1999 Toyota Corolla

KANSAS HIGHWAY PATROL CASE # [XXX] CAR TRAVELING ON CRAWFORD ROAD NEAR WOODWARD ROAD DRIVER REPORTED TO PATROL "LITTLE WAYS BEFORE HILL ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK, TRIED TO SLOW DOWN, WOULD NOT LET ME STOP, BANKED INTO THIS." PASSENGER QUOTED "GOING PRETTY QUICK OVER HILL, TRYING TO SLOW DOWN. AS WENT OVER HILL 60-70, SPEEDING UP, ROLLED." CAR DESTROYED TOYOTA COROLLA, DRIVER AND PASSENGER HAD ONLY MINOR INJURIES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

REPLACED THREE DENSO STARTERS IN 1/2010, 9/2006, AND 9/2003 IN '99 TOYOTA COROLLA WITH ONLY 90K MILEAGE IN CAR. I BELIEVE THESE STARTERS ARE DEFECTIVE BECAUSE IN 2003 MECHANIC REPLACED ORIGINAL DENSO STARTER WITH REMANUFACTURED DENSO. I HAD 42K MILEAGE ON CAR. HE INSPECTED THE STARTER AND THE INVOICE STATES THAT THE STARTER WAS DEFECTIVE. I EMAILED DENSO SALESPERSON TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE PRODUCT AND REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT. HE SAID NO BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY 12K WARRANTY ON STARTER. AGAIN I HAD A STARTER REPLACED IN 2006, AND 2010. SOMETHING IS SERIOUSLY WRONG THAT I AM REPLACING STARTERS EVERY THREE YEARS. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE A STARTER IN MY LIFE. I WANT THIS COMPANY INVESTIGATED AND WANT MY MONEY BACK. *TR

TL - THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH SHE OPENED THE WINDOW ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE WINDOW CLOSED. THE ELECTRIC WINDOW MOTOR WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE IDENTICAL FAILURE HAS RECURRED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED A SECOND TIME. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 23,000. VWB UPDATED 06/17/10. *LJ UPDATED 07/16/10.*JB

1999 TOYOTA COROLLA. 1. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION IN MY 1999 TOYOTA COROLLA. EVEN HITTING THE BREAKS WOULD NOT STOP THE ACCELERATION. THIS WOULD GO ON FOR 1-2 SECONDS. 2. USUALLY OCCURRED WHEN I WAS DRIVING 60-65 MPH, AFTER HITTING THE GAS CONTINUOUSLY FOR SOMETIME WITHOUT HITTING THE BREAK. 3. IT HAPPENED TOO INFREQUENTLY. MY HUSBAND, WHO ALSO DROVE THIS CAR, DID NOT EXPERIENCE THIS. *TR

IN 2004 DURING THE WINTER MY 1999 TOYOTA COROLLA LE ACCELERATOR EXTREMELY FAST AS IF THE ACCELERATOR WAS FLOORED. I IMMEDIATELY PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. I CHECKED THE FLOOR MATS AS MY FIRST TROUBLESHOOTING ATTEMPT. THE FLOOR MATS WERE OK. I STARTED MY CAR AGAIN AND AGAIN IT ACCELERATED AT A HIGH SPEED. AT THAT POINT I WAS STILL ON THE SIDE ON THE ROAD AND MY CAR WAS IN PARK. I PUMPED THE ACCELERATOR SEVERAL TIME AND FINALLY THE CAR IDLE AT A NORMAL SPEED. IT HAS NOT HAPPEN SINCE THAT DAY. *TR

1999 TOYOTA COROLLA ACCELERATOR STUCK AND COULD NOT BE STOPPED EVEN WHEN APPLYING BRAKE. DRIVER DID NOT KNOW TO PLACE GEAR IN NEUTRAL. CRASHED INTO REAR OF PICKUP AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH TRIGGERING BOTH AIR BAGS. CAR WAS TOTALED AND DRIVER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. DRIVER FEMALE, AGE 85 WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL FOR EVALUATION. NO SIGN OF MINI-STROKE. AT THAT TIME FLOOR MATS WERE SUSPECT. FLOOR MAT WAS IN PROPER PLACE. HOWEVER, DRIVER SUSPECTS STUCK ACCELERATOR. ACCORDING TO INSURANCE COMPANY, CAR HAS BEEN SOLD FOR PARTS AND NOT AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION. ACCELERATOR HAD NOT STUCK PRIOR TO THIS EVENT. *TR

CURRENTLY I OWN 1999 TOYOTA COROLLA , MODEL -CE WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY USED VEHICLE AND WAS @8500 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. CAR WAS IN GOOD RUNNING CONDITION UNTIL ON 8/29/09 CAR STOPPED SUDDENLY WHILE MOVING AND SMOKES CAME OUT FROM ENGINE HOOD. WITHOUT WASTING TIME, INSURANCE COMPANY WAS CONTACTED IMMEDIATELY AND CAR WAS TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP. REPAIR SHOP PERSONNEL INSPECTED QUICKLY AND I WAS TOLD THAT WIRING OF THE HARNESS CABLE NEAR THE ENGINE HAS BEEN OVERHEATED AND SOME HAVE MELTED DUE TO MALFUNCTIONING OF SOLENOID ON THE STARTER WHICH ALSO CAUSED BATTERY TO BE OVERHEATED. I TOUCHED HOOD AND IT WAS VERY HOT. WE WERE LUCKY ON THAT DAY OTHERWISE BATTERY COULD HAVE EXPLODED SHOULD WE WOULD HAVE TRIED ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO START A VEHICLE. I HAD MY WIFE AND TWO KIDS IN THE CAR. AS OF NOW, REPAIR SHOP IS NOT SURE ABOUT TOTAL EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE AND ASKING @$736.00 INCLUDES REPLACEMENT OF BATTERY AND STARTER AS WELL AS LABOR TOWARDS FINDING, REPLACING BY SOLDERING MISC HARNESS CABLES. AFTER DOING THIS MUCH, THEY WILL CHECK AGAIN THE VEHICLE TO MAKE SURE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED, OTHERWISE THEY HAVE TO CONTINUE TO CHASE UNTIL CAR IS FIXED. THIS LEADS TO UNCERTAINTY OF COST AND RELIABILITY OF THE VEHICLE EVEN AFTER REPAIR. THIS EVENT COULD HAVE RESULTED INTO TRAGIC INCIDENT FOR MY FAMILY WHERE MY WIFE AND TWO KIDS WERE IN THE CAR DURING THE EVENT. AS OF NOW, I WAS ADVISED BY ORIGINAL CAR SELLER REP, REPAIR SHOP AND FEW FRIENDS TO SELL IT OFF IN AS IS CONDITION OR AFTER REPAIR. AS OF NOW, CAR SELLER IS OFFERING $300.00 FOR THE CAR IN AS IS CONDITION. I AM STILL WONDERING WHILE WIRES OVERHEATED SUDDENLY AND SMOKED. I JUST DID OIL CHANGE A FEW DAYS AGO. PER INSURANCE COMPANY, THIS DAMAGE IS NOT COVERED UNDER INSURANCE AND HAVE TO TAKE CARE PERSONALLY. THIS IS A HUGE COST BURDEN WITH UNKNOWN REASON. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE VEHICLE HAS UNIROYAL TIGER PAW RADIAL TIRES. THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE TIRES IN 2007. IN MAY OF 2009, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE TIRE TO A SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE TIRE. SHE WAS GIVEN ANOTHER TIRE AT A PRORATED COST. THE TIRE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE THE SIDEWALL SEPARATED FROM THE TREAD. TWO MONTHS LATER, WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE TIRE BLEW OUT AGAIN. AAA TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THE TIRE SHOP AND THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE SIDEWALL SEPARATED FROM THE TREAD AGAIN AT 24,000 MILES. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED OTHER TIRES OF THE SAME BRAND THAT FAILED AT LOW MILEAGES. THE CONTACT WILL FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT RETURNED TO THE TIRE SHOP AND BOUGHT NEW TIRES OF A DIFFERENT BRAND. THE TIRE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,000. UPDATED 08/21/09. *LJ UPDATED 08/26/09.*JB