2009 Toyota Venza

ON JULY 4, 2016, OUR TOYOTA VENZA, WHILE PARKED IN FRONT OF 210 SW 29TH AVENUE, ATTEMPTED TO START ITSELF WITH NO ONE IN THE CAR. THE SOLENOID MECHANISM CONNECTED THE BATTERY TO THE STARTER ON ITS OWN. THE COG OF THE STARTER WAS TRYING TO SPIN THE FLYWHEEL. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FILLED WITH ELECTRICAL SMOKE. OUR NEIGHBORS ACROSS THE STREET WERE WALKING THEIR DOG AND HEARD THE CAR NOISES. THEY CAME TO OUR YARD AND TOLD MY WIFE WHAT WAS GOING ON. SHE GOT THE CAR KEYS AND OPENED UP THE LOCKED CAR. SHE POPPED THE HOOD OPEN. THE NEIGHBOR GOT THE POSITIVE CABLE OFF THE BATTERY. AT THE POINT THE STARTER STOPPED TRYING TO SPIN. WE CONTACTED OUR INSURANCE COMPANY, AMICA. THE ADJUSTER SAID WE COULD HAVE THE CAR TOWED. WE HAD A FLATBED WRECKER TOW IT TO ED MORSE TOYOTA IN DELRAY BEACH, FL. WHILE RESEARCHING THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT TOYOTA ISSUED A RECALL FOR STARTER MECHANISMS FOR SEVERAL MODELS FOR YEARS 2009 THROUGH 2011. HOWEVER, THE VENZA WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL. IT IS MY THOUGHT THAT A BAD BATCH OF STARTER/SOLENOIDS WERE MADE AND DISTRIBUTED TO VARIOUS TOYOTA MODELS IN 2009 THROUGH 2011. I BELIEVE THAT OUR CAR RECEIVED ONE OF THEM. (RESEARCH: HTTP://BBC.COM/NEWS/BUSINESS-26950970) I THINK TOYOTA SHOULD PAY FOR OUR $672.00 STARTER REPAIR. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, OUR CAR WOULD HAVE BURNED UP IF OUR NEIGHBORS HAD NOT ACTED SO QUICKLY.

ON 1-22-13 WE HAD THE SEAT HEATER ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE REPAIRED. WE OBSERVED THAT THE CAB WOULD FILL WITH THE SMELL OF ELECTRICAL WIRES BURNING WHEN WE ENGAGED THE SEAT HEATER. IT FIRST OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH PRIOR, BUT AT THAT TIME I COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT WAS CAUSING THE SMELL. AN ONLINE CHECK REVEALED THAT NHTSA HAD ANNOUNCED A RECALL FOR SEATS: FRONT ASSEMBLY;SEAT HEATER/COOLER ON NOVEMBER 19TH, 2014, REF: 14V743000. I WOULD REQUEST THAT OUR VIN BE INCLUDED ON THE RECALL LIST, SO THAT WE COULD BE COMPENSATED FOR THE REPAIR. THANK YOU. *TR

WHILE AT GROCERY STORE, ENGAGED REAR POWER LIFT GATE ON KEY FOB. LIFT GATE OPENED AND STARTED LOADING GROCERIES INTO REAR OF VEHICLE. WITHOUT WARNING THE LIFT GATE CAME DOWN HITTING ME IN THE HEAD. THERE WAS SO MUCH PRESSURE THAT IT KNOCKED TO MY KNEES. THE HEAD STRIKE CAUSED A CONTUSION AND RAISED LUMP ON MY HEAD AND MINOR CONCLUSIVE SYMPTOMS. *TR

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK STOPPED @ STOP SIGN, THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH LIT UP FOR CHECK BRAKING, ABS, VCS SYSTEM CALL YOUR DEALER...... SO CONTINUED TO PULL OUT FROM STOP, AND SQUEALS THE TIRE, AND THE VEHICLE IS ALL OVER THE ROAD WHEN ACCELERATING. WAS TOLD IT IS NOT A RECALL PROBLEM AND MY WARRANTY JUST RAN OUT...... VEHICLE MILEAGE 28385.................. IF THIS HAPPENS PLEASE BE CAREFUL CAR DOES NOT HANDLE THE SAME AND YOU LOSE CONTROL EASILY. I THINK THAT ALL WHEEL DRIVE IS INVOLVED BUT IT DOESN'T HANDLE THE SAME WHEN DRIVING. TAKING TO DEALER THIS WEEK! TOYOTA REF # [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DRIVING HOME FROM WORK FRIDAY MORNING AND THE VSC, ABS WARNINGS BEGIN TO COME UP. AN ISSUE WHICH WAS NOTED WHEN WE FIRST PURCHASED THE CAR AND AROUND 20K MILES THE DEALER TOLD US WE NEEDED A NEW BATTERY WHICH WE HAD TO PURCHASE OUT OF POCKET. SINCE THEN WE PURCHASED AN EXTRA WARRANTY TO COVER ALL COMPONENTS OF THE VEHICLE. THIS TIME THE DEALER IS STATING THAT IT IS A SPEED SENSOR AND THAT THE INSURANCE COVERS IT BUT WE WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE LABOR ROUGHLY 400 DOLLARS. THE DEALER INFORMED US THAT THE ISSUE AT HAND WAS FOR A SPEED SENSOR BUT THAT IT IS OK TO DRIVE THE CAR. WE DROVE THE CAR AND NOTICED THAT IN THE RAIN THE CAR SKIDS WHEN YOU TRY TO BRAKE AND FEELS VERY UNSAFE SO WE ENDED UP STAYING HOME. *TR

THREE WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING AND STAYED ON FOR 20 - 30 MINUTES UNTIL I STOPPED AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE (SUNNY DAY, NO RAIN): 1. SLIP INDICATOR LIGHT (P.515 - MALFUNCTION IN THE VSC OR TRAC SYSTEM). 2. BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT (P.513 - MALFUNCTION IN THE BRAKE SYSTEM). 3. ABS WARNING LIGHT (P.515 - MALFUNCTION IN THE ABS OR THE BRAKE ASSIST SYSTEM). 3. CRUISE CONTROL: A. PRESSING CRUISE CONTROL ON SWITCH WOULDN'T MAINTAIN THE SET SPEED IMMEDIATELY, BUT WOULD ACCELERATE FOR AWHILE (WITH ACCELERATOR PEDAL OFF). B. WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON, ADJUSTING THE SPEED, ACCELERATING AND DECELERATING, DOESN'T FEEL RIGHT. IT'S JUMPY, WOULDN'T REACT RIGHT AWAY, NOT COMFORTABLE, NOT SAFE. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME TOYOTA HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM YET I HAVE READ ONLINE VENZA OWNERS HAVE HAD A PROBLEM SINCE 2009. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED FIVE TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE STATES THERE IS A LOG WHICH RECORDED THE ERROR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA VENZA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER THIRTY MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SPARK PLUG ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WAS LOOSE AND MADE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 9,000.