NHTSA Complaint #11034032 — 2008 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

TOYOTA ISSUED A SHORT TERM WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT, EXPIRING MARCH 2018, FOR A KNOWN SAFETY DEFECT. I BELIEVE THAT THE POTENTIAL RAMIFICATIONS ARE SIGNIFICANT AND THAT THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AS OPPOSED TO A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT. THE DEFECT IS IN THE REAR WINDOW SEAL AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; USE OF THE DEFROSTER CAN CAUSE THE WINDOW TO BLOW OUT. MY CAR HAS A SIGNIFICANT BODY DEFECT ADJACENT TO THE REAR WINDOW SEAL, AND THE SEAL IS DAMAGED, INDICATING THAT THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. I SPOKE WITH CORPORATE TOYOTA; THEIR STANCE IS THAT THEY WILL NOT DO THE REPAIR UNTIL AFTER THE WINDOW BLOWS OUT. IT IS LIKELY THAT TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS FOR SOME TIME, AS THERE IS INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS, BUT HAS ONLY RECENTLY NOTIFIED OWNERS. WHEN I SPOKE TO TOYOTA, THEY ASKED WHAT THE MILEAGE WAS. I TOLD THEM IT HAD JUST REACHED THE 100,000 MILE MARK - AND THEY SAID THAT THE CAR WAS ALMOST 10 YEARS OLD AND HAD LASTED WELL. FURTHER INVESTIGATION ON MY PART LED TO THE KNOWLEDGE THAT RECALLS DO NOT HAVE TO BE PERFORMED AFTER 100,000 MILES, WHICH PROBABLY EXPLAINS THE DELAY IN NOTIFYING OWNERS, AND IN CALLING THIS, WHICH IS A DEFINITE AND SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE, A "WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT" INSTEAD OF A RECALL. MY CAR IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, OTHER THAN THAT, AND THE CHOICES WHICH I HAVE ARE TO AVOID USING THE DEFROSTER (NOT A VIABLE OPTION IN THE NORTHEAST), DO NOTHING AND WAIT FOR THE WINDOW TO BLOW OUT (NOT A SAFE OPTION); PAY FOR THE REPAIR MYSELF, EVEN THOUGH IT IS A KNOWN DEFECT, OR SELL THE CAR, WHICH I CAN'T DO IN GOOD CONSCIENCE, KNOWING THE POTENTIAL RAMIFICATIONS OF THAT DEFECT. TOYOTA STATES THAT THE ISSUE DOES NOT OCCUR WITH ALL CARS - THAT IS LIKELY TRUE. CARS IN DRY CLIMATES WITH MINIMAL RAIN AND COLD WEATHER ARE PROBABLY UNLIKELY TO MANIFEST; CARS IN THE WET AND SNOWY NORTHEAST, WHERE I LIVE, ARE PRESUMABLY MORE LIKELY TO MANIFEST.