2015 Toyota Highlander

I RECEIVED MY RECALL LETTER FOR THE EPS ECU UNIT 5/13. INSPECTION WOULD TAKE 1.5 HOURS, REPLACEMENT 2.5 HOURS OR LONGER DEPENDING ON THE DEALER'S WORK SCHEDULE. THE FIRST AVAILABLE APPT AT THE DEALERSHIP WAS 5/20. ON 5/20 I DROVE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A MORNING APPOINTMENT AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT MY VEHICLE HAD THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PART, WOULD KEEP MY VEHICLE AND THEY WOULD PROVIDE A LOANER. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP ON 5/27 FOR AN UPDATE. WAS TOLD THE PART DID NOT ARRIVE BUT IT WAS EXPECTED THE NEXT DAY. THEY WOULD CALL WITH AN UPDATE ON 5/28. NO CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP ON 5/28 SO I CALLED THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER (CEC) AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER. ON 6/1, I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE PART STILL HAD NOT ARRIVED BUT HAD BEEN SHIPPED. I CALLED MY CEC REP AND COMPLAINED ABOUT THE DELAY. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPAIR PARTS HAVE BEEN ON BACK ORDER SINCE LAST MONTH AND THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN ARRIVING SOMETIME DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE. I ASKED FOR AN EXPLANATION OF THE INFORMATION DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE LETTER, TOYOTA CORPORATE AND THE DEALERSHIP ON THE PART AVAILABILITY FOR THIS RECALL . I ALSO ASKED WHAT TOYOTA'S DEFINITION OF A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME WAS FOR ADDRESSING THIS RECALL AND MY REP WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE AN ANSWER SUGGESTING THAT THE TIME VARIED BY STATE. DAY 13 HAS PASSED AND NEITHER MY DEALERSHIP NOR TOYOTA SEEM HAVE A CLUE WHEN THIS WILL BE RESOLVED. IN ADDITION, BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND TOYOTA WERE INFORMED DURING OUR INITAL CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAVE A CROSS-COUNTRY RELOCATION SCHEDULED FOR 6/8. MY REP SAID SHE WOULD CALL ME ON JUNE 4 TO SEE HOW THINGS ARE PROGRESSING. WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE IN THE RECALL LETTER THIS WAS LESS THAN A ONE DAY PROJECT WHEN INDEED THERE IS AND HAS BEEN A SERIOUS SUPPLY CHAIN PROBLEM. HONESTY FROM TOYOTA ON DAY ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE.

I TOOK MY 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER TO FRED ANDERSON TOYOTA IN RALEIGH FOR A RECALL ON THE CIRUIT BOARD FOR THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. THEY FOUND THAT MY CAR CONTAINED THE DEFECCTIVE PART AND WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ME AN ETA ON THE REPLACEMENT PART. THE DEALERSHIIP PROVIDED A CAMRY RENTAL CAR, NOT A COMPARABLE VEHICLE. THE ENTIRE REASON I PURCHASED THE HIGHLANDER WAS BECUASE MY FAMILY NEED A LARGE SUV. I TRADED IN A CAR FOR AN SUV AND HAVE RECEIVED A CAR BACK FROM THEM. I HAVE LEFT MESSAGES FOR THE RENTAL CAR MANAGER AND HE HAS NOT RETURNED MY CALLS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INDICATES THATT SEVERAL HIGHLANDERS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS PART FOR OVER A MONTH NOW, WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE. IT COULD BE OVER A MONTH BEFORE I GET MY BRAND NEW VEHICLE BACK (NO ONE CAN TELL ME), AND I'M STUCK WITH A VEHICLE THAT DOES NOT MEET MY FAMILIES DAILY NEEDS. I CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE AND THEY HAVE OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V144000(STEERING) HOWEVER, 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 NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL ON MAY 12 ABOUT A POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. I TOOK THE CAR TO A TOYOTA DEALER ON MAY 13, AND WAS TOLD LATER THAT DAY THAT MY CAR DID INDEED HAVE ONE OF THE UNITS DEEMED DEFECTIVE. I WAS GIVEN A LOANER CAR AT NO CHARGE. EVERYTHING SEEMED OK, BUT NOW IT IS 10 DAYS LATER, AND NO REPLACEMENT PART HAS ARRIVED. NOT ONLY THAT BUT BOTH THE DEALER AND THE NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER ARE COMPLETELY UNABLE TO PREDICT WHEN ANY REPLACEMENT PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. IS THERE ANY WAY TO MAKE TOYOTA MORE RESPONSIVE? IS THERE ANY WAY TO GET TOYOTA TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON THE MANUFACTURER OF THE CIRCUIT BOARD IN QUESTION? WHAT CONSTITUTES A "REASONABLE TIME" FOR TOYOTA TO REMEDY THIS DEFECT?