NHTSA Complaint #11280645 — 2017 TOYOTA COROLLA

SHIFTING OF TRANSMISSION IN VEHICLE HESITATES AND/OR IS INCONSISTENT UPON SUDDEN ACCELERATION OR DECELERATION, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR THE DRIVER TO DETERMINE THE ACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE VERSUS OTHER CARS ON A BUSY STREET. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS INSTANCES IN WHICH THE CAR IS NOT SHIFTING APPROPRIATELY AND I AM UNABLE TO ACCURATELY JUDGE ENTERING TRAFFIC FROM A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD ONTO A BUSY INTERSECTION AS THE CAR WILL SOMETIMES SHIFT/REACT TO THE DRIVER AND OTHER TIMES NOT. AT TIMES THE TRANSMISSION REACHES AND REMAINS AT 7, 000 RPM (IN RED) WITHOUT SHIFTING AND/OR IS SLOW IN RESPONSE TO ACCELERATION. A CAMPAIGN RECALL WAS ISSUED BY TOYOTA FOR WHICH THE TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE WAS REPROGRAMMED ON THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THESE ISSUES STILL REMAIN. MY ULTIMATE CONCERN IS THE SAFETY OF MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF WHEN DRIVING THIS CAR AS I AM NOT ALWAYS ABLE TO PREDICT HOW IT WILL DRIVE UPON SUDDEN NEEDS TO ACCELERATE OR DECELERATE. IT IS MOST NOTABLE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, STOPS ON A HILL, OR NEED FOR INCREASED ACCELERATION GETTING ON THE HIGHWAY. WEATHER TEMPERATURE, HIGH WINDS, PASSENGER LOAD ALL SEEM TO BE VARIABLES IN HOW THE CAR SHIFTS. THE CAR DRIVES/SHIFTS INCONSISTENTLY FROM DAY TO DAY. WHEN NOT SHIFTING, IT RAISES MAJOR CONCERNS I WILL MAKE THE WRONG DETERMINATION WHEN JUDGING TRAFFIC THAT MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE CONSISTENTLY RAISED THESE CONCERNS WITH THE DEALERSHIP FROM THE TIME OF FIRST OIL CHANGE (PURCHASED NEW) TO CURRENT (31,000 MILES). TOYOTA HAS ALSO REVIEWED; HOWEVER, I AM CONCERNED THERE IS BIAS IN THE TRUE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE AS THERE COMMENT WAS "DRIVING AS DESIGNED'. IT WAS STATED BY TOYOTA THAT IT COSTS SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS TO UPDATE THE SOFTWARE AND THAT IT WOULD NOT BE UPDATED UNTIL ENOUGH OF THESE CASES WERE KNOWN. I AM SUBMITTING THIS REQUEST FOR AN INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE TRANSMISSION ISSUES IN THIS MODEL YEAR.