NHTSA Complaint #10640360 — 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY

9-30-2014: MY DASHBOARD AS BEEN MELTING FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. AT FIRST I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS SOFT ON ESPECIALLY HOT DAYS, BUT THE CONDITION CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE. NOW PIECES ARE STARTING TO COME OFF AND VISIBILITY IS GETTING WORSE DAILY AS THE DASH BECOMES SHINIER. I PARK MY CAR IN A CARPORT OUT OF THE SUN. I DRIVE THE CAR SHORT DISTANCES ONCE A WEEK OR LESS. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER IN GAINESVILLE FLORIDA SEVERAL TIMES ASKING WHAT TO DO. THEY FINALLY TOLD ME TO CALL TOYOTA CORPORATE, WHICH I DID IN AUGUST. THEY SAID THEY WERE UNAWARE OF OTHER OWNERS WITH PROBLEMS AND SINCE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND WAS NOT A PREFERRED CUSTOMER (SINCE I HAVEN'T PURCHASED MORE THAN ONE TOYOTA) THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. TODAY I WENT TO THE LOCAL DEALER IN PERSON. [XXX], THE SERVICE REP, SAID IT WOULD COST $3,000 TO REPLACE, OR I COULD GET A DASHBOARD COVER. HOWEVER, HE TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT COVERING THE AIR BAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. HOW MANY OWNERS ARE TRYING TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE ON THEIR OWN WITH COVERS ONLY TO CAUSE A MALFUNCTION OF THE AIR BAG IN AN ACCIDENT?! I'M SO EXASPERATED WITH HOW TOYOTA HAS BEEN DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM I BEGAN AN INTERNET SEARCH TODAY AND DISCOVERED THE MEDIA REPORTS AND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS. WOW! WHEN I TALKED TO [XXX] TODAY I ASKED HIM IF HE HAS SEEN THIS ISSUE. HE LOOKED DOWN AT THE DASHBOARD AND SAID, "NO." IS THIS HOW TOYOTA IS TRAINING THEIR REPS? TO LIE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS? I GUESS SO NOW THAT I SEE THE REPORTING OF THE PROBLEM AND NEWS THAT A LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED BY FERRARO LAW FIRM IN MIAMI. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR