NHTSA Complaint #10640504 — 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA

A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AFTER I PURCHASED MY NEW 2005 TOYOTA SOLARA (BOUGHT ON 3/05) FROM WESTBURY TOYOTA, WESTBURY, NY THE COATING ON THE FACTORY RIMS BEGAN TO FLAKE OFF. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD BY THEM THIS PROBLEM IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. AS THE SITUATION BECAME WORSE I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN TO STATE THIS MUST BE A DEFECT IN THE RIMS AND AGAIN I WAS TOLD THEY WERE UNAWARE OF A PROBLEM WITH THE RIMS AND IF THERE IS ITS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. OVER THE YEARS I WALKED THROUGH PARKING LOTS I NOTICED OTHER 2004-2006 SOLARAS WITH THE SAME WHEEL PROBLEM/DEFECT. I FINALLY CALLED THE TOYOTA 800 # TO COMPLAIN AND THEY SAID THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. I'VE SPOKEN TO OTHER SOLARA OWNERS WHO ALSO CALLED THE DEALERSHIPS AND THE 800# AND WERE TOLD THERE WERE NO OTHER COMPLAINTS OR PROBLEMS REPORTED WITH THE SOLARA RIMS. RECENTLY I CALLED THE 800# AGAIN AND EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT NOW NOT ONLY IS THE COATING FLAKING OFF BUT ALSO THE UNPROTECTED RIMS ARE STARTING TO CORRODE WHICH I FEEL IS DANGEROUS. AGAIN, I WAS TOLD "THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE HEARD THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE SOLARA RIMS." I FEEL THIS IS ANOTHER COVER UP AND EVENTUALLY IF THE RIMS CORRODE ANY FURTHER IS CAN BE DANGEROUS AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THERE ARE STILL PLENTY OF 2004-2006 SOLARAS ON THE ROAD AND THEY ALL SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE PRE-2003 CARS DON'T SEEM TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM AS DO THE 2007 AND LATER CARS. I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING WITH THEM OVER THIS MATTER FOR ALMOST 9 YEARS. ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE TO HAVE THESE RIMS REPLACED WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. MY CAR HAS ONLY 67000 MILES AND I PLAN ON KEEPING IT FOR MANY YEARS. THANK YOU. *TR