NHTSA Complaint #11128513 — 2007 TOYOTA RAV4

MY 2007 TOYOTA RAV4, 113,000 MILES, IS EXPERIENCING SERIOUS EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. TOYOTA FIRST ACKNOWLEDGED THIS VEHICLE HAD AN EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM IN 2011 WHEN IT ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (T-SB-0094-11) . I TOOK THE CAR IN TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS SUPPOSEDLY REPAIRED. IN 2014, TOYOTA WAS THEN THE SUBJECT OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT BY TOYOTA OWNERS WHO ALLEGED CONTINUING PROBLEMS WITH EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. TOYOTA ENTERED INTO A SETTLEMENT. IN 2015, TOYOTA OFFERED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY REPAIRS. I TOOK MY CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND IT WAS SUPPOSEDLY "REPAIRED." IN RECENT MONTHS, THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN MUCH WORSE. AT ONE POINT, I HEARD ODD ENGINE NOISES. I WAS ALARMED TO SEE THE OIL LEVEL WAS SO LOW THAT IT DIDN'T REGISTER, DESPITE THE FACT I HAD GOTTEN AN OIL CHANGE A FEW WEEKS EARLIER. I CALLED TOYOTA ON 9/10/2018 AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THE EXTENDED WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND THAT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING TO FIX THE CAR THAT TOYOTA TWICE FAILED TO FIX. TO NO AVAIL, I TOLD ANGIE, AT TOYOTA'S NATIONAL CONSUMER AFFAIRS DIVISION, THAT. TOYOTA'S SUPPOSED "FIXES" WERE INSUFFICIENT AND DID NOT WORK. SHE SAID THAT'S MY PROBLEM. AS A RESULT, I HAVE A CAR THAT IS UNSAFE. DESPITE FREQUENT OIL CHANGES, THE ENGINE CAN RUN OUT OF OIL AND SEIZE UP AT ANY TIME, LEAVING ME (A 67-YEAR-OLD WOMAN) STRANDED IN THE DESERT IN 120 DEGREE TEMPERATURES OR ON THE ROADWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION HAS BEEN A COMMON COMPLAINT AMONG OWNERS OF THE OWNERS OF 2007 TOYOTA RAV 4 VEHICLE FOR YEARS. TOYOTA CLEARLY HAS FAILED TO DO WHAT IT ADMITS IT WAS OBLIGATED TO DO AND PROMISED TO DO - FIX IT. WHY HASN'T THE GOVERNMENT ALREADY STEPPED IN TO REQUIRE TOYOTA TO IMMEDIATELY REPAIR THE AFFECTED VEHICLES? INDIVIDUAL CONSUMERS HAVE NO POWER TO MAKE MULTI-NATIONAL CORPORATIONS RESPECT THEIR RIGHTS AND THE LAW.