NHTSA Complaint #10598659 — 2009 TOYOTA AVALON

TODAY 16 JUNE 2014 I CANNOT DRIVE AT NIGHT, NO HEADLIGHTS FUNCTIONING. I PURCHASED A 2009 AVALON NEW. HAD SEVERE HEADLIGHT PROBLEMS FROM THE BEGINNING. HEADLIGHTS WERE TOO DIM FOR DRIVE AT NIGHT SAFELY (COME TO FIND OUT I WAS DRIVING ON THE FOG LIGHTS ONLY, THE DIM HEADLIGHT WOULD COME ON AND THEN TURN OFF SO JUST THE FOG LIGHTS WERE ON), AND THE DEALER WOULD NOT ADJUST THEM STATING THAT IT WAS AGAINST THE LAW TO ADJUST THEM MORE THAN THE MANUFACTURER'S SETTINGS, AND THEN THE HEADLIGHT STARTED TURNING OFF COMPLETELY WHEN DRIVING (WHICH WAS MORE THAN TERRIFYING), BUT THE INDICATOR LIGHT INSIDE THE CAR SAID THEY WERE ON. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER MANY TIMES, ALWAYS GOT THE SAME ANSWER: "YOUR CAR IS FINE," "THAT'S JUST THE WAY THEY OPERATE". I AM 71 YEARS OLD AND I GUESS THEY THINK I'M STUPID (NOT). FINALLY AFTER MANY TRIPS AND THE HEADLIGHTS TURNING OFF COMPLETELY, THEY TELL ME THE HEADLIGHTS ARE DEFECTIVE, BUT I HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THEM FIXED. $2600.00 FOR 2 HEADLIGHTS. MY DEALER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA STATING THE HEADLIGHTS WERE DEFECTIVE A LONG TIME AGO, BUT MY DEALER NEVER INFORMED ME AND PUT ME OFF AND WOULD TELL ME THE CAR WAS FINE UNTIL THE OFFER TO FIX THEM HAD EXPIRED. I'M NOT GOING TO JUST LET THIS GO WITHOUT A FIGHT. TOYOTA KNEW THESE 2009 AVALONS HAD DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS AND DID NOT RECALL THEM. I WILL SPREAD THE WORD THAT TOYOTA WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR CARS AND IF PEOPLE ARE SMART THEY WILL GO ELSEWHERE TO BUY THEIR CARS. I AM JOINING WITH CLASS ACTION SUIT TO MAKE TOYOTA FIX ALL THESE DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS. *TR