NHTSA Complaint #11258743 — 2005 TOYOTA COROLLA

I HAVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND AT RANDOM TIMES WHILE I AM DRIVING AND IN MOTION, I'LL PUSH IN THE CLUTCH TO BRAKE OR COAST, THE RPMS GO DOWN UNTIL THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF, AND THE STEERING WHEEL GOES HARD. THE HEADLIGHTS AND DASH LIGHTS STILL WORK, IN FACT ALL THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS, LIKE THE CHECK ENGINE AND MAINTENANCE REQUIRED LIGHTS, ACTUALLY COME ON (JUST LIKE WHEN YOU'RE KEY IGNITION IS IN THE "ON" POSITION BUT YOU HAVEN'T STARTED THE ENGINE YET). THE CAR STARTS RIGHT BACK UP WHEN I TURN THE IGNITION OR POP THE CLUTCH WHILE IN GEAR. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ABOUT ONCE EVERY WEEK EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR OVER 4 YEARS AGO. WITHIN THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS AT RANDOM TIMES WHEN TRYING TO START MY CAR MY CAR (STATIONARY), THE ENGINE WILL TURN OVER BUT WON'T START ON FIRST TRY. ON SECOND TRY I WILL TURN THE IGNITION AND PUMP THE GAS PEDAL AND AFTER A FEW SECONDS IT WILL START UP AND RUN PERFECTLY FINE. I'VE READ ABOUT THE RECALL OF THE ECM FOR MY MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR, BUT WHEN I SEARCH MY VIN IT COMES BACK WITH NO CURRENT RECALLS. WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNING THE VEHICLE (PURCHASED FROM PRIVATE PARTY IN AUGUST OF 2015), I LEARNED OF THE AIRBAG RECALL AND TOOK IN AND GOT IT FIXED, BUT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, ABOUT 2.5 YEARS AFTER TAKING IT IN FOR THE RECALL, MY SRS LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS NOT ILLUMINATED AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, BUT I AM A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT SAFETY ESPECIALLY NOW THAT THE SRS LIGHT HAS COME ON. ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS I HAVE BEEN SURPRISED BY THE ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE TRYING TO MAKE A TURN, WHICH VERY EASILY COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, AND NOW IF I DO GET IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE AIRBAG SYSTEM FAILS, THEN I COULD BE INJURED EVEN MORE SEVERELY OR DIE. I'M A COLLEGE STUDENT ON A VERY TIGHT BUDGET, OTHERWISE I WOULD'VE JUST SEEN A MECHANIC BY NOW. I THOUGHT I'D TRY FILING A COMPLAINT FIRST.