Toyota Corolla and Matrix Recall

I just recently received a call from a customer in Dallas, Texas.  She was concerned with a letter she received in the mail from Toyota about her 2007 Toyota Corolla.  The letter was informing her that a safety recall is requiring the vehicle's Engine Control Module (ECM) to be replaced.  The ECM's have a defect and could cause the engine to suddenly stall while driving. (Click on this link to see a copy of the letter: http://bit.ly/Corolla_Recall)  Her main concern was, approximately one year before she received this notice, the ECM was replaced by a local garage for a P2716 (Pressure Control Solenoid D Circuit) Code.

Her main questions were:

1. Does the ECM that was installed a year prior still have a problem?

2. She paid over $1,000 to have the ECM installed last year.  How can she be compensated for that repair that is now covered under this recall?

Two valid questions, especially since the ECM was replaced based on a bulletin that Toyota released in September of 2007 for the P2716 code. (Click on this link to see a copy of the factory bulletin: http://bit.ly/P2716_Toyota_Bulletin) 

To answer question 1, I don't know yet.  The only way to know if an updated ECM was installed is to see the actual factory recall notice the Toyota technicians have.  Being the recall is so new, the factory bulletin is not yet available to the aftermarket.  I'm going to set out some feelers to see if I can get a hold of it.  On that bulletin, there should be some part numbers that will tell the technician if the existing ECM is one of the effected models.

Question number 2, the following is a copy from the factory letter:

6. Is the repair covered by warranty?  Will I have to pay any money out of pocket for this repair?

This repair will be performed at no charge to the customer. Owners who have previously paid for replacement of the ECM to address this specific condition should refer to their owner letter for reimbursement consideration instructions.

Key words here: "reimbursement consideration".  Only time will tell how Toyota is going to deal with this. 

Here's another twist: The 2005-2008 Pontiac Vibes were built by Toyota and have the same drivetrain as the Corolla and Matrix.  DetNews.com reports Toyota recalling the Vibes for the same problem with stalling.  These vehicles also had the same problem with the ECM's causing the P2716 code, but Pontiac never released a technical bulletin for the issue.  Being there was only 161,754 Vibes built with the issue compared with over 1.3 million Corollas and Matrix vehicles, GM just didn't see it as a big enough issue.

Please comment the blog or contact me at peoplestransmission@gmail.com if you have any incite on this issue.

Customer Satisfaction

This was copied from an email that a customer sent us last week:

Roger,

My name is Ron Becker and you fixed my 1995 Saturn a few weeks ago. You replaced the torque converter clutch. I was very pleased with the quality of service that you provided and just wanted to let you know I wrote a glowing review of your business and posted it to two business search websites. They are "Yelp" and "Insider Pages". Thanks for taking care of me. We are always quick to criticize someone or a business if we don't think we were treated fairly. I feel it's just as important to complement and praise a business if they did a good job so that's what I did.

Ron Becker


That says it all, right?

We appreciate the praise Ron.

How Transmissions Work

This is a great five minute breakdown on how a transmission works.  The transmission shown in the clip is called a 4T45E.  The 4T45E comes in several, light duty GM and Saturn, front wheel drive passenger cars. 

The factory assembly of the unit as seen here, is the only time that the transmission will be new.  Even if the transmission fails under warranty, the dealerships will either repair the existing transmission in the vehicle, or swap it out with a factory remanufactured transmission.  Remanufactured transmissions, commonly called remans, are built just as they would be in a Peoples Transmission Certified shop.  The transmission is removed from the vehicle, dismantled completely (even more than what this video shows), damaged or worn parts are replaced with new, rebuilt, or used parts, cleaned, then reassembled.