1997 Toyota Corolla

I WAS SCANNING MY VEHICLE WITH AN OBD2 SCANNER AND LEARNED THAT MY CAR, WHICH I'M NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER, HAS HAD RECALLS AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'VE BEEN RECTIFIED. ATTACHED ARE SCREENSHOTS OF THE RECALL INFORMATION. THE FIRST ONE HAS ME MORE WORRIED THAN THE OTHER....INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF AIRBAGS. PLEASE READ THE DETAILS. THE SECOND (FRONT STRUTS) IS SOMETHING THAT ALSO CONCERNS ME BECAUSE OF ITS LACK OF SHOCK ABSORPTION. MY VIN# [XXX] (ALSO ON THE SCREENSHOTS) IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ON THE HISTORY OF MY VEHICLE AND WHETHER OR NOT THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN RESOLVED, PLEASE SHARE IT WITH ME. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ON MARCH 23, 2013, I PURCHASED FOUR NEW COOPER TIRES FROM SEARS AUTO CENTER IN LIMA, OHIO, FOR MY 1997 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE SPECIFIC TIRES INSTALLED WERE COOPER RESPONSE TOURING M+S 175/65R14, DOT U9EX LRC 4110, A08. SINCE THAT TIME, I HAVE DRIVEN LESS THAN 30,000 MILES ON THE TIRES AND MAINTAINED APPROPRIATE TIRE PRESSURE, MAINTENANCE, AND ALIGNMENT. IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THIS MORNING (OCTOBER 30, 2016), THE TIRE TREAD OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE, CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AND FORCING ME OFF THE ROAD. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ON I-475 NORTH TRAVELLING AT THE SPEED LIMIT, IN THE MIDDLE LANE. IT TOOK LESS THAN TEN SECONDS TO COAST TO A STOP. WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES TO IMPACT OURS BEFORE REACHING THE SHOULDER. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE FROM THIS TREAD SEPARATION INCLUDE DESTROYING THE WHEEL WELL, BODY DAMAGE, LAUNCHING THE HEADLIGHT APART FROM THE CAR, SPONTANEOUS RELEASE OF WIPER FLUID ON TO THE WINDOW AS THE TREAD RIPPED OFF FROM THE TIRE, AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOWED TO TOYONLY, 1050 VIJAY DRIVE, CHAMBLEE, GA 30341. WHILE THE TREAD SEPARATION HAS CAUSED THE AFOREMENTIONED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE, THE VEHICLE IS OTHERWISE MECHANICALLY SOUND. I AM WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM COOPER TIRES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA COROLLA EQUIPPED WITH COOPER RESPONSE TOURING TIRES, SIZE: 175/65/R14. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT FELT A VIBRATION COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PREVIOUSLY NOTICED BUBBLES ON THE SIDEWALLS OF BOTH FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 6,000.

MY DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT COME OUT. I HAVE ACTUALLY HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AND GOT IT FIXED ABOUT A YEAR OR TWO AGO. I PAID OVER 300.00 FOR A MECHANIC SHOP TO COMPLETELY REPLACE MY SEAT BELT. NOW IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN TO THE REPLACEMENT SEAT BELT. I REALLY DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY TO GET THIS SEAT BELT THING FIXED EVERY TWO YEARS BECAUSE OF FAULTY/DEFECTIVE ENGINEERING.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 1997 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS CRASHED FROM THE REAR AND LATER SPUN OUT OF CONTROL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK AND BACK THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 158,000.

TOYOTA COROLLA DX 1997 THE CAR WAS SOLD BY THE MANUFACTURER IN ST LOUIS MISSOURI WHILE I WAS IN LAW SCHOOL. THE CAR HAS BEEN NOW IN FLORIDA FOR THE LAST TEN YEAR IN A WARM, EXTREMELY HUMID CLIMATE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS ADMITTED TO A PROBLEM WITH THE AIRBAGS. APPARENTLY IN HUMID CLIMATES. NOW DOES IT NOT MAKE SENSE TO CHECK OUT THE AIRBAG IF THE CAR HAS BEEN IN A HUMID CLIMATE .REGARDLESS WHERE THE CAR WAS SOLD ? OR IS THE CAR SAFE BECAUSE IT WAS SOLD SOMEWHERE ELSE AND IF THE CAR IS THEN DRIVEN IN A HUMID CLIMATE THE AIRBAG WILL WORK SINCE THE DEALERSHIP WAS IN A COLD WEATHER CLIMATE? *TR

DRIVING ON SH 79 FREEHOLD BORO WHEN ATTEMPTING TO APPLY BRAKES TO STOP AND MAKE TURN PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND FAILED TO STOP VEHICLE. PUMPED BRAKE PEDAL IN PANIC MANY TIMES WHEN VEHICLE PULLED SHARP RIGHT AND WHILE STILL PUMPING BRAKE PEDAL AND ATTEMPT TO USE HAND BRAKE VEHICLE FINALLY SLOWED AND STOPPED. MECHANIC ADVISED BOTH BRAKE LINES IN REAR WERE NOT COATED AND FLUID LEAKED FROM PLACE WHERE CLAMP STRAPPED THEM TO UNDERCARRIAGE OF CAR. LINES WERE RUSTED AS NO PROTECTION COATING WAS APPLIED DURING MANUFACTURING. THEY HAVE REPLACED MANY COROLLA BRAKE LINES DUE TO THIS LACK OF COATING. NO WARNING PRIOR TO BRAKES FAILING. NO TRAFFIC CLOSE WHILE BRAKING JUST TOTALLY SCARED TO DEATH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN OVER A SPEED BUMP AND THE FUEL TANK IMPACTED THE PAVEMENT AND CRACKED. AS A RESULT, THERE WAS A FUEL LEAKAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE FUEL TANK DID NOT HAVE A PROTECTIVE SHIELD INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 319,695.

THE DESIGN OF THE 1997 TOYOTA COROLLA SEDAN HAS A QUESTIONABLE SAFETY DESIGN IN THE FUEL FILLER TUBE. PART # 77201 OR 7720112500 APPEARS TO BE MAKE OF SIMPLE TUBE STEEL. THIS PART IS NOT PROTECTED FROM ROAD HAZARDS, CHEMICALS, OR ROAD SPRAY THAT CONTAIN SALT SUCH AS NORTHERN U.S., OR SEASIDE ARES. SINCE THIS GAS TUBE IS UNPROTECTED CLAMPS 77216A & 77218A HOLD THIS CORROSIVE CAUSING ACCELERATED RUSTING, AND PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE STEEL PIPE. THIS CAUSES A FUEL LEAK THAT RESULT IN A LARGE DISCHARGE OF FUEL WHILE FUELING, AND A LARGE DISCHARGE OF FUEL WHILE DRIVING . WHILE DRIVING, PRESSURE PULLS FUEL FROM THE MOUNTED TANK, TO THE LOWEST POINT BEHIND THE TANK WHICH IS RIGHT WHERE THE ABOVE LISTED CLAMPS TO THE BODY. THIS COULD SEE AN ESTIMATED DISCHARGE OF 25% OF THE TANK 13G CAPACITY OR 3.25G OF FUEL DISCHARGED PER TANK. ADDITIONALLY, WITH THE WEAKENING OF THE FUEL TUBE, AT THE OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE UNI-BODY FRAME. A DRIVER SIDE REAR COLLISION COULD SHEAR OFF THE FUEL TUBE FROM THE BODY-FRAME CLAMPS, AND IGNITING FROM THE SPARKS GENERATED BY THE CHEAP STEEL TUBE.THEN FED DIRECTLY FROM THE BACK FLUSH OF FUEL FROM THE TANK. *TT