2026 Toyota Corolla

What component or system failed or malfunctioned? Seatbelt sensor system and cruise control system. The seatbelt sensor prevents cruise control activation unless the belt is fastened. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A driver who cannot wear a seatbelt for a valid medical reason (recognized by state law) is forced to drive without cruise control. Manually maintaining speed over long distances increases driver fatigue and distraction, raising the risk of error. The dealer also disabled the factory seatbelt chime without consent, removing an audible safety warning. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. Peppers Toyota ([XXX]) confirmed on March 17, 2026 that cruise control will not activate without a fastened seatbelt. They attempted no fix for cruise control. Instead, they disabled the seatbelt chime without my request or consent. I asked them to restore the chime. They refused. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes. Peppers Toyota inspected the vehicle on March 17, 2026. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Yes. The factory seatbelt chime operated normally until March 17, 2026. On that date, Peppers Toyota intentionally disabled the chime without my consent. The chime no longer functions. The vehicle will not activate cruise control without a fastened seatbelt. If you are uncertain, simply state UNKNOWN and provide your best assessment of the incident and cause in your description. UNKNOWN why Peppers Toyota disabled the seatbelt chime without my consent or authorization. UNKNOWN why they refuse to restore it to factory settings. UNKNOWN why the cruise control cannot be modified to work independently of the seatbelt sensor, given that service staff stated this modification had been done on older Toyota models. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

On February 19, 2026, at only 80 driven miles in this new 2026 Toyota Corolla hatchback, while moving slowly in reverse on dry pavement with no throttle input, no sharp steering and no misuse of the brake the vehicle spun out of control 4-5 times in the parking lot finally causing a collision with a parked vehicle which then it stopped. This collision nearly caused serious injury to the driver. Since its a brand new vehicle bugs and recalls are hard to tell, but we cannot drive this vehicle any longer due to safety issues.