NHTSA Complaint #10629280 — 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY

I PURCHASED A NEW 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY IN NOVEMBER 2006 FROM A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND KEEP IT PARKED IN MY GARAGE WHEN IT'S NOT BEING USED. ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, THE HEAT OF THE SUN BEGAN MELTING MY DASHBOARD. THE DASHBOARD STARTED TO LOOK VERY GLOSSY AND SHINY AND FEEL VERY STICKY, LIKE GLUE. PARTS OF IT BEGAN TO PEEL. WHEN I AM DRIVING ON A HOT SUNNY DAY, THE SHINE OF THE DASHBOARD CREATES A GLARE ON MY WINDSHIELD THAT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE ROAD AHEAD. I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP HOPING THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR IT AS IT IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT, BUT THEY SAID THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY AROUND $3,000 TO REPLACE THE DASH. THEY ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA CAMRY MODELS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 2007 AND 2010, YET THEY NEVER ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. IT'S CLEAR FROM THIS THAT IT WAS PERFECTLY FEASIBLE FOR THEM TO USE A DIFFERENT MATERIAL MADE TO WITHSTAND HEAT IN WARMER CLIMATES, BUT THEY DID NOT. THIS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IS HAZARDOUS AS IT CAN IMPAIR THE DRIVER'S VISION WHEN THE GLARE IS STRONG. I KINDLY REQUEST THAT THE NHTSA TAKE SOME ACTION TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. *TR