2008 Toyota Corolla Power Train

WHEN THE CAR IS FIRST STARTED IN IS REVED UP AT 2000RPM. WHEN DRIVING 40MPH & UP OR FROM THIRD TO FOURTH GEAR THE RPMS REVE UP TO 3000RPM BEFORE SHIFTING. CAR ALSO FEELS LIKE HARD SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND, LAGS WHEN TAKING A TURN AND PRESSING GAS AT SAME TIME. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS NOW CAME ON P0741. FEELS LIKE PUSHING THE MAX WHEN TRYING TO GET FAST SPEEDS. ALSO FEELS LIKE WHEN SLOWING DOWN THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS STILL IN HIGH GEAR AND RMPS ARE HIGH. WHEN STOPPED AND FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE TRANSMISSION STILL FEELS LIKE IT'S TRYING TO GO FORWARD. AS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH THE TRANSMISSION SURGES LOSES POWER AT HIGH SPEEDS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE THE TORQUE CONVERTER SOLENOID IS NOT OPERATING CORRECTLY ON THE TRANSMISSION WHICH IS CAUSING THESE ISSUES. THIS IS ALSO THE SAME ISSUE WE HAVE WITH OUR 2005 TOYOTA COROLLA, SAME CODE SAME PROBLEMS. THIS IS A DEFECTIVE THAT SEEMS TO BE THE ISSUE IN COROLLA AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

THE DRIVER SIDE AXLE SHAFT ASSEMBLY UNEXPECTEDLY SNAPPED WHEN I WENT TO SHIFT THE CAR INTO FIRST GEAR WHEN A LIGHT FOR WHICH I WAS STOPPED TURNED GREEN. THERE WAS ENOUGH OF A CONNECTION FOR ME TO GET OFF THE BUSY RUSH HOUR ROAD BEFORE BEING STRUCK AND KILLED OR HURT BY OTHER VEHICLES. IT WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WHERE THEY INDICATED THE SHAFT HAD SNAPPED AND REPLACED IT. THEY DID NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE CLUTCH OR TRANSMISSION (5 SPEED MANUAL). THE SERVICE REP IDENTIFIED THE CAUSE AS A CUT BOOT (SHAFT SEAL) WHICH ALLOWED GREASE TO COME OUT AND DIRT TO GET INTO THE JOINT CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE REP NOTED THIS WAS "COMMON". I ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY WARNING FOR THE CONDITION. HE NOTED THERE IS NONE. THE CAR IS REGULARLY SERVICED (THIS WAS NOTED BY THE REP); NO ABNORMAL CONDITIONS WITH THE SHAFT SEAL WERE NOTED IN ANY SERVICE VISIT. A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF A AXLE SHAFT ASSEMBLY THAT RENDERS THE CAR IMMOVABLE WITHOUT WARNING IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND IS NOT COMMON. IT RISKS THE LIVES OF ANYONE IN THE CAR OR ON THE ROAD NEAR IT WHEN THE SHAFT FAILS. I HAVE NEVER HAD A AXLE SHAFT FAIL ON ANY OTHER CAR I HAVE OWNED AND DRIVEN. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT AND/OR FLAW WITH DESIGN, MATERIAL SPECIFICATION, MANUFACTURING PROCESS, AND/OR THE QUALITY OF THIS COMPONENT. I CONTACTED TOYOTA TO REPORT THE ISSUE. THEY SAID TO WORK WITH THE DEALER ON INSPECTIONS; I NOTED I HAVE. THEY DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE INHERENT LARGE SAFETY CONCERN WITH SUCH A FAILURE. I HAD THE CAR INSPECTED BY A INDEPENDENT MECHANIC A FEW DAYS FOLLOWING RETURN OF THE VEHICLE ON 6JUN2016; NO ISSUES WERE NOTED AT THIS TIME. I QUESTION THE SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF THIS CAR GIVEN THE NATURE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS FAILURE. TOYOTA NEEDS TO REVIEW DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING TO ENSURE SUCH A UNSAFE FAILURE IS ANYTHING BUT COMMON. UNSAFE, UNRELIABLE CARS SHOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED AS COMMON.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S SPEED ABRUPTLY DOWNSHIFTED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AND DOWN HILLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V384000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THEY BOTH INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,522.

2008 TOYOTA COROLLA. S10 APPROPRIATE HANDLING- LETTER FROM REGARDING TOYOTA PROBLEMS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED IN FEBRUARY 2009 THE DRIVER'S SIDE AXLE SNAPPED. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE HEARD A LOUD BANG AS SHE SLOWLY MADE A LEFT TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. ACCORDING TO THE WORK ORDER, THE END OF THE AXLE WAS BROKEN OFF IN THE DIFFERENTIAL AND THE AXLE SEAL WAS LEAKING. THE PASSENGER SIDE AXLE HAD TO BE REMOVED BECAUSE A BROKEN PIECE WAS STUCK IN THE DIFFERENTIAL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. IN MARCH 2010 THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED, A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS REQUIRED, BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS MECHANIC PUT THE AXLE IN INCORRECTLY. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED A SET OF RAILROAD TRACKS. AFTER DRIVING TWENTY FEET OVER THE TRACKS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER SHIFT INTO ANY SELECTED GEAR AND FAILED TO RESPOND TO THE CONTACTS ATTEMPTS TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 62,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH IN REVERSE THE VEHICLE WOULD MAKE A LOUD BANGING NOISE. THE NOISE WAS WITHIN THE DRIVE TRAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURRED IN COLD WEATHER. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAS REQUESTED THAT A TECHNICIAN WITH THE MANUFACTURER INSPECT THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,830. UPDATED 4/23/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE BACKING UP OR WHILE IN PARK. THE NOISE ONLY OCCURRED IN FRIGID TEMPERATURES. UPDATED 06/11/10 UPDATED 06/24/10.*JB