Hi everyone,
I hope the information I have provided is helpful to someone. I have written a letter to:
Toyota Customer service
Steve St. Angelo (head of US sales)
Akio Toyoda (President)
Kazuo Okamoto (v-p)
BBB in California
I've also filed a safey complaint with ODI-NHTSA (http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

For your enjoyment here is the letter I sent to Toyota:

28 September 2009


Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc
19001 South Western Ave.
Dept WC11
Torrance, CA 90501


To Whom It May Concern:

I spoke with a customer service representative on Saturday, 26 September 2009, regarding faulty sun visors in my 2007 Toyota Camry. I apologize that I do not know her name, she was very professional, and the case number to reference is 0909138313. While driving home in rush hour in Atlanta on 24 September 2009 the passenger side sun visor dislodged from the roof and fell off. On 25 September 2009 the driver side sun visor continued to droop as I was headed home. The driver side visor is still attached to the roof, however it is being held up by a rubber band twisted around the handle above the door and the visor itself. I narrowly avoided a collision yesterday, 27 September 2009 when my rubber band system failed and the visor fell into my line of vision. While speaking with your employee on Saturday I was notified that the VIN number on my car was associated with tech service bulletin “T-SB-0284-09 August 21, 2009 Sunvisor Mount Loose”.
I have a lengthy commute to and from work, thus the reason my car has 80,000 miles on it and is only 2 years old. I was told by the young woman that because my car is out of warranty there was nothing that could be done. This is unacceptable and negligent on your part. This is a safety concern and simply terrible customer service. What does the mileage have to do with defective sun visors? We are not talking about a broken radio, but rather something that could potential pose a risk of harm to me and my passengers should the situation not be resolved.
I have contacted the local Toyota dealer (Atlanta Toyota in Duluth, GA) and at first was told their system was down and they could not tell if my vehicle was within the bulletin. On a follow-up call I was told that it may have been involved but there was nothing that could be done, again due to the vehicle being out of warranty. I asked the customer service representative at what point would this be considered a recall and all vehicles affected fixed at no charge. She stated that she did not know and could not provide me with a number of reports required for a recall to be issued. I expected so much more from your company. I have been a loyal Ford owner since I was 16 and regret the day I traded in my Fusion for a Camry. Toyota is supposed to be known for its quality and customer service, both of which have disappointed me. I will be filing a safety complaint with the Department of Transportation as well as a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. As I was looking for replacement visors on-line I noted several websites indicating that this is a known problem, yet hardly anyone has been able to have any resolution to this issue. I have copied this letter to Steve St. Angelo, Akio Toyoda, and Kazuo Okamoto in an attempt to let the highest authority in your company made aware of the situation. Should you wish to speak to me regarding my concerns or if you have an amicable solution to this problem please contact me at xxxxx or xxxxxxx.


A very disappointed consumer,
Aimee


I'll let you know if they respond

 

This reminds me of my experiences with a local Dodge dealership back in the mid 90"s. I had a '93 Grand Caravan that had multiple problems and the A/C system just didn't work right - and never did until I sold it 9 years later. Trying to get warranty work done was really a challenge with "no" the most heard answer.

I wonder if it's a coincidence that Toyota just made the top of the list for total cars sold and now feels that they can treat their customers like our "Big Three" did in the past. Maybe they should consider where our "Big Three" are now and rethink how they treat their customers and handle their problems.

 

Hello everyone,
I hope you all have better success with this than I do. I'm going to have to shell out $220 for 2 new sunvisors....a dealer south of Atlanta is willing to help me out with the cost. I thought I would post Toyota's reply to my letter along with my response to them. Enjoy!

Aimee (my response is first)

Good Morning Don,
Although I appreciate your response I am very disappointed that Toyota is not going to stand behind the product they feel is made with "durable materials". In fact, the very act of issuing a technical bulletin shows that the product is NOT durable and IS defective. The service manager was correct in that they have not serviced my vehicle since June 2008. I REFUSE to take my vehicle there for service. The reason I contacted them (twice by phone and once in person) to assist with this issue is because they are located near my office. Their customer service there is horrific at best. When I inquired about this situation I was told "that's too bad, if you contacted Toyota that is the highest you can do so no we will not help you". I have told everyone that I know how they treat customers who are purchasing vehicles as well as the service department. Thankfully, I have prevented two friends from purchasing a new Camry. If for no other satisfaction than knowing I prevented Atlanta Toyota from making any profit from unsuspecting consumers. Although I do not personally know anyone else that is having the same issue as myself, several of my co-workers have Camry's and have taken them to Atlanta Toyota regarding the floor mat recall (last year to advise them of the situation) and they were not taken seriously as well. Are recalls only issued after there is a fatal crash? I simply can not believe that a recall will not be issued for these defective sunvisors. Fortunately for you, Toyota South in Marrow, GA has substantially better customer service and is willing to assist me with the cost of replacing the sunvisors. Thank you again for taking the time to respond to my concerns, I will be sure to pass along how inconsiderate of a company you work for.

Aimee Hontz
________________________________________
From: Ask Toyota [toyota_cares@toyota.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 06, 2009 5:56 PM
To: Aimee Hontz
Subject: A very upset owner [Incident: 090928-000084]

Recently you contacted Toyota. Below is a summary of your contact message and our response.

Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.


Subject
A very upset owner

Discussion Thread
Response (DLom) 10/06/2009 02:56 PM
Dear Ms. Hontz:

Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

We apologize for the concerns you are experiencing with your 2007 Camry sun visors.

I have spoken to the Customer Relations Manager at Atlanta Toyota today about your concerns and they advised us that they have not seen you since June 5, 2008 and are not aware of your concerns with the visor. Also, they do not have anyone else with this similar issue coming to them with this type of complaint.

Just for the record, our sun visors are made with very durable materials to last for quite some time unless excessive weight is added to them, such as a CD holder, etc.

The warranty for your sun visor is limited to 3-years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first, from the date of first use for your vehicle. Based on the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) you provided, 4T1BE46KX7U594542, your warranty coverage started on 09/26/2006 and ended on 09/26/2009.

As stated to you previously, your vehicle is currently outside these warranty parameters and we are unable to assist with the cost of this repairs.

We appreciate the opportunity to review your request.

Your email has been documented at our National Headquarters under file # 0909138313

Sincerely,

Don Lombardo
Toyota Customer Experience

 

Finally got a card saying they received the parts. Sadly, the service adviser said it was out of warranty and it'd cost 240 for both visors. I had assumed when they ordered, they already checked and out of the kindness of their hearts, decided to go through with it. Oh well. At least they didn't make me pay anything.

 

wow! if only I had your luck. I'm certain I will end up paying for them and it will be well over $200 for both visors.

 

Whoops. I misphrased it. I refused the service and was glad they didn't make me pay for them to special order the parts. Sorry.

 

LIARS!!!!

My right side visor has been back ordered for six-weeks. they are lying to your face.

The only truth in this is when they said they hadn't seen you since June... This means they don't make enough after-sales revenue off of you... this means they won't do a thing to help you.

Toyota is turning into GM.

 

I just had the same experience with my driver's side visor. Called Toyota Dealer and he quoted $109.00 for part & $155.00 installed.. they told me there was no recall from Toyota on this part. Was planning on just fixing until I read more posts and called NHTS and filed complaint. Then, I called Toyota direct @ 1-800-331-4331 and spoke to John who was extremely helpful

... there is, in fact, a recall and Dealers are just being notified of same. All 2007 Toyota Camry's have been given a 7 year extension on warranty to cover the complete cost of visor and installation. It was just sent to the dealerships (service depts) within the past week...

I hope this helps someone.

 

Thank you....this is great news....If you get the recall number, please post it.....it will be very helpful.Thanks again...

 

I got recall envelope in mail yesterday. It's called "Certain 2007 to 2011 Model Year Camry/Camry Hybrid Vehicles Sun Visor Assembly and Sun Visor Bracket"