1998 Toyota Corolla

FLASHING AIR BAG LIGHT - I PURCHASED A 1998 TOYOTA CORLOOA IN JULY 1998. BEGINING IN SEPT OF 98 I BEGAN TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE FLASHING AIR BAG LIGHT.IT WAS TAKEN ON 9/29/98, 8/18/99, 8/15/00, 8/14/01. THE LAST VISIT THE LIGHT STARTED BLINKING BEFORE I LEFT THE PARKING LOT. I HAD TO PULL IT BACK IN THE BAY FOR THEM TO RE-FIX IT. I WAS TOLD EACH TIME I TOOK IT IN THAT THE AIR BAGS WERE FUNCTIONAL EVEN IF THE LIGHT WAS FLASHING. I TOOK THE CAR BACK LAST MONTH AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A PARTS BULLETIN ISSURE BY TOYOTA BACK IN 1999 THAT REQUIRED TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS TO INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS ON THESE WIRES IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM STOP BLINKING. THIS WAS NEVER DONE ON MY CAR EVEN THOUGH ALL FOUR TIMES I TOOK IT IN IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRENTY. NOW THEY WANT TO CHARGE ME $200.00 TO DO THIS.I WAS ALSO TOLD AT THIS TIME THAT THE AIR BAGS ARE NOT FUNCTIONAL WHEN THE LIGHT IS FLASHING.*AK

MY CAR '98 COROLLA THAT HAS BEEN REGULARLY MAINTAINED AS PER MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDATIONS BLEW ITS ENGINE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS IN THE FAST LANE AND HAD TO DANGEROUSLY VEER THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER. THE CAR HAD DONE ONLY 50,000 MILES. THE ENGINE BREAKDOWN WAS CAUSED BY SLUDGING AND EXCESSIVE ENGINE WEAR AND TEAR THAT DEVELOPED IN THE CAR WHEN IT HAD DONE JUST 36,000 MILES. THIS WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY SUBURBAN TOYOTA OF TROY, MI. I HAVE BEEN REGULAR WITH OIL CHANGE AND PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE AND HAVE RECEIPTS TO PROVE THAT AND THIS IS A CLEARY A CASE OF MANUFACTURING FAULT OF THE CAR. I FINALLY PAID $4500 FOR FULL ENGINE REPLACEMENT AND SENT THE RECEIPTS AND MAINTENANCE RECORDS TO TOYOTA. TOYOTA HAS REFUSED TO REIMBURSE THIS AMOUNT.

OF THE ELEVEN (11) VEHICLES THAT I HAVE OWNED THUS FAR, AT LEAST EIGHT (8) HAS BEEN TOYOTA, ONE A FORD, AND TWO WERE NISSAN'S. ALL THE TOYOTA'S GAVE ME EXCELLENT SERVICE, EXCEPT THE LAST. THIS WAS A 1998 TOYOTA COROLLA CE THAT WAS REGULARLY SERVICED AND WELL TAKEN CARE OF. SO MUCH SO, THAT WE PURCHASED A SMART CHOICE WARRANTY FOR TWELVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($1200) TO GIVE US AN ADDED PIECE OF MIND. THIS VEHICLE WAS PUIRCHASED FOR MY COLLEGE GOING DAUGHTER, BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT THIS BRAND IS BASED ON RELIABILTY, ECONOMY AND DURABILITY. THESE ARE WELL KNOWN TOYOTRA ATTRIBUTES.ON 11/28/2003 THE OIL LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AT INTERVALS. I DID MY OWN DIAGONISTICS AS A RESPONSIBLE TOYOTA OWNER AND FOUND THAT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. I THEN LEFT WORK TO TAKE THE CAR FOR A SECOND OPINION AND WAS TOLD AFTER HOURS OF EXAMINATION THAT THE OIL PUMP NEEDED REPLACING. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THIS AS THE VEHICLE HAD REGULAR SERVICES. AT THIS I CONTACTED SMART CHOICE, ONLY TO LEARN THAT THEY HAD FILED FOR BANKRUPTCY. THIS WAS A MAJOR SETBACK FOR ME. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COSTS AT THIS STAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY $530.00. UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION BY MY MECHANIC, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS ENGINE HAD LARGE DEPOSITS OF SLUDGE AND THAT IT HAD A SHORT LIFESPAN. BASED ON THIS I WAS ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED A REPLACEMENT. IT IS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT I LODGE THIS LEGITIMATE COMPLAINT AND REQUEST AN OFFICIAL FROM THE MANUFACTURER TO CONTACT ME AT THE SOONEST.*AK