NHTSA Complaint #11011861 — 2016 SCION IM

TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY LESS THAN 25 MILES AFTER SERVICE AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THE CLUTCH THEN DEGRADED OVER LESS THAN 500 MILES TO THE POINT WHERE VEHICLE WAS BARELY DRIVABLE AND DID NOT TRANSMIT ENOUGH POWER TO GO UP HILLS AT ALL. TOYOTA SERVICE TECH TEST DROVE VEHICLE AND VERIFIED CLUTCH IS SLIPPING AND JUST BARELY ENGAGING AT THE TOP OF THE PEDAL TRAVEL. RECOMMENDED REPLACING CLUTCH DISC, PRESSURE PLATE, THROWOUT BEARING, AND RESURFACING FLYWHEEL. TOTAL REPAIR COST WAS QUOTED AT $2,527.36. VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 43500 MILES ON IT WHEN TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING. THIS IS EXTREMELY LOW MILEAGE FOR A NEW VEHICLE, ABOUT A YEAR OLD. I'VE SPOKEN WITH THREE OTHER DRIVERS OF THE SAME MODEL, AND THEY REPORTED THEIR CLUTCHES REQUIRED REPLACING BETWEEN 30000 AND 40000 MILES. THEY ALSO AGREED WITH MY OPINION THAT THE CLUTCHES WERE POORLY DESIGNED, CONTRIBUTING TO ACCELERATED WEAR AND TEAR (THE CLUTCH IS EXTREMELY LONG AND HAS A VERY VAGUE BITE POINT). I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA, AND THEY HAVE YET TO COMPLETE AN INVESTIGATION. IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT, DESIGN ISSUE, SABOTAGE BY THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, OR SOME COMBINATION THEREOF.