- NHTSA has upgraded its defect investigation into engine stalling on the 2005-'07 Corolla and Matrix.
- Over 1.1 million vehicles are covered by the agency's "engineering analysis."
- Toyota has approved 4,200 warranty claims for ECU replacement.
WASHINGTON — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it is looking deeper into 1,101 consumer complaints about 2005-'07 Toyota Corolla and Matrix cars. "The engine can stall at any speed without warning and not restart," NHTSA said in a statement on its Web site.
The federal watchdog opened its investigation into the complaints last November 30 with a "preliminary evaluation." NHTSA upgraded the probe to an "engineering analysis" on August 18, according to a posting on its Web site. NHTSA said up to 1,186,448 Toyota Corolla and Matrix vehicles are covered by the engineering analysis.
An engineering analysis is sometimes the precursor to a recall. "An engineering analysis has been opened to further assess the scope, frequency and safety risks associated with the failure of the ECU [engine control unit] that can result in engine stalling," NHTSA said.
Toyota told NHTSA that it approved 4,211 warranty claims for replacement of the electronic control unit, a computer that controls the engine, according to documentation filed with the federal government. NHTSA says six crashes have been linked to the problem. No injuries or deaths have been reported.
"My 2007 Corolla stalled at an intersection," wrote one unidentified consumer who filed a formal complaint with NHTSA. "It was a harrowing and terrifying experience and I feared for my safety."
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation said Toyota "indicated it had identified two possible causes of production defects of the engine control units" used in the 2005-'07 Corolla and Matrix. Toyota said the causes included cracks in the soldered joints of the control unit's circuit boards and cracks in the glass coating of the varistor, a type of resistor used to protect circuits against excessive voltage by conducting increased current. NHTSA said such a condition could lead to "engine stall, engine no start or harsh shifting."
Inside Line says: If you own one of the aforementioned Corolla or Matrix models, be aware of this federal investigation. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
tbone85 says:
01:20 PM, 08/25/2010
The most likely reason is that there were 1101 complaints for the Toyota models. The models you mention are all low volume vehicles. If the problems are as widespread as you indicated, perhaps it didn't reach the NHSTA radar because of a lower number of complaints? Maybe they issue the investigations on a highest volume basis?
I don't know either, and I'm certainly not making any excuse for the NHSTA. There are tons of possible reasons.
jeremy_c says:
11:40 AM, 08/24/2010
I am by no means a Toyota cheerleader but ECU failures are widespread amongst many European brands. My brother's Jaguar XK8 stalled on the highway and the dealer replaced the ECU. There was no mention of compensation or investigation. Cousin's Alfa Romeo 164 had the exactly same problem a la Bosch Motronic ECU. He later found on the owners websites that almost everyone had their ECU replaced. What about the notorious Audi/VW faulty ignition coil or BMW 135i/335i fuel pump failures. No recall whatsoever was issued. Why does the NHTSA not investigate these car manufacturers? Not making excuses for Toyota, purely a question.
timmojonnier says:
11:39 AM, 08/24/2010
Stalling is a serious and potentially life-threatening matter. In the past, Toyota has been slow to respond to customer complaints, and this has resulted in the loss of goodwill. One of the reasons for not taking immediate action on recalls may relate to cultural issues that are unique to Japanese corporations:
http://wp.me/pQr4T-bq
Timothy M Mojonnier
sugarlandtx says:
10:41 AM, 08/24/2010
Sounds like a story conspiracy nuts, Obama haters and Tea Baggers would love. They will claim the only reason the government is investigating is to help GM. Where is less regulation when you need it? Darn NHTSA, must be full of libs.