1996 Toyota Corolla

ON OCT 1 2006 MY TOYOTA COROLLA 1996 MODEL ECONOMY TYPE HAD ITS ACCELERATOR STUCK AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO REDUCE THE SPEED OR BRAKE IT. AND AFTER TRAVELING AT ABOUT 70 MILES PER HOUR FOR . 5 MINUTES IT FELT LIKE SOME THING FELL FROM THE FRONT AND THE CAR LOST ALL POWER SO I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP IN A PARKING LOT. THEN SAW SMOKE FROM THE HOOD AND IT BURST IN TO FLAMES BY THE TIME FIRE CREW WERE ABLE TO STOP ALL OF THE ENGINE WAS ONE BLACK MOLTEN MASS. *NM

I EXPERIENCED THREE FLAT ULTRA HP 4 GOODYEAR TIRES ON THREE DIFFERENT TIRES ON MY 1996 TOYOTA COROLLA DUE TO FAULTY VALVE STEMS IN AN APPROXIMATE 4 MONTH PERIOD (MAY 2005 - AUGUST 2005). THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED IN JANUARY OF 2005 FROM THE GOODYEAR DEALER IN SACRAMENTO, CA. I WAS NOT INJURED BECAUSE OF THE FLAT TIRES. IN TWO CASES HELP ARRIVED QUICKLY, BUT IN THE JULY 2, 2005 INCIDENT I WAS STRANDED FOR SIX HOURS AND IT WAS A VERY FRUSTRATING AND UPSETTING EXPERIENCE BECAUSE MY CAR WAS IMPOUNDED FROM THE HIGHWAY AND I HAD TO PAY A PARKING CITATION BECAUSE THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER UNDER THE GOODYEAR CONTRACT NEVER RESPONDED TO MY CALL. WHEN I COMPLAINED TO GOODYEAR, THE GENTLEMAN AT THE COUNTER IN THE SACRAMENTO OFFICE TOLD ME THERE HAD A BEEN A BAD BATCH OF VALVE STEMS AROUND CHRISTMAS-TIME 2004. THEY REPLACED MY VALVE STEMS WITH 4 METAL, TRUCK-TYPE VALVE STEMS AND I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE. HOWEVER, IT HAS TAKEN MY TWO MONTHS TO TRY AND GET REIMBURSEMENT FROM GOODYEAR FOR THE IMPOUND AND CITATION CHARGES I EXPERIENCED. UNTIL LAST WEEK, WHEN I SAID I THOUGHT THIS WAS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND WOULD BE COMPLAINING ABOUT IT, I HAD BEEN TOLD THAT MY CLAIM HAD BEEN DENIED, EXCEPT FOR THE $10 TIRE REPAIR I EVENTUALLY WAS ABLE TO GET ON 7/2. THIS WEEK A NEW REPRESENTATIVE MADE CONTACT WITH ME AND I MAY BE REFUNDED MY EXPENSES.*JB

TAIL LIGHTS GO OFF AND ON INTERMITTENTLY. WHEN TAIL LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING, CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS OPERATIONAL, IT STOPS WORKING IF I TURN ON HEADLIGHTS. I HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER 8 OR 9 TIMES WHEN THIS IS HAPPENING AND AM ALWAYS TOLD THE BULB HAS BLOWN AND THEY REPLACE IT AND SEND ME ON MY WAY. THERE IS APPARENTLY A SHORT IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BECAUSE WHEN WE PULL OUT THE "BLOWN" BULB AND PUT IT BACK IN, THE LIGHTS WILL WORK AGAIN. THE DEALER HAS BEEN OF ABSOLUTELY NO ASSISTANCE OVER THE PAST 6 YEARS.*AK

I PURCHASED THE CAR OCTOBER, 2000 AS A USED CAR WITH A WARRANTY. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER THE CAR BROKE DOWN AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALER THAT I BOUGHT IT FROM. A REBUILT ENGINE BLOCK WAS PUT IN BECAUSE OF MAJOR OIL PROBLEMS. IT TOOK OVER A MONTH FOR THEM TO FINISH THE REPAIR. I WAS ASSURED THAT IT WAS OK. ABOUT 5 MONTHS LATER THE CAR STARTED LEAKING OIL AND I HAD TO CONSTANTLY WATCH THE OIL LEVEL. I WAS TOLD BY THE SAME DEALER THAT IT WAS NORMAL TO HAVE TO WATCH THE OIL ON A CAR THAT OLD. I GOT MORE CONCERNED AND CALLED ANOTHER DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT NORMAL SO I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER. I INSISTED THAT THE CAR BE LOOKED AT. AGAIN THE ENGINE BLOCK HAD TO BE REPLACED AS SOMETHING WAS NOT PUT ON CORRECTLY (THAT IS THE EXCUSE THEY GAVE ME). THIS TOOK ABOUT 2 WEEKS TO REPAIR. AGAIN I WAS ASSURED THAT THE CAR WOULD LAST THIS TIME. THE ENGINE WAS UNDER WARRANTY AT THIS TIME. THREE MONTHS LATER THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON SO I TOOK IT BACK AGAIN. THEY FIXED THAT PROBLEM BUT I AM NOT SURE WHAT THEY DID AT THAT TIME. I DROVE THE CAR JUST OVER A YEAR AND JUST THIS WEEK THE CAR STARTED SMOKING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS MAJOR WORK ON THE ENGINE THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE BUT THE WARRANTY WAS OUT. IT WILL BE VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX IT AND SO THEY DID NOT WANT TO DO IT. NOW I HAVE A CAR THAT DOES NOT RUN WITHOUT SMOKING AND I STILL OWE $7000 ON IT. I AM VERY UPSET BECAUSE IT SEEMS THAT THEY SOLD ME A CAR WITH MAJOR PROBLEMS THAT THEY NEVER COULD FIX.

OIL SLUDGE BUILD-UP CAUSED ENGINE TO CEASE. BROUGHT CAR TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER(AK TOYOTA,GU) AND TOYOTA MECHANICS TORE THE ENGINE APART AND THEN I WAS INFORMED THAT TO REPAIR THIS ENGINE IT WILL COST OVER $6,000.00, BECAUSE THE WARRANTY DID NOT COVER DAMAGES CAUSED BY ENGINE SLUDGE. SINCERELY, [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR