2006 Toyota Corolla Electrical System

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SUNLIGHT DIMINISHED THE VISIBILITY OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THIS WAS HOW THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED, BUT SUGGESTED TINTING THE WINDOWS, TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF SUNLIGHT IN THE VEHICLE.

I PURCHASED A 2006 TOYOTA COROLLA LE, AND BROUGHT IT HOME JAN. 2. NEXT MORNING, JAN. 3, VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. AFTER ABOUT 7 ATTEMPTS IT FINALLY STARTED. I TOOK IT BACK TO DEALERSHIP, THEY CHECKED IT AND ADVISED NO PROBLEM FOUND. I DROVE IT TO RESTAURANT FOR LUNCH, WENT OUT LATER, VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. CALLED DEALERSHIP AND ADVISED THEM OF THE SAME. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WAS VERY UPSET. DEALERSHIP ADVISED ME TO CALL TOW TRUCK. I CALLED TOW TRUCK AND WAITED 45 MINUTES. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO TRY TO START VEHICLE AND IT STARTED. I DROVE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AND ADVISED THEM I DID NOT WANT A NEW VEHICLE THAT WAS NOT GOING TO START. THEY ADVISED THEY WOULD CHECK IT AGAIN AND TO LEAVE IT. THEY DID FURNISH ME WITH A CAR TO DRIVE IN THE MEANTIME. THEY CALLED ME WEDNESDAY, JAN. 4 TO ADVISE ME THEY HAD REPROGRAMMED THE KEYS AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS READY FOR ME TO PICK UP. THEY WENT OUT TO START IT AND IT WOULD NOT START. THE CALLED ME BACK TO ADVISE ME OF SAME AND THEY WOULD CHECK IT FURTHER. THEY CALLED ME FRIDAY, JAN. 5 AND SAID THEY HAD PUT A NEW COMPUTER IN THE CAR AND I COULD PICK IT UP. I DROVE TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY WENT OUT TO GET THE VEHICLE. THE SERVICE PERSONNEL CAME BACK AND SAID IT WOULD NOT START. I WAS SO UPSET AND WANTED TO SPEAK WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. I ADVISED HIM I DID NOT WANT THIS CAR, I JUST PURCHASED IT ON JANUARY 2, AND I REQUESTED THEY PUT ME IN ANOTHER VEHICLE. THAT, ALL I WANT IS A VEHICLE THAT WILL START AND RUN. THEY ADVISED THEY WOULD NOT DO THAT BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY SIGNED THE CONTRACT. WELL, I DID NOT KNOW THE VEHICLE HAD A PROBLEM SUCH AS THIS. I WAS SO UPSET AND ASKED TO SPEAK WITH THE SALES MANAGER. HE BASICALLY TOLD ME THE SAME. I TOLD HIM I DO NOT WANT THE VEHICLE, IT IS BRAND NEW AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE THESE TYPES OF PROBLEMS. HE ADVISED I HAD ONLY 2 OPTIONS; LEAVE THE VEHICLE THERE AND THEY WOULD TRY TO REPAIR IT OR THEY WOULD CALL THE COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE REGARDING THE LEMON LAW. *JB

THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN BETWEEN 40-50MPH ON A SECONDARY ROAD. THE ENGINE BEGAN MAKING A WHINING NOISE AND THE OIL LIGHT FLICKERED ON AND OFF. THE CAR STALLED OUT IN A DRIVEWAY. TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. OPENED THE HOOD AND SMOKE CAME OUT. TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR TO MOVE IT. IT BURST INTO FLAMES. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE NEXT MORNING THE CAR WAS TOWED TO WESTBURY TOYOTA WHERE THEY WROTE IT UP AS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. A FEW DAYS LATER THE CAR WAS INSPECTED BY AN INSPECTOR FOR THE COMPANY AND I WAS TOLD THAT A ROD WENT THROUGH THE ENGINE, CUTTING THE FUEL LINE CAUSING THE FIRE. THEY SAID IT WAS CAUSED BY DOWNSHIFTING (ON AN AUTOMATIC) AND WAS DRIVER ERROR, INVALIDATING THE WARRENTY. AT FIRST THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $13,000 TO FIX IT. THEN THEY OFFERED TO TAKE THE INSURANCE CHECK FOR $4,900 AND SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE WITH ME. THE LAST OFFER WAS TO GIVE THEM THE INSURANCE CHECK $1,000 AND THEY WOULD GIVE ME A COMPERABLE CAR. THIS I THOUGHT WAS INSURANCE FRAUD. I WILL BE WITH OUT A CAR. *NM