2004 Toyota Corolla Body & Structure Problems

This complaint concerns two separate incidents, both involving defective interior door handles. First, in 2023, the driver side driver door handle broke abruptly when the driver attempted to exit the vehicle. As a result, the driver, [XXX] , was trapped in the vehicle and required someone else to let him out from the outside. This was repaired privately at substantial cost to the owner. Then, the exact same thing happened to the passenger side front seat interior door handle in January 2025. The handle mechanism seems to be made of cheap plastic and seems to have broken, preventing the passenger from exiting the vehicle at all and leaving them effectively trapped in the front seat. This has been a major issue recently when transporting family members to the hospital, as time was lost when they tried to get out of the driver side passenger door and found that the door handle mechanism was inoperable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

all door handles broke off.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR FAILED TO UNLOCK. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK USING THE KEY, THE KEY FOB, OR MANUALLY. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT HAD TO ENTER THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE PASSENGER DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNAVAILABLE.

THE FRAME ALONG THE WINDSHIELD ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OBSTRUCTS VISION, CAUSING THE DRIVER NOT TO SEE WELL. THE DRIVER WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS BRAND NEW. THE DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK THE VIEW WAS OBSTRUCTED FOR VEHICLES TO THE RIGHT, THE REAR SEAT HEADRESTS BLOCKED THE VIEW IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AS WELL AS WHEN LOOKING BACK TO CHANGE LANES OR BACK UP. THE CONSUMER HAD TO REMOVE THE REAR HEADRESTS TO AVOID PROBLEMS. WHEN THE REAR WINDOWS WERE OPENED 1/2 TO FULL, THERE WAS A TUNNEL TYPE OF SENSATION AND THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE. THE VEHICLE WOULD BE AT A STOP SIGN AND WHEN NEEDING TO TURN LEFT, THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO GET A CLEAR VIEW OF APPROACHING TRAFFIC ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THERE WAS A SPAN OF TIME WHEN THE VEHICLES WERE COMPLETELY BLOCKED BY THE FRAME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD. THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO ADJUST THE HEIGHT AND DISTANCE OF THE SEAT POSITION, BUT WAS LIMITED DUE TO HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS. OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. (THE WIDTH OF THE PANEL/FRAME SEEMED TO BE A PART OF THE PROBLEM WHICH ALSO SEEMED TO BE A THE LATE MODEL ISSUE) *SCC *JB

APPROXIMATELY 45 DAYS AGO (AUG. 27, 2003) I PURCHASED A 2004 TOYOTA CAMRAY SOLARA. THE AUTO IS EQUIPPED WITH A LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM. ON DAY ONE, THE SYSTEM ALERTED ME OF LOW TIRE PRESSURE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AT IT WAS FIXED. THE FOLLOWING MORNING, I NOTICED MOISTURE CONDENSATION ON THE INSIDE. I TURNED ON THE AC AND IT DISAPPEARED. FOR THE SECOND TIME, THE LOW PRESSURE INDICATOR WAS ON AND I AGAIN RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIPS SERVICE DEPARTMENT CHECKED THE TIRES, INFORMED ME THAT ALL THE TIRES MUST HAVE THE SAME PRESSURE, AND SHOWED ME THE RESET SWITCH UNDER THE DASH. A WEEK LATER, AFTER A RAIN STORM, THE CAR CARPETS WERE WET. I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND AFTER A DAY, THE CAR WAS RETURNED AND I WAS ADMONISHED TO ENSURE THAT I DIDN'T LEAVE THE CAR WINDOWS OPEN. AT THE END OF THAT WEEK, THERE WAS ANOTHER HEAVY RAIN STORM AND MY CAR REMAINED PARKED FOR THAT ENTIRE WEEKEND, "WITH THE WINDOWS CLOSED." ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH, I ENTERED THE CAR AND ONCE AGAIN, THE FLOOR MATS WERE SOAKED AND THERE WAS A MUSTY/MOLDY SMELL IN THE CAR. ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY (9/15) I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THIS TIME, AFTER A DAY, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A REPORTED PROBLEM OF WATER LEAKING AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO RETURN THE CAR LATER IN THE WEEK TO HAVE THE DASHBOARD REMOVED AND THE LEAKING PART REPLACED/REPAIRED. AND, ONCE AGAIN, THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR WAS ON. MY CAR IS STILL NOT TOTALLY REPAIRED AND THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT IS ON AGAIN. THE DEALER NOW HAS POSSESSION OF MY CAR FOR ALMOST AS MUCH TIME AS I HAVE. I AM WAITING FOR THE NEXT RAIN STORM AND I?M AFRAID TO WASH MY CAR. IN ADDITION, THERE ARE MOLD AND MOLD SPORES GROWING IN THE VEHICLE, WHICH IS AGGRAVATING MY ASTHMA. *LA

METALIC RATTLE COMES OUT OF THE DASHBOARD OF 2004 COROLLA LE. THE CAR HAS ONLY 15 MILES ON IT.*AK