2003 Toyota Avalon

OVER ONE (1) YEAR AGO I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE ON THIS VEHICLE STATING THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. OVER A YEAR LATER AND "REMEDY NOT AVAILABLE" IS THE RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA. IT APPEARS THAT THE REMEDY IS TO DELAY, DELAY, DELAY SO AS MANY OF THESE CARS AS POSSIBLE ARE RETIRED AND DO NOT REQUIRE REPAIR. PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW THIS RECALL PROBLEM IS GOING TO BE RESOLVED IN A TIMELY MANNER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT BEGAN TO FLICKER OFF AND ON. AFTER TURNING THE ENGINE OFF AND BACK ON, THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.

WE OWN A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. WE RECEIVED THE SAFETY RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM (SRS) ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) FOR THIS VEHICLE IN MARCH OF 2014. THE RED AIRBAG LIGHT IN THE DASH HAS BEEN ON, MAKING THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO OPERATE. SINCE THIS INVOLVES THE VERY SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF MY FAMILY, WE CALLED THE LOCAL WEST COVINA DEALER, AT LEAST FOUR (4) TIMES AND MADE AT LEAST ONE (1) DRIVE-IN VISIT, TO GET THIS MATTER RESOLVED. EACH TIME WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS NO ' SRS ECU ' REPLACEMENT PART AVAILABLE. ON OUR LAST ATTEMPT TO REACH OUT TO THEM, WE LEFT A MESSAGE FOR THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT THE WEST COVINA TOYOTA LOCATION AND WAS NOT EVEN GIVEN THE COURTESY OF A RETURN PHONE CALL. WE ARE THOROUGHLY DISAPPOINTED AND FRUSTRATED! SINCE THIS PLACES OUR FAMILY AT GREAT RISK OF HARM AND ENDANGERS THEIR WELL-BEING, OUT OF DESPERATION, WE ARE REACHING OUT TO YOU. IT HAS NOW BEEN OVER TWO (2) YEARS SINCE RECEIPT OF THE INITIAL SAFETY RECALL NOTICE. SURELY, THIS IS SUFFICIENT TIME TO BE ABLE TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM! PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT VIA EMAIL AT EITHER [XXX] TO DISCUSS THIS MATTER. OR, YOU MAY REACH OUT TO US BY PHONE AT [XXX](H) OR [XXX] (C). IT IS MY HOPE THAT YOUR ASSISTANCE WILL PROVIDE THE IMPETUS NEEDED TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER. SINCERELY YOURS, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *TR

REC'D BOTH NOTIFICATIONS LAST YEAR, BUT THIS EXCEEDS REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME WAITING FOR A FIX. ONE DAY LAST SPRING (2015) I HAD JUST STARTED THE CAR WHILE IN MY DRIVEWAY. THE AIRBAG INDICATOR LITE STAYED ON LONGER THAN USUAL. ALSO, MY SEAT BELT TIGHTENED UP ON ME BY ITSELF WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN. I ALSO SMELLED HOT WIRES ANOTHER TIME. I CALLED TOYOTA SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS TOLD THE PART IS UNAVAILABLE, THOUGH I EXPLAINED MY ISSUES. I REQUESTED THE AIRBAG BE DISCONNECTED WHICH THEY REFUSED TO DO. I CALLED TOYOTA AGAIN ON 2/22/16. THEY SAID THE PART IS IN, BUT THE MANAGER OF THE DEALERSHIP (TOYOTA) STATES THEY WON'T REPLACE IT IN MY VEHICLE UNLESS THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON. DOES THAT MEAN I WILL HAVE FAIR WARNING? DOES THAT MEAN I WILL HAVE TO DRIVE A DANGEROUS VEHICLE ABOUT 50+ MILES TO THE NEAREST DEALER TO HAVE IT FIXED AT THAT TIME? THIS IS NUTS! I AM ANGRY! I WILL BE CALLING THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION NEXT, WHICH TRAFFIC SAFETY REFERRED ME TO. I STILL OWE $4,400 ON MY CAR AND WILL BE UNABLE TO TRADE IT IN WITHOUT THE RECALL BEING COMPLETED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PART NEEDED WAS UNAVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS). THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART OR REMEDY FOR THE RECALL WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT. UPDATED 04/20/16*LJ CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER TOLD HER PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE UPDATED 05/30/18*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION, THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING ISSUES FROM THE OPEN RECALL ON THE VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 04/13/16*LJ UPDATED 04/19/16. *JB