2008 Toyota Corolla Fuel System Problems

Your fuel tank has a heat shield with a plastic clip that holds a strap in place. This plastic clip snapped off on your car, causing the heat shield to rattle loose against the exhaust pipe and exposing the fuel tank. The dealer told you the only fix is to replace the entire heat shield and fuel tank strap assembly for $950, even though just the plastic clip appears to be the defective part.

I SMELL GAS AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON THE CAR CUTS OUT THEN ACTS LIKE IT GOES INTO A LOW GEAR. THIS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING. SO FAR NOTHING MAJOR HAS HAPPENED BUT WHO KNOWS WHEN IT COULD CHANGE. THIS STARTED OVER A YEAR AGO. WE HAD IT CHECKED AND IT SHOWED 5 CODES WHICH INDICATED THE CHARCOAL FUEL FILTER CANISTER WAS BAD. WE WAS TOLD THE COST OF THE PART WOULD BE $300.00 AND WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THEY HAVE HAD A LOT OF THESE PROBLEMS WITH IT AND HAVE REPLACED A LOT IF THEM AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE WHICH IS BETWEEN $300-$500 WITH LABOR COST. TOYOTA HAD RECALLED THIS PART UP TO 2006 BUT NOT BEYOND. WE HAVE CHECKED INTO THIS AND THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. WE HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA CORP AND HAVE A CASE # 1405291178. WE CONTACTED THEM TODAY AGAIN AND WAS TOLD THEY ARE NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND WOULD HAVE TO JUST LIVE WITH IT. WE FEEL THIS ISN'T RIGHT. WE ARE SENIOR CITIZENS AND ON A FIXED INCOME. WE CAN'T AFFORD THIS. TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THIS PART BUT WE CAN'T GET ANYTHING DONE. WE ARE VERY UPSET THAT TOYOTA WILL NOT TAKE CARE OF THEIR VEHICLES.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME WHILE DRIVING TO WORK IN 2008 TOYOTA MATRIX. TOOK CAR TO MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE CHARCOAL CANISTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALSO OCCURRED WITH A 2005 TOYOTA COROLLA THAT HAD 120000 MILES ON IT. SEEMS TO ME THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH TOYOTA COROLLAS AND POSSIBLY OTHERS.

ACCELERATOR STUCK "ON" AFTER CAR STARTED AND WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. OWNER/DRIVER COULD NOT AVOID STRIKING OTHER VEHICLES. OWNER/DRIVER IS ASSISTED BY [XXX]ATTORNEY AT LAW [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR... UPDATED 03/19/15*BF *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD BANGING NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL TANK STRAPS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,455. ...UPDATED 10-24-13 *BF UPDATED 11/1/2013 *JS

WAS DRIVING THE 08 MATRIX AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON INTERSTATE 90/94 WEST OF MADISON WI. STOPPED AT REST STOP AND HEAR LOUD, HOLLOW NOISE FROM UNDER VEHICLE. MADE IT TO MILWAUKEE AND BROUGHT CAR TO TOYOTA DEALER. WAS INFORMED ONE OF THE STRAPS HOLDING GAS TANK TO CAR FAILED DUE TO CORROSION, WEAR & TEAR AND AGE OF VEHICLE. WAS TOLD NOISE WAS DUE TO GASOLINE TANK, ROCK AND HEAT SHIELD CLANGING AGAINST CAR'S FRAME/CHASIS UNDERNEATH AND OUT OF SIGHT. WAS TOLD IF SECOND STRAP HAD FAILED IT COULD HAVE CREATED FIREBALL UNDER CAR. WAS TOLD STRAP FAILURE IS NOT UNCOMMON (REALLY?). VEHICLE REPAIRED FOR $129 OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES. NOT FEELING TOO SAFE ABOUT VEHICLE AT THIS POINT IN TIME BUT CANNOT AFFORD A NEW CAR TO REPLACE IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD BANGING NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT END OF THE FUEL TANK SHIELD PARTIALLY DETACHED DUE TO A LOOSE BOLT WHICH COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,500. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

WHILE APPLYING BRAKE, CAR SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD (HARD ACCELERATION). MINOR ACCIDENT ENSUED, SEVERAL POLICE OFFICERS OBSERVED ACCIDENT. *TR

ON AUG. 1, 2008 I BOUGHT A CERTIFIED USED 2008 TOYOTA COROLLA WITH 5,420 MILES ON IT FROM MANHATTAN BEACH TOYOTA, IN MANHATTAN BEACH, CA. AFTER DRIVING IT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, I REALIZED THERE WAS SOMETHING TROUBLING ABOUT THE ACCELERATOR. WHENEVER I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR TO MAKE A STANDING START -- WHEN A TRAFFIC SIGNAL TURNED GREEN, FOR EXAMPLE -- THE CAR WOULD OFTEN LURCH FORWARD IN AN UNCONTROLLABLE MANNER. I SOON TRACED THE PROBLEM TO THE POSITION OF MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR. IF MY FOOT WAS IN JUST THE RIGHT POSITION -- LOW TO MIDWAY ON THE PEDAL, WITH MY HEEL CLOSEST TO THE FLOOR -- I HAD COMPLETE CONTROL. BUT IF I MISCALCULATED AND PLACED MY FOOT EVER SO SLIGHTLY HIGHER ON THE PEDAL, THE CAR WOULD LURCH FORWARD EVEN WHEN I APPLIED THE SAME PRESSURE. I COULD REGAIN CONTROL ONLY BY QUICKLY TAKING MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND/OR HITTING THE BRAKES. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT MAINTAINS MY CAR REPEATEDLY SAID I SHOULD NOT WORRY -- THAT AS THE CAR'S COMPUTER GOT USED TO MY DRIVING HABITS, IT WOULD EVENTUALLY ADJUST THE ACTION OF THE ACCELERATOR TO MY TOUCH. BUT NOTHING CHANGED. NOW I TAKE EXTRA CARE TO TRY AND GET MY FOOT IN JUST THE RIGHT SPOT BEFORE ACCELERATING FROM A STANDING START. SOMETIMES I AM SUCCESSFUL, OTHER TIMES NOT. IN ANTICIPATION OF TROUBLE, I MAKE IT A POINT TO LEAVE PLENTY OF EXTRA SPACE BETWEEN ME AND THE CAR AHEAD OF ME, SO I WON'T REAR END IT IF THE ACCELERATOR SENDS ME LURCHING FORWARD. I HAVE BECOME RESIGNED TO THE PROBLEM, BECAUSE I AM A TOYOTA FAN AND LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE CAR. I NEVER THOUGHT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS UNTIL A NEW YORK TIMES STORY INDICATED THAT OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, AND (I BELIEVE) HAD NOTIFIED YOUR AGENCY. (PLS IGNORE THE DATES I ENTERED BELOW; THE PROBLEM PERSISTS TO THIS DAY, BUT YOUR FORM WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO SO INDICATE.) *TR

ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE ENGINE REVVED UP TO 6000RPM ON MY 2008 TOYOTA COROLLA CE WHEN I WAS STOPPED. MY FOOT WAS OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND NO FLOOR MATS WERE NEAR THE ACCELERATOR. I BROUGHT IT TO MY DEALER BUT THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. I REPORTED IT TO TOYOTA CORPORATE BUT THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED OTHER THEN TO SAY THAT TO TELL ME THAT MY CAR WAS NOT COVERED BY THE RECALL. *TR