1995 Toyota Corolla

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED FOR AN OIL CHANGE ON FEBRUARY 28, 2007, SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT THAT TIME, ATRA INFORMED HER THAT THIS WAS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. ATRA ALSO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT WAS THE ONLY TYPE THAT COULD BE USED IN HER VEHICLE. SHE PAID $845 TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. IN MARCH OF 2007, THE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM WAS REPLACED AT THE COST OF $650. ON JULY 25, 2007, THE CONTACT TOOK HER VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT FAILED EMISSIONS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $241. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 226,400, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 215,850.

1995 COROLLA'S LEFT FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *TS THE VEHICLE TRAVELED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INTO A MEDIAN BEFORE STRIKING A GUARDRAIL. THE VEHICLE CAME TO FINAL REST IN THE MEDIAN. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE BALD EVEN PAST THE WEAR INDICATORS. *NM

DUE TO THE FAULTY ELECTRICAL WIRING(?) DRIVING BECOMES EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS AS THE RESULT OF THE LEFT/RIGHT TURN SIGNALS NOT WORKING, WHICH CAUSES CARS DRIVING BEHIND ME TO BE OBLIVIOUS OF MY INTENTIONS TO TURN. ALSO, ALTHOUGH LESS DANGEROUS BUT JUST AS AGGRAVATING, IS THE INTERIOR LIGHTS FAILURE TO WORK; MAKING THE CUMBERSOME AND INCONVENIENT CHORE OF CARRYING AROUND A FLASHLIGHT A NECESSITY.

SMELL OF GASOLINE. FOUND A STREAM OF GASOLINE SQUIRTING FROM A CRACK IN THE GAS TANK ON TO THE EXHAUST PIPE HEAT BARRIER. UPON EXAMINATION OF TANK FOUND A DEFECT IN THE GAS TANK MANUFACTURING PROCESS. IT LOOKED LIKE DURING THE STAMPING OF THE SHEET METAL, A PORTION OF THE METAL FOLDED OVER CAUSING A WEAKEN AREA OF ABOUT 1 INCH WHERE THE METAL IS BENT OVER ON ITSELF. I REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE GAS TANK WITH A NEW ONE PURCHASED FROM TOYOTA AND IT LASTED ABOUT 18 MONTHS BEFORE IT EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE IS A PROBLEM SEEING THIS DEFECT IN THE NEW TANK BECAUSE OF THE UNDERCOATING APPLIED.I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A HAZARDOUS DEFECT BECAUSE THE LEAK OCCURS JUST ABOVE THE THE EXHAUST PIPE RADIANT HEAT SHEILD.

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK I NOTED A POPPING SOUND WHICH SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM MY CIGARETTE LIGHTER. ( SOUNDED LIKE THE POP SOUND WHEN THE LIGHTER IS READY FOR USE) HOWEVER I DID NOT PUSH IN THE LIGHTER TO USE IT, I JUST IGNORED THE SOUND, BUT DID HEAR IT ONE MORE TIME BEFORE ARRIVING AT MY DESTINATION, PARKING AND LEAVING MY VEHICLE. THANK GOD I HAD FORGOT MY MILITARY ID AND HAD TO RETURN TO MY VEHICLE WITHIN A FEW MINUTES. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY VEHICLE THERE WERE FLAMES SHOOTING UP FROM INSIDE MY VEHICLE. I QUICKLY RAN BACK TO MY OFFICE AND WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF SEVERAL OTHER CO WORKERS, WE EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE USING FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. AFTER CLOSER EXAMINATION OF THE FIRES LOCATION, I CAN CLEARLY SEE THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE SAME AREA OF THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER, BEHIND THE CONSOLE.

THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED IN A LOW SPEED FRONT END COLLISION AND CAUGHT MY CLOTHING AND ME ONE FIRE, CAUSING SECOND DEGREE BURNS ACROSS MY CHEST. I NOW KNOW THAT THERE WERE SO MANY COMPLAINTS OF DRIVERS CATCHING ON FIRE FROM AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT IN 1995 TOYOTA COROLLAS THAT THERE WAS A FIVE MONTH INVESTIGATION OF THE PROBLEM IN 1997 (PE97-017) WHICH DID NOT RESULT IN A RECALL. I AM SHOCKED THAT YOU DID NOT REQUIRE TOYOTA TO RECALL AIRBAGS THAT CATCH DRIVERS ON FIRE. I HOPE THAT YOU RE-OPEN THE INVESTIGATION AND ORDER TOYOTA TO RECALL THESE FAULTY PRODUCTS.*AK

THE REAR LIGHTS (REGULAR REAR LIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS) ON MY 1995 TOYOTA COROLLA FAIL CONSTANTLY AND INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN I REPLACE THE BULB(S), THE PROBLEM IS BACK WITHIN DAYS. ACTUALLY, I DO NOT EVEN KNOW IF THEY HAVE EVER ALL WORKED FOR MORE THAN MINUTES! SOMETIMES THEY START WORKING AGAIN BY THEMSELVES. I HAVE GIVEN UP TRYING TO KEEP ALL FOUR LIGHT BULBS FUNCTIONING. MANY OTHER COROLLAS OF THE SAME YEAR HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. IN FACT, SINCE I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR (MY WIFE BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW (CECILIA KIPP - HER NAME AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE) AND DROVE IT UNTIL THE PAST YEAR), I HAVE YET TO SEE A COROLLA THAT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN MANUFACTURED (LOOKS THE SAME) THAT HAS THE REAR LIGHTS WORKING. THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM THAT NO ONE WANTS TO ADDRESS.*AK

CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE AT SLOW SPEED WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AND FOOT GOT STUCK ON THE FLOOR MAT, AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO BRAKE. AS THE VEHICLE WENT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION IT WAS STRUCK ON DRIVER'S SIDE. UPON IMPACT, BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. DRIVER'S AIR BAG CAUGHT ON FIRE, AND DRIVER SUSTAINED SECOND DEGREE BURNS TO THE MIDSECTION AND UPPER CHEST AREAS/BRUISES, AND SWELLING TO THE FACE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK