2008 Toyota Yaris Powertrain & Transmission Problems

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Yaris. The contact stated that the vehicle unintendedly shifted from park by accidentally touching the gear selector with a knee or hand without the brake pedal being depressed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 190,000.

ENGINE OIL HAS TO REFILLED EVERY 100 MILES WITH 3 QUARTS. THE DIP STICK SHOWS VIRTUALLY NO OIL WHEN THE OIL LIGHT COMES ON.

DRIVING VEHICLE ON CITY STREETS, AND ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE. BRAKE AND ABS CAME ON, AND ABS SYSTEM ENGAGED. ROAD CONDITIONS WERE DRY, WEATHER WAS WARM AND SUNNY. ABS ENGAGEMENT MADE IT DIFFICULT TO COME TO COMPLETE STOP, EVEN THOUGH ROAD CONDITIONS WERE DRY. SINCE INITIAL INCIDENT, ABS SYSTEM COMES ON PERIODICALLY WHILE DRIVING AND WHILE BRAKING. TOYOTA HAS DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIRS, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT NUMEROUS YARIS OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED. LATER MODELS FOR THE YARIS HAVE HAD THE ABS DESIGN FIXED TO PREVENT THIS ISSUE FROM HAPPENING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA YARIS. WHILE PARKED WITH THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND THE KEY NOT IN THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ROLLED BACKWARD WHILE TWO CHILDREN WERE SEATED IN THE REAR SEAT. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP WHEN IT CRASHED INTO A TREE. NONE OF THE CHILDREN WERE REPORTED AS INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE A FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA YARIS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE VIBRATED SEVERELY WHILE IN ANY GEAR WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

MY CAR WAS SPINNING IN CIRCLES ON THE ICEY FREEWAY AFTER I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO AVOID A CAR FENDER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR STOPPED SHORT OF THE GUARD RAIL, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT TOOK OFF AND BEGAN SPINNING TOWARD THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FREEWAY. THE BACK END OF MY CAR HIT THE GUARD RAIL. *CN

AFTER WAITING IN TRAFFIC, HAVING COME TO A STOP OR INCHING FORWARD, AS IN WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, THE CAR DIES WHEN GAS IS APPLIED TO MOVE FORWARD. MORE DIFFICULT IF ON AN INCLINE. FEELS AS IF THE CAR MIGHT DIE. BACKING UP ON AN INCLINE WHEN GOING SLOWLY TRYING NOT TO RUN INTO FOR INSTANCE THE GARAGE, FREQUENTLY STALLS OR DIES COMPLETELY. CANNOT PREDICT WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN, BUT HAPPENS TWO TO THREE TIMES PER WEEK. NO ACCIDENT HAS OCCURRED, BUT COULD BECAUSE OF NEED TO MOVE QUICKLY IN TRAFFIC. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS TO SEE IF THEY COULD ADJUST THE IDLE OR THE CLUTCH. THEY SAID THAT EVERYTHING WAS FACTORY ADJUSTED AND THAT TO CHECK THE CLUTCH WOULD REQUIRE CONSIDERABLE LABOR TO GET AT IT AND THE WARRANTY MIGHT NOT COVER IT IF NOTHING WAS FOUND. BASICALLY THE DEALERSHIPS SAID THAT IS THE WAY THE CAR IS, THAT THE RANGE FOR CLUTCH ENGAGEMENT OR NOT ENGAGEMENT WAS VERY SMALL AND THAT IT WAS A MATTER OF COORDINATING THE CLUTCH AND GAS. I THOUGHT PERHAPS THIS WAS IT AT FIRST, BUT I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOR 11 MONTHS, AND I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO AVOID THIS SITUATION PREDICTABLY. THE CAR ALSO DIED WHEN A FRIEND DROVE IT. I HAVE DRIVEN STICK SHIFT MOST OF MY LIFE AND THAT IS ABOUT 40 YEARS. I DON'T FEEL THAT I CAN COUNT ON THIS CAR TO MOVE QUICKLY OR MOVE AT ALL WHEN IN FIRST GEAR. THIS HAS OCCURRED 3 OR 4 TIMES EVERY WEEK SINCE BUYING THE CAR IN OCT OF 2007. I DON'T DRIVE THE CAR EVERY DAY. CURRENTLY THERE IS LESS THAN 10,000 MILES ON THE CAR. *TR