NHTSA Complaint #11046058 — 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA

TAKATA RECALL; I HAD AN APPOINTMENT WITH AUTONATION TOYOTA SOUTH AUSTIN IN OCTOBER 2014 TO FIX THE AIR BAG ISSUE. I ARRIVED AT MY APPOINTMENT AND WAITED FOR ABOUT 4-6 HOURS ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PART THAT THEY NEEDED TO FIX MY CAR AND REMEDY THE RECALL ISSUE. THIS WAS AFTER THEY IDENTIFIED ALL KINDS OF OTHER PROBLEMS THAT THEY CLAIMED NEEDED TO BE FIXED. IT WAS INFURIATING THAT THEY WERE NOT UPFRONT ABOUT NOT HAVING THE PART WHEN I INITIALLY ARRIVED. THEY THEN TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD GIVE ME A RENTAL CAR BECAUSE OF THE OTHER SERVICES I AGREED TO BUT WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE RENTAL CAR COUNTER, THEY PROCEEDED TO CHARGE ME ALL THESE ADDITIONAL FEES. I CANCELLED THE ENTIRE REQUEST AND TOYOTA NEVER FIXED MY ISSUE. I COMPLAINED AND NEVER RECEIVED ANY KIND OF RESPONSE FROM THE DEALERSHIP. SEE ATTACHMENT. I STILL DRIVE MY CAR EVERYDAY WITH THE FAULTY AIR BAGS BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TIME TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER 6 HOURS TO BE TOLD THAT THE DEALERSHIP DOES NOT HAVE THE PART. I ATTEMPTED TO SCHEDULE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT IN SAN MARCOS BUT THEY ALSO CLAIMED THEY WOULD NOT KNOW WHAT PART WAS NEEDED AND IF THEY HAD IT UNTIL THEY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THEY HAVE THE VIN NUMBER SO I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S SO COMPLICATED TO JUST ORDER THE PART AHEAD OF TIME SO MY CAR CAN BE FIXED ON THE DAY OF THE APPOINTMENT AND I DON'T HAVE TO MISS TWO DAYS OF WORK. THIS RECALL IS OBVIOUSLY NOT A PRIORITY FOR THE DEALERSHIPS YET I'M CONSTANTLY GETTING CALLS AND POSTCARDS THAT I NEED TO GET THE RECALL ISSUES FIXED. PERHAPS TOYOTA AND THE NHTSA SHOULD TRAIN THESE DEALERSHIPS TO MAKE THIS RECALL A PRIORITY. TIME PASSES AND I KEEP PUTTING MYSELF AT RISK WITH THESE FAULTY AIRBAGS AND AFTER THREE YEARS, I STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED PROPER SERVICE TO FIX THESE ISSUES IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER THAT DOESN'T LEAD TO 2 FULL DAYS OF LOSS OF PAY.