2001 Toyota Echo

I REPORTED A SAFETY PROBLEM TO TOYOTA AS A TOYOTA CUSTOMER- ON 08/29/2006 08:29 AM: HOW DO I KEEP THE DEFROSTER VENT CONTROLS FROM SHORTING OUT IN THE RAIN? WHILE DRIVING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD IN A BAD RAIN STORM AT NIGHT THE DEFROSTER AIR STOPPED COMING OUT OF ALL VENTS. THE FAN COULD BE HEARD BUT NO AIR CAME FROM ANY OPENING. CHANGING THE CONTROLS ON THE DASH BOARD HAD NO EFFECT, EXCEPT FOR TURNING THE FAN OFF AND ON. THE FRONT WINDOW FOGGED UP AND DRIVING BECAME EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BECAUSE OF NEARLY ZERO VISIBILITY. WE WERE FORCED TO STOP DRIVING AND SEEK REFUGE IN A MOTEL. THE NEXT MORNING AFTER THE RAIN HAD STOPPED AND THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED OVERNIGHT THE DEFROSTER WORKED NORMALLY. 2001 ECHO. PURCHASED JANUARY 3, 2002 QUOTING ASK TOYOTA <TOYOTA_CARES@TOYOTA.COM>: RESPONSE (ENRIQUE) - 08/31/2006 04:30 PM THANK YOU FOR CONTACTING TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, U.S.A., INC. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE CONCERNS YOU ARE EXPERIENCING WITH YOUR 2001 ECHO. THE WARRANTY FOR YOUR DEFROST IS THREE YEARS OR 36 THOUSAND MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST, FROM THE DATE OF FIRST USE FOR YOUR VEHICLE. BASED ON THE VIN (VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER) YOU PROVIDED, YOUR WARRANTY COVERAGE STARTED ON 01/07/2002. YOUR VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY OUTSIDE THESE WARRANTY PARAMETERS AND WE ARE UNABLE TO ASSIST WITH THE COST OF THIS REPAIR. ETC. TO TOYOTA, I AGAIN SUMMARIZED THE FAILURE AND THE CONSEQUENCES: ON- 09/02/2006 09:12 AM; I SAID: ... MY QUESTION WAS SENT TO YOU AS A SAFETY ISSUE. I ASKED "HOW DO I KEEP THE DEFROSTER VENT CONTROLS FROM SHORTING OUT IN THE RAIN?" BECAUSE YOUR RESPONSE WAS INADEQUATE: IT IS MY INTENT TO "REPORT A POSSIBLE DEFECT WITH A VEHICLE" TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION... SO I AM REPORTING THE SAFETY PROBLEM WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.*JB

MY 2001 ECHO WAS JUST SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY AND THE NEXT MORNING THE CAR HAD A LARGE CRACK IN THE GLASS.........IT WAS NIGHT TIME AND THE WAS NO SUN OR HEAT TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN......I TOOK IT TO THE TURNERSVILLE TOYOTA IN NEW JERSEY WERE I BOUGHT THE CAR AND THEY LAUGHED AT MY WIFE AND I .............THEY CLAIM THAT A TINY PINPOINT DOT ON THE WINDSHIELD, BARELY VISIABLE TO THE NAKED EYE CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN............ONE PINPOINT MARK CAUSE A NOW 10INCH CRACK TO FORM ON THIS WINDSHIELD........IF FEEL THIS GLASS IS NOT UP TO THE STANDARDS THAT IT SHOULD BE....MAYBE IT WAS A FAULTY WINDSHIELD......IT AM JUST SO UPSET THAT THEY DO NOT WANT TO STAND BEHIND THEIR WARRENTY AND JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE SUCH A LARGE COMPANY THEY THINK THIS IS A JOKE....WE BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AND NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE I HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ANY OF MY OTHER CARS......MY 1990 HONDA HAS TONS OF THESE MARKS ON THE WINDSHIELD AND IT NEVER HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY WINDSHIELD CRACKING..........I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE ARE ANYMORE COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS BUT THIS TO ME SEEMS TO BE A QUALITY PROBLEM ...THE QUALITY OF THE WINDSHIELD IS AT QUESTION HERE AND HOW MUCH PROTECTION DOES IT HOLD FOR THE DRIVE ROR THE PASSENGER.........EVEN IF I TAKE A PICTURE OF THIS MARK THEY CLAIMED CAUSED IT YOU WOULD NEED A INLARGE IT TENS TIMES TO SEE THIS MARK THEY CLAIM IS THE PROBLEM AND NOT THE QUALITY OF THE GLASS........