NHTSA Complaint #11228871 — 2006 TOYOTA AVALON

ON JUNE 7, 2019, I WAS DRIVING THE AVALON, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON CITY STREET. WITH THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES, I WAS TRAUMATIZED AND DID MY BEST TO GUIDE THE VEHICLE TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED HOME AND HOOKED UP TO A CODE READER, WHICH YIELDED CODES P0345, P0300, P0302, P0304, P0306. WE DID FURTHER DIAGNOSTICS AND DISCOVERED THE 3 BOLTS THAT HOLD THE VARIABLE-VALVE TIMING (VVT) GEAR TO THE INTAKE CAMSHAFT CAME LOOSE, THESE BOLTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TEMPER-RESISTANT AND NEVER BE REMOVED WHICH LED ME TO BELIEVE THE RESULT OF ENGINE DYING IS CAUSED BY SERIOUS MANUFACTURING AND DESIGN DEFECTS. PLEASE REFER TO ATTACHED THREE PICTURES SHOWING 3 BOLTS LAYING NEXT TO VVT GEAR, VVT GEAR LOOSELY HELD ON AND THE VIBRATION OF BOLT LEFT CUTTING MARK ON THE GEAR, AND ALL INTAKE CAM ROCKERS FALLING OUT. I DID MORE RESEARCH AND CONCLUDED THE ROOT CAUSE OF ENGINE STOPPED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN IN OUR AVALON IS IDENTICAL TO TOYOTA SAFETY RECALL 13V-395 IN LEXUS VEHICLES 2006 TO 2011. PLEASE FIND ATTACHED TWO DOCUMENTS, RCRIT-13V395-3180.PDF ON RECENT RECALL FOR TOYOTA SAFETY RECALL 13V-395, RCDNN-13V395-1839.PDF ON DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT FROM TOYOTA TO NHTSA ON LEXUS INTAKE-SIDE VARIABLE-VALVE TIMING (VVT) SYSTEM PART 573. ON JUNE 27, 2019, I CALLED STEVENS CREEK TOYOTA AND TOYOTA HQ AND LOGGED CASE [XXX]. I WAS INFORMED BY TOYOTA THERE'S NO RECALL FOR AVALON WITH THE VIN, AND THE VEHICLE HAD NO FACTORY WARRANTY (CURRENTLY 153K MILES), AND NO EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH ENGINE STALL FOR AVALON. AS A RESULT, WE NEED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE IN OUR OWN EXPENSE WHICH REQUIRES ENGINE REBUILT AS ENGINE STALL HAS CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. I WAS APPALLED BY TOYOTA FOR LACK OF INITIATION TO ADDRESS THE SAFETY RISK IN OUR AVALON AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR THOROUGH INVESTIGATION IN THIS MATTER. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT