NHTSA Complaint #10883834 — 2009 TOYOTA VENZA

ON JULY 4, 2016, OUR TOYOTA VENZA, WHILE PARKED IN FRONT OF 210 SW 29TH AVENUE, ATTEMPTED TO START ITSELF WITH NO ONE IN THE CAR. THE SOLENOID MECHANISM CONNECTED THE BATTERY TO THE STARTER ON ITS OWN. THE COG OF THE STARTER WAS TRYING TO SPIN THE FLYWHEEL. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FILLED WITH ELECTRICAL SMOKE. OUR NEIGHBORS ACROSS THE STREET WERE WALKING THEIR DOG AND HEARD THE CAR NOISES. THEY CAME TO OUR YARD AND TOLD MY WIFE WHAT WAS GOING ON. SHE GOT THE CAR KEYS AND OPENED UP THE LOCKED CAR. SHE POPPED THE HOOD OPEN. THE NEIGHBOR GOT THE POSITIVE CABLE OFF THE BATTERY. AT THE POINT THE STARTER STOPPED TRYING TO SPIN. WE CONTACTED OUR INSURANCE COMPANY, AMICA. THE ADJUSTER SAID WE COULD HAVE THE CAR TOWED. WE HAD A FLATBED WRECKER TOW IT TO ED MORSE TOYOTA IN DELRAY BEACH, FL. WHILE RESEARCHING THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT TOYOTA ISSUED A RECALL FOR STARTER MECHANISMS FOR SEVERAL MODELS FOR YEARS 2009 THROUGH 2011. HOWEVER, THE VENZA WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL. IT IS MY THOUGHT THAT A BAD BATCH OF STARTER/SOLENOIDS WERE MADE AND DISTRIBUTED TO VARIOUS TOYOTA MODELS IN 2009 THROUGH 2011. I BELIEVE THAT OUR CAR RECEIVED ONE OF THEM. (RESEARCH: HTTP://BBC.COM/NEWS/BUSINESS-26950970) I THINK TOYOTA SHOULD PAY FOR OUR $672.00 STARTER REPAIR. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, OUR CAR WOULD HAVE BURNED UP IF OUR NEIGHBORS HAD NOT ACTED SO QUICKLY.