NHTSA Complaint #10743562 — 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX

I PURCHASED A USED 2006 TOYOTA MATRIX AS IS NO WARRANTY FROM A DEALER IN BOISE, IDAHO. THE DEALER TOLD ME, MY DAUGHTER AND HER FRIEND THAT ALTHOUGH THE CAR HAD 175,262 MILES ON IT, HE HAD REPLACED THE ENGINE WITH A 55,000 MILE ENGINE HE BOUGHT FROM FLORIDA. APPARENTLY THE OLD ENGINE HAD SEIZED UP WITH THE PREVIOUS OWNER. THE DEALER ASSURED ME THAT THE CAR WOULD LAST ME A LONG TIME. HOWEVER, AFTER ONLY SIX WEEKS OF DRIVING THE CAR THE ENGINE QUIT AND STRANDED ME IN TRAFFIC. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY TRUSTWORTHY MECHANICS, WHO RAN THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS ON THE CAR. I TOOK THEIR REPAIR ESTIMATE TO THE DEALER. HE TOWED THE CAR, WITH MY PERMISSION, TO HIS MECHANIC. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING RECALLS, AND FOUND THAT TOYOTA MATRIX CARS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 2005-2008 HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR ENGINE PROBLEMS. I DON'T KNOW IF MY CAR WAS EVER RECALLED, OR THE PROBLEMS FIXED. MY CAR HAS THE EXACT SAME ENGINE AS THE ONE IN THE RECALLS. NOW I'M CONCERNED THAT IF THE CAR DOES GET FIXED, IT MIGHT MALFUNCTION AGAIN WITH ME DRIVING IT, AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.THE DEALER WON'T PAY FOR THE REPAIRS AS IDAHO HAS NO USED CAR 'LEMON' LAW. I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN ON A FIXED INCOME. I CAN MAKE THE CAR PAYMENTS, BUT CERTAINLY CAN'T PAY TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED EVERY TIME IT BREAKS DOWN, PLUS I FEEL THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH CONCERNS ME SINCE I LIVE ALONE AND HAVE NO ONE ELSE TO DEPEND ON FOR HELP.