUA IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR AND LEAVING TOYOTA OF NASHUA TO DRIVE HOME, THE ENGINE STOPPED AS I APPROACHED A STOPLIGHT AT THE END OF THE HIGHWAY EXIT NEAR MY HOUSE. I HAD SIMPLY DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH TO COAST TOWARD THE RED LIGHT. I DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT AT THE TIME, ASSUMING THAT IT STALLED DUE TO STALE GAS. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO QUIT PERIODICALLY. SOMETIMES THE ENGINE WOULD QUIT SEVERAL TIMES IN A WEEK AND THEN GO SEVERAL MONTHS WITH NO PROBLEM. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN TO HAVE THE OIL CHANGED ON JUNE 2, 2005 I DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND ASKED THAT IT BE FIXED. AT THAT TIME, THE CAR HAD 28,606 MILES ON IT AND WAS STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY. THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. (SERVICE REPORT IS AVAILABLE) THE PROBLEM PERSISTED THROUGHOUT THE FOLLOWING YEAR SO WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO BE INSPECTED ON JUNE 29, 2006, I ASKED THE SERVICE MANAGER TO HAVE A TECHNICIAN USE THE CAR TO COMMUTE TO WORK UNTIL THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AND FIXED. ON JULY 19, 2006, THE DEALER CALLED AND ASKED ME TO PICK UP THE CAR. THE CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN 787 MILES, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP THE CAR THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC. I REFUSED BECAUSE THE DEFECT HAD NOT BEEN FIXED AND THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION WITH ANOTHER MANAGER, THEY AGREED NOT TO CHARGE ME, BUT TOLD ME THAT IF I BROUGHT THE CAR IN AGAIN FOR THIS PROBLEM I WOULD BE CHARGED. (SERVICE REPORT IS AVAILABLE) THE PROBLEM PERSISTS TO THIS DAY. I DRIVE THE CAR ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY AND COMPENSATE FOR THE PROBLEM BY DOWNSHIFTING WHEN COASTING OR COMING TO A STOP TO KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING. RECENTLY, THE ENGINE QUIT WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING NEARLY RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR