There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters.
We try to boil down it to the most important bits and pieces -- the recalls, service bulletins, and lawsuits that can help you solve you car problems. Interested in getting these quick story bits as an email? Signup over at CarComplaints.com.
Those are three words that I'm tired of typing and you're sick of hearing about. Yet here we are with another recall of 543,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles that have ticking time-bombs for airbags. Some vehicles are being recalled for the second time. You probably know the script by now.…
keep reading article "543,000 More Vehicles Added to Takata Recalls"Toyota is recalling 73,000 Tundra trucks for step bumpers that may break when stepped on. Affected are 2016-2017 Toyota Tundra trucks equipped with rear step bumpers made of resin, with resin reinforcement brackets at the corners.
This only applies to trucks with resin bumpers, not chrome. The recall was expected to begin last month.
The rusted frame class-action lawsuit may cost Toyota as much as $3.4 billion to replace truck frames that corrode and rust, making the frames a danger due to structural failures.
The settlement covers former and current owners / lessees of the 2005-2012 Tacoma, 2007-2008 Tundra, and 2005-2008 Sequoia in the United States and its territories. Many of these trucks are one stiff breeze away from having their underbody turn to a pile of corroded dust. A fairness hearing will happen on 04/27/2017. If the judge approves the agreement, owners will have 60 days to submit claim forms and documentation.
keep reading article "A Settlement Update for Rusted Toyota Frames"According to the plaintiff, she learned the hard way about the soy wiring when her Avalon wouldn't start and a look under the hood showed wires chewed, so she had the car towed to a dealer. Toyota told her rodents had caused the damage and it would be no problem to repair the problems as long as she could cough up $6,000 to cover the bill.
The soy-based wiring is allegedly attracting in rodents, who love to chew it up and use it for nesting material. The lawsuit, Heidi Browder vs. Toyota Motor Corporation, et al. follows a similar lawsuit filed against Honda earlier this year.
keep reading article "Lawsuit Says Toyota’s Use of Soy-Based Wiring is Attracting Rodent Damage". The Camry's ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) uses an evaporator inside the vehicle's dashboard. According to the plaintiffs, as cold refrigerant passes into the evaporator it mixes with warm air from the passenger cabin to create moisture. The condenser moisture mixes with things from the HVAC's outside vents – dead insects, pollen, leaves, and other fun stuff – to eventually turn into a moldy and stinky mess.…
keep reading article "Toyota Camry Musty A/C Lawsuit"– for family, for health, for leftover turkey sandwiches. And if that wasn't enough, Toyota owners now have another reason: Toyota might have to shell out some serious cash if your vehicle's frame is rusting out. Toyota has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit that says certain vehicles weren't protected with anti-rust chemicals at the factory. That leaves them susceptible to road salt and premature corrosion. If approved, the settlement is going to cost Toyota a lot of money. As in, $3.4 billion or so. Here's why.…
keep reading article "Toyota Rusted Frame Settlement"Toyota says federal safety standards require a vehicle to activate a warning light if there is a drop in the brake fluid level. However, the automaker says there is a possibility the wire harness that attaches to the brake fluid reservoir sensor was never connected during manufacturing.
In other news: the sun is hot, traffic is the worst, and I can't believe this actually went unchecked. There's no word on when the recall will begin.
keep reading article "Highlander Brake Sensor Needs to be Reconnected"Toyota is recalling about 340,000 Prius cars worldwide, including about 92,000 located in the U.S. The 2016-2017 Toyota Prius sedans have parking brakes that could fail, leading to a higher chance of rollaway incidents.
Dealers will add some clips to the top of the brake cable dust boots to hold things in place. Owners should start getting notices in November 2016.
So, how are things going? According to [a] lawsuit, when Toyota first announced the warranty program the automaker notified customers and said it could take months to gather the replacement parts. However, Toyota then sent a second notice that removed the information about a timeline for repairs.
Oh, well it can't be too long before everyone gets their replacement dash, right?…
keep reading article "Owners Are Still Waiting For Replacement Dashboards"The automaker thinks it's time to try something different. Gee Toyota, you think? Rear suspension arm failures first popped up four years ago in the 2006-2011 Toyota RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS 250h. Toyota issued a recall and blamed the problem on some nuts that weren't tightened to spec. Cool, seems like an easy fix.
About a year later the same vehicles were recalled again for, you guessed it, rear suspension issues. This time dealers were told to inspect the tie rods for corrosion and slap some epoxy on there to prevent future damage.…
keep reading article "SUVs Recalled a Third Time for the Same Problem"The best way to find out what's wrong with a vehicle is from the people who drive them. Not only do owner complaints help us rank vehicles by reliability, but they're often used to spark class-action lawsuits and warranty extensions. Plus, they're a great way to vent.