A coin was easily lodged between the plastic covering of the shifter and the console. The coin easily worked its way down into the shifter mechanism. The plastic covering came out of its track and began to buckle. The buckling of the plastic covering led to inability to shift gears easily and timely. Eventually, the buckling became so intense, the plastic covering independently shifted the gears from drive to neutral twice while on the interstate. To be able to drive the car and shift gears without constant undo pressure from the buckling plastic cover, the driver would need to pull the plastic covering out completely, exposing the shifting mechanism to other objects and liquids---the plastic covering sits immediately in front of the drink holders. I reported the problem to Toyota. At the local and national level, Toyota does not view this as a safety issue.

- Greensboro, NC, USA