NHTSA Complaint #11183255 — 2013 SCION FR-S

RECEIVED SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FROM TOYOTA, TO BRING MY CAR TO ANY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER. THE RECALL IS FOR ENGINE VALVE SPRING REPLACEMENT. NHTSA RECALL NO. 18V-772 DEALERSHIP PERFORMS WORK. VEHICLE DIES WHILE COMMUTING TO WORK ABOUT 1,000 MILES AFTER RECALL WORK PERFORMED. VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO TOYOTA OF SANTA CRUZ. JUAN AND MIKE RELATE TO ME THAT THEY WILL TROUBLESHOOT AND, IF THEY DEEM THAT THE PROBLEM IS FROM THE RECALL WORK, THEY WILL FIX THE CAR FOR FREE. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, THEY SAID THE ENGINE HAS A SPUN BEARING ON THE #4 ROD. THEY STATE THAT THE FAILURE IS NOT DUE TO THE RECALL WORK THEY PERFORMED AND OFFER ME A USED, LOW-MILEAGE ENGINE FOR $7.5K, OR A NEW SHORT-BLOCK FOR $8.5K. I TOLD THEM THAT I DO NOT FEEL THAT I SHOULD PAY BECAUSE MY VEHICLE WAS IN PERFECT RUNNING ORDER BEFORE THE SERVICE, AND THAT MY BEING BROKE DOWN ON A BUSY HIGHWAY PUT MY LIFE IN JEOPARDY. PROBLEM WAS ESCALATED TO TOYOTA CORPORATE, WHERE I TALKED TO BETH (CASE NR. [XXX]). SHE LATER TOLD ME THAT TOYOTA HAS DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT DUE TO THE RECALL PROCEDURE. AS OF 02/28/2019 - THERE ARE 12 CASES OF CUSTOMERS, NATION-WIDE, WHO HAVE BROUGHT THEIR 2012-2013 SCION FR-S IN FOR THE RECALL SERVICE AND HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AS I DID. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT