2007 Toyota Yaris H/B

EXPERIENCED FAILURE OF EMISSIONS EVAP SYSTEM DUE TO WATER INTRUSION THROUGH POORLY DESIGNED COMPONENTS. CHECK ENGINE LAMP (CEL) ILLUMINATED CONSTANT ON DURING HIGHWAY TRAVEL. STORED DTCS OF P043E, P043F, P2401, P2402, AND P2419. INTERNET SEARCH REVELED EXISTING ISSUE IN TSB EG048-07 WHICH NOTES WATER ENTERS FILLER PIPE COVER, CONTAMINATES CANISTER FILTER, THEN DAMAGES THE EVAP PUMP LOCATED IN CHARCOAL CANISTER. REPAIR REQUIRES AN UPDATED FILLER COVER ($6), REPLACEMENT OF FILTER ($50), NEW CANISTER ($600), PLUS 0.5HR OF LABOR CHARGES. APPLICABLE WARRANTY IS 3YEAR/36000MILES. DURING REPAIR REPLACED FILLER COVER, FILTER, THEN CLEANED ENTIRE SYSTEM OF WATER. NOTE: THIS YARIS WAS ALREADY BUILT USING THE UPDATED FILLER COVER P/N. YARIS FAILED THE FOLLOWING TEST DRIVE DONE IN ATTEMPT TO AVOID EXPENSIVE CANISTER REPLACEMENT. FOLLOWED TOYOTA SERVICE MANUAL TO TROUBLESHOOT CANISTER WHICH LEAD TO PERMANENT DAMAGE. THREE BOLTS ATTACH THE PUMP VALVE TO THE CANISTER VIA PLASTIC THREADED INSERTS. THESE INSERTS STRIPPED INSIDE THE PLASTIC, RENDERING THE CANISTER UNUSABLE. REPLACING WITH NEW CANISTER AND RETESTING FOR REPAIR. THIS PORTION OF THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM IS RELATED TO A MANDATED REQUIREMENT. THIS FAILURE SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE LONGER TERM EMISSIONS WARRANTY PERIOD AND NOT THIS SHORTER TERM PERIOD. FAILURE OF A $6 COMPONENT RESULTING IN VICTIM FAILURES OF $650 IN ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS IS IRRITATING TO THE CONSUMER AND IRRESPONSIBLE OF THE MANUFACTURER. CUSTOMER HAS ALREADY NOTED THAT THIS EVENT WILL AFFECT (NEGATIVELY) FUTURE VEHICLE PURCHASE DECISIONS. NOTE: THIS FAILURE DOES NOT SEEM TO AFFECT MPG OR OPERATION BUT DOES ILLUMINATE THE CEL. CONSUMERS MIGHT OPERATE W/O REPAIR WHICH WILL CONDITION THEM TO ACCEPT AN ILLUMINATED CEL. THEY MIGHT NOT BE NOTIFIED OF OTHER OBD MALFUNCTIONS AND PARTIALLY DISABLED EMISSIONS CONTROL SYSTEM. *TR

ON 6/1/10 MY 2007 TOYOTA YARIS WOULD NOT START AND AFTER A FEW TRIES I FOUND GAS POURING FROM THE AREA BELOW THE GAS TANK. THIS ONLY OCCURRED WHEN THE STARTER WAS RUNNING AND APPEARED TO COME FROM A LEAK BETWEEN THE FUEL PUMP AND THE ENGINE. I THEN CALLED LEXINGTON, MA TOYOTA AND THEY ARRANGED TO HAVE A TOW TRUCK PICK UP THE CAR AND TAKE IT TO THEIR GARAGE. TOYOTA THEN CALLED TO SAY THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A BREAK IN THE FUEL LINE FROM THE FUEL PUMP AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER THE PART AND IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT A WEEK BEFORE WE WOULD GET THE CAR BACK. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED BY THE VEHICLE WARRANTY. WE HAVE HAD THE YARIS FOUR YEARS AND IT HAS ABOUT 9000 MILES ON IT. WHEN I READ THE WARRANTY DESCRIPTION IN THE TOYOTA MANUAL IT SAYS THAT THE FUEL PUMP, SEALS, AND GASKETS IN THE POWER TRAIN ARE COVERED FOR 60 MONTHS AND 60,000 MILES AND NONE OF THE WARRANTY EXCEPTIONS APPLIED. I QUESTION TOYOTA'S CONCLUSION THAT THIS FAILURE IS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY AND APPEAL THIS DECISION. THE GAS LINE WAS CLEARLY ABRADED WHICH COULD HAVE HAPPENED BEFORE, DURING, OR AFTER MANUFACTURE. THEY CLAIMED THAT THE ABRASION HAD BEEN DONE BY AN ANIMAL IN MY GARAGE BUT, 1) THE CAR IS STORED IN A CLOSED GARAGE, 2) THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANY EVIDENCE OF ANIMALS IN THE GARAGE, AND 3) ANIMAL DAMAGE IS NOT AMONG THE LIST OF EXCLUDED CONDITIONS. FURTHER, HAD THE GASOLINE CAUGHT FIRE BOTH THE CAR AND HOUSE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BURNED. I REGARD THE USE OF AN UNPROTECTED PLASTIC TUBE IN A CRITICAL FUEL LINE AS A DESIGN ERROR AND TOYOTA'S RESPONSIBILITY. *TR