1997 TOYOTA Camry

ENGINE SLUDGE

WHEN THE DRIVER PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO MOVE THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE SIEZED AND WE HAD TO STOP THE VEHICLE.AFTER TOWING TO A REPAIR SHOP THE WE FOUND THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE MOTOR AND WE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A SOLARA ENGINE

When I took my Camry in for a routine oil change, I was told that I needed to have my engine \”desludged.\”” I was told that this was highly recommended and would prevent more costly repairs in the future.”

We own a 1997 V6 Toyota Camry with 96000 miles that we purchased used when it had 22000 miles. We changed the oil regularly between 5 and 7500 miles and used the car primarily for city driving. During the past month we noticed the oil engine light coming on and changed the oil but the light came on every week. Thinking the last oil change did not replace enough oil, we added oil twice and the third time the oil would not enter the case. Then I found the sludge. I contacted my mechanic and he told me he had heard of the problem and the possibility of warranty repair. My wife took the car to Kings Toyota in Cincinnati and we were called later in the day and told the engine had gelled and would cost $2700 to replace the engine. He also added $300 for brake work and $100 to clean the battery cable corrosion. I searched the web, found the material and asked if we were covered. We were told that they would have to see oil changes and then they would check. The next day I called Toyota myself and they said I would be covered. The dealership said they had to wait and see. Finally I was told that the service manager had approved the work. I feel that Toyota took care of problem, (not sure what they did since I have not received the paperwork for repair yet from the dealership). I hope it is a permanent solution but will have to wait and see. The dealership however failed to work as my advocate with the company by not informing me of the possibility of warranty coverage and attempting to charge me $2700. I will not go there again. I am still waiting to find out exactly what the repair was. I was told the papers would be mailed to me. I think the problem will re-occur if the engine was not replaced (I know it was not) since the basic error is still present.

Toyota replaced the valve covers claiming I had an oil leak. This car never leaked oil, but in order to get my car back I had to cough $1700.Subsequently, I have what now sounds like engine knocking…I’m not a mechanic….but it sounds like multiple pings as if valve stems are hitting the top of the block at idle….engine is operating noisily.Didn’t bother trying to get toyota to fix my CD player. (Gave up)

This vehicle is one of the one’s covered by Toyota’s extended engine (sludge) warranty. I believe this warrenty is inadequate. This car was purchased with an expectation that it would provide service for at least 10 years or 120,000 miles. For Toyota to extend the warrenty is an admission that a problem exist that involves the design of the engine. I believe the engine should be replaced with one that has a corrected design. No one purchased a car from Toyota with the idea of getting anything but excellent product. An engineering problems is not the fault of the consumer, but the fault of the manufacturer.

The piston snapped suddenly totally destroying the engine. This car was well maintained. The oil was changed every 3,000 – 5,000 by a reputable local independent service station. The dealer at first attempted to blame the owner, saying the oil was not changed by the dealer and the service station had probably used the wrong grade and used the wrong type of air filters. However, they later backed off this claim and said it now appears the oil pump failed. They called this an ‘act of god’. They also said something about the oil filter possibly being clogged. They refused to consider sludge as a possible problem.

Shows/ emits excessive blue smoke on first starts. Consumes a lot of oil. Engine oil sludge accumulation in oip pan, valve covers, fried oil seen at top gasket engine replacememt. Oil particules got into the system and caused Engine oil lamp to show. Repeated oil changes any time this happens. Slows down engine power, therefore car consumes a lot of gas.

Severe undercarriage rattles.Toyota replaced my rear brakes because they were squealing (at no cost to me). They did not notify me. I went to them.Had to replace all 4 tires because of extreme wear on front tires (radial belts were showing).December 2003, oil sludge was so thick I could have literally cut it with a knife. I had the oil changed, and since then I have been seeing blue smoke almost every time I start the car. Toyota took care of the sludge problem without hesitation, and at no charge. But the other problems listed below indicate that my Toyota is not the best one that ever came off the assembly line. (I have never had Toyota problems in the past.) The problems below occurred with such LOW MILEAGE, it is astonishing to me. brand new rear brakes due to squeaking when backing up (Toyota replaced the rear brakes, no charge. They didn\’t notify me, however. It was a bulletin they received, not a recall, so they didn\’t notify their customers.) 8-16-02 new water pump 27,325 miles bearing failed?? 5-29-03 front brakes 32,426 miles summer, 2003 new battery between 32,000 & 34,000 miles 10/17/03 4 new tires 34,xxx miles 1-6-04 oil, lube, filter 35,900 miles — sludge (noticed 12/15/03)(left for Wisc. 12/16/03; returned 1/1/04 and had the oil changed immediately) 3/1/04 Ron @ Toyota took it for a test drive. Says it needs new strut towers. (36+ miles).-1998 undercarriage rattles

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My Toyota Camry’s engine failed as I was merging onto a very busy freeway with my baby in the backseat. I was stuck on the shoulder of the fast lane for 2 hours before the tow truck arrived; my fancy driving is the only reason an accident was avoided. I had just received the letter about the oil gel and was going to get my oil changed the next day because the engine failed on my mother’s birthday. Now both Toyota and my local dealer are telling me that my engine does not have oil caked inside the head so it could not be oil gel that caused my engine to throw a rod at 80,000 miles. When asked what could have caused it to happen they have no answer except sometimes that happens to engines and they want me to pay them a significant sum of money to open up the engine to find out if oil gel is present. If it is not the cause as they keep saying it is not yet I feel sure it is; I will have to foot the bill for a new engine at the dealer. Toyota also will not allow me to have the work done by an independent mechanic if I move the car and find oil gel is the cause.I have been without a car for over 3 months and have 2 small children and live in the country. Is the only way to detect oil gel a sludge on the head? I am so frustrated.

My Toyota Camry had to have a head gasket replacement. I have never had to have this done on any car I have ever owned. My brother had the same problem on his 99 Camry. I have read about the sludge problem that might be causing this but my dealer said my oil was fine. I think Toyota is not admitting there is a widespread problem here due to the cost involved. I think they did admit to a V6 head gasket problem however mine and many others were the 4 cyl. type.

My problem is ” Engine Oil Sludge”, I bought the 97 camry XLE V6 120K km less than 3 months ago, at that time, i trusted toyota so much that I did very little test drive and didn’t check the car thoroughly. Shortly after I brought it home, the engine problem comes up.Every morning when I start the car, lots of smoke(blue and white) come out from the emission, the engine oil consumption is obviously faster than it supposed to be.I told toyota dealer of this problem(Engine Oil Sludge), they asked me to show them the original maintenance record of this car. I talked to the dealer in Quebec who did the maintenance for the former owner of the car, they refused to release the maintenance to me since they took it as the former owner’s privacy. I tried to contact the seller of the car, but he moved and I couldn’t get hold of him any more.As a result, the dealer refused to fix the car.Since I became the owner of the car, I tried all my best to maintain the car, I changed the engine oil every 2500KM, I tried expensive addictives. And I also think the former owner, who is the only owner of the car ahead of me, had done neccesary maintenance now that he purchased the most expensive model in camry series. If the expense of fixing it is not too high I will afford it on my own, however, the expense will easily be over 5000 dollars, which is way beyond what I can afford.Toyota claims that it is due to lack of proper maintenance of owners and has nothing to do with toyota. But there are some questions it can’t answer. Why much more camry(97-2001) and lexus(97-2001) have this problem than the models before 97? older camry should have much more friction than camry 97-2001, right? does that mean the onwers of camry and lexus(97-2001) are more likely to abuse the car? lots of car runs up to more thanThere must be something to do with the design or manufacture of the engine.I will contact Toyota Canada directly for my problem and ask them to fix this problem, if it doesn’t work, I will be forced to a lawyer. As a customer, I don’t think I am asking any thing more than what I deserve.I also call upon those owners of used Camry with same engine problem come up and protect your rights

My engine seized and needs complete replacement due to this oil sludge problem. As a result of the gelled oil, one of the pistons broke off creating a hole in the engine and the motor mount became displaced from the engine, causing the engine block to crack while I was driving the car. I bought the car used from Greer Toyota in Millbrook, NY in August of 2001 and was told that one of their mechanics would complete a thorough inspection before the car was turned over to me. I have since had the oil changed every 3,000 miles by a trusted mechanic. During that time, I had to replace the oxygen sensor at my own cost, but did not have any other problems until this month. Now in addition to the engine, it appears that my struts are failing as well. I am in the process of submitting a claim for the engine.

My check engine light came on and I took it to get the sensor checked. I go hit with this list of repairs a/f sensor replacement, EFI service, major tune-up,valve cover leaking,cam seal leaking,crank seal oil pump seal, oil pan , timing belt, water pump, real oil pan, transmission gasket and filter, front engine pipe replacement. Totallying over $6,000 in repairs.

Main issue is the sludging problem. Approx. 1 year ago I took the car to the dealing for a checkup regarding hesitation. The service person told me she would check the book to see if there were any recalls. She then advised that the car was being recalled for sludging and that she would look into it further. I don’t know what the Toyota dealer did because the service person did not call or give me an estimate. This went on for over a month. After several calls to the dealer and leaving messages, the service person told me that I would have to pay $1200.00 to get my car because they had repair it, however I never authorized repair because I didn’t know what was being repaired. I disputed it and told her to keep the car. She called back and told me to “come and pick it up” not a word was said she handed me the keys and I left. I continued to go back to the dealer for oil changes and sometimes other places. This time, a year later, the car actually stopped and was towed to the dealer on July 9, 2004. They did not call me, I called them on Wednesday, July 13 to find out what was wrong with the car they told me I needed an engine because of the sludging. We asked how much would it cost and they told me that they would check around and call back. Well, today is Sunday, August 1, 2004 and I have not received a call. I have checked the internet to find out about sludging and ran across the articles regarding camry recalls because of sludging. Other than that I have never received a letter from Toyota.

Loud knocking heard from front right of vehicle. Toyota service department determined cause to be a bad CV joint. Additionally, during a routine engine oil change, I discovered an unusually large amount of beading sludge that had to be removed by hand to drail and fill the oil. I have read reports of the Toyota engines producing sludge and I would like to know how I go about getting this fixed on their recall if one occurs.

iwill like to know way my car wen i was driving the inginego on fire my car was in good condition only 79,124. mile.my car did not have no problem. drive like a 2005 new car. my car was total lost.

I Was involved in a 5 car pile up on interstate 94, hit vehicle in front of me going at 45-50 mph, and airbag did not deploy. According to Toyota, this is acceptable due to the particular type of frontal accident I had. If hitting a car at 45-50 mph dead on is not a good enough reason for the airbag deploying then what is? Due to the airbag not deploying, I suffered a severe brain contusion with bleeding in the brain and loss time off of work.Earlier Engine Problem: Oil sludge in engine, once repairs were done 6 months later engine mounts had to be replace front motor mount and dog bone, injectors and gaskets, why?, this was all replaced on the first engineering defect toyota created and why should I pay a portion of their oil sludge engineering defects.

I received a letter last year from Toyota explaining a “gelling” problem and to watch out for blue smoke coming from the tail pipe when starting the car. I went into Sears for an oil change and they indicated that it looked like moisture was getting in the oil and it looked “sludgy”. I took the car to the Toyota dealership for them to check out this “gelling”. The letter indicated that Toyota would pay for the part/installation. I got the estimated back from Toyota and they said I did not have any “gelling” or “sludge” in the oil/engine, but that I did have “rotted valve stem seals” and head gasket leaks, and oil pan leaks and thats why there was blue smoke. The car is barely 7 years old and I have changed the oil faithfully at 3000 miles. I did not have the problem fixed, because I wanted a second opinion from a mechanic that was referred to me that is trustworthy. I plan on taking the car in(an appt. was made for 2 days after I took it to the Toyota dealership) and I have questions in hand about how this could have happened when I have not had 1 indication that the engine is going bad/valves are leaking(i.e. there have been no noises, leaking of antifreeze or other fluid when I park my car o/n or for a few hours).

I have not had it repaired as of yet. I took it to Toyota and they have said that they do not see sludge on the valves, they say there is a carbon buildup and that there is definitely something wrong with the car (a lot of knocking is what they said).

exhaust blowing blue smoke, sludge buildup on valve covers, now check engine light is on, car vibrates. In shop again

Excessive blue smoke from tail pipe during start up. Symtoms started around 70,000 miles. Penzoil 10-30 used up to that time, changed every 3,000 miles. Changed to Mobil-1 10-30 at 70,000 miles, changed every 5,000 miles. Vehicle used for work, driven 15 to 20 freeway miles per day. 90,000 on vehicle now.

Engine: Oil jelling/sludging not lubricating valve oil seals. Engine smokes very bad while starting.Suspension: Struts or strut bushings failed. creates suspension noises They said that my oil consumption and excessive oil burning at start up was due to valve seal wear not oil sludge. I have changed my oil religiously and the service tech stated that this was apparent but…. they won\’t cover oil seal failure. The engine\’s inspection consisted of removing the valve cover and making an observation. No oil sludge present. ($1000+ estimate)The exact same inspection was done on a friend

Engine stopped without warning of any kind while driving 35 mph in regular conditions. Car had given no indication of any need for service of any kind. Coasted to stop;thick black smoke coming from under hood; within a minute, flames could be seen coming from engine compartment. Car totaled. Car regularly maintained – tune-up, check up 97,000 mi., oil change at 98,000 mi. Know of other Camry’s that have had suspicious engine fires.

Engine sludge resulting in valve job and later total engine overhaul to replace stuck piston rings

Engine siezed

Engine seized up, had to rebuild engine. Problems with the oil.

engine oil sludge problem

Engine oil sludge build-up, dealer says engine needs replaced. Engine has not failed to date.

Engine light came on and engine shut down. Took car to dealership more than once and complain about oil slush and engine rapidly burning oil, causing a cloud of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. Toyota blame us, said not taking care of the car. Return to dealership several months later, unable to drive our car and presented to them an agreement to repair or replace engine that I took from the website clarkhoward.com. Toyota then took the car and repair the engine. Now again the engine light is again on and is now 5/2003. I believe they should give us a new engine, so I will take the car again to Toyota for engine problems.

engine has failed with multiple oil problems. Heater not working possibly due to oil mixture.In process of having new engine installed.

Engine blew up due to oil sludge.

Engine blew for no reason. dealership refused to cover the expense. Was a total loss for me.

At 42,000 mi (3 months after warranty expired), began blowing huge cloud of blue exhaust smoke upon start up. Took car to dealer expecting problem to be "sludge". Dealer said valve guide seals are bad.

A reliable reputable independent dealership stated I have oil sludge.Engine: Oil jelling/sludging not lubricating valve oil seals. Engine smokes very bad while starting. Suspension: Struts or strut bushings failed. creates suspension noises Toyota dealership states my oil consumption and excessive oil burning at start up was due to valve seal wear not oil sludge. I have changed my oil and have all reciepts including a witnees my boyfriend that changes the oil lately religiously and the service tech stated that this was apparent but…. they won’t cover oil seal failure. The engine’s inspection consisted of removing the valve cover and making an observation. No oil sludge present. ($1000+ estimate) Toyota refused to fix oil sluge and used another reason ” I only had 60,000″ miles on the car or a little more” in 2004My car still smokes at start up like a chimney you cant see out the garage door.My stero has bosse speakers and must have a short because it has a cutting out noise while playing radio.

A bolt that holds the rod to the cylinder broke, causing the rod to break loose and move around inside the engine.

1) Engine is smoking from exhaust pipe. Engine has been extremely well maintained. Oil changes every 3000mi. New filters every two years (roughly 8,000 to 9,000 miles, manual says 30,000)2) bearing above shock tower has made noise sice 50900 miles. Toyota dealer said nothing wrong. Now we’re finding complaints on the web about broken bearings that hold the top of the strut. This is clearly a design problem.We brought a complaint about the suspension in 1997 through the better business beureau, Toyota promised to fix, but after many, many follow up letters never fulfilled the promise. Now that we found the engine smoking after only 35000miles, we found a neighbor that had an engine replaced due to the “engine sludge” design defect. Toyota should cover all costs an guarantee the major components to over 100,000 miles, or have a class action suit.

Strut mounts failed on front struts. Front end has been rattle sound. If you search internet for problem you will see many hits on problem.Toyota has a service bulletin out on them that the originals were defective. This should be considered a safety issue since this can affect steering/stability.Repair center who changed mounts said they were broken.I am going to contact toyota to see if they will reimbursement for the costs of the mounts, not labor.

The sensor for the air bag module blew the fuse for the engine control module and caused the entire electrical system to fail. as a result the vehicle could not be started. *nlm

Air bag computer sensor bad and shuts down car while engine on in park. car did not restart. sensor blew entire fuse box for operation of vehicle. *jb

Engine died, diagnosed that a power short on air bag assembly failed. yh

Summary vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the states of alaska, colorado, idaho, illinois, iowa, kansas, maine, michigan,minnesota, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new york, north dakota, south dakota, vermont, wisconsin, and wyoming. a condition can occur where accumulated moisture can temporarily freeze in the brake vacuum hose if the vehicle is used in extremely cold climates for an extended period of time. safety risk this can result in the elimination of vacuum assist to the brakes that can increase stopping distances and could lead to a vehicle crash. yes, the vehicle is driven in ca, but this issue prevents traveling to cold states in the winter until it is fixed. manufacturer recall number v03 nhtsa recall number 97v156 recall status: recall incomplete

Steering wheel and handle bar are loose. the electrical system including the ignition are not working properly. the service brakes and the hydraulic parts seems to wobble while driving . the exterior lighting headlights are so dimmed it is hard to see while driving at night. the vehicle is parked in front of my house.

Bought the car used and the car ran well but now the transmission went out. it would slip from time to time but now is out completely. which seems to be very mysterious. i was searcjing to see how commo. the problem is or has been. i thought there might. have been recalls on the transmission but didn't see any...

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing the same symptoms as listed in nhtsa campaign number: 97v156000 (service brakes, hydraulic). the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was a brake vacuum hose leak and traction failure. the track off warning indicator was reset and the master cylinder was replaced. the manufacturer was notified, but was not able to assist. the dealer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 147,000.

I was not notified of a recall for a condition that allows the key to be removed with the transmission still in drive. i have experienced several events when i turned off the vehicle, removed the key and it started to roll away due to the transmission being in drive.

Engine is beginning to use engine oil between changes.

Tl* the contact owned a 1997 toyota camry. the contact stated the vehicle was involved in a rear end driver side collision. the contact lost control of the vehicle and was also involved in both a side impact and front end collision. the air bags did not deploy. the vehicle was towed to a salvage yard where it was deemed destroyed. a police report was filed (accident number 2822). there was one injury that required medical attention. the contact suffered from a broken jaw and nerve damage that required approximately 23 surgeries. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Takata recall 1997 camry had a malfunction in the air bag system while vehicle was parked and off, passenger side air bag inflated and ejected occupant out of vehicle. are 1997 toyota air bags going to be recalled?

Key will not turn to start car. steering wheel lock goes in and out. eventually (5-20 minutes) do something that works (don't know what) and car will start. when it happened once, i figured it was an anomaly. but it has not happened five times and i am now in constant worry about it happening again. updated 9/21/15 *ln ...updated 10/01/15*bf the consumer stated using a different ignition key seemed to have alleviated the problem. updated 10/13/15*jb

Accelerator pedal sometimes sticks at a stop when pushed to start moving forward. i have noticed this for the past few years. *tr

Both left rear and right rear seat belts no longer retract, making for an extremely loose and dangerous situation. *tr

1997 toyota camry traveling at or about 30 mph struck a standing/stopped vehicle from the rear. standing vehicle struck rear end of car in front. 1997 toyota driver sustained multiple, bodily injuries. facial injuries include lip/mouth contusion, eye socket bruises from striking steering wheel. steering wheel air bag did not open. other bodily injuries includes large interior right knee hematoma, broken left foot requiring immediate installation of metal plate & screws & multiple bruises to both legs. driver is ww2 vet & is scheduled for 3 weeks rehab in care facility. car is currently a local salvage yard awaiting disposition within 2 days. police report 902361501 on file at avon indiana police department & indicates driver air bag did not open.

The brake pedal began needing to be pushed nearly or all the way to the floor. this continued until the brake line was fixed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. the contact stated that the brake pedal traveled to the floorboard when it was depressed. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 167,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. the contact stated that the driver and passenger side sun visors were fractured. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

On saturday 8/23/14 i was drove on sw walker in beaverton, oregon with the speed is 45rpm. then i was smell the gas in my car. the smell of gas make me headache very bad. i drove home and checked underneath front of the car and see the leak look like oil leak on the ground but this is not the oil leak. it is the fuel leak. i opened the hook to checked for the leak to find where the leak come from? i found the leaked came from the fuel line from the fuel injection connected to fuel filter. the pipe was cracked and lead. monday i drove 97 toyota camry to auto repair shop for repair the fuel line leak. the auto repair shop charged me $351.12 for replaced the fuel line to stop the leak. *tr

My car made a wining noise and then a loud pop. i managed to get it off rt 40 and into a parking lot. the brakes went out and there was severe smoke. i did roll down my window half way and then shut car off tried the unlock button and it did not work. i then crawled out the window and ran the car ignited and continuously burned up?

Tl* the contact owned a 1997 toyota camry. while driving 45 mph, the contact's vehicle was struck on the front driver side by another vehicle. the front driver side tire deflated and the air bags failed to deploy. a police report was filed. there were no injuries. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 255,000.

This is the second time in 2 years that the ignition cylinder assembly needs replaced, leaving me stranded once again. managed to get a friend to get a replacement part for me but now i cannot get it installed. the key has to be in the acc position for it to go in but the tab that it slides into doesn't line up. i have been a faithful toyota customer for 3 decades but this is beyond frustrating! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. the contact stated that the power steering and the brakes suddenly malfunctioned causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a ditch. there were no injuries. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. the contact stated that while at an independent mechanic for routine maintenance, she was advised that the front passenger side struts were leaking oil. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 47,000. updated 12/30/13*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving 10 mph, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. the contact then shifted into park and applied the parking brake to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact did not call the manufacturer to report the failure. the failure mileage was 260,000.

1997 toyota camry. consumer writes in regards to vehicle sudden acceleration. *smd the consumer stated he was at a gas station, and almost parked, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated, and was unstoppable. consequently, he crashed into a fence. the consumer and his passenger were injured.

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. the contact stated that the latches for all of the seat belts were defective and would not hold the seat belt. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer. the dealer stated that each latch needed to be replaced. the contact replaced four of the five latches in the vehicle. the failure mileage was 60,000.

My rear suspension cross member is rusted and broke into two pieces on the drivers side close to the mounting bolts. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph the driver started to hear a loud noise. a few miles later the driver saw orange flames coming from the hood. the driver threw dirt onto the engine to put the fire out. the vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileage was approximately 90,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. the contact stated that the hood detached and flew off the vehicle while driving 45 mph. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the contact stated that the failure was caused by the hinges failing. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 150,000. the vin was not available.

Please see the information below, and let me know if you can help me pursue this matter. at the very least, i would like to file a complaint against toyota and lucas oil. > attorney comment: the website for lucas oil regarding its stop leak product says that it repairs worn seals without risk of damage. > >attorney comment: this situation presents an unusual issue ie the liability of the oil leak product for not warning against use of the product in a car prone to sludging. > > i added 1 quart of lucas engine oil stop leak (purchased at pep boys) to the engine oil of my 1997 v-6 toyota camry, which caused a rod to be thrown, killing the engine. (prior to this, the engine was running fine, but i did have a slight engine oil leak problem.) the estimate to replace the engine is $3,171.91. i am the original owner of the vehicle, which has 177,559 miles on it. upon searching the internet, i discovered that my car engine is prone to sludge and sludge damage due to design error. had i been aware of this, i never would have added this product. as it is, neither toyota nor lucas oil posted any warnings about using this product in my car engine. as such, i contacted both toyota and lucas oil for some relief - both companies denied my request.

Backing down access road to parking lot, boat ramp and recreation area. had foot on the brake when sudden acceleration endangered car and driver. directed car into the side of a parked truck to avoid crashing into area where people were working, and also to avoid going into river which was very close by. back end of car struck side of truck then car bounced off careened toward river with accelerator still jammed. pressed foot down hard on brake and pulled up e brake until car finally stalled. *tr

Connecting rod failure. while i was checking my battery, the engine exploded, blowing a 4" hole on the engine body and spreading pieces of the connecting rod around the yard. no prior signs had indicated anything was wrong with the engine. engine was running fine up to the last second before the explosion. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. the contact stated the front driver side seat would not longer move back or forward in the seat track. the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where the contact was advised to replace the seat track. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 57,000 and the current mileage was 64,000.

With my right foot on the brake pedal, prepared to come to a complete stop when parking in the carport stall there was instead a sudden acceleration and the car "jumped" over the concrete curb on the floor and broke through the carport wall. another problem occurred some years earlier when the gas pedal got stuck while driving on the freeway. frightening as it was i managed to reach down and manually release the pedal.

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. the contact stated while pulling out of a parking spot, the vehicle suddenly accelerated in reverse crashing into the vehicle behind it. no one was injured crash. the manufacturer had not been notified. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry with goodyear kelly navigator gold tires. the tire size was p195/70/r14 and the dot number was m7rw17kr2407. while driving at any speed, the contact stated that the front driver side of the vehicle vibrates, causing the steering wheel to shake excessively. when the driver side window was open, the contact heard a squishing noise and noticed that the belt separated within the tire. the dealer and manufacturer were notified and offered to prorate the price towards the purchase of new tires. the tires were replaced. the current mileage was approximately 20,000. the failure mileage was approximately 15,000. the vin was unavailable.

I had not used my vehicle for a few days and while pulling out of the parking lot early in the morning, i noticed that the steering wheel was stiff and was not spinning back into its original position after making a turn. the stiffness was less pronounced after driving the vehicle for a bit. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. while driving approximately 55 mph, the contact stated that when he depressed the brake pedal to slow down, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, spun around twice and crashed into a guard rail. the contact suffered neck injuries and a police report was available. the vehicle was destroyed. the contact had not called the manufacturer when the complaint was filed. the failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. the contact stated the driver side front seat involuntarily slides back with minimal pressure applied to the seat. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the failure could not be repaired because the dealer was not familiar with the type of failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 100,000.

On march 13, 2007 at approximately 9:30 p.m. as i was exiting a parking lot and turned left on page street in stoughton, mass. my 1997 toyota camry started to accelerate. there was a car with two occupants stopped at a red light approximately 1/5 of a mile in front of me. as i accelerated faster and faster with my 9 year old granddaughter in the back seat i tried to stop. the car started to shake violently and my granddaughter started to scream "grams, whats wrong what's wrong" i knew i didn't want to hit the car in front of me as they had no idea i was speeding towards them, and i knew i would seriously hurt or kill them if i hit them at my accelerated speed , so as i approched the intersection i veered to the left as it was an industrial park and most of the buildings were closed., but, i didn't make the complete turn and hit the guard rail and smashed thru it and my car got caught on top of an fire hydrant and stopped.i remember hitting and then every thing went quiet my granddaughter was screaming and i asked her if she was alright. she was coherant and the two people that were in the car at the light knocked on my window and called the police. i was removed from my camry by the fire department and transported to the hospital where i stayed for two days, my granddaughter was also taken to the hospital but released. no one believed me that i did not accelerate the car myself. the insurance investigator stated the gas pedal was not stuck and that was the only thing they looked for in the car, i was out of work for three months. i almost lost my home.. all of my insurance forms state the acceleration i experienced including the police report my car was deemed totaled. . when i went back to the scene of the accident i realized how lucky we were that my car was caught underneath by the hydrant as it was headed into a very deep drop off and surely would have flipped over and dropped approximately 15 feet .now with the recall i am vindicated but very angry!!

While driving at approx. 70 mph. on cruise control. cancel cruise control was pushed. however, the accelerator stuck. causing the a head-on collision. the driver of the other car was killed on impact. *tr updated 9/29/11*cw

The ignition problem was main reason the transmission lock up. and it have cooling problems. *tr

The ignition problem was main reason the transmission lock up. and it have cooling problems. *tr

While sitting in the passenger seat of a moving 1996 or 1997 toyota camry the driver turned to me and asked how i liked his mom's new car. i said i liked it. at that moment the vehicle began accelerating eastward on rt. 105 in hope, maine. thinking my friend (the operator of the vehicle) was in control i failed to pull the e-brake situated to my left. the driver then looked at me in fear as the car continued accelerating. driver then jammed on the brakes, the vehicle swerved to the right and exited the paved road traveling extremely fast (about 150 mph's). immediately before slamming head-on into the trees lining me rt. 105 the vehicle launched into the air flipping end over end 2 full rotations before halting on it's base . driver's mom's 1996, or 1997 toyota camry was completely totaled during this accident. police and rescue eventually arrived and removed us from the vehicle after a passerby phoned for help. *tr

I was driving on an off ramp of interstate i 94 and completely lost control of the car spun to the left hit the barrier continued spinning and hit the barrier on the right. the car was totaled. the weather was overcast. there had been rain. the road was not slick. *tr

I own a 1997 camry xle. in the past year it has developed a "sticky" accelerator which causes the car to lunch from a standing still takeoff. this now typically occurs several times in an average errand related trip. it feels very mechanical as opposed to electronic. the accelerator is not slow to return and the floor mats are definitely not involved. i have sought no diagnosis or repair to date. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. whenever the contact would drive the vehicle at 45mph he noticed that the vehicle would continue drive and maintain its speed even after the contact would release his foot from the accelerator pedal. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be serviced. the contact has noticed the failure since the day he purchased the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 32,000.

Engine froze while on nj turnpike. oil coagulated into gook/mudr

I was driving my 97 camry i went to make a turn and the entire steer wheel spinned around like a spinning top. i had no control the car ran up on the curve. i called the dealership and was told that my vehicle did qualify under this recall but records indicate that they had tighten the steering wheel. i explain that i have no records of any repairs to the vehicle for recall. i then called the corp office for toyota and was told that my vehicle did vehicle was not part of the recall and they have no info on the dealership making any repairs for this recall. i explained that i was told by the dealership that my vehicle was under the recall and that i was trying to see why they would have differing information. i could have been in a very bad accident toyota clearly has a recall my vehicle fits the criteria it a 1997 and i don't understand why the would not take care of this issue. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. while driving 40 mph the contact tried to slow the vehicle down by applying the brakes. the vehicle would not slow down, which caused a crash into another vehicle. the vehicle was totaled and the contact was injured by the air bag. the contact feels the accelerator pedal was sticking and that cause the crash. the contact did not called the manufacturer regarding this issue. the failure mileage was 93,000. the vin 3 was unavailable.

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry which was purchased in september 1997. while driving at speeds of less than 30 mph in wet and icy conditions, the steering wheel completely came off of the steering column into her hands. the vehicle swerved all over the road and barely missed crashing into a residence. the contact had no control over the vehicle and proceeded to crash into a snow bank. she was able to travel home safely without incident and replaced the steering wheel loosely back onto the column. the dealer was contacted and stated that nhtsa campaign id number 99v307000, steering wheel and handle bar recall was performed on the vehicle and they would not have any further liability for the failure. she had no knowledge of the prior recall repairs performed on the vehicle. she then contacted the manufacturer which stated that they had no records of the repair; however, her vin was not included in the recall campaign. the vehicle was repaired by the dealer at the owner's expense by tightening the steering wheel bolts. the failure and current mileages were 150,000. the vin was not available.

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. while driving approximately 30 mph on normal road conditions pressure was applied to the accelerator pedal and the pedal began to stick. the driver exerted an aggressive force before the accelerator pedal was released. the vehicle was able to resume normal operation. the failure occurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 110,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. on three separate occasions the accelerator pedal became stuck; subsequently causing unintended acceleration. the first time the vehicle was damaged while reversing out of the drive-way. on the third incident she swiped a fence. the vehicle received $1,600.00 worth of damages. the dealer was notified, and she was advised that they were not aware of the failure. the current mileage was approximately 55,125. the failure mileage was approximately 10,000. updated 03/01/10 *bf the consumer was informed her vehicle was not included in the recall. updated 07/09/10.*jb

Was parking the car, when it surged with unexpected burst of acceleration. foot was on brake, not accelerator. *tr

On sept. 15, 2009 i was hit from behind by a large truck while sitting at a stop light. the back of the seat fell down and i was thrown backwards to the back seat about 3 or 4 inches . the back of the seat laid flat down in the back seat. *tr

My 1997 toyota camry ce has had, since it's very first year, an occasional but persistent and recurring issue where the driver's seat will spontaneously shift and relatch while i am driving. this occurs even if the seat has not recently been repositioned manually. it feels as if it is relatching on one side. the result is a sudden repositioning of the driver's seat of up to a few inches, and runs the potential hazard of loss-of-control if it were to occur at an inopportune time. no post-market modifications to my driver's seat have been made and this is all in reference to original manufacturers equipment. this vehicle was manufactured in november 1996 (1997 model year). i am the original owner, although it has been retitled. i absolutely love my toyota, but wanted to ensure that this information was available for safety review. i was not previously aware of this site, and thus the delayed report. *tr

Hi , i have a 1997 camry that's got roughly 150,000 miles on it.. recently my engine blew up/froze ...and is a total loss-with little to no warning. i have been taking my car to jiffy lube for 3-4 years faithfully every 3,000.00 miles. actually paying them for their "special" high-mileage oil every time. in late october i took my camry to a independent dealer that did a $ 800.00 tune-up , replaced my pcv valve, and did a oil change.-i also paid this dealer to do a special "comprehensive-diagnostic" test to find any thing else they could find wrong with my car-supposedly a stem to stern inspection of my car. 3,000 miles later, jan 6th 2009, i got my regular scheduled jiffy lube oil change and actually asked them to check for any oil leaks..as i was adding 1-2 extra quarts between oil changes. they told me "no leaks".. and sent me on my way. 250 miles and 21 days later my car died on jan 27th, .stranding me in the middle of the road with no warning. jiffy lube sent out "investigators"- ...who looked at my engine, and said "sludge build-up" was so massive that the pressure blew out the pcv valve, causing a sudden massive loss of oil..and they were not responsible..as they said it was a maintenance issue. i changed my oil religiously every 3,000 miles with "jiffy lube's oil" no less...and just had a stem to stern tune-up and a new pcv valve put in.. help!!!!...i can't figure out who's responsible...toyota defect? tune-up shop or bad jiffy lube oil? please help if you can. *tr

Connecting rod went through the engine block. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. while attempting to make a right turn at 25 mph, the steering wheel suddenly locked in place. the contact crashed into a tree, but was unharmed. the vehicle was destroyed. the contact did not notice any differences prior to the failure. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current and failure mileages were 110,000.

On 3/21/07, i purchased 4 new tires from merchants tire in williamsburg va which included new valve stems. immediately after i drove away from the service facility, my rf tire was flat. after further examination by the service writer at merchants, it was determined that a leak had developed from a cut at the bottom of the valve stem. it was the service writers theory that the valve stem was not replaced during the tire service. the valve stem was replaced and no problems occurred until the following year. on 3/11/08, i complained to the same facility about another problem with a cut valve stem but no leakage occurred. prompt replacement was effected on request and as of this date, i have not noticed any further problems. *tr

I was driving straight on route 93 south in massachusetts behind a sedan. there driving conditions were not good; it was raining heavily. there was a truck in front of the sedan and it had just passed its exit. the truck then went in reverse to go back to the exit. the sedan was unable to stop in time and rear ended the truck. by the time i had realized what was happening it was impossible for me to stop. i slid on the wet road straight into the back of the sedan. i would assume that because i crashed into a car going over 40 mph, straight on, that my airbags would deploy but they did not. since my airbags did not deploy, my neck was thrown forward and although it did not break it has caused severe discomfort. everyone who saw my car after the incident were amazed that the airbags did not deploy. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. while driving 32 mph, the steering wheel locked, the brakes failed, and all the instrument panel lights illuminated. there was no warning prior to the failures. the vehicle lost complete power. the contact turned off the engine for approximately 30 seconds and the vehicle was able to be restarted. the failure has occurred three times. the powertrain was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 74,000.

Failed to stop on highway at 65 mph. the road was icy but the vehicle's abs was not working and the vehicle did not decelerate at all. i steering the vehicle to the ditch. i was lucky of not hitting other vehicles and i was safe. there is a problem with toyota camry's braking, it did not feel right! *tr

Reference: nhtsa campaign id # 06t016000. cooper tire recall# 147 a starfire fliteline iv tire can apart on my car during normal driving conditions. the tread separated from the tire. i took tire and car to a cooper tire store (corner tire store panama city, florida) and they said it was not covered by the recall (cooper recall# 147). i feel that the scope of the recall needs to be expanded to include other starfire fliteline iv tires. this tire is potentially dangerous, if it had come apart at high speed, no one would know about this dangerous tire. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. the contact stated that the engine light has been illuminating intermittently since august of 2002. the vehicle was taken to the dealer three different times for this failure. on the most recent occurrence, the contact was informed that it would cost $5,000 to replace the engine. the engine light currently remains illuminated, however, the vehicle is still being driven. speed was not a factor because the light illuminates as soon as the vehicle is started. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 68,000 and failure mileage was 39,000. the front brakes were cracked and the rotors needed to be machined. the taillight bulb was replaced, the head gasket was leaking. the timing belt was replaced. updated 10/10/07. *jb

The rear seat belts do not roll back after pulled out. now they are staying on the seats. driver's seat belt retracts slow. *jb

Without any lights or indication of a problem, while my husband was driving on the freeway in california, smoke began billowing out from under the hood. within seconds, flames were seen, by the time he reached the side of the road, the engine was fully engulfed in fire. by the time he got out of the car, minutes, the dash was engulfed. it took 15 minutes for the fire department to put it out. this vehicle has had regular services per manufacturers requirements, plus a safety and engine examination approximately 30 days ago. no evidence of a problem of any kind was found at that time. *jb

While driving on i-95 approaching baltimore, md i began to feel a shaking in the steering wheel in the 1997 toyota camry, and then all of a sudden a loud knocking like something was wrong with the driver's side front tire. i thought i had a blowout. i steered the car to the nearest location on the side of the interstate and found that the tread separated from the continental - sportive metric 195/ tubules radial tire. this tire completely ripped off and bent the exterior car panel right in front of the bidder and to the left and below the hood which covers the wheel well and ripped up my wiring harness. a courtesy vehicle stopped to assist me and called it in to aaa who sent tow truck to bring me to a auto repair shop. i still have not the damage repaired. however, the repair man was able to reconnect the wires that powered the electronic fuel pump, power steering, lights, etc and replaced the fuses that blew. however the car will need some body/electrical work to repair the damage caused by the tire. i kept the tire and the pieces in the trunk.*ak

Seat belt retractor failure. seat belt was extended to use, but once extended and secured will not retract to proper tension. has now happened a third time to separate belts. twice on driver's side, once on passenger's side in the front.*ak

Driving down beltway heard a pop and the car started on fire. 911 was called fire dept got there but was not able to save car. driver got out safely. *tr

The driver side door will be unlocked itself when there is a small exptern force act to door from inside the car. in addition, the dash board also indicate the door is unlock and the dome light is onl. further more, it happends sometimes when i was driving on the freeway whcih is not complanate.

Tl* - the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. the vehicle had a fuel leak. the contact took the vehicle to a mechanic ,where he determined that the 90 degree fuel line cracked, which caused the fuel to leak over the outside of the tank. the contact had the fuel line replaced, but the manufacturer felt that this was not a safety problem and charged the contact for the repairs. *ak the fule pump was replaced. updated 01/25/07. *jb

1997 toyota camry caught on fire while driving on i-87. fire began somewhere under the front hood of the vehicle. brakes failed while moving to highway shoulder. passengers were immediately evacuated and the fire department was called to put out the fire. the car was completely destroyed by the fire. *jb

While driving home, heard clanging noise and car lost power - car would not start. had car towed to toyota dealer. upon examination the following was found: "#3 piston rod broken coming through block" - there was a hole in the block. the dealer replaced short block, oil pump, balanced shaft & replaced necessary fluids. toyota replaced the engine, however, i incurred $1,560 in labor. *jb

There is a significant amount of "play" and "body roll" with respect to the steering components/steering wheel of the vehicle. this has existed from date of purchase. additionally, the braking system is not as responsive as that which i have experienced in all other vehicles. the depth which the brake pedal must be depressed is much deeper and requires a greater amount of pressure, than that of any other vehicle i have driven. finally, the headlights provide poor visibility both in the amount of light emitted and in their low mounting or angle which they sit at. thank you for your time and efforts on my behalf. best regards. *jb

Car : 97 toyota camry le 4 cylinder three major problems 1) blue smoke at cold-starting (mileage: 87 miles -aug. 2001) engine gave off blue smoke from the exhaust when cold-starting in the morning. after replacing valve stem seals (paid around $1000 to a toyota dealer for the repair), the problem was solved. 2) power steering rack & pinion leaking (mileage: 87kmiles -aug. 2001) power steering rack & pinion leaked and a mechanic replaced it with a new one. 3) egr vsv failure (mileage: 100 kmiles -oct. 2004) check engine light came on. obd ii scanner says "insufficient egr flow." a mechanic replaced egr vsv and the problem was solved. 4) front strut mounts failure ((mileage: 87 kmiles -aug. 2001) both front strut mounts made noise. after a toyota dealer replaced it, the problem was solved. *jb

Dt: while driving the vehicle threw a rod through the engine and destroyed it. this occurred on august 31, 2005. the consumer had the vehicle towed to a mechanic, who told him that it was the piston rod that came loose. no one was injured. they were not having the vehicle repaired. when the consumer contacted the manufacturer, they told him that they would not cover the damage. *ak 11/02/05. *jb

I own a 1997 toyota camry with 194,000 miles. last week it caught on fire. i pulled into the office parking lot and turned off the ignition and removed the key. the starter continued to try to start the car. i tried to stall it out by letting out the clutch, but it just continued to try to start. i then put the key back in turned on the ignition and put it in neutral. i then ran into the office to get a tool to disconnect the battery. when the battery was disconnected the starter quit, but by then the solenoid was so overheated it started to smoke and burn. luckily we had a fire extinguisher on hand. the dealer has only said that they need to replace the starter. i thought vehicles had a fail safe measure that would terminate the power supply to the starter once the ignition was turned off and the key removed. *nm

My chek enigne light came on when i was headed out for a 250 mile trip. i took it to the dealer and got theis list of problems. timing belt replacment,water pump, reseal oil pan, replace engine pipe, transmission gasket and filter replacement oxygen sensor, a/f sensor, efi service, cam seal, crank seal, oil pump seal . blue smoke coming from exhaust. i went on line and realized that i had oil sludge. called toyaota, they told me to get it evaluated for oil sludge

In july, 2003 (please refer to odi id number: 10030262) our 1997 toyota camry ce (manual transmission) began leaking large amounts of gasoline. it was determined internal pressure had caused the tank to bulge out and rip at the seams. after two soldering attempts were made to patch the tank, the entire tank was replaced with a new one. a pressure test was conducted but no problems were found. in february 2005 the gas tank started leaking again. the same bulge from inside out was found as had previously been seen with the old and since replaced tank. the tank was removed & sent out for welding, returned and tests were conducted on the charcoal filter & vacuum switch. both tested fine. the vacuum switch was replaced as the cost of replacing the charcoal filter was too expensive and since it didn't show failure, it didn't appear to be necessary. the mechanic suggested periodic tests in case the problem was intermittent. also, the heat distributor (i believe that's the name for the metal between the exhaust pipe & the gas tank to keep the tank from overheating & exploding) was found to have been "wrinkled" but from the pressure of the in-out expansion of the tank, not from an out-in push that would have been caused from driving over something. *ak less than two weeks later, the gas leak returned. toyota was contacted and we were referred to the local dealership customer service manager. the csm coordinated with the service department to have the car put up on the rack and looked at. three individuals, including the csm declared it was an "external leak from the patch" and felt it was nothing they were willing to investigate further. they did suggest replacing the tank and doing further investigations to attempt to duplicate the process, however, the expenses are so extraordinary, we have opted to replace the tank with a used one and look at other replacement vehicle options, possibly selling parts or towing to a junk yard.

The consumer learned of a steering recall on nhtsa's website but never received any notification from the manufacturer. *nm recall campaign : 99v307000 dealing with the steering wheel set nut. *tc *jb

Vehicle experienced oil leakages coming from underneath the vehicle. dealer was not notified, and the cause of the problem has not been determined.*ak

Owner was driving on the freeway at approximately 60 mph and while trying to avoid hitting a vehicle, owner rear ended another vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. provide further details.

There is a serious problem with the brakes on the 1997 toyota camry. the brakes on the vehicle does not last for more than three months, and less. *ak

My 2002 toyota camry when the steering is turned sharply there is a popping noise every time.this manufactured product has a problem. the cruise control sticks at current speed.one of the bose speakers that has a lifetime warranty that was installed by the manufacturer is busted.*ak

My 2002 toyota camry when the steering is turned sharply there is a popping noise every time.this manufactured product has a problem.*ak

The front seats in my 1997 toyota camry le collapse, on takeoffs or leaning back on them with not much pressure or fall backwards without notice.

The vehicle mad a loud explosive noise while on the expressway followed by a bang. the rod had broken and caused a hole in the engine. incident date 01/28/2005. *sc

Uniroyal tires 19570r14 wear on belt and tread after having tires rotated and balanced on a regular basis and front end alignments and only driving on the of a disatance of 36,000 miles. *ak

While driving 35 mph a knocking noise came from the engine, then the engine light illuminated. the vehicle stalled, and a fire started under the hood. the vehicle was totaled, then towed. the dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

At 72,000 miles engine blew. perfectly maintained car with records to back it up. needed new engine. at 39,000 miles valve seals had to be replaced. at 67,700 miles valve seals had to be replaced again. i believe this engine was defective since the time it left the factory. no response from manufacturer.*ak

1997 toyota camry ls popping noise in steering. *nm

Within 1 month, both the drivers side and passenger side door handles broke.*ak

Drivers side seatbelt fails to retract as it should...i noticed that there were 8 other complaints on the database. i also have 2 friends that have also experienced the same failure with their camrys.*ak

The following is a complant that was sent to toyota motor co. it is not my wish to have to write under these circumstances. however i must, because of the things that have come to pass. my family has supported toyota, and ofcourse all own toyota due to the beautiful work and craftsmanship of toyota. however my toyota camry has made me to doubt the strong feeling i once had for my car. i turned my car over to toyota of louisville for service and the repair of oil sledging. i assume that the problem was fixed. however at the time i witnessed no symptoms. i simply did not want to wait until the problem occurred. so i had it serviced to avoid any problem. later after having my timing belt replaced i started to witness a sluggish acceleration, and worsening gas mileage, the problem worsened. eventually the check engine light flashed. and the oil light also. however it was right before the engine threw a rod on the interstate on the way home from college for thanksgiving break. i would like to have my car restored to the state it was in before the special servicing. i would like to continue to do business with your company; i plan on purchasing from toyota in the future. however this matter has placed me in salty waters, and as u can imagine that is not a very pleasant taste. i would like to hear something back from your office regarding this matter as soon as possible. thank you for your time. sincerely a faithful customer john r. cummings jr.*ak

Engine sludge and puff of black smoke when car is started. *ak

Front air bags did not deploy during head on collision. driver was injured. *nm

A onging problem relating to the crunching/chunking sounds coming from the suspension area(front). numerous complaints to the toyota officials has not even merited a minor concern. estimations to fix the strut assembly varies from $500-$700 dollars. seems like to me that with all these complaints about the same thing, with the same year and make vehicle, somebody would get the message that there might be a problem. if they cared.*ak

The consumer stated the right rear tire had a blowout/tread separation while driving 40-45 mph with only the driver in a toyota camry 1997 vehicle. (aftermarket equipment, installed at 68,000 miles, tire size 205/65r15 and the dot# is a3ur4422301) the tire manufacturer was contrated. the tire is available for analysis. *jb

My wife was driving our 1997 camry v6 with ameri general g4s tires whose size is 205/65 r15 and dot # is a3ur 442 2301 and all of a sudden on rte. 287 north near 14b exit for bridgewater mall , the right rear tire just blew off into pieces. the whole tread just came off the rear wheel after a loud noise and when she stopped she found tire completely dis-integrated. it is the first time ever in our life that this kind of thing has happened and i am lucky that my wife is alive and nothing happened. but she is completely under shock and afraid to drive now. after analyzing the wheel at sts tire center, they just wanted to give 25% on new same tire and not acknowledge any defect with tire. i was completely surprised but realized later that "how will they accept fault openly" however, when i called continental direct by phone, they asked me to handover the tire to them and i am afraid that they will definitely not reveal the real reason and just offer me probably free 1 tire replacement. since i am aware of several such incidents in the news, i thought of contacting your office for proper action. hope to hear from your office soon. i have also verbally complained over phone. awaiting bharat aidasani. *ak

Trunk hinges are cutting into the wire harnness for the tail lights and reverse lights. fuses for the reverse lights and speedometer have blowen out several times when car is put in reverse. dealer not notified. please contact me with any further infomation or advice on this problem.*ak

Valve oil seal failure due to oil sludging or jelling smokes while starting. *ak

At about 70k miles, my 1997 toyota camry starting exhibiting problems of huge amounts of smoke from tail pipe at cold startup. i understand that this is related to the engine sluge or gelling problem. i believe this problem is related to the tsb-628696 as noted in the nhtsa. however, toyota has declined to cover the repair, but is willing to cover only the parts, but the labor is being charged to me. they are not honoring the extended coverage that they have announced for this tsb tc02002 and nhtsa item number: 628696. this is totally ridiculous

While driving, the made a loud clanking noise which seemed to be coming from the front. when the consumer stopped and the applied the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated and jerked. the mechanic informed the consumer that the problem could not be duplicated. the driver informed the mechanic that this problem continued to happen over and over and the problem is still there and has not been resolved. please fill in additional information. *jb the consumers radio went out in the vehicle. the vehicle passenger seat belt sticks. vehicle trunk light does not work. the driver side adjustable handle does not work. the rubber on the motor mount does not last and breaks. the vehicle jerks repeatedly. *tc the consumer stated that she currently has a permanent back problem due to the adjustable handle not working. *sc

My automobile sustained a full frontal impact with another vehicle at 30 mph but the safety airbags did not activate or inflate. *ak

While driving at 60 mph consumer smelled gas in the vehicle. after parking the vehicle consumer was informed that the engine compartment was on fire. the fire totally destroyed the vehicle.*ak

Took 1997 camry to dealer september 2002 for slight hesitation problem and advised them that i noticed a small oil leak while parked at home. dealer advised it was engine sludge. car remained in dealer's possession for 1 1/2 months because of no response from service tech. they claimed that sludge problem was fixed, however. july 8, 2004 the car stopped. had it towed to dealer and was advised that the engine died from sludging...again. dealer say they will not fix it and that i must purchase another engine for $5200.00 (used 2000 toyota engine). i advised them of the letter found on the i-net from toyoto re. "coverage for oil gelling related engine damage for 8 years unlimited mileage from date of first sale" but service tech said "we fixed it once and we will not do it again". i am without transportation, and no satisfaction from toyota dealer. help!*ak

Trunk lid was cutting the wiring harness for the tail lights and the back up lights when opening and closing the trunk. dealer and the manufacturer were not notified at this time. *ak

My 1997 camry will not start back and hold an idle sometimes after it has been drove for a little while. it starts fine when it is cold and when it refuses to idle, if i wait until the fuel injectors fill, and turn on the a/c it will then start. i have taken it to the service department at a toyota dealership twice and they cannot give me any explaination, they told me it could be three different things and each part would cost at $100.00 or more plus labor they told me i'd have to just put on each part until iget it right, that's too much money to guess, so i continue to drive it and hope that it will start, this is very frustrating. i thought that toyota was supposed to be very good at service? what are they doing, hiring just anyone off the street to repair cars?*ak

5incidents: 1) mildew odor from aircondition (brought car to check--date not available). the aircondition was replaced with either new or used part. *ak 2) went to reno (snowing) and the aircondition (hot/cold) did not defrost properly on the windshield. all fogged with no visibility. i sticked my head to the side window and drive very slowly & on a slow lane behind a huge truck--it was very dangerous and scary!!!!! 3) periodically, the left signal light flash too fast but by hitting the front side of the car it's went back to normal. 6) wheel alignment--always have problem with that too (at the moment cannot recall details). 5) on 6/9/04, my husband went to get a smog check. the car has about 15,000 miles bu it didn't passed the emission control systems visual inspection/functional check results. "malfunction indicator light--fail. this vehicle failed the mil/check engine light due to obd communications failure."--no signal. the car is hardly used and parked in garage. what should we do and how can you help? thanks ;-)!!!

I have 1997 toyota camry with 39,000 miles and large amount of white exhaust comes out of tailpipe when car is first started in the morning or when engine is cold. *ak

While driving at 65 mph there was severe vibration in the front end also, had problem with the automatic transmission. *ak

Loud knocking heard from front right of vehicle. toyota service department determined cause to be a bad cv joint. additionally, during a routine engine oil change, i discovered an unusually large amount of beading sludge that had to be removed by hand to drail and fill the oil. i have read reports of the toyota engines producing sludge and i would like to know how i go about getting this fixed on their recall if one occurs.

While driving front end/steering wheel vibrated. dealership informed consumer that the problem pertained to engine sludge. *ak

While driving at 70 mph on the interstate consumer heard a loud booming noise. then, saw fire through the hood on the vehicle. there was some sort of explosion in the engine compartment which tore a hole straight through the oil pan. there were no fatalities. vehicle was totaled. *ak

I was involved in a 5 car pile up on interstate 94, hit vehicle in front of me going at 45-50 mph, and airbag did not deploy. according to toyota, this is acceptable due to the particular type of frontal accident i had. if hitting a car at 45-50 mph dead on is not a good enough reason for the airbag deploying then what is? due to the airbag not deploying, i suffered a severe brain contusion with bleeding in the brain and loss time off of work. earlier engine problem: oil sludge in engine, once repairs were done 6 months later engine mounts had to be replace front motor mount and dog bone, injectors and gaskets, why?, this was all replaced on the first engineering defect toyota created and why should i pay a portion of their oil sludge engineering defects.

A bolt that holds the rod to the cylinder broke, causing the rod to break loose and move around inside the engine.

My engine seized and needs complete replacement due to this oil sludge problem. as a result of the gelled oil, one of the pistons broke off creating a hole in the engine and the motor mount became displaced from the engine, causing the engine block to crack while i was driving the car. i bought the car used from greer toyota in millbrook, ny in august of 2001 and was told that one of their mechanics would complete a thorough inspection before the car was turned over to me. i have since had the oil changed every 3,000 miles by a trusted mechanic. during that time, i had to replace the oxygen sensor at my own cost, but did not have any other problems until this month. now in addition to the engine, it appears that my struts are failing as well. i am in the process of submitting a claim for the engine.

Toyota has completely denied my engine blew up due to engine sludge and in fact are holding my car hostage. they told me it was going to cost me 2200.00 for them to tear it down so toyota could determine that it was engine sludge, then they denied it was and said that my cam shaft broke. a cam shaft should not have broke in a 5 year old car, especialy one that had been maintained and i had the oil changed 1 week prior at toyota. i then got a call saying my car was ready and it was 7800.00, that they had replaced the cam shaft. i was furious and told them i never gave my authorization to replace a cam shaft for 7800.00. when i went to pick it up they wouldn't release it because they couldn't find the paperwork.. (suddenly) and i kept getting the run around.. now they say the cam shaft was never replaced.. ( i think they removed it).. needless to say my car has been parked at toyota since last november or when i filed this report. i am furious that they won't fix it.. and they refuse to give me the persons name at toyota corp. who turned down my request to have it fixed under the sludge problem..

Exhaust blowing blue smoke, sludge buildup on valve covers, now check engine light is on, car vibrates. in shop again

I received a letter last year from toyota explaining a gelling problem and to watch out for blue smoke coming from the tail pipe when starting the car. i went into sears for an oil change and they indicated that it looked like moisture was getting in the oil and it looked sludgy. i took the car to the toyota dealership for them to check out this gelling. the letter indicated that toyota would pay for the part/installation. i got the estimated back from toyota and they said i did not have any gelling or sludge in the oil/engine, but that i did have rotted valve stem seals and head gasket leaks, and oil pan leaks and thats why there was blue smoke. the car is barely 7 years old and i have changed the oil faithfully at 3000 miles. i did not have the problem fixed, because i wanted a second opinion from a mechanic that was referred to me that is trustworthy. i plan on taking the car in(an appt. was made for 2 days after i took it to the toyota dealership) and i have questions in hand about how this could have happened when i have not had 1 indication that the engine is going bad/valves are leaking(i.e. there have been no noises, leaking of antifreeze or other fluid when i park my car o/n or for a few hours).

When i took my camry in for a routine oil change, i was told that i needed to have my engine \\desludged.\\ i was told that this was highly recommended and would prevent more costly repairs in the future.

The piston snapped suddenly totally destroying the engine. this car was well maintained. the oil was changed every 3,000 - 5,000 by a reputable local independent service station. the dealer at first attempted to blame the owner, saying the oil was not changed by the dealer and the service station had probably used the wrong grade and used the wrong type of air filters. however, they later backed off this claim and said it now appears the oil pump failed. they called this an 'act of god'. they also said something about the oil filter possibly being clogged. they refused to consider sludge as a possible problem.

My toyota camry's engine failed as i was merging onto a very busy freeway with my baby in the backseat. i was stuck on the shoulder of the fast lane for 2 hours before the tow truck arrived; my fancy driving is the only reason an accident was avoided. i had just received the letter about the oil gel and was going to get my oil changed the next day because the engine failed on my mother's birthday. now both toyota and my local dealer are telling me that my engine does not have oil caked inside the head so it could not be oil gel that caused my engine to throw a rod at 80,000 miles. when asked what could have caused it to happen they have no answer except sometimes that happens to engines and they want me to pay them a significant sum of money to open up the engine to find out if oil gel is present. if it is not the cause as they keep saying it is not yet i feel sure it is; i will have to foot the bill for a new engine at the dealer. toyota also will not allow me to have the work done by an independent mechanic if i move the car and find oil gel is the cause. i have been without a car for over 3 months and have 2 small children and live in the country. is the only way to detect oil gel a sludge on the head? i am so frustrated.

1997 toyota camary heavy blue smoke on cold starts, originaly taken in for oil gel problem was told no gelling found but valve oil seal worn and need replace $1000.00. car has 85,000 miles and has been servied by toyota per thier service manual. have talked with numerious other toyota owners with same complaint. feel this is a problem with the valve seals being sub standard. please advise if other complaints have been posted. *ak

Engine seized. problems with oil.

Consumer complained about a steering problem. when it rained steering wheel locked in the middle of a turn. consumer took the vehicle to the dealer, who was unable to resolve the problem. *ak

While parked vehicle started smoking underneath the dashboard. no fire was reported.*ak

Rear seat belt would not retract after extending seat belt to lock in place. *ak

While driving consumer noticed black smoke coming from the engine. consumer pulled the vehicle over, opened the hood, and noticed that the engine was on fire. driver was able to put out the flames. *ak

Problems with fuel system on a toyota camry. *mr *sc *jb

Vehicle was making a loud ticking noise. took vehicle to the dealer, and dealer stated that the timing belt was loose and was rubbing against the timing belt cover. *ak

Crunching /rattle from front struts when traveling over bumps or dips in road. the struts were replaced and i was advised at time of the installation that the new struts would not resolve this issue. this was a design flaw and no resolution exits. *ak

The consumer can start the ignition when transmission is shifted in any position.*ak

1997 toyota camry le / many electrical problems related to various tail lights / turn signals / brake lights not working. now it seems the headlights are burning dimly. new bulbs make no difference. seems to be a design engineering issue overall with respect to electrical system on this year / model of car. *la

2 years ago i had the drivers side rear seat belt fail. the locking mechanism failed allowing the seat belt to come out and then would not retract. it had to be replaced. this past summer i had the passenger side rear seat belt develop the same problem (it also failed) and needed replacement. *ak

Front suspension rattles terribly. struts were replaced, did not solve problem. toyota is aware of a design flaw and refuses to fix the problem. nhtsa should force a recall. *la

I bought a 97 toyota certified used car with a 100,000 mile warranty on 10-17-01, with 36,847 existing miles. i took this car to my toyota dealer 02/07/03:92588 mls. for engine knock noise and smoking on cold starts,also to check transmission vibration/chatter. they replaced the trans, replaced leaking gaskets and replaced worn valve guide seals. at this same time they were asked to check for anything related to the letter toyota sent me in regard to possible engine damage from oil gelling or sludge... on 05/16/03 with 98910 miles i returned to the same dealer with engine still knocking on cold starts. they found the oil pump shaft binding , crankshaft, rod and main bearings damaged. when i was informed of their intent to replace these parts i questioned the possible repair of rings and other upper engine components, knowing that metal particles could possibly affect and damage these. they advised me that no such work was intended or needed. they did proceed with replacement of the oil pump, crankshaft, rod bearings and main bearings... on 11/03/03 with approximately 110,000 miles i took my car to a local repair facility to check out whirring type noise from engine and oil light flicker at idle with engine warmed. they found both problems related to camshaft and cam bearing wear... i first sought assistance from the original toyota repair dealer, they refused any help. i next was refused any help by toyota motor sales corp customer assistance dept in calf (ref # 200311140813). please help me if you can,i bought this car knowing it was supposed to be very reliable because of the approximately 35 miles each way getting to and from work. *la

While driving the driver attempted to turn on the air conditioner (a/c) when a solid liquid started spilling out of the vents. dealer stated that there was a defect in the a/c refrigerator.*ak

My engine valves need to be replaced, my oil and transmission is leaking, and i have blue exhaust coming from my tailpipe

Engine seizure due to oil sludge.

It is impossible to align vehicle's camber to specifications without replacing major suspension parts. *ak the manufacturer does not manufacture an adjustable driver's side suspension component to adjust camber. *ak the only way to align the car is either to buy costly new suspension parts from toyota or resort to an aftermarket cam bolt. *nlm

Copious amounts of gasoline leaking from the tank. mechanic determined leak is coming from a defective tank and the leak is coming from a gap in the seam. local automobile dealer states part is no longer under warranty (62k miles) and will not cover repair expenses. possible remedy may require replacement of entire tank but yet to be determined. soldering the tank at the gaps did not suffice and the problem is still recurring. *ak

Drivers seat belt lock is not working properly.manufacturer was not contacted. dealer was contacted, and has told the consumer that they will charge almost $600.00 to fix it because it was not under warranty.*ak

Vehicle was taken in for an oil change, upon driving white smoke began to come out of tail pipe, and oil light illuminated. *ak

1997 camry xle..oil gel problem. toyota blamed problem on us/lack of oil change receipts. in 1999. cert.used car. needed new engine after one year. problem undetected again. in feb 2002 car blew engine after being checked @toyota. got letter in july 2002 stating their was a gelling problem. i sent information they needed. never a response from toyota. i sent all info again certified mail. no response.*ak

When the brakes were applied, the seat belt locked up. *jb made attempt to contact consumer 10/16/07, no answer *lj return usps, made 2nd attempt 07/16/07 failed. *bf

During cold weather the piston that releases the gas hatch door froze to the housing. when the driver attempted to release the gas door from inside the vehicle, the piston broke in half. since the piston was frozen in place, the gas door would not open. owners manual did not reference how to defeat the mechanism and driver could not fill with gas. *nlm

I have a 1997 toyota camry with 85,000 miles on it, i have regular maintenance on it keep it in good shape, and the engine just cracked i had got a letter from toyota that talked about oil gelling but i didn't have the problem then. i took it to phillips toyota in leesburg fl and they could not tell me why my engine went. i know with regular maintenance my engine would last well over 120,000 miles. *jb

When the key was out of the ignition the vehicle tried to start up on its own and then it caught on fire. *nlm

Seat belts won't retract. have had front belts replaced on my 1997 toyota camry twice and problem comes back. belts will not retract and hang out door or on me after releasing. *nlm

The vehicle experienced extended stopping distance while braking. the brake pads were changed at 5000 miles yet the problem re-occurred at 37,000 miles. *nlm

Nar 03-27-2003 mr the consumer had only 49000 miles on the vehicle when the rotors had to be replaced. over $400.00 in repairs made. *cb

Strong odor in car. causes headaches. toyota has failed to fix problem after several attempts. *nlm

The lower control arms on both the right and left side of my vehicle had to be replaced because the rubber corroded. i was informed that this type of deterioration does not normally occur. *jb

Vehicle was in a head on collision but none of the air bags deployed upon impact.

The vehicle was involved in a frontal collision and none of the air bags deployed upon impact. ph *jb

The sensor for the air bag module blew the fuse for the engine control module and caused the entire electrical system to fail. as a result the vehicle could not be started. *nlm

The vehicle experienced a vibration at normal speed, the dealer stated the tires were the problem, which were then replaced and a alignment was performed, however the problem recurred. *jb

The vehicle experienced a vibration at normal speed, the dealer stated the tires were the problem, which were replaced and a alignment was performed, however the problem recurred.*jb

Front driver's side strut rattle present for two years. on 03/30/03 during a drive at 56 miles/hr speed, strut rattle on the driver's side grew worse suddenly and front end of the vehicle started shaking violently. the vehicle was immediately stopped on the shoulder of the road. on checking under the hood, the left strut center bolt came off completely and its threads were completely stripped. strut came off the mount sleeve. after a new strut is put on the vehicle, the damaged strut is checked and its top threads (where the center nut gets fastened) were partially stipped.

The front brake rotors were worn, which caused the vehicle to experience extended stopping distance.also check engine light has been on since 45,000 miles.*jb *ts

Poor design and build - 1997 toyota camry le (4 cylinder). i own a 1997 4-cylinder camry le. it is well maintained and has less than 80,000 miles. a few months ago, its starter went bad and was replaced. this morning, the dealer found that its engine valve seals worn out and must be replaced (over $1000 repair). i checked the internet car forums and found that this is a common problem with 1997 model year 4-cylinder toyota camry. i believe that it is a poor design and build problem. customers should not be paying a problem caused by the manufacturer's poor design and build. all 1997 4-cylinder camry should be recalled and repaired by toyota. *nlm

Multiple replacements of brakes.

Rear door does not open from the inside- sticky latch. (i do not have the child safety locks ). *nlm

The aluminum alloy wheels are defective. wheels are delaminating causing tires to wear excessively. ph

Defective engine in vehicle(1997 toyota camry le) leading to constant operative problems. the stated vehicle was requested for recall for engine malfunction last year and i had vehicle delivered back to bourne toyota of3069 washington rd augusta, ga 30907 (706-868-5454) for technical service under recall. one day after recall work was done stated vehicle had to be returned now im faced with an engine replacment due to engine sludge build up. an problem that has not only been problematic in the camry line but with the sienna, solara, avalon, & lexus models as well. however bourne toyota says that engine sludge build-up is my problem due to me not getting the oil changed enough. the oil was change on periodic intervals since recall work was done and this is just an attempt by bourne toyota to deny my claim and bill for repairs. it well documented how toyota owners are experiencing engine failure due to oil sluge build-up are being denied warranty claims, an act that i feel as an loyal customer is utterly irreponsible on the part of the toyota and there dealerships as well. im an school teacher on an limited income and i bought this car from bourne toyota in good faith and this whole situation has caused me financial burden in car rental bills so i can get to work. i ask for any assistance or direction in investigating this matter fully.

In 2001, when opening driver's door from outside with the door unlocked the flat part of the handle that is flush with the outer body of the door broke off from the remainder of the handle fixed into the door leaving a sharp piece of plastic on either side of the handle area that must be pried up to open the door. in the same week, the rear driver's side door did the same thing. i was told by the dealer/service department that "these plastics just don't hold up well in this sun." i was also told it would cost $150 to repair them [as of january 2003 it would now cost $200 to repair them] and that since the car was in its fourth year, the warranty was no longer in effect. i and my wife have both been cut several times trying to get into the vehicle. toyota's response is still "the warranty was only for 36 months."

While accelerating there was a loud bang and smoke came from the engine compartment. upon inspection the driver noticed there was a hole in the engine. the dealer indicated that the engine blew due to lack of oil. *ph *nlm

Air bag computer sensor bad and shuts down car while engine on in park. car did not restart. sensor blew entire fuse box for operation of vehicle. *jb

Nar 1/15/2003. 40% of the vehicles paint was peeling off of the hood, roof and trunk. *jb

The dealership south bay toyota; gardena ca; 310-323-7800 is refusing to honor the recall for the steering wheel 99 v 307 000. the vehicle had an accident because of the defect stated in the recall and is presently at the dealership. ts

The vehicles' front brake rotor continuously whop, and when brakes are applied the front end of the vehicle vibrates. the dealership has turned the rotor 6 times, but problem continues. please provide more details. ts

Firestone fr 690 tire separation and blowout-tire defective. almost caused accident p18570r14 87s m+s

Consumer is concerned about sludge and oil gelling in the engine. the consumer reported seeing smoke from the vehicle. on another occasion, the vehicle stalled, the dealer recommended replacing the main bearings, rod bearings and the oil pump. *jb

Consumer states that vehicle's front right strut has been destroyed. when vehicle drives over bumps it makes loud noise. please provide additional information. ts

There was a problem with the rack and pinion. while driving the consumer heard a loud noise, viewed smoke coming from the engine area, and immediately the engine died. the dealer was contacted and stated that a rod had blown a hole through the engine block. also, the turn signal malfunctioned. scc dealer recommended engine block be replaced. timing and drive belts replaced. *tt

Front right suspension at strut mounts make a noise when driving over small bumps in the road at 20 to 30 mph.

Driver and passenger seat beats do not retract properly.

Just started raining i was cut off and braked. when i applied the brakes they locked and i hit the middle meridian.

Consumer states that brake light illuminated on the dash indicating brake problem, consumer states took to dealer and they stated brakes needed replacing. consumer states brakes have been changed four times. consumer feels there a defect in the brakes that are being put on vehicle. mr manufacturer stated that the brake system met the satisfactory specifications-declined repair. the consumer requests reimbursement for the elapsed brake work on the date of 8/15/02 in the amount of $659.44. scc

Tail light fuses keep blowing out. vehicle taken to a repair shop and repairs split in the wire harness due to the trunk being closed onto it. dealer contacted. *ak consumer states he was pulled over due to not having tail lights. *slc

Consumer states an on going problem with vibration while driving 70 mph. vehicle taken to dealer. they replaced front rotors and pads, within six month or less the problem is reoccurring. feel free to provide any further information.*jb

While driving consumer notice d a loud noise. soon vehicle stalled. dealer was contacted, technician noticed engine needed to be replaced. please provide further information.*ak

Consumer states the engine seized w/o warning. vehicle checked by dlr who diagnosed that the piston was cracked. nlm

Seat belts in rear seats fell fall apart when braking, consumer's grand child fell forward. contacted dealer, and dealer was not willing to do anything.*ak *jb

Model graco 74038nm dated 10-11-01; was driving vehicle when it suddenly hydroplaned, spinned around and hit the guard rail. this caused the harness straps and the clip on the child seat to break apart and seperate. insurance company has totaled the vehicle. nlm

While traveling, exiting toll, occupants heard a pop and then steering started jiggling. before actually pulling over to inspect vehicle, smoke and then flames began shooting out from underneath by accelerator pedal. this occurred with no warning or cause of failure. please describe details. *ak

Consumer states was hit from the rear by another vehicle traveling approx 25-30 mph and in turn collided w/a vehicle in front. both driver and passenger front seats buckled and collapsed backward. consumer sustained severe whiplash injuries as a result. mr

Consumer states was hit from the rear by another vehicle traveling approx 25-30mph and in turn collided with a vehicle in front. both driver and passenger air bags did not deploy. mr

While traveling on interstate 60 mph, enginecheck light came on. owner eventually pulled over to find that engine had severe oil leakage and began to smoke. please describe details.*ak

Brakes failed while parking. vehicle jumped foward and consumer hit a meter. took vehicleto dealer, and they stated that there was recall 97v156000 for brake vacuum hose. please provide any further information.*ak

Consumer states that in a frontal collision none of the air bags deployed.*jb

Consumer states after starting vehicle a lot of smoke come out from the exhaust.*jb

While driving 70 mph and without warning on three different occasions vehicle was involved in head-on collisions. upon impact, air bags did not deploy. dealer has been notified; however, did not have solution for occurring problem.*ak

Fuse that controls the brake light/ reverse lights and speedometer has blowen out several times, causing vehicle parts to not work. contacted dealer. *ak

Master cylinder has been replaced three times already, but the problem still has not been remedied.*ak

Engine service indication light stayed illuminated while driving. dealer replaced air intake sensor. please provide additional information.*ak

Engine head gasket blewout. heard strange sound coming from front end of vehicle. took vehicle to dealer. rod had blown, and block was cracked. please provide vehicle identification number, and any further information.*ak

While driving there is a noise coming from front right strut. please provide any further details.*ak

Engine constantly surged. she was told that it could go out anytime.*ak

Interior and exterior lights at times operates intermittently due to a malfunction in the combination switch. dealer has been contacted. *ak *yh

My 1997 toyota camry experienced a sudden acceleration problem. i am convinced it was not the pedal becoming stuck. i felt the pedal depress from my foot and the car began to rapidly accelerate. i hit the brakes, but could not stop the car from accelerating so i shifted it to neutral at which point the engine blew. smoke began pouring out of the hood but the brakes were able to stop the car at this point so i pulled over and got out of the car. the charlottesville/albemarle fire department was called but when they arrived the fire had gone out. the police department also arrived on scene, but apparently they did not file a report because there were no injuries and there was no accident. as i was waiting for a tow truck a drunk driver crashed about 50 feet from my car, but that's a different matter altogether. *tr

The automatic transmission was destroyed by pieces of metal. *jb

Vehicle was parked for 10 hours, consumer started vehicle, and driver's airbag deployed, causing burns to consumer's hand and arm. toyota refuses to replace airbag under warranty, saying consumer caused it. *ak *jb

After parking vehicle, driver's right leg hit bottom corner of door, and driver sustained injury half way between ankle and knee. dealer / manufacturer were notified. feel free to provide any further information. *ak

Upon changing gears from park to reverse gear automatically goes into neutral, please provide vehicle identification number, and further information.*ak

Vehicle was involved in a 25-30 mph frontal collision in which driver's and passenger's air bags did not deploy, cause unknown. please give any further details.*ak

Excessive amounts of smoke was coming from rear of vehicle. consumer took vehicle to a dealership that determined that an o-ring was allowing oil to leak from engine, which was burning up on engine/exhaust system. please provide any additional information. *ak

As consumer tried to shift from park to drive vehicle did not move. dealer found shifter cable had stretched and had to be replaced.*ak *slc

There is a knocking sound under right front of vehicle. dealer has been notified. *ak

Rack and pinion steering was leaking. noticed problem when vehicle was parked. took to mechanic, and was informed that needed the entire rack and pinion steering system replaced.*ak

Bracket mounts for struts on both sides of vehicle broke, causing a loud noise while vehicle is being driven. please give any further details.*ak

Vehicle has been making a rubbing sound when turning wheel, not taken to dealer yet. *ak

While driving 60 mph vehicle stalled, toyota will not take responsibility for repairs. *ak

Moisture build up and froze brake vacuum hose. this caused increased stopping distance, resulting in a collision. vehicle not included in recall 97v156000. *ak *slc

Right front strut rod knocking while driving. dealer notified, and informed consumer that part on back order for two to three months. asking nhtsa help on this matter. *ak

Driver's seat track broke which caused seat to move unexpectedly. this may cause a loss of vehicle control. there is a tsb for this problem, but toyota is not willing to assist consumer. ak *slc

At 40 mph, frontal crash, neither airbag deployed, front of vehicle was pushed in about 3 feet. *ak

Had to replace 3 motors in driver's power adjusting seat. pin kept falling out. dealer repaired first time. currently, could not be repaired, seat has been loose. dealer said new seat track needed to be installed at $1600. add vin and any other information.*ak

Since purchasing the vehicle, the consumer has experienced problems with the right front brakes, the brake shoes break and have to be replaced every 10 to 15 thousand miles. *slc

When turning on heating system there is a bad smell coming thr0ugh the vent system. dealership is aware of the problem. *ak

Vehicle was at a stand still at a red light and vehicle was rear ended, impact speed 40-45 mph. both, driver's and passenger's side seats collapsed in the reclining position, vehicle was forced into another vehicle. vehicle was a total loss. *ak the air bag did not deploy during the accident. *yh

While driving seat gave away. it reclined straight back in a resting postion. consumer has contacted manufacturer. manufacturer has been of no help. *ak

Consumer had contacted toyota manufacturer about recall 99v232000/steering wheel. manufacturer explained to the consumer that this recall affected only vehicles manufacturered in japan. also, when handling steering wheel consumer could feel persistent vibration. *ak

When brake pedal was applied, it felt like enough pressure was not being applied. brakes would grab and release. dealer has been contacted. *ak the original rear wheel cylinders were 3/4" and needed to be replaced with 7/8". *yh

Consumer took vehicle into dealer for regular preventive maintenance, such as 60,000 miles service check up in apr19 99. in august, 19 99 fluid was dirty. consumer felt it should have been checked in apr 1999. on 01-apr-2000, consumer was informed that transmission needed to be replaced. manufacturer would pay half of the $4000. *ak the transmission remaining sluggish and without reverse action. the owner of the vehicle is asking the dealer to pay all the cost of repair. *yh

Vehicle can be placed into gear without applying the shift release button. the dealer has been cnotacted. ak

While driving at approximately 20 mph vehicle was involved in a head-on collision. upon impact, dual airbags did not deploy, causing minor injuries. cause is unknown. *ak

While driving in rainy conditions consumer tried to put on brakes, and felt the abs kicking. but, vehicle did not stop. *ak

The front end of the vehicle rattles as if the struts are loose. this causes a loud banging noise. dealer has seen vehicle and replaced the struts. but, problem still exists.

When getting in or out of vehicle & closing the door, the door locks would be making a clicking sounds as if locking. the doors are not locked. this also happens when the door is locked. the solenoid would make that clicking noise. contacted dealer & was informed the vehicle was not recalled nor was problem under warranty. *ak

Wheels locked up on two occasions; one on a stop, and the other on a wet pavement. also noticed grinding sound coming from front wheels. vehicle hesitateing while stopping. dealer / manufacturer notified. *ak

The transmission would hestitate when applying the gas. would go short distances and make clanking/scraping noises. pulled into gas station & was informed to tow vehicle to mechanic. thought it was differential. there was a lot metal inside transmission. *ak

When the brakes were applied the pedal went to the floor, resulting in extended stopping distance. dealer and manufacturer have been notified. *ak

Model xls, power seat on driver's side is moving when braking or accelerating , just enough to lose control of vehicle . dlr claims no repair. tsb has been issued for only mechanicalseats. *ak

Was backing into a parallel parking space when vehicle suddenly accelerated. slammed on brakes. hit another vehicle. took foot off brakes and vehicle continued to surge backwards. *ak

When driving at 60 mph a popping noise came from under the hood before the vehicle filled up with smoke and caught on fire and burned up. the vehicle was totalled. please provide any further details. *ak

Upon depressing the brake pedal, consumer noticed a loud grinding noise coming from the front end. consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer has replaced parts. problem still occurs. *ak

After the vehicle is driven for a few miles the lugs: nuts become extremely hot. the dealer has inspected the vehicle and could not determine the cause. *ak

Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision, and the airbags did not deploy,resulting in minor injuries. manufacturer has been notified. *ak

Motorized rear seat belts do not retract. the dealer has been notified. *ak

The window on the driver's side does not open or close. the motor that controls the window just died. the motor was replaced at consumer's cost by a body shop. the part was on back order for more than a month. please provide any further information. *ak

During collision airbag's experienced no deployment, causing the driver and his wife to sustain some injuries. *yc

Brakes keeps grinding as if it was metal to metal , causing front end to vibrate and extended stopping distance. *ak

Brakes make a grinding noise and do not work properly, also front shock absorber were installedmexhaust front pipe was installed.*adj *ak

While driving vehicle caught on fire, the location of where the fire started has not been determined, cause is also unknown. please give any further details. *ak

While braking vehicle makes a grinding noise, and there is extended stopping distance which may cause an accident. also, dealer replaced brake pads and rotated the rotors, but problem still exists. please provide further information and vin#. *ak

Car wreck.air bags didn't deploy upon impact. consumer obtained police report. *ak

Vehicle was involved in a frontal collision at 25-30 mph, and airbags did not deploy. driver sustained minor injuries. manufacturer has been notified. *ak

The driver's seat belt is inoperable. the dealer and manufacturer have been notified. *ak

Defective braking system, causing a grinding noise and extended stopping distance. dealer had to replace brakes set 4 times. please provide further information. *ak

While driving 35 mph and had a direct frontal impact the vehicle driver and passenger airbag did not deploy and did not protect the occupant in this crash. also the rear shoulderbelt did not retract properly and the occupant sustain injuries. please provide further information and vin#.

Sun roof exploded unexpectedly for no reason, which could have caused injuries to the occupant. please provide further information and vin#. *ak

While driving over bumps vehicle will make a loud noise in front end suspension on the left and right sides, casuing a potential safety hazard. *ak

Consumer's son was driving about 53 mph, and couldn't control vehicle. drove off the road, and crashed. upon impact, vehicle neither air bag deployed. *ak

Vehicle will surge forward when driving between 40-45 mph but usually in warm weather.the dealer claims this is normal operation of vehicle.there is no fix. *ak

Vehicle expriencing ongoing problem with brake system squeaking while stopping or making a turn. vehicle been in/out of dealer shop on two occasions for repair and parts replacement. but squeaking still occurs. seeking nhtsa help in this matter. *ak

Hub caps on the aluminum wheels would break when trying to pull them off. have taken to dealer & was informed that they needed to be replaced at the owner's expense. not covered under warranty. *ak

The consumer has been experiencing problems with anti-lock brake system. when applying brakes, it makes a loud chattering noise. vehicle has been serviced 3 times for brake problems since the vehicle was purchased feb/97. the manufacturer has not been contacted. *ak

Consumer experiencing ongoing problem with the headlight poor visibility while driving at night. dealer notified, and informed consumer that they are aware of this problem and have no solution at this time. adjustment was made but problem continues to occur. mfr. notified, and informed consumer that they are the only consumer complaining about this problem. manufacturer was going to send an engineer out, but he never showed up. *ak.

Consumer was involved in a 30 mph frontal collision in which the driver's or passenger's air bags did not deploy. please give any further details. *ak

Vehicle was involved in two different accidents in which air bags failed to deploy on both occasions. dealer/mfr. notifed. *ak

There is shaking in the tire, and the tirers are out of balance. also, there is a loud sound coming from the structure. *ak

While driving at 35 mph had a direct frontal impact and the front end was crushed. the driver's and passenger's air bags did not deploy, which did not protect the occupant in this accident. cause unknown. please provide further information.*ak

Consumer experiencing ongoing problem with front brakes. whenever brakes are applied the brakes sound as if it is metal to metal grinding. vehicle inspected, and brakes pads have been replaced three times, and condition still a occurs. *ak

Consumer experienced two accidents. 1st. accident occurred when vehicle was hit on the side. 2nd accident involved a head-on collision. on both occasions air bags did not deploy. dealer notified of the the 1st accident. dealer informed consumer that the air bags did not deploy because the vehicle was hit on the side. on the second accident dealer was not notified at the time. 831843 dup of 831726; posted on 09-07-1999. *ak

Front strut failing to operate between 6000 -7000 miles of wear. whenever vehicle hit a bump the strut would bottom out/ metal to metal are hiting. dealer contacted. *ak

Consumer was rearended by a vehicle going at approximately 70 mph ,driver seatback track broke, causing her to move forward, which could have resulted in injuries. *ak

The engine siezed at 21,000 mile for no apparent reason. cause unknown. please provide further information and vin #. *ak

While driving steering wheel moves up and down even when locked. delaers has not seen vehicle. cause unknown. *ak consumer states the steering wheel would appear to be a design fault that needs to be corrected. *yh

While driving steering wheel locked up, causing an accident. please provide details. *ak

Mr. salo stated that the transmission suddenly quits pulling when the gear should be shifted from the second gear to the third. *ak

During frontal impact at 50 mph, the driver's and passenger's side air bags did not deploy. please provide details. *ak

Vehicle is improperly aligned, three sets of front tires have been replaced, dealer has corrected the problem and replaced the tires three times, problem still exists. dealer cannot duplicate the problem. *ak

When the brakes were applied at a force, not slow stopping, the brakes would make a loud noise, speed at approximately 35 mph. dealer contacted and stated it was normal abs brake noise, and cannot duplicate the problem. *ak

When applying the brakes the pedal went most of the way down and there was a thumping sound. dealer has replaced the pads and the rotors. has been to dealer 5 times. *ak

Consumer was pulling onto the road at approximately 5 mph, when another vehicle hit consumer's vehcle head-on at approximately 35 mph or more mph on normal road conditions, causing air bags not to deploy, resulting in serious injury to passenger. dealer notified. *ak

While applying the brakes there is a grinding sound. dealer has been contacted. *ak

Intermittently when brakes are applied there is a loud grinding noise coming from the front brakes, restuling in extended stopping distance. the dealer has inspected vehicle twice. *ak

Consumer was driving along the street when another vehicle coming from parking area driveway onto street struck consumer's vehicle, air bags did not deploy. dealer/manufacturer notified. *ak

Ongoing problem with the brake system. anytime vehicle is on an incline vehicle would go foward after releasing the brake pedal. vehicle been in/out of dealer shop on three occasions, and condition still unresolved. *ak

The glass that covers the instrument panel gauges is very cloudy which causes the driver to have a difficult time in seeing the gauges when operating the vehicle. *ak

When the brakes were applied at about 30-40 mph, the vehicle accelerated suddenly. the dealer has been notified. *ak

While driving the vehicle pulls to the left lane. also, while braking the vehicle pulls to left which may cause an accident. been to dealer several, cannot determine problem. in addition, when the window is wet the occupant cannot see through the window. please provide details.

Consumer experiencing brake problem when vehicle brake system get hot. vehilce would make a scrapping sound ; dealer notified and informed consumer that nothing could be found, and that was a normal condition for new brakes. *ak

When sitting in the vehicle the seat will not lock in place. whenever stopping and proceeding forward the seat rocks back and forth. has taken to the dealer 6 times, and they said there suppose to be movement in the seat. *ak

When brakes are applied, mostly in wet weather conditions, vehicle does not want to stop. also brakes make growling noises when brakes are applied. in addition, vehicle has visual problems; headrest , blocks view when looking out of rear window. problem is with all 4 headrests. headrest are too wide and high. possible design flaw. dealers are aware the problem. please provide any further deatails. *ak

Headlights are aimed, making it difficult to see. windshield sparkles, causing it to blind the consumer. *ak

Whenever the brakes were applied, vehicle would not stop right away. would make a grinding noise each time brakes are applied. talked to dealer & manufacturer, but nothing will be done. *ak

Transmission left in drive, engine turned off and keys removed from ignition. interlock system failed , causing vehicle to roll backwards in office parking lot, hitting another vehicle, causing extensive damage prior to recall (97v-213). *ak

While driving vehicle about 40 to 45 mph when the consumer stepped on the brake pedal, the brakes sounded like grinding metal to metal. dealer had said: the problem had been reported more the one time, but manufacturer had not recalled this problem. manufacturer not contacted. *ak

While driving 40 mph the vehicle had a direct frontal impact, and both driver's and passenger's airbags did not deploy. no prior problems. *ak

Driver's seat track locking mechanism disengaged spontaneously while driving under normal operating conditions, allowing driver's seat to slide forward/backward. driver made sudden stop, seat slid forward, lap belt squeezed driver's belly, rupturied amniotic sack. dealer has no part to correct problem. reported by lawyer. *ak

While vehicle is in drive can take the ignition key out while the vehicle is still on. *ak

There is a blind spot on the driver's side headlights, causing poor visiblity when driving, can't see when making left turn. consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer has attempted to correct the problem, not able to correct it. *ak

When driving the vehicle the brakes went out and then caught on fire in the engine compartment. the vehicle has been totalled. *ak

On five different occurrences the interlock system has been replaced. key can be removed from igniton while vehicle is in any gear. vehicle was under recall for problem, but problem remains. *ak

When consumer comes to a stop brakes grind. mechanic has told her after 4 times, in for repair, that is normal. consumer states metal to metal grinding is not normal. *ak

Owner claims that the car has loud sounds coming from the brake area when brakes are applied, it affects the way the car stops. *ak

While driving & had applied the brakes, a loud, grinding noise could be heard. took it back to dealer & informed nothing was wrong 1st time. the 2nd time noise heard, was informed a crack developed in front brakes & it was repaired. the 3rd time, noise heard again & again the mechanic said nothing was wrong. *ak

The vehicle was parked on a level street, came out of the house and the vehicle had rolled forward and hit the back of another parked vehicle. the gear shift lever has slipped into gear several times while the lever was in the park position. *ak *slc

Brake problems; when applying the brakes there is a grinding noise. the rotors and the pads have been replaced twice since purchasing vehicle in june of 1997. the pads and rotors are being replaced a 3rd time by dealer. *ak

While driivng 30-35 mph vehicle was involved in an intersectional crash with front end damages totalling $5,000 dollars, and there was no deployment of air bags. the vehicle will be repaired. 524328 duplicate of 817009, posted on 03-nov-98.*ak consumer stated he was driving 40-45 mph.*jb

Consumer was involved in a 25 mph frontal collision, hitting a tree in which the driver's and/or passenger's air bags did not deploy. please give any further details. *ak

The new seat belts that if pulled out they lock up. driver's son got tangled up and had to be cut out. the more one moves the tighter it gets. *ak

While coming to a stop vehicle accelerated, causing a collision. while car stopped, the front wheels were still in drive. owner has contacted the manufacturer. *ak while coming to a stop accelerated, causing a collison while vehicle was by impact and driver out of vehicle.*jb

Could hear grinding noise when applying brakes at 40mph; took to dealer & mechanic took for test drive; had same problem; had calipers, pads & rotors replaced. problem still exists. *ak

The brakes on vehicle are grinding. the grinding started around 800 miles. manufacturer will be contacted. *ak

Consumer was driving at approx 65 mph, was cut off by another vehicle, steered to the right, ended up hitting a call box head-on. air bag did not deploy. seat belt was worn at time of accident, but received whiplash. toyota investigator claims was not suppose to deploy because it was hit in an angular postion. claims adjustor/body shop technicians and 3 different toyota dealerships agreed air bag should have deployed.this defect caused bodily harm. *ak *nlm

Consumer was involed in a 40 mph frontal collision in which the vehicle was airborne, and also hitting a tree in which the drivers or passengers air bags did not deploy, causing the occupant to be severely injured. *ak consumer states the steering mechanism was uncontollable prior to vehicle hitting a 6ft fence. *nlm

A grinding noise occurs within the abs braking system. dealer states the brakes are working properly. however, a part is being manufactured to remedy the grinding. also on one occasion when applying the brakes in normal conditions, the pedal traveled to the floor , causing extended stopping distance. *ak

Calipers and pads have been replaced 4 times vehicle still continues to have braking prolems, cause unknown. dealer cannot fix it. *ak

While driving vehicle on the road about 40-45 mph with about 4 vehicles in front of the comsumer when he saw the vehicles stop, and comsumer tried to stop by stepping on brake pedal, but could not stop it on time and smashed front of vehicle or rearended. air bags did not deploy during the accident. the shop said it was nothing wrong with the system. *ak

Owner parked vehicle on small incline, shifted to park, removed key, existed vehicle, heard noise, vehicle rolled backwards, hit garage door, emergency brakes not applied, gear level slipped into neutral. *ak after the accident, the gear shifter was found on neutral positon. the roll back had occured twice before. *yh

When applying the abs brakes in any type of weather or speed, the brakes make a grinding noise and there is extended stopping distance. please provide details. *ak

Interlock system failure after key is inserted. dilemma: owner rocked steering to release mechanism. *ak

While stopped to make a right turn, another auto lost control and hit consumer's vehicle. air bags did not deploy, causing consumer to receive a broken sternum. *ak

Vehicle parked in driveway overnight; next day went to vehicle & noticed rear window had exploded or blown out; took to dealer who ordered rear glass but found manufacturer stopped producing rear glass. *ak

While driving vehicle was struck head-on from the passenger's right side and the air bags did not deploy. *ak

Consumer bought vehicle on nov-08-96, on nov-15-96 while driving about 55mph the steering tilted all the way up. also, happened a second time 0n 22-nov-96. took vehicle to don mcgill toyota for repairs both times. happened twice again in dec.-96 repaired at same dealership and the steering is still tilting unexpectantly, causing near accidents. the steering tilted again in february 1997, called dealership to pick vehicle up because consumer is afraid to drive and they refused to pick it up. *ak

Consumer bought vehicle on jan. 97, the first day the vehicle bounced around, and every other day the front end bottomed out, scrapes-scratches on block underneath, can't turn without stopping. an accident may occur when on hwy if needed to turn. five town toyota 516-377-2632 says owner has to stop completely before turning. consumer can't drive in some ways because block is to0 wide. *akplease call consumer to discuss probable defct.

While driving vehicle has excessive speed and with strong force pulls itself to the right side. *ak

Owner states that when seat belts are used, they become too tight on either side. *ak

Shifted to park, r emoved key from ignition, vehicle rolled back wards out of garage, down incline, almost ran into child and dog, rearend of vehicle hit two mail boxes, other objects, key can be removed in any gear, with dealership for inspection. *ak

Vehicle was involved in a head-on crash going 38 mph and there was no deployment of air bags. vehicle will be taken to repair shop on 3/27/97. *ak

Gas pedal sticks and much pressure is needed to get depress it, this usually happens after decelerating from stops and after coasting down from highway speeds.*et

The automatic transmission suddenly pulls when the gear should be shifted from the 2nd gear to the 3rd gear, causing dangerous situations when entering busy interstate highways in heavy traffic.

Engines stalls approx. 15 min. after warmed up upon acceleration and will does not restart for at least 1 min.*et

Brake pads wear prematurely. this is a commom problem for 1996-1998 model camrys.

Brake pads replaced due to grinding, resulted in right side calipers failing/inside pad grounding into rotor.

The driver was able to remove the key without the lever being in park but neutral, the driver did not realize the vehicle was in neutral and as a result the vehicle rolled down driveway and hit a parked truck damaging the back of the car and damaging the truck. nlm

Engine exploded - hole in block alots of smoke no fire- have replaced car - asked toyota to research unusual event at their cost - they refuse - going to scrap car but worried about other drivers - i want nothing from toyota. *ak

The drivers side front seat belt froze and will not retract or release additional length. three to four months later the passenger side front seat belt began having problems retracting and releasing. it will probably fail completely too, soon. reported to dealer who stated it is not covered under any warranty. reported to manufacturer (toyota) who stated that the 5year /60000 mile warranty had expired for this component. opened up complaint with toyota who advised us to have it fixed and send them a copy of the bill. the supervisor stated they will "look into it, but can't make any guarantees". when questioned they admitted there have been other complaints about this problem. since this is a primary safety component it should be investigated as a manufacturing or design safety defect.*ak

The seat belt retractor assembly is broken. the seat belt is inoperable. this of course poses a significant safety hazard to passengers in this seat. it also presents a legal issue because a child is normally seated there who now cannot operate this seat belt. contact was made on 8/28/02 with the dealership where the car was purchased . they will not replace the seat belt at their expense.*ak

Front and rear struts failed, dealer knows this is an issue. car is unstable on any uneven road over 25 mph, all but bottoms out, steering correction is needed on the smallest of bumps above 25mph.*ak

On 4/16/01 engine check light came on. the dealer diagnosed problem on 4/19/01 and replaced air fuel ratio (afr) sensor. on 6/26/02 the check engine light came on. the dealer diagnosed problem on 6/29/02 and again replaced afr sensor. it cost over $700.00 to fix the problem. are there problems with afr sensors? --- about may, 1999, the vehicle started producing visible exhaust smoke at start up. the problem continues today. the problem only occurs when starting a cold engine (when the vehicle has not run for few hours). vehicle recently passed a smog check. the vehicle has been well maintained. are there know problems with vehicle producing exhaust smoke when starting a cold engine? is the exhaust smoke related to afr sensor failure?*ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Midas in forestville, md did not put any oil in my car and now the engine is gone. *ak

Vehicle was in parked position at department store, smoke coming from engine compartment under hood, #4 crankshaft rod broke and penetrated cast iron block, spraying shrapnel & hot oil through the area, penetrating radiator core. vehicle was towed to local toyota dealership (crown toyota, ontario) for diagnosis of problem and estimate for subsequent repairs. toyota service manager contacted two days later and advised it wasn't due to defective toyota part(s). service manager states he contacted district manager for toyota's western region, states the vehicle was out of warranty, it's your problem. week previously, owner receives letter from toyota explaining "oil gel problem" advised service manager of this issue, states i need to verify oil & maintenance records for this vehicle. same are produced for inspection & "forwarded" to district manager. toyota's position is too bad it's out of warranty! vehicle is towed to personal mechanic, whom changes engine components & radiator, states problem was defective oil pump balancer.*ak

My 1997 toyota camry making noise from all four individual suspension and need help. *ak

My husband was driving down the expressway at a normal speed, when all of sudden the engine started making noises. it was driven to the nearest safe place to stop, at which the engine ceased functioning. i'm told that the engine needs to be rebuilt for a cost of $4500. i presently owe $12,000 on this car. this is due to the so-called "oil sludge problem" and i demand immediate compensation in this matter. evidently thousands of other customers have had similar problems. for more information: features/2001overview/toyota/camry.tmpl. *ak

Near death experience. brakes have failed at various speeds on numerous occasions originally reported 2 weeks after vehicle purchase. since then have returned 5 times for brake failure still no solution lives have been in jeapardy feel unsafe in vehicle. dealer reluctantly complies with original agreement brakes are under warranty please respond asap. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Upon applying the brakes at almost any speed, the driver's seat slides forward as if it is not locked into place. this has happened on numerous occasions, although the seat had been locked into position. after an occurence, i have tried to see if the seat was locked by scooting forward manually (without use of the lever). it does not slide after doing this, giving me the impression that it is locked. the seatback of this same seat does not stay locked well either. sometimes, just getting in the vehicle and leaning on the seat, causes it (seatback) to slip out of position (backwards).*ak

Brakes are inadequate and unsafe. if brakes are applied at high speed the discs warp so the brakes pulsate and lose stopping ability. this is especially dangerous in mountain driving or when brakes are needed for a quick strop on high speed interstate highways.*ak

Seat belts fail to retract. drivers seatbelt was replaced once already and is now a problem again. estimated costs is $108 for new retractor and $80 labor. *ak

Engine has excessive amounts of smoke that is coming from rear of vehicle. *ak

In1997 toyota camry front and back suspension making noise in cold weather may be defective struts or spring need help.*ak

Because of the failure of the child safety lock within the latch assm of both rear doors the occupant is unable to be open either door from the inside of the car. the doors can only be open from the outside of the car*ak.

Dealer acknowledges high number of strut and mount failures on 1997, 1998 and 1999 camrys. probably design defect. *ak

Toyota acknowledges to have issued only a "service bulletin" to its dealers on this issue. it does acknowledge a high number of incidents of failed struts and mounts on 1997, 1998 and1999 camrys.*ak

These parts should be recalled and replaced by toyota and we owners should be reimbursed the cost. several service writers at a local toyota dealer have told me that many of these strut assemblies have failed. i've driven other toyota models, 3, over 900,000 and have never replaced the strut assemblies. please investigate, as if this assembly breaks, while driving, you may have a major accident.*ak

The front upper strut housings on 1997 - 1999 toyota camry's are defective. when going over any kind of bump in the road the entire front strut assembly shakes and rattles terribly. toyota has acknowledged the problem with the front strut upper assembly and will only repair if the vehicle is on the 3/36 warranty. in most cases, as in mine, the rattle and severe vibration did not occur until the vehicle was off warranty. i have discussed this with autofair toyota in manchester, nh and they stated that the problem is the upper strut assembly. the service manager stated it could only be repaired on warranty. it was further stated that it was not a safety hazard and that it would not strand or disable the car. i also had the vehicle checked out at grappone toyota in concord, nh and they also indicated that the problem was the defective strut assembly. i have also known many camry owners who have had this problem and either had the work done on warranty, or paid the 450.00 dollars to have it repaired. i have also brought this matter to toyota usa headquarters, only to have them say that the repair would only be done if it was brought back on warranty. i am concerned that this strut defect is going to contribute to a serious crash with resulting fatalities. although toyota insists that the problem does not impact safety, i beg to differ, as the noise and rattle from the front end is clearly indicative of a compromised front end. there is no doubt that this defective equipment will ultimately be a contributory element in a crash. i would greatly appreciate your organization investigating this matter. the only acceptable resolution is to have toyota replace the defective strut assembly's on the impacted toyota camry's.*ak

Front end rattle-most severe when driving over bumpy roads and when driving car at the beginning of day. noise abates some what after driving for approx. 15 minutes. took car to toyota dealer . dealer said upper front struts need to be replaced. confirmed by independent mechanic. bought car used and noticed problem almost immediately. car had 58000 miles at that time. problem is getting worse. seems that toyota has a problem with this car and does not want to recall. i have owned camry's in the past. never had a problem like this. even on high mileage cars inaddition the car sets to low to ground and mthe front end scraps when pulling into driveways or other steep inclines. i have owned cars and been driving for the past 45 years and have never had a problem with a car or truck of this nature.*ak

Consumer was taking vehicle to dealer to find out why fluid light was illuminated, dealer stated that there could be an electrical problem, shortly after speaking with the dealer, the vehicle caught fire. *slc

Squeaking or groaning noise in the front end when going over bumps. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Right front strut bushing needs replaced. dealer said this is a common complaint but it is not covered under warranty. i feel this is a defect toyota should take care of given the number of failures of this component.*ak

Driver's outside door handle failed - plastic handle broke - door would not open from outside. *ak

Dealer says car not serviced properly....i have changed oil as required and contacted previous owner who says that he has done the same. no safety defect listed. *ak

Front brakes make a grinding noice. dealer replaced a 2-page list of parts at 22k miles. the noise is back at 44k miles. any advise?*ak

At speeds of 25 mph or more the rear of the vehicle suddenly bounces sideways requiring immediate steering corrections constantly in order to aviod accidents. while driving in wyoming at 72 mph , the rear wheels hit a crack in the pavemant causing the vehicle to bounce sideways and spin out of control and off the highway. i have since visited the dealer and learned that the shock mounts were defective and loose. i replaced the shocks and mounts/supports at a cost of over $1000 and still have the same problem. i am afraid to drive the car at speeds over 35 mph and considering selling it and buying a safer vehicle.*ak

Engine oil changed every 3000-4000 miles. i previously had honda accord with 186000 miles and no problems. there is an obvious defect with this engine!*ak

The right front strut mount has been determined by fowler toyota to be broken. it only has 31,000/warranty is 36,000/3 years. fowler toyota said that this was not supposed to happen with a car with that many miles. i contacted the district manager to ask that toyota would pay for the repair. he refused because it was past the 36 months. he said it was not a safety factor.*ak

When transmission is in reverse it hesitates and then backs slowly. i took the car in to sterling mccall toyota in houston texas for all the recommended scheduled maintenance milage intervals. on one of the invoices i have it shows where the transmission should have been flushed when i took it the 60,000 service maintainence. i have paid for several major transmission service visits and the transmission problems on my car still exist. i have tried to work with the dealership ,on behalf of their negliance , inspite of all my service visits, my transmission has worsened. please help! investigate and arbitration. if you need further details, you may contact me anytime home or work.*ak

Transmission makes a noise when car is placed in reverse or placed in drive and the engine dies leading to brake failure.

Have pictures of 1st tire failure- 2nd tire is starting to separate internally. *ak (dot number: e2j957at36 tiresize: 195/70r14)

Experiencing noise in front end when going over bumps, sounds like struts, or suspension is going out, rough sound. noticed many complaints of this, has there been a recall? have not taken in for svc yet. *ak

Front rear struts defect. dealership not going to replace at their own cost.*ak

Noise in front end going over bumps, tops of struts need to be replaced defective. *ak

The brakes are constantly squealing, i was told this is normal....the car keeps dying when i am coming to slow down to take right hand turn. has been dangerous problem, i drive through two rotarys, it has stauled around them. i am very concerned. *ak

A groaning or curnching noise may be heard from front suspension when going over speed bump or dips on the road. *ak

This is second failure after 9,000 miles on replacement,it happened at start up in garage, great deal of smoke coming out from under hood, indicating an electrical fire, fortunately, if this happened while vehicle driven, it would obscured vision of driver,thus causing accident, toyota notified, could care less!*ak

Experienced bump and noise front right wheel. dealer advised i needed to repalce the strut assembly, cost $700.00! car only has 24,000 miles. i asked if there was a recall and was told no. dealer did advise that they have had a significant increase with this issue. i have owned camry's in the past and had never had this problem. seems like there is a defect and should be recalled or at least paid for by toyota. i was told it was not covered under warranty. i checked out your website and noticed that others have had the same problem. i would appreciate and assistance that you can provide. i did send a separate e-mail to you before i came across this form. *ak

For the last three years there has been a smell of sulfur that comes into the car whenever i acclerate or open the drivers side window. the catalytic converter has passed inspection checks. on the advice of my mechanic i changed the oxygen sensor and was even told to change to high test gasoline which helped slightly but the smell is still there. i contacted my dealer(lee toyota)who told me that noth8ing is wron with the converter. my private mechanic insists that the converter is the cause of the smell, but because it passes the emissions test it is not considered defective. a new converter will cost about $1200, but a defective one is warranted up to 80000 miles

The second ac compressor failed after 9,000 miles, this will be the third time,toyota will not cover costs, wants 1400.00 to replace. *ak

Car was driven for about 2 hours came to stop sign, stopped then presased on gas, engine revved, but acted as if it was in neutral, then power kicked in as if nothing happened. ten minutes later i restarted the car, and had a hard time pulling it into the garage, it did the same thing in all gears including reverse. the next moring it did the same thing, after moving it was fine until stopped. the engine sounded fine and you would hear it reving then power kicks in. by that afternoon the car was fine and after two days at the dealer they have found nothing. i do not want my wife or i to drive this car.*ak

Took vehicle in for routine maintenance and also reported that car makes "creaking noises" whenever going over bumps, intersections, driveways, etc. was informed verbally by service attendant that the "strut top mounts" are defective and needed to be replaced at a cost of $500.00 this occurred only about 2-3 months after the warranty expired.

Noise coming from front end when going over bumps, at any speed. took the car to our independent mechanic and he determined that both front strut assemblies had failed. vehicle had approximately 55,000 miles. contacted toyota customer service and they denied knowledge of any problem. our mechanic ordered parts, 2-3 week nationwide backorder. we tried all of the toyota dealers in the washington, dc area. (the only place to obtain these parts.) 55,000 miles is much to early for these component to fail and the backorder would indicate that a problem is surfacing that toyota doesn't want to admit. *ak

Brakes making a grinding noise. have had replaced three times, the first time under a manufacturer replacement bulletin. the 2nd time the brakes were replaced was in 6/99 (bryan easler toyota...excellent service). third time the brakes were replaced -- 9/2000 at 55,000 miles (toyota of concord). grinding noise has started again -- 4 months after replacement with only 8,000 miles on them. i can't believe i've owned this car 3.5 years and have had to replace the brakes so many times. i believe toyota needs to be held responsible for this problem. a friend, also with a '97 camry, has the same problem. if it were a cosmetic problem, it would be no big deal. but these are brakes -- a major safety factor. any help to get this resolved will be appreciated.*ak

Inadequte strain relief on cable leading from chassis to trunk lid allowed/caused excessive strain on wires leading to multiple insulation failures. furthermore, some strands of at least one wire broke, protruded, and possibly shorted to another wire causing the fuse for that circuit to blow. this caused the tail lights, license plate lights, and parking lights to be off, a safety hazard for night /dusk/dawn driving conditions. i am reporting this on behalf of my father who is the owner of the vehicle. i would appreciate being cc'd on any correspondence at [email protected]

The front end of the vehicle rattles as if the struts are loose. dealer states upper strut bushings are now worn out, but not a hazard. people riding in my car state that it sounds like the front wheels are going to fall off, when the car runs over bumps. this noise started during my warranty period on the front right side only. the dealer told me the right strut was fine. today, they still say the struts are still fine, but now both left and right front wheels sound loose. *ak

Plastic left front drivers side door handle broke & could not get out of car through door. *ak

My tail lights went out and i had them replaced. less than six moths later they went out again. one of my electric locks no longer works. the door didn't work at all. the dealer fixed it, and then the lock assembly went bad a month later. my license plate light no longer works, it s not the bulb. the shifter light went out at the same time the license plate light went out. my alarm system will not beep to confirm its operating. i was charged to have it reset and it went bad less than six months later. numerous electrical problems.

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Main steering column light switch fails, causing headlights and all dashlights to go off.*ak

I was accelerating on the freeway when the car shuddered and i saw smoke coming out of the hood. i was able to pull over quickly, released the hood and stepped out of the car thru the passenger side door. i opened the hood and saw the fuel injector was on fire so i immediately slammed shut the hood and called for help. fortunately a motorcycle cop from the san diego police was at the scene just moments after it happened. he radioed for a fire truck which arrived about 15 minutes later as this happened during the rush hour (5:45 pm). the engine was completely engulfed in flames by then. aaa has not determined yet if the car will be totalled but i'm pretty sure it will based on the extent of the visible damage. i had this car serviced by kearny mesa toyota about two months prior to this incident for a check engine light. they replaced the vacuum switch valve.

I took the car to the dealer. they ordered a left-side back seat belt rather than the center belt. they re-ordered and told me the belt should be in today (9/13/00). i called today and am now told that it will not be here until at least next thursday or friday. i asked if it was coming from japan and was told that it probably was. this is a very big safefy issue as i have three children - ages 4, 9 & 10. all are too small for the front seat. i am not sure what to do next.*ak

No summary

No summary

My 1997 camry is having engine problems the dealer informerd me that the engine need a new short block and overhaul, and cost and labor will be $5952.56 plus tax , and that the work was not going to be covered under warrenty because i didn't have reciepts for the oil changes and in which paid the cost of $2011.52 just for them to tear apart the engine and find what was wrong with it put it back together. the dealer also informed me that the had engingeers from toyota come out take pictures of the engine and take a oil sample and at that time they made the decision that the company was not going to cover the car under the 60,000 mile warrenty. the explanation to me was the piston rings was burnt and the cyclinder was deaply scared and there was metal fragment in theoil pan and oil pump and that it all needed replacing. i disagreed with them when they stated to me this was the cause of bad oil in the engine also i did give them the last oil change reciept i did which was only the month before and also told them that my car usely set in storeage due to the fact that i am the only driver to the vehicle and i was deployed at sea every three months. also on the $2011.52 payment they quoted me a cost of 2506.00 plus tax , also the reason i'm writing this is because a friend gave me a copy of the october 1999 consumer reports ad on hidden warranties and that did sounded like one of those cases.

When starting car with key ignition, car is lock will not turn if you turn steering wheel to left or right hard.

Phone after 7/26 is 847-836-1632. toyota nor dealer will take any responsibility as their 36 month waranty expired. since i have not had my minor service done at a toyota dealership, they say that i show no loyalty and therefore they have no loyalty to me. i asked how many abs sensors have failed and they give me no reply. very strongly they have written that their responsibility is 36 months and that is it -- period! no safety defect mentione din summary. *ak

I am unable to get a tether anchorage installed in my vehicle, and want to know how i can go about getting one and having it installed. toyota has told me they cannot sell me the part or have it installed, because the "bolt" is not approved by the us government. help please!*ak

This vehicle never had repairs other than a shock replacement on the passenger side and normal maintenence. the vehicle left home in the morning and with in 4 miles smke came out of the engine compartment. all the guages showed normal right before the engine quit. it then became engulfed in flames and actually melted the entire engine compartment. this appears to be a serious defect and should be investigated. toyota will not release the cause of the fire. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

97 camry 4 cyllinder purchased used (34533 mi) sept, 99. within a week noticed: front grill broken; grinding, scraping noise in front brake system; distinct "chunk" noise primarily in rt fr wheel well area from macpherson strut (lft noisy also); ca

This is mainly an inquiry regarding a failure in a seatbelt that has to be replaced. the dealer is saying that the seatbelt is not covered under the warranty as it is over the mileage limit. since this is a safety item, we assumed it was covered by warranty for much longer. the rear seatbelts are rarely used. the car was rear ended by an suv last year but it seems unlikely that was the cause of the failure as it was used a couple of times after the car was repaired. *ak

The failure of this component is widespread. results in noise in right front wheel well when hitting a bump.no safety defect listed in summary. *ak

Company agrees that headliner is loose will not repair or give estimate becase not covered by current tsb and not covered by warranty. tsb is out currently for some camry's with this problem. service manager states this is a service adjustment and not a defect. i feel that this is a design defect in the vehicle and causes a loss in value. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Brakes will lock up,will not release even traveling at high speeds, causing mass vibration on car. unable to stop properly. have replaced brake caliper system professionally 3 times, works for approx 1 month then system fails again. unsafe to drive at speeds over 50 miles per hour. *ak

Brakes lock up, will not release even at high speeds,causing mass vibration or unable to stop properly. have replaced brake calipers, professionally 3 times. worked approximately 1 month and situation started again. 1st indication was blakes were rock hard when compressed. as speed increased, vibration increased. mechanic advised also bolt came loose frm drivetrain, causing boucey effect prior to brake problems. *ak

With more then two passengers bottom of auto scrapes the surface of road. *ak

The braking system has been a problem every since i bought the car. it makes a lot of noise. sometimes grinds and vibrate. i have had it to the dealer 4 times for this problem. they have done work to them once. they tell me every is to code. on friday october22, 1999 they failed on me. dealer says because the can not duplicate the problem they can not fix it. they cant find anything. the vehicle is not safe.

Drivers outside plastic door handle broke, resulting in not being able to open door from outside of car

As my car crested a small hill on 7-15-99, the engine revved to about 4000 rpm and there was no power. it was like the car had shifted into neutral. the "check engine" light came on. i tried shifting to 2nd gear and then back to drive which then worked. this happened again about two blocks later. i took the car to wilkins toyota the next day. they replaced a speed sensor. the car seemed ok but the same thing happened a few days later. i returned to wilkins toyota 7-21. they replaced another speed sensor, saying toyota had a defective lot. the same thing happened again a few weeks later. the "check engine" light came on but later went back off. wilkins said the fault code would be stored anyway and bring it back. i did. they said there was no fault code and declined to do anything. at this time i contacted toyota customer service on the internet but never received a reply. the car was then ok for a while (i was out of town for about three weeks) until the same thing happened on 10-27. i took the car to wilkins toyota. they replaced yet another speed sensor which failed tonight after only 15 miles. this is dangerous. two of the failures were on the freeway, including tonight's. i was unable to get the car into drive and had to use 2nd gear at igh rpms to keep up with traffic until i could exit. this is four bad sensors in 3 months and within 2500 miles. i believe something in the car is causing the failures because toyota couldn't have so many bad ones or no one's car would run. can you help?

Front struts were a known defect, dealer told me, they bang loudly and may fail i fear. dealer service dept told me the struts were known to be defective and should have been replaced but the previous owner did not know this. now they are really bad, to

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Driver power seat moves front/back when accelerating/braking. very annoying and cheap feeling. could result in accident injury.

Engine stops at any time while driving. acts as though it was out of gas. consequently i have to coast to a stop and sometimes almost causing accidents.

Battery corrodes, and vehicle pulls to right

After a headgasket repair @ gresham toyota when the vehicle ac is turned on engine speed increases 500 rpms each time the ac pump cycles on , mostly while the vehicle is in motion, intermitently when the vehicle is stopped. when this happens at a stop the vehicle can lurch forward without warning posing a potentially hazardous condition. also because of the constantly fluctuating engine speed (every 30 seconds at stop & every 10 seconds while in motion ) it is causing un-necessary wear & tear on other vehicel componants ie. brakes,transmision ac compressor cooling fans (radiator) etc.

The extendable foot used to adjust the angle of the century smart fit plus infant seat has broken during normal use/installation. the plastic guides along which the foot moves up and down have been bent toward the rear of the infant seat base, allowing the foot to collapse and letting the seat-base combo settle to an improper angle. it appears that the act of tightening the seat belts across the base exerted enough pressure to bend the guides. the prduct was a century smart fit plus, ser. #4529, manufactured 4-21-98. this was discovered by, and is reported here by, officer mark bergin, alexandria va police department child seat safety cordinator, 703-838-4763

Ever since i purchased this car in 1997 the front disc brakes have made a groaning sound and slipped during hard braking. i took the car in at 20,000 miles and was told that this was an inherent problem with the brakes on these vehicles and nothing could be done about it. i just checked with the dealer to have a brake job (at 34,500 miles) and was told that this problem was widespread with these vehicles. apparently the metallic disc brake pads just do this. toyota is offering free repairs (for example see web page http://www.symespasadena.com/symes1.htm) for this problem, but only by replacing the metallic brake pads with ones that are so soft that the brakes only last for about 8,000 miles. this is a potentially serious problem, this is the most widely sold car in the country. the defective brakes do not just make a noise, they slip and fail to grab when hard-braking the vehicle. *ak

No summary listed for this vehicle. *ak

Lighter flew out of lighter holder causing a fire in the interior of the car.

Driver's power seat moves back and forth, and makes clicking noise when stopping and going. *ak

Safety hazard question: due to car aerodynamics, doors, especailly front driver/passenger doors curve inward to a sharp point at top edge. poses hazard to passengers shutting the doors, especially those of shorter stature because it is at face/head level. have had passengers closing door catch that point-edge, one required several stitches to temple after "catching the edge." have there been any other complaints of this kind? thank you for your assistance. mary taylor

The car makes a groaning noise over rough road surfaces. the condition is rapidly getting worse. toyota dealer informed me that toyota is aware that a small number of cars have this problem and attempts to devise a remedy, but has been unsuccessful. toyota has told me, via the service manager at the dealership, that "it is suspension noise, which is a characteristic of the car". toyota regional customer relations manager and toyota employed technican have both been in the car. toyota fixed the loose roof, however there has been no offer of a solution on the deteriorating condition of the suspension. the dealer has told me that toyota will not offer a soluiton. *ak

Problem started 12/17/97 with 4581 miles on the vehicle. the problem being a noise underneathj the car when going over bumps. i have had the car into the dealer on 4 different occasions withe the last being 2/2/99 trying to get the problem solved. they have tried on each time working with the front strut assembly and the struts. they had toyota rep in on this last time and he said they know of the problem and that this is a problem more noticeable in cold temperature and that they are still trying to come up with a fix. problem is mainly a design problem in the strut assembly. also headlights have been adjusted several times because of poor visability pattern they project and still have the problem. this matter has also had several attempts at correcting with the last being 2/2/99

Car locks & unlocks itself, very annoying

The car front suspension is very low. the front (under) of the car scrapes the cement when backing from a driveway or when driving over some dips in the streets. my neighbor has the same make and model of the car and he has the same problem.

There is a noticeable rumbling sound coming from the floor of my 1997 toyota camry. this is most noticeable during acceleration, but can be detected while traveling at constant speed. this problem seems to be intermittent in nature.

I still have the same brake problem and uneven stopping power/grind.

Brakes makes lots of noise

The front brakes make noise and produce a grinding sound when applied with normal pressure. the dealer stated that toyota knows of the problem but can't fix it. my regular mechanic has had other complaints with toyotas from his customers. i can't understand why it can't be fixed. 2) on my 25,000 mile service i could not have my back tires rotated because they were cupped. i was told this is because of weak shocks on the car. my wife who weighs 100 pounds is the one who drives this car 85% of the time and with my two kids the total weight is less that 300 pounds. i noticed that the car would bottom out but did not expect to have poorly performing shocks. i am very dissatisfied with these two problems to the point that i wonder where else toyota cut corners on quality. if this report is going to toyota, please pass on that the chances of this consumer buying another one of their products is zero. also, the chances of a bad referral is highly probable. at the minimum, it is better than toyota coming up with a solution to a known problem.

Steering wheel malfunctions. yh

Brakes failed. yh

Tires replaced at 22000 miles - (dunlop std. equipment 170r14). *yc

Rear wheel cylinder brake kit repair. yh

Emissions control line failed. yh

Door panels inside upholstry failed. yh

Intermittent problem with ignition key assembly occurs, force key to turn on engine. *yc

Fuel door failed. *yc

Lower dash panel malfunctioned. *yc

Key interlock solenoid failed. *yc

Struts failed. yh

Vehicle hydroplaned @ apporx. 65-70 mph hitting a concrete bridge which turned the vehicle 180 degrees and the front hit the other side of the bridge and the vehicle continued spinning. niether airbag deployed.

Brakes pads wore too fast, and the replacement wore too. yh

Ignition lock system--solenoid. recall.

Brakes pulse when pressing pedal. problem still occurred after taking to the dealer to replace brake pads.

Key interlock and solenoid safety.

Nothing

Isc valve is sticking. yh

Design of the vehicle is too low to the ground cousing damage on the car. yh

Brakes failed causing excessive amount of noise. yh

Suspenssion design problem,car bottoms out on all dips and drive way. yh

Ignition switch/lock.

Engine making knocking noise. nm

Brakes makes squeaking noise. yh

Drivers side seat failed.

Both driver and passenger side air bags did not deploy in a serious accident. yh

Front brakes and rotors make vibration noise. yh

Isc valve failed. mjs

Brake calipers failed.

Seat belts failed. nlm

Emergency light kept comming on. yh

Seat belt button failed. nlm

The vehicle slides to one side at 65 mph. during wet weather conditions. yh

Brakes make noise. yh

Charcoal canister failed. yh

Left turn signal light failed. *yc

Stereo experiencing failure. *yc

Tire went flat after hitting curb (general tire size 14). *yc

Oxygen sensor failed. *yc

Turn signal bulb failed. *yc

Unable to open rear door because the linkage failed. yh

Vehicle experiencig tire failure ( michlen p195-70 ). *yc

Left brake light bulb burned out. *yc

Fuse blew out affected automatic mirror, cigarette lighter and some dashboard lights. yh

Front brakes failure caused rubbing noise when wheels were turning. yh

Light on panel stayed on. yh

Engine computer sensor failed. yh

Windshield wipers failed.

Left turn signal in not working properly. yh

Hinge loose on drivers side door.

Drivers seat washer/nut missing.

Violent deployment of air bags resulting in burns on hand and bruising.

Inside door release failed. *yc

Incorrect manufacturer part installed in transmission. mjs

Oil pan failed. mjs

Brake calipers failed.

Brakes failed. *yc

Fuel injection system failed. *yc

Power seat adjuster does not work. *yc

Engine died, diagnosed that a power short on air bag assembly failed. yh

Smog sensor failed. yh

Air conditioning system experiencing odor. *yc

Brake pads failed causing noise. yh

Fuel sender failed. yh

Antilock brakes make noise when used. nlm

Brakes making a lound grinding noise. nlm

Radio knob broken. (ms)

While in motion, the vehicle suddenly made a screeching sound and stopped. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer informed consumer of a hole in the engine block about 4 inches in diameter. the number 2 and number 4 connecting rods had come out and the piston rod was broken. consumer no longer owns the vehicle. *jg

Consumer states front end rattles around the tire areas on bumpy road, dealer replaced strut mounts. *yd

Brake pedal was going to the floor, dealer repaired front brakes. consumer stated there is a noise in the front of the vehicle, dealer states 2 front struts need replaced, also axle boots leaked and dealer replaced. vehicle was hard to start and then would die, dealer replaced the isc valve. water pump leaked and was replaced. *slc

Toyota has a lifetime guarantee regarding mufflers, exhaust pipes, shock absorbers, struts, and strut cartridges, it states that toyota will replace parts and do labor for free of charge, however consumer had struts replaced and was not reimbursed. *slc

Consumer's vehicle was hit by another vehicle and the air bags did not deploy (attorney for client). *jb

Consumer states a crossing of two wires in the trunk area caused engine module and indicator lights on dash to short out. *slc

The engine failed and the vehicle would not start, the failure resulted in an explosion and a hole in the engine, the warranty on the car was for 60000 miles, the dealer refused to abide by the warranty stating that the oil was not changed properly resulting in sludge, the consumer believes the vehicles slanted engine could possible impede the flow of oil as it returnes to the oil chamber thus resulting in sludge. nlm

Conflict on owners manual information vs dealer recommedations regarding timing belt replacement. *cj

Driver's seat moved back and forth/up and down, while vehicle was in motion, therefore a broken track assembly was replaced, driver's seat back very loose, causing it to move forward particularly during driving. *slc

When five people were in the vehicle, the tires scraped rear wheel wells and undercarriage scraped pavement. *slc

Transmission leaked two times resulting in replacement of the gasket on the fluid pan. *slc

Driver's sun visor snapped off the retaining clip, hitting driver on the forehead. *slc

Recall was performed on vehicle, shortly after a brake drum needed resurfacing. *slc

Windshield scratches and pits easily, right rear window had wide deep scratch. *slc

Front air dam scrapes when vehicle travels over dips and in to driveways. *slc

Gas gauge takes several minutes to indicate full tank after fill up. *slc

A grrr sound is heard at low speeds when steering wheel is turned. *slc

Left front axle leaked and was replaced. *slc

Defective engine mounts. *slc

Vehicle experienced problems with front end, upper strut mounts replaced twice, stabilizer and bushings replaced, and front end alignment, due to front end problems the tires were also replaced, consumer wants reimbursement. *slc

Vehicle lost all steering control while driving causing vehicle to collide with chain link fence, possible failure of recall (99v-307) of the steering wheel and column, however vehicle was not included in the recall due to vin #. *mjs

Motor requires rebuilding due to oil sludge, oil has been changed in excess of warranty requirements, but factory will not honor warranty. *et

Oxygen sensors failed causing the check engine light to illuminate. *mjs

Recall repair completed, however vehicle is still experiencing steering column vibration at speeds over 65 mph (99v-307). *mjs

Brakes, drums and rotors have been replaced, adjusted or repaied due to problems with grinding, warping, squealing and brake loss, the vehicle does not stop safely at times. nlm

Air conditioner failed repeatedly and broke at the last instance. yh

Possible engine failure resulted in fire under the hood. nlm

During front end collision when vehicle was hit a total of three times (front), no deployment of both air bags.

Timing belt,all engine belts, head gasket replaced (leakage), motor mounts replaced (causing excessive vibration). mjs

Spark plug loose, repairs were done. *yc

Had foot firmly on brake, changed gear from park to reverse, and while foot was still on brake the car started rolling and continued to roll until it hit a tree.

Air bag deployed in a head on accident where the vehicle was going 5mph and was it hit head on by a 90 ford taurus stationwagon going 35mph. speed limit on residential road was 30mph. passenger spent 5 days in parkland trauma center due to passenger side airbag deployment . passenger was 5'4" white female weight 115lbs was sitting in furthest postion away from airbag and was wearing seat belt.

Design of the vehicle causes the driver knee to hit the steering wheel adjuster lever making the steering wheel go up and down.

Headlight design does not light efficiently resulting in poor visibility.

Headlight are aimed too low and are not very bright. dealer claims it is normal and the headlights are properly installed.

The rear end bottoms out too easily. vehicle must approach a slight dip in the road at a very slow speed so that the rear end does not slam down.

Brakes make a loud ginding, rumbling noise for even moderate braking. it feels like there is a loss of brake efficiency when this happens.

Rear seat belt tightened around childs neck, tightened even more as the child moved. seat belt had to be cut off. qcaw

When car was purchased it pulled to the left. after the dealer performed two alignments, the problem was that the belts on one of the tires were flattened, and the tires needed to be replaced. the car now rattles at all speeds and the front tires are now wearing on the inside. *ak

While traveling on highway 3-year old, who was seating in a car seat directly behind driver's seat, rapped rear shoulder belt around his neck with tension set, almost was choked by belt. police officer had to cut seat belt off son's neck with a knife.

Brakes make a grinding noise and fail to work properly. the pads were replaced once and cleaned a second time and are currently making more noise.

Brakes failed during a collision. air bag did not inflate properly resulting in injuries.

Front seat moved forward on the track when rear ended.

Transmission interlock system failed resulting in vehicle collision, recall notice sent after accident occurred.

Abs brakes failed several times, once resulting in a collision.

Fuel door does not open fully when lever is pulled.

Rear window defroster inoperative.

Recall work was to be completed on the key interlock solenoid, however vehicle rolled into ditch due to incompleted service.

Brake pads making grinding noise.

Driver's seat moves back and forth. the seat track and frame has been replaced twice, yet the movement remains.

Abs would not stop completely causing accident

Recall work can not be done on the key interlock (transmission) due to lack of parts.

Low beam lights are not bright enough.

Driver seat is not stable, it move back and forth.

While driving vehicle, the abs/traction control light begins to flash.

Brake system failed as a result of contaminated brake fluid.

Head lamp safety cap cover design decreases visibility severely.

Power door relay failed.

The front shock absorbers do not protect front end of car. front end hits road when vehicle crosses shallow dips in roadway.

No deployment of air bags during vehicle collision caused injury to both driver and passenger.

Brakes making noise.

Solenoid shift interlock connector failed, accident occurred due to failure.

Violent deployment of air bags caused death, during accident.

Vehicle sits to low to the ground. vehicle bottoms out on speed bumps with 4 adults riding.

Sudden acceleration on two occasions resulted in a collision.

During front end collision, no deployment of air bag resulting in injuries to consumer.

Front right suspension makes rough noise when driving over rough surfaces at speeds 20-30 mph.

Driver's seat has alot of play. when braking it feels like the driver is going out of the window. *ak

Noisy abs brakes. *ak

Front end makes a terrible grinding noise upon applying brakes at relatively low speeds. *ak

No deployment of air bags in accident, causing injuries.

When applying abs brakes and coming to full stops, brakes have a loud grinding noise. the noise is intermittent. *ak

Very poor headlight adjustment causing poor visibility.

Upon applying brakes hears a noise coming from right front passenger's side. both toyota and dealer were contacted, they claim that noise is normal for 1997 toyota camrys. *ak

Brake pad material was flaking off resulting in damage to rotors also.

Quite noisy, making rumbling noises and grabbing, when braked with any sort of force, due to poor material in both ft disc brake pads which had been flaking the brakes required that the ft pads be replaced, in addition, ft rotors replaced since the loose material had apparently been cutting into the surface of the rotors.

Plastic part fell from behind the dash board and lodged behind the arm of the brake pedal, causing brake loss/accident.

Driver's adjustable seat is loose, causing it to rock back and forth. in addition, front end misalignment, causing vehicle to pull sideways under rainy/snowy conditions. *ak

Driver's seatback rocks back and forth and makes noise when turning. *ak

Vehicle sits too low-minimum ground clearance very low. also height is too low in both front and rear. vehicle rides rough and bouncy on bumpy roads. *ak

Indicator lights on the dash are too miniscule and low in intensity.

The century infant seat does not fit in the center of rear seat.

Drivers seat rocks back and forth. nlm

The brakes grrind. nlm