NHTSA Complaint #11283172 — 2009 TOYOTA VENZA

THIS IS THE THIRD OCCURRENCE IN A YEAR. THE VEHICLE WILL RANDOMLY TURN ON AND ATTEMPT TO START. THERE IS NO FUEL GOING TO THE ENGINE, SO IT DOES NOT IGNITE, BUT I HAVE READ REPORTS IF VENZAS DOING THIS AND CATCHING FIRE. THE OTHER CHALLENGE IS THAT WHEN THIS HAPPENS, IT ALSO ACTIVATES THE ENGINE IMMOBILIZER AND WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THE KEYS. THE FIRST TIME, LAST JANUARY, WE RETURNED FROM A TRIP TO FIND A DEAD BATTERY. AFTER REPLACING THE BATTERY, THE ENGINE WAS LOCKED. I EVENTUALLY WAS ABLE TO GET IT STARTED, THEN LEFT BOTH KEYS IN THE VEHICLE INBTHE ACC ON POSITION FOR 30 MINUTES, AND IT RECOGNIZED THE KEY. IN OCTOBER, I WAS OUT RUNNING AND RETURNED TO FIND THE HEADLIGHTS ON AND THE FAN BLOWER RUNNING. I DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY, BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THE KEYS. I RECONNECTED IT LATER WITH NO CHANGE, BIT THEN A FEW HOURS LATER IT WORKED FINE. TODAY, DECEMBER 1, 2019), WE RETURNED HOME FROM CHURCH TO FIND THE STARTER CLICKING. THE ENGINE IMMOBILIZER IS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS LOCKED AND UNTAMPERED. IF THE BATTERY DOES NOT DOE, THIS COULD START A FIRE AND BURN DOWN MY HOUSE. I AM TAKING IT TO A DEALER, BUT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. IT OCCURS WHILE PARKED, RANDOMLY. THOUGH IT SEEMS COLD WEATHER IS A FACTOR.