NHTSA Complaint #719304 — 1993 TOYOTA PICKUP

MY NAME IS: STEVEN ENCARNACION. ADDRESS: 1204 ST. JOSEPH WAY, PETALUMA, CA 94954-5360, E:MAIL [email protected]. TELEPHONE #(707)763-7437.THIS IS THE FIRST OF FOUR COMPLAINTS (OF WHICH THE THIRD ONE IS ABOUT A SAFTEY DEFECT THAT CAUSED AN INJURY)AGAINST G&C AUTOBODY, RE:RENTING VEHICLES WITH THE GROSS KNOWLEDGE OF SAFETY DEFECTS. ON 01/05/2000 I RENTED THE TOYOTA TRUCK(CUSTOMER RENTAL AGREEMENT #25698, REPAIR ORDER#000676) AS A LOANER VEHICLE FROM G&C AUTOBODY WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS TO BE REPAIRED. THE TRUCK DIDN'T HAVE A RIGHT SIDE VIEW MIRROR, I BROUGHT IT TO CASEY PUTERBAUGH'S ATTENTION (G&C AUTOBODY) AND SHE ASKED ME IF I CAN DRIVE WITHOUT IT, I SAID I GUESS SO, WHICH REALLY MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO SEE IF THE LANE IS CLEAR ON THE LANE TO THE RIGHT. THEN ONE DAY I WAS STOPPED AT A RED SIGNAL WITH A CAR IN FRONT AND BEHIND ME. I NOTICED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME STARTS ROLLING BACK TOWARDS ME, I STARTED TO PRESS THE HORN AND IT DIDN'T WORK, I KEPT FRANTICALLY PRESSING, I COULDN'T BACKUP BECAUSE A VEHICLE WAS BEHIND ME. THEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED JUST BEFORE IT HIT ME. I CALLED G&C TO TELL THEM THAT THIS VEHICLE ISN'T SAFE TO DRIVE AND THAT I WANTED ANOTHER ONE. CASEY PUTERBAUGH (G&C AUTOBODY) SAID SHE WOULD RESERVE ONE FOR ME. WHEN I ARRIVED AT G&C AUTOBODY I WAS SERVED BY WILBERT JOHNSON. MR. JOHNSON DIDN'T KNOW WHY I WAS RETURNING THE VEHICLE. WHEN I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE INCIDENT WITH THE HORN, HE SAID "IS THAT ALL!" AS IF TO SAY, DO YOU MEAN I'M REPLACING YOUR VEHICLE BECAUSE OF A HORN. G&C AUTOBODY RENTED ME A SECOND VEHICLE WHICH WILL ARRIVE AS MY SECOND COMPLAINT. G&C AUTOBODY KNEW ABOUT THE DEFECTS AT THE TIME I RENTED IT. I DIDN'T KNOW A BUSINESS COULD GET AWAY WITH PUTTING PEOPLES LIVES IN DANGER. I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT YOUR AGENCY BY CONTACT 4 (CHANNEL FOUR NEWS IN THE S.F. BAY AREA). NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED WITHIN SUMMARY. *AK