NHTSA Complaint #11132204 — 2011 TOYOTA AVALON

WENT FOR MY ROUTINE SERVICE AND WAS TOLD I HAVE A RACK&PINION LEAK, NO LEAKING OBSERVED UNDER CARPORT BUT WAS SHOWN THE LEAK ONCE CAR WAS PLACED ON RACK TO BE VIEWED. ASKED IF CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE TO ATLANTA, MECHANIC AND SERVICE MANAGER ENCOURAGED ME TO GO AHEAD AND DRIVE IT, THEY STATED IT WILL NEED A NEW RACK & PINION, STATING IT WILL COST APPROX.. $800.00 PULSE $89.00 FOR FRONT END ALIGMENT. THEY SAID THIS IS NORMAL FOR AVALONS TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED FROM A TOYOTA DEARLERSHIP WITH 38,000 ON SPEEDOMETER AND AT THE TIME OF SERVICE I ONLY HAD PUT APPROX. 21,000 MILES. I READ UP ON RACK AND PINION LEAKS AND IT STATED IT COULD BE DANGEROUS IF THE FLUID STARTED TO SPUR OUT WITHOUT A WARNING AND CAN CAUSE YOU TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I PURCHASED I THOUGHT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR $2600 AND TO BE TOLD THAT THE WARRANTY EXPIRED IN MAY 2018, 3YRS OR 30 THOUSAND MILES AND CAR WAS SERVED IN AUG.2018. I FILED BANKRUPTCY IN 2016 AND DON'T HAVE EXTRA MONEY TO FIX MY CAR SO I CALLED THE FEDELITY WARRANTY COMPANY AND THEY TOLD ME I SHOULD AS MY DEALERSHIP FOR A POSSIBLE REFUND. NOW THE VEHICLE DRIVE VERY BAD AND I FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD AT COMPENSATE ME AND FIX THE VEHICLE AT A REDUCED CHARGE SINCE I PAID THEM $2600. I FEEL LIKE MY LIFE HAS BEEN PUT IN DANGER BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD TO MAKE A CAR NOTE AND PAY A LARGE FEE TO FIX THE CAR. ALSO I ASKED FOR NEW TIRES, BUT THEY SAID THE TIRES WERE GOOD FOR AT 15,000 MILES. I PAID $24,995 FOR THE AVALON 2011 IN 2014. THEY AGREED TO GIVE ME 2 NEW TIRES WHEN NEEDED, BUT THESE WERE NOT MICHELINS, THEY WERE CHEAP TIRES AND THE THESE WERE PLACED ON THE FRONT AND THE OLD MICHELINS WERE PLACED ON THE BACK LAST YEAR AND AT THE NEXT SERVICE DATE THEY TOLD MED THEY COULD NOT BALANCE THE TIRES. I'M DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE I FEEL I GOT A BAD DEAL. I HAVE NEVER KNOWN IT TO BE NORMAL FOR A TOYOTA BRAND CAR TO EXPECT PROBLEMS.