2011 Toyota Venza

My horn no longer works. My mechanic informed me that it is the part that sits behind the airbag in the steering wheel. I was also informed that this happens to a lot of Toyota's. It is very expensive to repair and have not had it repaired. Since it is a common problem, does this issue fall under a recall? I don't feel safe driving without a horn. You don't realize how often you need/use it until you can't.

THE SUN VISOR IN MY VENZA BROKE AND WILL NOT STAY IN THE UP POSITION CREATING A VISIBILITY ISSUE. UPON AN INTERNET SEARCH, I FOUND THIS WAS A COMMON ISSUE WITH SEVERAL TOYOTA MODELS. IN FACT, THE CAMRY WAS RECALLED FOR THIS ISSUE. TOYOTA HAS CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE VISORS IN MORE RECENT MODEL CONFIRMING THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF A DESIGN FLAW. I CONTACTED THE TOYOTA CORPORATION BUT THEY SAID CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY WOULD NOT DISCUSS HISTORY OF FLAWED VISORS. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A 2011 VEHICLE WITH ONLY 27,000 MILES: THERE HAS BEEN NO EXCESSIVE WEAR ON CAR. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ALL OF MY MAINTENANCE RECORDS TO VERIFY AGE AND MILEAGE. I WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF $186 TO REPLACE VISOR. TOYOTA IS PROFITING FROM A KNOWN DESIGN FLAW IMPACTING CONSUMER SAFETY.

ON APRIL 11, 2016, A COMPLAIN WAS SUBMITTED UNDER TARAKA: COMPLAINT NUM: 10854818 FOR A TOYOTA VENZA 2011.WHILE CAR IN MOTION AT AROUND 55MPH, ON A HIGHWAY, NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AND EXCELLENT CAR MAINTENANCE A LOUD EXPLOSION BURST OCCURRED IN THE CAR. WITH NO VISIBILITY AT ALL, I MANAGED TO CONTROL THE CAR AND STOPPED IT. THEN, I NOTICED THAT THE HOOD SUDDENLY HAD POP-UP WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF ALERT OF FLASHLIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THERE WAS NO HOOD VIBRATION THAT WOULD SUGGEST IT WAS OPENED. I DID A PANIC STOP AND TRIED TO CONTROL THE CAR AVOIDING A COLLISION; THE AIRBAG WAS NOT DEPLOYED AT A POTENTIAL COLLISION. THE BURST COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE FRONT GLASS; BUMPERS WERE MOVED OUT OF PLACE AND DAMAGE THE ROOF OF CAR. MY MECHANIC SCANNED THE BLACK BOX AND NO CODE WAS PRESENT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND AFTER 5 DAYS THEY NOTIFIED TO REMOVE THE CAR FROM THEIR PREMISES BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE TECHNICIANS AVAILABLE FOR THE NEXT MONTH TO CHECK IT. I REMOVED THE CAR AND WAITED 30 ADDITIONAL DAYS FOR THEIR INSPECTION WITH NO POSITIVE RESULTS. AFTER MORE THAN A MONTH, I TOOK THE CAR TO A COLLISION CENTER WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED AND THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE HOOD LOCK SYSTEM, IN SPECIFIC THE LATCH AND SPRINGS WERE RUSTY AND THE LATCH HAD STUCK PROBLEMS_ UNABLE TO CLOSE COMPLETELY THE HOOD. THE CAR GETS ITS MAINTENANCE ALMOST EVERY 5 MONTHS_ ONLY AT THE TOYOTA DEALER. I EXAMINED THE CAR MAINTENANCE INVOICES FROM THE TOYOTA DEALER AS WELL AS THE CAR MANUAL AND THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OR ADVICE THAT THE HOOD LOCK SYSTEM AND LATCHES WERE LUBRICATED OR A NOTE ADVISING PERIODIC LUBRICATION. THERE COULD BE ANOTHER POSSIBILITY THAT THE HOOD LOCK SYSTEM MAY HAVE SOME TYPE OF OTHER DEFECT, WHICH IS NOT VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE. THIS PROBLEM REPRESENTS A CRITICAL UNSAFE RISK. THE SUDDEN/PANIC STOP I DID CAUSED ME PERSONAL INJURIES.

TAKATA RECALL WHILE CAR IN MOTION AT AROUND 50MPH ON A HIGHWAY, UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AND EXCELLENT CAR MAINTENANCE, A MYSTERIOUS LOUD EXPLOSION BURST OCCURRED IN THE CAR. THEN I NOTICED THAT THE HOOD SUDDENLY POPPED-UP WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF ALERT OF FLASH LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, NO HOOD VIBRATION THAT WOULD SUGGEST IT WAS OPENED. ALTHOUGH, I DID A PANIC STOP THE AIRBAG WAS NOT DEPLOYED AT A POTENTIAL COLLISION. THE BURST BROKE THE FRONT GLASS, HOOD LATCHES, BUMPERS WERE MOVED OUT OF PLACE. A MECHANICAL FAILURE OR AN ELECTRONIC ONE, WHICH ACTIVATES THE HOOD CONTROLS, COULD CAUSE THE PROBLEM. MY MECHANIC SCANNED THE BLACK BOX AND NO CODE WAS PRESENT. THIS UNKNOWN PROBLEM MAY REPRESENT A CRITICAL UNSAFE RISK. THIS ACCIDENT WITH A SUDDEN STOP CAUSED PERSONAL INJURIES.

ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:45 PM, I WAS DRIVING FROM SHEBOYGAN WI TO KENOSHA WI WITH MY ADULT DAUGHTER ON I 94 SOUTH NEAR THE EXIT FOR HIGHWAY 20. I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT, LOOKED AT MY DAUGHTER AND SAID ARE YOU OKAY AND WE WERE SUDDENLY SHOWERED WITH THE BROKEN GLASS OF MY MOON ROOF. AS I WAS IN THE PASSING LANE, I CAREFULLY MADE MY WAY TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE. WE CLOSED THE SHADE UNDER THE WINDOW AND MY DAUGHTER GOT OUT TO SEE THE DAMAGE. SHE TOOK PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE AND WE THEN EXITED THE HIGHWAY. WE FOUND A TRUCK STOP RIGHT OFF THE HIGHWAY AND TWO MECHANICS ASSISTED IN REMOVING THE REST OF THE GLASS AND VACUUMING THE CAR. NEITHER OF US WAS INJURED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HAVING GLASS ALL OVER US AND THE CAR WAS NOT DAMAGED IN ANY OTHER WAY. NEITHER US NOR THE MECHANICS FOUND ANY EVIDENCE OF AN EXTERNAL PROJECTILE THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE DAMAGE. THE ROAD WAS CLEAN, THERE WAS NO RAIN, AND WE WERE NOT GOING UNDER AN OVERPASS.