NHTSA Complaint #11129299 — 2016 TOYOTA COROLLA

TRAC OFF, CHECK ENGINE, AND MAINTENANCE REQUIRED LIGHTS SUDDENLY APPEARED WHILE THE COROLLA WAS BEING DRIVEN ON A STATE ROAD. THE CAR HAD JUST PASSED ITS 20,000 WARRANTY CHECK WITH NO PROBLEMS. I WAS ON THE WAY TO A REGULARLY SCHEDULED ONCOLOGY APPOINTMENT. I HAD TO CANCEL THE APPOINTMENT AND DRIVE THE CAR TO THE DEALER. TECHNICIANS DETERMINED A RODENT HAD CHEWED THROUGH THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL HARNESS. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT COVERED BY ANY TOYOTA WARRANTY. SO FAR, I'VE BEEN FORCED TO SPEND NEARLY $1,000 ON RODENT-RELATED REPAIRS. I HAVE STAGE IV CANCER. I BOUGHT THIS CAR EXPRESSLY TO HAVE RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION TO CANCER TREATMENTS, MOST OF WHICH ARE OUT OF STATE. I CAN'T AFFORD THESE RAT-RELATED REPAIRS. LETTERS AND PHONE CALLS TO TOYOTA HAVE PROVED FUTILE AND FRUSTRATING. THE RATS ARE CONSIDERED BY THE CORPORATION AS AN OUTSIDE SOURCE, AND THEREFORE, NOT COVERED BY ANY WARRANTY. THE "OUTSIDE SOURCE" IS THE SOY THAT WAS STUPIDLY USED TO MAKE THE INSULATION PROTECTING THE ENGINE'S ELECTRICAL WIRING, CRISSCROSSING THE ENGINE. I HAD A 1991 TOYOTA THAT I PARKED IN THE SAME UNPROTECTED, DRIVEWAY SPOT FOR NEARLY 25 YEARS WHERE THE NEWER COROLLA IS NOW PARKED. THERE WERE NO RODENT ISSUES WHATSOEVER. SAME FOR A 1991 JEEP WRANGLER. DITTO A 1997 BUICK LASABRE. THE ONLY CAR BEING EATEN BY MICE AND RATS IS THE NEWEST CAR--THE 2016 COROLLA WITH SOY-BASED WIRING. SOY IS A FOOD SOURCE. I KNOW. I GREW UP ON A FARM AND WE FED IT TO OUR COWS AS A PROTEIN SOURCE. I NEED A RELIABLE, ECONOMICAL CAR TO GET TO LIFESAVING CANCER TREATMENTS. THIS CAR ISN'T IT. TOYOTA COULD CARE LESS. FOR THAT, THE COMPANY NEEDS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THEY ARE RISKING THE LIVES OF EVERYONE WHO OWNS ONE OF THESE RAT TRAP CARS. SO FAR, TOYOTA HAS ABSOLVED THEMSELVES OF ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS INHERENT AND DANGEROUS MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I CAN'T FIGHT STAGE IV BREAST CANCER AND TOYOTA. THANK YOU.