NHTSA Complaint #10661236 — 2007 TOYOTA AVALON

CRACKS IN DASHBOARD STARTED APPEARING. FIRST SMALL, THEN EXTENDING ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE DASH. NOW MULTIPLE CRACKS IN DASH, AIRBAG COVER, GLOVE BOX SURROUND. DASH STARTED GETTING STICKY. I SPOKE TO THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN OCTOBER 2006. SINCE IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY AND THERE IS NO SERVICE BULLETIN OR RECALL, THEY WON'T HELP. ESTIMATED $2100 TO REPAIR/REPLACE. SAID REPLACEMENT WOULD BE ORIGINAL FACTORY MATERIAL, SO I WOULD EXPECT IT TO BE DEFECTIVE AS WELL. HE SAID THEY SEE AT LEAST 2 CARS A WEEK WITH THIS PROBLEM. CALLED THE MANUFACTURER 800 NUMBER. THEY SAID DUE TO THE EXPENSE, OUT OF WARRANTY, NO SERVICE BULLETIN OR RECALL, THEY WOULD NOT HELP. SAID THE ONLY THING I COULD DO WAS REPORT IT, AND THAT THE MANAGER REVIEWS ALL COMPLAINTS. THIS WAS A $35,000 CAR WHICH NOW HAS 68,000 MILES AND IT HAS LOST THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN RESALE VALUE. I'VE HAD CARS LAST 20 YEARS WITHOUT ANY CRACKS IN THE DASH, AND CERTAINLY THE TACKINESS/STICKINESS IS NOT NATURAL. I WORRY THAT IT MIGHT EMIT SOME TOXIC FUMES IN THE SUMMER. *TR