2009 Toyota Corolla SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

WHEN STARTING TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE FOR THE FIRST TIME OF THE DAY, AND IT IS COLD OUT, WHEN BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE REAR BRAKES MAKE VERY LOUD CLUNKING NOISES LIKE SOMETHING IS BROKEN INSIDE THE BRAKE ASSEMBLIES ON BOTH REAR WHEELS. I FEEL AS IF THE BRAKES ARE FAILING, AND THIS COULD POSSIBLY LEAD TO SOMETHING WORSE IN THE FUTURE. *TR

WHEN BRAKING TO COME TO A STOP, IF THERE IS ANY TYPE OF IMPERFECTION IN THE ROADWAY, SUCH AS A SMALL POTHOLE, WHEN HITTING THE POTHOLE AND BRAKING AT THE SAME TIME, IT CAUSES THE FRONT END TO GET LOOSE AND THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE SOMETIMES SEVERELY. *TR

2009 TOYOTA COROLLA S BRAKES WERE FAILING TO STOP SOUND AS IF BRAKES WERE METAL TO METAL. LOUD GRINDING NOSE AND UNEVEN CONTACT WITH BRAKE DISC. TWO ACCIDENTS WERE BARELY AVOIDED BECAUSE VEHICLE INABILITY TO STOP IN A REASONABLE DISTANCE. EXCESSIVE PRESSURE WAS PUT ON TO THE PEDAL TO FINALLY BRING VEHICLE TO A STOP. CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND A DETERMINATION WAS MADE THAT THE VEHICLE HAD OVER 60%OF PAD WEAR LEFT. WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO AN OUTSIDE MECHANIC WHICH DETERMINED THAT THE ROTOR HAD BECOME UNEVEN WARPED AND CUPPED IN SEVERAL PLACES AND THE PADS DETERIORATING AND WERE DEFECTIVE. WE HAD BOTH REPLACED AT AN EXPENSE OF OVER 500.00. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA IN JANUARY 2009. I THOUGHT THE BRAKES WERE A LITTLE SLUGGISH AND EXPRESSED THAT TO THE SALESMAN. HE SAID THEY WERE FINE SO I THOUGHT I JUST NEEDED TO GET USED TO THEM. I HAD NO OTHER PROBLEM IN 2009. IN JANUARY OF 2010, ON TWO OCCASIONS, I EXPERIENCED EPISODES IN WHICH THE BRAKES FAILED. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THEY WOULD HOLD AND THEN SLIP SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE CAR CAME TO A STOP. ON AT LEAST ONE OF THESE OCCASIONS, I THOUGHT I HEARD THE ENGINE RACING WHILE THE BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED. AFTER I HEARD ABOUT THE COROLLA RECALL, I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD PURCHASED IT AND WAS TOLD THAT MY CAR WAS NOT SUBJECT TO THE RECALL. I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THIS BUT ASKED THEM TO KEEP THE CAR UNTIL THEY COULD FIND AND FIX THE CAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTION BECAUSE I CONSIDERED THE CAR TO BE A DEATH TRAP. THIS WAS IN FEBRUARY 2010 AND I REPORTED TO THEM EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE NOW REPORTED TO YOU. AFTER ABOUT TWO WEEKS THEY CALLED AND TOLD ME MY CAR WAS "ALL SET." WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR, THEY GAVE ME AN INVOICE WHICH SAID THEY HAD TAKEN IT FOR A COUPLE OF TEST DRIVES, CHECKED THE CODES, AND FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM DESPITE THE FACT THAT I HAD TOLD THEM IT WAS A BRAKE PROBLEM. ON 2/25/10, I APPLIED THE BRAKES AS I APPROACHED A RED LIGHT AND THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THE CAR ACCELERATED BUT I DO KNOW THAT IT DID NOT SLOW DOWN. CONSEQUENTLY, I REAR-ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME AND MY VEHICLE WAS BADLY DAMAGED. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA IN NOVEMBER 2009. I HAD ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES SLIPPING TO THE FLOOR 2 WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE. THIS WOULD HAPPEN WHEN I WOULD TRY TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN OR COME TO A STOP. IT HAPPENED SPORADICALLY. I HAD MANY NEAR COLLISIONS AND WENT OFF THE ROAD INTO SNOWBANKS SEVERAL TIMES TO AVOID HITTING OTHER CARS. TOYOTA KEPT SAYING NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR AFTER CHECKING THE BRAKES. IN SEPTEMBER, I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR THE HYDRAULIC SERVICE BRAKE RECALL. THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. ON DECEMBER 8 & 9 THE BRAKES WENT TO THE FLOOR TWICE WHEN I TRIED TO STOP AT STOP SIGNS. I ALMOST GOT KILLED AVOIDING OTHER CARS AT INTERSECTIONS. ONCE AGAIN, THE DEALERSHIP TRIED TO DUPLICATE THE SITUATION AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I TOLD THEM I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE CAR WHICH WILL END UP CRASHING AT SOME POINT FROM A FAULTY BRAKE SYSTEM. THEY SAID THEY CAN NOT DO ANYTHING. I SAID THE RECALL PART IS NOT EFFECTIVE AND THE CONSUMERS NEED TO BE AWARE. ALL I ASKED FOR WAS A NEW COROLLA AND I WOULD CONTINUE ALL MY PAYMENTS. I DO NOT WANT TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE CAR ON THE ROAD (NOR SHOULD OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS). THE DEALERSHIP IS IN BURLINGTON VERMONT. *TR

AS AN OWNER OF A 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA, I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT A RECALL FOR BRAKE FAILURE BY TOYOTA THAT IS LIMITED TO CERTAIN STATES BASED ON WINTER TEMPERATURES. BRAKES MAY FAIL AT VERY LOW TEMPERATURES. I LIVE IN MARYLAND, AND MARYLAND IS NOT ONE OF THE STATES LISTED IN THE RECALL. I DO NOT KNOW HOW TOYOTA ARRIVED AT WHICH STATES ARE COLD AND WHICH ARE NOT. BUT I HAVE TWO SERIOUS OBJECTIONS TO THE STATE RESTRICTION. 1. WHILE SOME WINTERS ARE MILD IN MARYLAND, OTHERS ARE NOT. FOR INSTANCE, LAST WINTER WAS VERY COLD. I HAVE THE HEATING BILLS TO PROVE IT. 2. BUT BY FAR, MY MOST SERIOUS OBJECTION SHOULD BE OBVIOUS TO ANYONE. THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF A CAR IS TO TRAVEL. EVEN IF YOU LIVE IN FLORIDA AND OWN ONE OF THE RECALLED VEHICLES, DOES THIS MEAN YOU CAN NOT DRIVE TO MINNESOTA TO SPEND SEVERAL WEEKS TO VISIT FAMILY OVER THE HOLIDAYS? DOES THIS MEAN I CAN'T DRIVE TO UPSTATE NEW YORK THIS WINTER FOR A VACATION AS I HAVE PLANNED? A CAR IS NOT A HOUSE. IT IS VERY RARE THAT A HOUSE MOVES FROM STATE TO STATE WHILE IT IS VERY VERY COMMON THAT CARS DO. LOOKING AT THE VARIOUS STATE TAGS ON THE INTERSTATE 95 WILL CONFIRM THIS. THEREFORE, I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE STATE LIMITATION ON THIS RECALL - PARTICULARLY BECAUSE IT INVOLVES SOMETHING AS SERIOUS AS POSSIBLE BRAKE FAILURE. *TR

RECENTLY I RECEIVED A RECALL ON MY '09 TOYOTA COROLLA STATING THERE WAS A POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM VACUUM PORT. THE RECALL SAYS IF MY VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN EXTREMELY LOW TEMPERATURES, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT CONDENSED MOISTURE MAY FREEZE CAUSING A POTENTIAL RISK OF BRAKE FAILURE LEADING TO AN INCREASED RISK OF A CRASH. I LIVE IN UPSTATE NEW YORK WHERE THE TEMPERATURES DROP TO FREEZING AND BELOW THIS TIME OF YEAR. AS SOON AS I RECEIVED THIS NOTICE, I CALLED THE DEALER I PURCHASED MY COROLLA FROM TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO CORRECT THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM. AFTER A GOOD 5 MINUTES OF BEING PUT ON HOLD, A REPRESENTATIVE PICKED UP AND NICELY ASKED WHAT SHE COULD DO FOR ME. I DESCRIBED THE RECALL AND WAS PUT ON HOLD AGAIN. ANOTHER 4-5 MINUTES PAST AND THEN SHE PICKED UP TO TELL ME THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WOULD CALL ME BACK WHEN THEY WEREN'T SO BUSY. I AM AT RETIREMENT AGE AND CAN'T RISK HAVING AN ACCIDENT. THE TOYOTA DEALERS NAME IS KENT BROWN TOYOTA IN BIG FLATS, NEW YORK. I'M NOT EVEN SURE YOU PEOPLE ARE THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO CONTACT BUT IF YOU ARE YOUR HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE BRAKE PEDAL DISPLAYED MINIMAL RESISTANCE AND MOVED ANOTHER INCH WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ISSUE WAS VERY COMMON FOR SOME VEHICLES. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THAT THE SAFETY RISK COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,700 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,243.

AS AN OWNER OF 2009 COROLLA I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT RECALL FOR BRAKE FAILURE IN EXTREMELY LOW TEMPERATURES. TOYOTA HAS LIMITED ITS RECALL AND REPAIR OF THIS PROBLEM ONLY TO CERTAIN STATES. I LIVE IN NW INDIANA, LESS THAN 4 MILES FROM ILLINOIS STATE LINE. ILLINOIS OWNERS WILL HAVE THEIR BRAKES FIXED; INDIANA IS NOT ON THE LIST. TOYOTA?S STATE RESTRICTION DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE. NW INDIANA HAS THE SAME WEATHER AS CHICAGO, IL AND THE SAME EXTREME LOW TEMPERATURES. ADDITIONALLY, I CONDUCT A HUGE PORTION OF MY BUSINESS AND PERSONAL MATTERS IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS. I WILL HAVE TO DRIVE MY CAR KNOWING THAT BRAKES CAN FAIL ON ME ON ANY GIVEN DAY WITH THE EXTREME LOW TEMPERATURES (AND WE HAVE MONTHS OF SUCH DAYS AHEAD). HOW IS TOYOTA ALLOWED TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN STATES WITHOUT JUST CAUSE? WE ALL HAVE A RIGHT TO DRIVE SAFE VEHICLES. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO ENFORCE TOYOTA TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM? *TR

MY 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA HAS HAD PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN JAN. 2009. IT WAS SEEMED TO DOWN SHIFT - THEY FOUND NOTHING THE HORN WENT OUT. FIXED TWO WIRES THAT WERE SEPARATED, (THEY SAID) AFTER THE WIRES WERE FIXED, IT LEFT ME IN THE ROAD, STRANDED. WOULD NOT START, MAKING A TERRIBLE NOISE. WRECKER TOWED IT IN. THEY RECALIBRATED THE COMPUTER. THEN I DROVE IT ON A TRIP FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE CALIBRATION AND WHEN I PRESSED ON BRAKE IT WOULD REV AND SEEM TO SPEED FOR A MOMENT. I TOOK IT IN AND NOTHING FOUND. LANDERS IN LITTLE ROCK, AR IS WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND TAKE IT FOR SERVICE. THERE ARE RECALLS ON MY 2009 COROLLA FOR BRAKE PROBLEMS, AND OTHER MODEL CARS OF THE COROLLA HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THE SURGING PROBLEM WHILE BRAKING. I'M IN A SITUATION TO WHERE I'M MAKING A PAYMENT ON A CAR THAT I'M ABSOLUTELY AFRAID TO DRIVE. PLEASE HELP ME. I KNOW THEY HAVEN'T DRIVEN THE CAR AS I HAVE. THEY ONLY TEST DRIVE AT THEIR DEALERSHIP. I'M THE ONE AT RISK. WITH THEM KNOWING THAT THE 2009 COROLLA HAS PROBLEMS, I FEEL THEY ARE PUTTING ME AND MY FAMILY IN DANGER. *TR

TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. IS HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR THE MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 SCION XD AND 2009-2010 COROLLA, COROLLA MATRIX, AND PONTIAC VIBE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 1.8L ENGINE AND ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN CERTAIN STATES. MY CONCERN IS FOR THOSE LIKE MYSELF WHO PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND OR HAS THE VEHICLE REGISTERED IN A STATE THAT IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. WHAT IF I DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO A STATE LISTED IN THE RECALL. ALSO, UNDER HARSH CONDITIONS CERTAIN PARTS OF MY STATE CAN HAVE THESE 'LOW AMBIENT TEMPERATURES'. ACCORDING TO THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V338000, THE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS DEFECT IS THAT 'THIS COULD LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN VEHICLE STOPPING DISTANCE AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR'. A SUMMARY OF THE DEFECT IS 'WHEN DRIVING UNDER CERTAIN UNIQUE CONDITIONS IN EXTREMELY LOW AMBIENT TEMPERATURES, THE INTAKE MANIFOLD SUCTION PORT FOR THE BRAKE VACUUM CAN BECOME LOCKED DUE TO THE FREEZING OF CONDENSATION RESULTING FROM POSITIVE CRANKCASE VENTILATION'. THE REMEDY IS 'DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEWLY DESIGNED INTAKE AIR CONNECTOR WHICH WILL RELOCATE THE BRAKE SYSTEM VACUUM PORT. IN SUMMARY, IT WOULD SEEM LOGICAL TO ME THAT TOYOTA WOULD FIX THIS ISSUE FOR ALL VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THE RECALL, NOT JUST BASED UPON LOCATION OF PURCHASE AND OR REGISTRATION. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COST SAVINGS MEASURE VERSUS ACTUALLY BEING CONCERNED ABOUT ITS CUSTOMER'S SAFETY. WHAT CORRECTIVE ACTIONS CAN BE TAKEN? *TR