2001 Toyota Echo

I HAVE A TOYOTA ECHO 2001. THE CAR SUDDENLY QUIT AFTER I STOPPED AT STOP SIGN AND DID NOT START. I TOOK MY CAR TO GARAGE TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT FUEL INJECTOR FUSES KEEPS BLOWING EVERY TIME THEY REPLACE NEW FUSES, AND THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT THE CAUSE. I TOOK MY CAR TO TOYOTA DEALER 2 WEEKS LATER AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE FUSE BOX, WIRE HARNESS THAT SHORT IN FUSE BOX, AND DUE TO FAULT IN WIRE HARNESS, THEY HAD TO REPLACE ONE WIRE THAT RUNS ENTIRE CAR. IT COULD HAVE CAUSE ANY ACCIDENTS IF THE CAR HAVE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAFFIC. IT COST ME ABOUT $1800 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA ECHO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, EVEN AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS. A MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND CONCLUDED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE COMPONENT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 06V266000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 109,000.

MY 2001 TOYOTA ECHO OIL LIGHT CAME ON SO I CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS FULL. I DROVE TO THE PLACE WHERE MY OIL WAS CHANGED LAST AND MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE LIGHT STAYED ON UNTIL I TURNED OFF MY ENGINE AND WOULD REAPPEAR FROM TIME TO TIME. WHEN MY CAR STARTED MAKING A LOUD CLANKING NOISE, I GOT CONCERNED AND WAS READY TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER WHEN IT COMPLETELY LOST POWER AND I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THERE THEY TELL ME THAT BECAUSE I DID NOT MAINTAIN MY VEHICLE PROPERLY, ENGINE OIL SLUDGE OCCURRED. I PROVED TO THEM MY VEHICLE WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED FOR OVER 5 YEARS SO WHY THE SLUDGE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT BECAUSE I BOUGHT MY CAR USED, THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID NOT MAINTAIN THE CAR PROPERLY. IT WAS A LEASED CAR THAT I BOUGHT USED IN 2003. THE DEALER IS TELLING ME IT WILL COST ABOUT $3000 TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I AM REPORTING VERBAL THREATS OF A CARRIER COMPANY THAT SHIPPED MY CAR FROM CA TO NY: UI EXPRESS (18 SHORT HILLS BLVD. JACKSON, NEW JERSEY, 08527; UIEXPRESS@YAHOO.COM; 732-513-3636). VLADYMIR BOTIUK (HIS OWN COMPANY: UI EXPRESS) IS A CARRIER/DRIVER WITH CONTRACT WITH A CAR-SHIPPING COMPANY, AMERIFREIGHT, TO BRING MY CAR FROM SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, TO MANHATTAN, NEW YORK. AFTER MOVING MY CAR TO NEW YORK, VLADYMIR BOTIUK FORCED MY CAR TO BE KEPT IN BROOKLYN FROM 11:29 AM ON 7/26/2008 TO 3:50PM ON 7/28/2008 BY REJECTING TO TELL ME THE BROOKLYN ADDRESS AND PREVENTING ME FROM ACCESSING MY CAR. HE PARKED MY CAR IN THE FREE ON-STREET PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF HIS OWN APARTMENT BUILDING (2387 OCEAN AVENUE, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK) AND PAID NOTHING TO THE CITY GOVERNMENT; HOWEVER, HE FORCED ME TO PAY HIM THE SO-CALLED STORAGE/GARAGE FEE? OF TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS BY VERBALLY THREATENING TO SELL MY CAR IN AUTO-AUCTIONS AND CONTINUE CHARGING THE STORAGE/GARAGE FEE OF SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS PER DAY BEFORE MY CAR IS SOLD OUT IF I REFUSE TO SIGN MY NAME ON HIS CONTRACT AND GIVE HIM SIXTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS IN LESS THAN FIFTEEN MINUTES AFTER MY ARRIVAL AT HIS ADDRESS AT 11:20 AM ON 7/29/2008. AMERIFREIGHT (MANAGER: AMY WOODS; AWOODS@AMERIFREIGHT.COM; 1-877-719-0916) KNOWS VLADYMIR BOTIUK?S THREATS AND IS A WITNESS (CONSTANT PHONE COMMUNICATION DURING THE WHOLE PROCESS) OF HOW VLADYMIR BOTIUK ORALLY THREATENED ME AND COMPELLED ME TO GIVE HIM SIXTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS AND SIGN MY NAME ON HIS UNREASONABLE CONTRACT. *TR

I REPORTED A SAFETY PROBLEM TO TOYOTA AS A TOYOTA CUSTOMER- ON 08/29/2006 08:29 AM: HOW DO I KEEP THE DEFROSTER VENT CONTROLS FROM SHORTING OUT IN THE RAIN? WHILE DRIVING FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD IN A BAD RAIN STORM AT NIGHT THE DEFROSTER AIR STOPPED COMING OUT OF ALL VENTS. THE FAN COULD BE HEARD BUT NO AIR CAME FROM ANY OPENING. CHANGING THE CONTROLS ON THE DASH BOARD HAD NO EFFECT, EXCEPT FOR TURNING THE FAN OFF AND ON. THE FRONT WINDOW FOGGED UP AND DRIVING BECAME EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BECAUSE OF NEARLY ZERO VISIBILITY. WE WERE FORCED TO STOP DRIVING AND SEEK REFUGE IN A MOTEL. THE NEXT MORNING AFTER THE RAIN HAD STOPPED AND THE CAR HAD BEEN PARKED OVERNIGHT THE DEFROSTER WORKED NORMALLY. 2001 ECHO. PURCHASED JANUARY 3, 2002 QUOTING ASK TOYOTA <TOYOTA_CARES@TOYOTA.COM>: RESPONSE (ENRIQUE) - 08/31/2006 04:30 PM THANK YOU FOR CONTACTING TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, U.S.A., INC. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE CONCERNS YOU ARE EXPERIENCING WITH YOUR 2001 ECHO. THE WARRANTY FOR YOUR DEFROST IS THREE YEARS OR 36 THOUSAND MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST, FROM THE DATE OF FIRST USE FOR YOUR VEHICLE. BASED ON THE VIN (VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER) YOU PROVIDED, YOUR WARRANTY COVERAGE STARTED ON 01/07/2002. YOUR VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY OUTSIDE THESE WARRANTY PARAMETERS AND WE ARE UNABLE TO ASSIST WITH THE COST OF THIS REPAIR. ETC. TO TOYOTA, I AGAIN SUMMARIZED THE FAILURE AND THE CONSEQUENCES: ON- 09/02/2006 09:12 AM; I SAID: ... MY QUESTION WAS SENT TO YOU AS A SAFETY ISSUE. I ASKED "HOW DO I KEEP THE DEFROSTER VENT CONTROLS FROM SHORTING OUT IN THE RAIN?" BECAUSE YOUR RESPONSE WAS INADEQUATE: IT IS MY INTENT TO "REPORT A POSSIBLE DEFECT WITH A VEHICLE" TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION... SO I AM REPORTING THE SAFETY PROBLEM WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT.*JB

THE CONSUMER STATED BUYING FOUR TIRES FOR VEHICLE, ONE FAILED A MONTH AFTER THE PURCHASE. CONSUMER'S SON HAD AN ACCIDENT AND NOBODY CHECKED THE TIRES, SINCE THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY PUNCTURE MARKS. TWO WEEKS LATER, HUSBAND HAD A FLAT TIRE. THE RUBBER DISINTEGRATED FROM THE INSIDE AND IT PEELED OFF. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOOK OFF BOTH TIRES. *AK THREE OUT OF THE FOUR TIRES FAILED WITHIN TWO MONTHS OF PURCHASE, 2 WERE FOUND TO BE BULDGING AND PEELING ON THE INSIDE. *SB

OWNER HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY 35 MINUTES BEFORE ARRIVING TO WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES BEFORE ANOTHER CO-WORKER NOTICED THAT FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. VEHICLE WAS INOPERABLE. THE ENTIRE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS BURNED. *AK