2002 Toyota 4 Runner

VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY BURST INTO FLAMES WHILE PARKED WITH THE ENGINE TURNED OFF. *MR THE FIRE APPEARED TO HAVE STARTED IN THE AREA AROUND THE CENTER CONSOLE AND FLAMED UP TO THE CEILING AND MELTED THE COMPONENTS AROUND THE SUN ROOF, ETC. DUE TO THE WINDOWS BEING SHUT THE FIRE PUT ITSELF OUT. THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR CONCLUDED THAT THE FIRE STEMMED FROM THE CELL PHONE CHARGER. *SCC *JB

IN OCTOBER '02 I WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT WAS TURNING FROM SOUTH TO WEST AS I WAS TRAVELLING NORTH. MY VEHICLE ENDED UP COLLIDING WITH THE OTHER VEHICLE AT ITS PASSENGER FRONT AXLE AND MY DRIVER SIDE FRONT END. AS CONTACT OCCURRED, I HAD MY WHEELS TURNED HARD TO THE RIGHT THUSLY CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO GRADUALLY WHIP THE BACK END AROUND CAUSING A SIDE IMPACT AS WELL. THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS PUSHED NORTHWARD APPROX. 15-25 FEET BEFORE THE COLLISION CAME TO AN END. BOTH VEHICLES WERE DISABLED IN THIS OCCURRENCE WITH DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AND FRONT ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE OPPOSING VEHICLE. AND, DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END, BOTH SIDES, LEFT REAR WHEEL, AND FRONT ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF MY VEHICLE. THE OPPOSING VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED OUT AND MY VEHICLE HAS INITIAL ESTIMATES IN THE $16,000-$17,000 PRICE RANGE. TO MY COMPLAINT, THREE THINGS HAPPENED THAT BROUGHT ME GREAT CONCERN. FIRST, AS I WAS TRYING TO AVOID THE COLLISION WITH THE OTHER VEHICLE BY APPLYING MY BRAKES AND TURNING MY WHEELS, THE LEFT REAR TIRE SLIPPED OFF OF THE FRAME OF THE WHEEL INSTANTLY DEFLATING LEAVING ME WITH ONLY ONE GOOD TIRE TO BRAKE ON. SECOND, UPON CONTACT WITH THE OTHER VEHICLE, MY SEATBELT DID NOT LOCK OUT CAUSING ME TO BE JETTISONED UP OUT OF MY SEAT AND FORWARD INTO THE FRAMEWORK WHERE THE ROOF, FRONT WINDSHIELD, AND DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW COME TOGETHER. HEAD, NECK, AND HIGH SPINAL INJURIES OCCURRED. THIRDLY, THE AIR BAGS AT NO TIME DEPLOYED. SPEED ESTIMATES UPON IMPACT WERE APPROX. 30MPH. UPON DOING RESEARCH, I HAVE COME TO FIND THAT MOST AIR BAGS ARE SET TO DEPLOY IN ACCIDENTS WHERE MORE THAN 50% OF THE FRONT END HAS DAMAGE AND THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 12-18MPH. I THOUGHT GOING INTO THE PURCHASE OF THIS VEHICLE I WAS MAKING A WISE DECISION BOTH IN TERMS OF VALUE AND SAFETY PERFORMANCE. I THOUGHT WRONG!

THE CONSUMER NOTICED FROM THE WHEN THEY FIRST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THAT IT VIBRATES (AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS) AND PULLED TO THE LEFT. THEY CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THEY PERFORMED A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND BALANCED THE FOUR TIRES AND THAT DIDN'T HELP. (THE STEERING WHEEL(S) WERE NOT STRAIGHT AND PULLING FROM SIDE TO SIDE) THE CONSUMER HAD BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, AND ON ONE OCCASION WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG, AND ON THE SECOND THE REP NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS OFF CENTERED. THE CONSUMER HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN FOR A LAST TIME (AFTER HAVING LEGAL ASSISTANCE) AND WAS TOLD THAT A STEERING CONCERN EXISTS, AND PERFORMED AN ALIGNMENT AND AFTER SEVERAL DAYS THE PROBLEM REOCCURED-WHICH WAS THE LAST STRAW. AT THIS POOINT THE CONSUMER IS SEEKING A NEW VEHICLE OR THEIR MONEY BACK. *SCC *TS

OPERATING VEHICLE IN WET ROAD CONDITIONS WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON AT 55 MPH. TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND ENGINE TACHOMETER WENT FROM 2,200 RPM TO EXCESS OF 5,000 RPM. VEHICLE QUICKLY ACCELERATED TO 70 MPH AND WAS CONTINUING ACCELERATION WHEN OPERATOR DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL AND STOPPED ACCELERATION. ONLY ONE OCCURANCE AND NO RECURRENCE ON REMAINING 6 MILES TO HOME. VERY DANGEROUS TO HAVE VEHICLE QUICKLY ACCELERATE WITHOUT COMMAND FROM OPERATOR. MR

WE TAUGHT THAT WE BOUGHT THE SAFEST CAR. FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WE NOTICED THAT THE CAR VIBRATES WHILE DRIIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND THAT IT IS PULLING SIDE TO SIDE. WE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE PROBLEM ON MAY 20, 2002, JUNE01 AND 08, 2002, JULY 01, 2002, AND LAST TIME ON AUGUST 13, 2002. UNFORTUNATELY, THE CAR IS STILL HAVING THE SAME SAFETY PROBLEM. WE WANT TO HAVE IT RETURNED OR GET OUR MONEY BACK DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO FIX IT AFTER VISITING THE SERVICE FIVE TIMES. WE HAVE ALL WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION THAT CAN VERIFY EVERY FACT WE STATED. IF YOU NEED IT WE WILL SEND IT TO YOU. SINCERELY, [XXX] & [XXX] MR PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

WITHOUT WARNING, THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD FOLDED UNDER THE VEHICLE, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO VEER TO THE RIGHT AND GRAZE A LOW RETAINING WALL, DRAGGING THE TIRE UNDER THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT HAD BROKEN OFF AND THE VEHICLE HAD STOPPED. CONSUMER STATES THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THAT SHE WAS GIVEN A HARD TIME BY DEALER/MANUFACTURER IN TRYING TO GET THE PROBLEM SOLVED. AN INVESTIGATOR STATED THAT A TOYOTA MANUFACTURING DEFECT WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INCIDENT. THE CONSUMER EXPECTS TO BE PAID FOR THE COST OF THE VEHICLE AND THE RETURN/REMOVAL AND RE-INSTALLATION OF ITS AFTERMARKET ACCESSORIES, THE COST OF RENTAL CAR, THE TOWING CHARGES, THE SON'S LOSS OF WORK AND HIS EXTREME DISTRESS OVER THE PROBLEM. *SCC