2011 Toyota Venza

ON APRIL 11, 2016, A COMPLAIN WAS SUBMITTED UNDER TARAKA: COMPLAINT NUM: 10854818 FOR A TOYOTA VENZA 2011.WHILE CAR IN MOTION AT AROUND 55MPH, ON A HIGHWAY, NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AND EXCELLENT CAR MAINTENANCE A LOUD EXPLOSION BURST OCCURRED IN THE CAR. WITH NO VISIBILITY AT ALL, I MANAGED TO CONTROL THE CAR AND STOPPED IT. THEN, I NOTICED THAT THE HOOD SUDDENLY HAD POP-UP WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF ALERT OF FLASHLIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THERE WAS NO HOOD VIBRATION THAT WOULD SUGGEST IT WAS OPENED. I DID A PANIC STOP AND TRIED TO CONTROL THE CAR AVOIDING A COLLISION; THE AIRBAG WAS NOT DEPLOYED AT A POTENTIAL COLLISION. THE BURST COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE FRONT GLASS; BUMPERS WERE MOVED OUT OF PLACE AND DAMAGE THE ROOF OF CAR. MY MECHANIC SCANNED THE BLACK BOX AND NO CODE WAS PRESENT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND AFTER 5 DAYS THEY NOTIFIED TO REMOVE THE CAR FROM THEIR PREMISES BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE TECHNICIANS AVAILABLE FOR THE NEXT MONTH TO CHECK IT. I REMOVED THE CAR AND WAITED 30 ADDITIONAL DAYS FOR THEIR INSPECTION WITH NO POSITIVE RESULTS. AFTER MORE THAN A MONTH, I TOOK THE CAR TO A COLLISION CENTER WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED AND THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE HOOD LOCK SYSTEM, IN SPECIFIC THE LATCH AND SPRINGS WERE RUSTY AND THE LATCH HAD STUCK PROBLEMS_ UNABLE TO CLOSE COMPLETELY THE HOOD. THE CAR GETS ITS MAINTENANCE ALMOST EVERY 5 MONTHS_ ONLY AT THE TOYOTA DEALER. I EXAMINED THE CAR MAINTENANCE INVOICES FROM THE TOYOTA DEALER AS WELL AS THE CAR MANUAL AND THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OR ADVICE THAT THE HOOD LOCK SYSTEM AND LATCHES WERE LUBRICATED OR A NOTE ADVISING PERIODIC LUBRICATION. THERE COULD BE ANOTHER POSSIBILITY THAT THE HOOD LOCK SYSTEM MAY HAVE SOME TYPE OF OTHER DEFECT, WHICH IS NOT VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE. THIS PROBLEM REPRESENTS A CRITICAL UNSAFE RISK. THE SUDDEN/PANIC STOP I DID CAUSED ME PERSONAL INJURIES.

I AM WRITING TO LET YOU KNOW OF A SAFETY ISSUE CONCERNING BY TOYOTA VEHICLE. I CAME HOME FROM WORK ON JUNE 28, 2016 AND PARKED MY CAR IN THE GARAGE. AS I WAS LEAVING I NOTICED THE SMELL OF GASOLINE. I CHECKED UNDER MY CAR AND SAW A SIGNIFICANT LEAK OF GASOLINE FROM MY GAS TANK. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE TOWING COMPANY AND HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER. AFTER AN ASSESSMENT, THE TOYOTA'S SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT MY GAS TANK WAS PIERCED. I WAS SURPRISED BECAUSE I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING ON THE ROAD. WHEN I PICKED UP MY CAR, THEIR INVOICE READ "REPLACED TANK - DAMAGED - LEAKING AT SEAM." I AM WRITING TO ASK IF THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER TOYOTA CARS? I FEEL THAT IT IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION TO DRIVE A CAR THAT HAS A GAS TANK THAT CAN SPLIT AT THE SEAMS? I CURRENTLY DRIVE 50 MILES TO AND FROM WORK. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY VEHICLE AND WANTED TO VOICE MY CONCERN TO YOU REGARDING THIS ISSUE WITH MANUFACTURING.

TAKATA RECALL WHILE CAR IN MOTION AT AROUND 50MPH ON A HIGHWAY, UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AND EXCELLENT CAR MAINTENANCE, A MYSTERIOUS LOUD EXPLOSION BURST OCCURRED IN THE CAR. THEN I NOTICED THAT THE HOOD SUDDENLY POPPED-UP WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF ALERT OF FLASH LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, NO HOOD VIBRATION THAT WOULD SUGGEST IT WAS OPENED. ALTHOUGH, I DID A PANIC STOP THE AIRBAG WAS NOT DEPLOYED AT A POTENTIAL COLLISION. THE BURST BROKE THE FRONT GLASS, HOOD LATCHES, BUMPERS WERE MOVED OUT OF PLACE. A MECHANICAL FAILURE OR AN ELECTRONIC ONE, WHICH ACTIVATES THE HOOD CONTROLS, COULD CAUSE THE PROBLEM. MY MECHANIC SCANNED THE BLACK BOX AND NO CODE WAS PRESENT. THIS UNKNOWN PROBLEM MAY REPRESENT A CRITICAL UNSAFE RISK. THIS ACCIDENT WITH A SUDDEN STOP CAUSED PERSONAL INJURIES.

ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:45 PM, I WAS DRIVING FROM SHEBOYGAN WI TO KENOSHA WI WITH MY ADULT DAUGHTER ON I 94 SOUTH NEAR THE EXIT FOR HIGHWAY 20. I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT, LOOKED AT MY DAUGHTER AND SAID ARE YOU OKAY AND WE WERE SUDDENLY SHOWERED WITH THE BROKEN GLASS OF MY MOON ROOF. AS I WAS IN THE PASSING LANE, I CAREFULLY MADE MY WAY TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE. WE CLOSED THE SHADE UNDER THE WINDOW AND MY DAUGHTER GOT OUT TO SEE THE DAMAGE. SHE TOOK PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE AND WE THEN EXITED THE HIGHWAY. WE FOUND A TRUCK STOP RIGHT OFF THE HIGHWAY AND TWO MECHANICS ASSISTED IN REMOVING THE REST OF THE GLASS AND VACUUMING THE CAR. NEITHER OF US WAS INJURED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HAVING GLASS ALL OVER US AND THE CAR WAS NOT DAMAGED IN ANY OTHER WAY. NEITHER US NOR THE MECHANICS FOUND ANY EVIDENCE OF AN EXTERNAL PROJECTILE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE DAMAGE. THE ROAD WAS CLEAN, THERE WAS NO RAIN, AND WE WERE NOT GOING UNDER AN OVERPASS.

I HAVE A TOYOTA VENZA OF YEAR 2011. I HAVE IT FOR LAST TWO YEARS OR SO. THE PASSENGER SIDE SUN VISOR FAILED FELL OFF ITS SUPPORT UNEXPECTEDLY DURING LAST WEEK. I THINK THIS SUN VISOR HAS PREMATURELY. I UNDERSTAND THAT TOYOTA HAS RECALLED SOME OF ITS VEHICLES FOR REPLACEMENT. ON MY INQUIRY TO ONE OF THE DEALERS, I WAS TOLD THAT TOYOTA HAS RECALLED SOME OF THE CAMRY MODELS BUT NOT VENZA MODELS. WHY NOT VENZA MODELS? IS THAT ALRIGHT LET TO VENZA USERS SUFFER?

ON FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015, A CLEAR, SUN SHINY DAY, I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN, VIOLENT DECELERATION WITH LOUD NOISES WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 40 MPH ON SMOOTH PAVEMENT ABOUT THREE MILES FROM MY HOME. THE SLIP INDICATOR ICON LIGHT WAS FLASHING ON MY DASHBOARD INDICATING THE VSC/TRAC HAD BEEN ENGAGED, CUTTING DOWN THE THROTTLE AND ENGAGING THE ABS,INTERMITTENTLY, AS I LIMPED HOME. ON MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2015, I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS OPEN CIRCUIT FAILURE OF THE STOP LAMP SWITCH. I FIND THIS DISCONCERTING AS THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED UNDER RECALL THREE YEARS AGO. THIS INCIDENT WAS FAR MORE THAN JUST A NUISANCE AND AN INCONVENIENCE. THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE! IF THE FAILURE HAD OCCURRED AT 70MPH ON AN INTERSTATE, I MIGHT NOT BE ALIVE TO TALK ABOUT IT. I CONTACTED THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER AT (800)331-4331 [INCIDENT 150507-000193] TO SEE IF THE SWITCH DESIGN HAD BEEN IMPROVED OR A PROGRAMMING CHANGE HAD BEEN MADE TO CHANGE THE FAILURE MODE, BUT GOT NO INDICATION ANYTHING HAD BEEN CHANGED. I WAS TOLD THAT MY CASE HAD BEEN FILED AT THEIR NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS UNDER FILE #1505080785. APPARENTLY MY PROBLEM WAS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, BECAUSE WHEN I EXPRESSED SURPRISE THAT A STOP LAMP SWITCH FAILURE COULD BE SO CATASTROPHIC, THE SERVICE WRITER AT TOYOTA OF NORTHWEST ARKANSAS SAID THAT THIS HAPPENS OFTEN, THAT "THIS WAS NOT OUR FIRST RODEO". I BELIEVE TOYOTA NEEDS TO MAKE SOME CHANGES TO AVOID PEOPLE BEING INJURED BY STOP LAMP SWITCH FAILURES ON THE TOYOTA VENZA.