NHTSA Complaint #10587843 — 2010 TOYOTA CAMRY

ON APRIL 19, 2014 I PURCHASED THE ABOVE REFERENCED VEHICLE, A 2010 TOYOTA CAMRY SE FROM PRINCE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN TIFTON, GEORGIA. THIS VEHICLE WAS FOUR YEARS OLD AND HAD LESS THAN 10,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF MY PURCHASE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WAS IN IMMACULATE CONDITION FROM ITS PREVIOUS ONE OWNER. HOWEVER, WHEN I RETURNED HOME TO ROME, GEORGIA ON APRIL 20TH, 2014 I NOTICED A TYPE OF ?STICKINESS? TO THE DASH BOARD AREA. I DROVE MY VEHICLE TO WORK AND ON THAT TUESDAY, APRIL 22ND, MY SUPERVISOR, CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER [XXX] WANTED TO LOOK AT MY NEW CAR. I SHOWED HIM MY VEHICLE AND ALSO POINTED OUT THE STICKINESS ON THE DASH BOARD. BOTH HE AND I ASSUMED THAT SOMEONE SPILLED SOMETHING ON IT. THE STICKINESS WAS LOCATED ON BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD. ON APRIL 27TH, 2014 I DROVE MY VEHICLE ON A TRIP TO SOUTH FLORIDA TO SEE MY SISTER GRADUATE COLLEGE. WHEN I RETURNED, ON MAY 5TH I TOOK MY CAR TO HAVE IT WASHED AND CLEAN THE INSIDE. WHILE WIPING OFF THE DASHBOARD I NOTICED THE STICKINESS AGAIN AND MY FINGERNAIL SWIPED ACROSS THE DASH AND LEFT A GASH IN THE DASHBOARD. I DO NOT HAVE LONG NAILS. I THEN BEGAN TO FEEL AROUND ON THE DASHBOARD AND NOTICED THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD WAS SOFT AND COULD BE EASILY DESTROYED. I THEN KNEW THAT THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING SOMEONE HAD SPILLED ON THE DASH AND REALIZED THIS IS A DEFECTIVE DASH BOARD. I BEGAN TO RESEARCH IT AND FOUND ARTICLE AFTER ARTICLE ONLINE WHERE OTHER PEOPLE WERE REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM. IT HAS BEEN NAMED A ?MELTING DASHBOARD?. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN OTHER AUTO DEALER'S VEHICLES AS WELL AS TOYOTA'S. I HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT OTHER DEALERS HAVE REPLACED THE DASH BOARDS AND HAVE CALLED THEM DEFECTIVE. *TR