2002 TOYOTA Camry

Car barely used, got it with 36K on it on Aug 2013 and only has 53,500K on it when issue occurs. Start loosing coolant on my way to work and took it to two mechanics I go to, they won’t even look at the car, both mechanics aware of the issue already. “STRIPED HEAD BOLT”. Even consulted with a Toyota tech mechanic I know lives in my area, he did look at the car and informed me of the same conclusion. Recommendation change engine for all 3 mechanics. The next day went to dealer, spoke to a service technician, advice me to call Toyota customer care, gave them a call, can’t do anything, no warranty. I did ask service technician re: time sert assuming my head is not ruined, cost $4500. Change my perception re: Toyota’s reliability. Own a 92 camry, 2.2L, 279K (original motor), had it in 92 with 114K on it and its still going good.

SUMMARY — A SUDDEN BACKWARDS SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION (SUA) OF OUR 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY THAT WAS CAUSED BY A SOFTWARE DEFECT WITHIN THE SOFTWARE THAT WAS BEING EXECUTED WITHIN THE CAR’s ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE (ECM) otherwise called the car’s COMPUTER.

It is well known that since the year 2002 that all Toyota Camry cars, model year 2002 through 2009 have experienced fatal SUA incidents.

On December 14, 2012, at about 7:20 AM, my spouse, Elaine S. David got into the driver’s seat of the above described 2002 Toyota Camry, which was parked on our driveway. After fastening her seat belt and then checking behind to make sure our street was free of pedestrians and bike riders, my spouse placed her right foot firmly on the brake and shifted the automatic transmission lever from “Park” to “Reverse” The Toyota Camry instantly accelerated backwards at a high rate of speed. and hit a tree on my across the street neighbor’s lawn, Fortunately, the car stopped before hitting my neighbor’s garage door because the passenger side front wheel dug itself into the lawn and the front wheel drive lost traction in a manner similar to what one expect when one drives into heavy snow. The total time elapsed during the sudden unintended acceleration was less than two seconds. The distance travelled during the sudden unintended acceleration was extremely short. The tree was located about 57 feet from the rear end of the car and the total distance that the car travelled was only 72 feet.. My spouse was terrified by the experience but, fortunately, she was not physically injured. I had to call AAA to come with a tow truck. AAA extracted the car from the lawn’s soft earth by the use of a chain attached to the back of the truck.

I am a retired NYS Licensed Professional Engineer and can prove that A SUA incident occurred on December 14, 2012.

I formally filed a legal brief on May 9, 2013 to the US District in Santa Ana, CA, requesting that all 2002 through 2006 Toyota Camry cars be recalled and that their ECM’s be replaced with the same ECM that was installed in 2007 Toyota Camry cars and that a BRAKE OVERIDE SYSTEM (BOS) also be installed in all 2002 Camry through 2006 Camry Cars. It should be noted that Toyota had first installed a BOS via a recall program in all 2007 though 2010 Toyota Camry cars beginning in the year 2009. The BOS, had it been installed in my 2002 Toyota Camry, would have prevented my December 14, 2012 SUA incident.

Instead of recalling all of the 2002 through 2006 Toyota Camry cars and installing the newer 2007ECM and the BOS, the US District Court approved a Settlement in July 2013 which gives each owner/driver of a 2002 through 2006 Camry the sum of $ 125 or the amount money to purchase about two tank fills of gasoline.

THE QUESTION THAT I AM ASKING TO THE CAS ” Does $ 125 compensate the owners/drivers of all 2002 through 2006 Toyota Camrys for the risk of incurring a fatal SUA incident at any time in the future ?

The US District Court approved a Settlement of the Toyota Economic Loss Class Action lawsuit which includes this “cash-in-lieu of BOS’ program. In a reply to my brief, the Class Action Attorneys said that Toyota declined to recall and install appropriate updates to the 2002 through 2006 Toyota Camry cars because of “cost”. Toyota certainly had the technology to eliminate SUA incidents in 2002 Toyota through 2006 Toyota Camry cars but I believe that Toyota made a strategic business decision that it would be less expensive to deal with perhaps dozens of wrongful death lawsuits that recall over one million 2002 through 2006 Toyota Camry and certain other older Toyota manufactured cars.

ALL OF THE OWNER/DRIVERS OF 2002 Through 2006 TOYOTA CAMRY CARS ARE TODAY AT RISK AND WILL REMAIN AT RISK TO EXPERIENCE A FATAL SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION (SUA) INCIDENT AT ANY TIME THAT THEY ARE DRIVING their respective 2002 through 2006 TOYOTA CAMRY cars.

On 8-27-11 the accelerator stuck. The milleage at the time of failure was approximately 89082. No mechanical checks nor repairs have been done at present but we are scheduled to have a computer check on the car 9-14-11 @ 8:am. It was only with our prompting that this action was taken. After talking with the owner and expressing dissatisfaction, he gave us a toll free number to call (1-800-297-0486) I initially talked to “Josh” @11:50am 9-8-11. On 9-9-11@ 3PM a “Paul” called. We ended up in a conference call including my husband, Paul, myself, and Tim Endner (service & parts director). It was at that time the appt. of 9-14-11 @ 8am was made.
Mr. Endner initially reported to us that he was not aware of any accelerator problem with that particular year Toyota but he would research it and get back to us. No reply from hiim prompted us to visit again on 9-8-11. No service was suggested nor provided. We had expressed strongly that #1 we wanted it reported to the company so that they could be aware of it and secondly, what were our options for a remedy……a check on it??

My daughter was driving the car when all of the sudden the engine started clicking and when it was checked at the shop the said it had oil in it but it blew out anyway

Vehicle began to present intermittent problem with failure to restart after having been driven. Two service visits failed to duplicate or diagnose problem. Vehicle then shut down while being driven on an interstate highway and would not restart. Vehicle was towed to dealer, who failed to duplicate or diagnose problem. Vehicle was at a second dealer at recommendation of Toyota but problem remains unresolved, as computer has displayed no diagnostic code. An arbitration hearing with Toyota will be held tomorrow.

This is an XLE model Camry and it has chrome interior door handles. The handle\’s chrome finish has a seam on its top edge. Over time and normal use, this seam separated and sliced my finger wide open – enough so that there\’s a nice blood splatter on the inside of the door! Upon explaning this to the dealer, he said that they had already replaced a door handle on another 02 Camry for the same problem. Interestingly enough, the person who got cut up by the door handle in that case was their own technician as he was working on other issues. I had no problem getting them to replace this (had to wait a couple weeks for the part to come in). Now that its been replaced and I\’ve been able to take a close look at it, the new door handle is beveled but has no seam, which is a much better design. I\’m concerned that in the future, the other three remaining chrome door handles of flawed design will become a problem. Shouldn\’t Toyota take care of that for me now if it is a know design flaw?

The vehicle started to make a clicking noise a few months after we purchased it. My husband took it to the dealership and we got an oil change and was told that we had a sludged engine. We did not know that there was a problem with Toyota engines and the dealerships service department did not volunteer that information. So we started questioning how we could purchase a \"certified\" Toyota vehicle and it have a sludge engine so soon after the purchase. We took the vehicle to another Toyota dealership and they confirmed that we indeed had a sludge engine and that our engine was not one that would be covered. Immediately after picking the car up from the dealership the car stopped on the side of the road. Needless to say it is now sitting in my garage and I must continue making payments on it. We have had several rentals and even purchased a cash vehicle just to be able to make it to work. I filed a claim with Toyota motor sales and they sent me to the dealership where I purchased the vehicle and the dealership says that the regional manager will make the final call. Why is my question. He does not want to be responsible for the repairs any more than the dealership does. He has asked for proof of all of my oil changes. Well, unfortunately I cannot give them to him there were several done at the dealership but most of them were done for convenience in my own neighborhood. The car wash/oil change business is not computerized and only keeps the receipts for several months and then they are given to his accountant and then destroyed so they say. Now, because I cannot produce the proof of oil changes I cannot go any further with trying to get them to pay for the repairs to my vehicle. I do not have the time or the energy to keep going back and forth with Toyota over this. Please include my c0mplaint in any class action lawsuits that are forming. I have been insulted by comments regarding the mileage. I am a realtor and that is what I do with my car, drive it. And my understanding from an internet article that I read is that the mileage is unlimited regarding this situation. And if the problem exists with customers who have perfect oil changes, etc. how would my vehicle not be covered just because I don

The oil light and check engine light came on in my car and i took the car to the local dealership which they diagnosed the problem as engine sludge…do not have the money to replace this engine please help if at all possible..thank you very much.

Since I bought this Camry, every one or two months I got some problem. The brand new Camry comes with alignment problem, it was going left. Second major problem was some type os noise when I make turn. It was fixed by dealer on my second attempt because he had to order the broken part. Then the regulator of driver side window was broken and I the window was totaly out of control (thanks God weather was good!). This time dealer gave me rental car and he took two days to fix the problem. Now since last three months once again my steering is giving terrible noises. The brakes also makes noise before the car stop. This problem was also fixed but….I am tired and I don’t know when I will get chance to see the dealer. Right now my car have approx. 23000 miles and so far I have faced so many problems. I am wondering what will happen when after 36000 miles? Since the problems are continuously coming so who will pay after the warranty?

Possible factory defect.The toyota plant in Georgetown ky. Camry passenger side air bag info.From 2001 to 2004The IP air bag relief area was cut by hand for 2 years or more. This could allow the airbag to release incorrectly. This was because the microwave machine continuously was breaking down during this time frame. So toyota knowingly cut thousands of instrument panels by hand. The microwave machine was removed form the production area for at least one year in the 2003-2004 years.I worked at the plant and saw this first hand.

On July 1, 2005, I placed my 2002 Camry in reverse to back out of a residential parking space with my foot on brake. All of a sudden the auto accelerated at tremendous speed, made a J turn on street and crashed into an electrical utility box near garage entrance at adjacent home. Damage to utility box, telephone line and my auto which stopped running. Will be shipped to Bell Toyota on July 5. Similar, but less violent acceleration occurred first time I filled gas tank at local gas station but was able to brake vehicle in time in order to avoid accident. Occurred in or about April 2002. This incident also occurred while I was in reverse gear. At that time I was uncertain if it was my unfamiliarity with auto so when it did not happen again until just recently I did not bring it to dealer\’s attention. I am positive that the July 1st incident resulted from unintended acceleration given the circumstance that I was on flat surface and that placing my foot on brake would provide sufficent momentum to back into street. Will provide additional information upon request. I cannot in good conscience place this car on the road again given the circumstances described above.

Oil Sludge ProblemI took the car in because white smoke was coming out of exhaust system. Autoway Toyota service department told me that the oil had not been changed and it broke down into thick sludge. The engine would need to be taken apart and cleaned and filled with new oil. I have never had a problem like this before and have always changed the oil at 4,000 miles. The repair bill was $2,500 ++, so I traded the car in for a 2005 model. Of course the trade in value was greatly decreased because of the sludge problem

My car was doing a lot of shaking, making some knocking noise and not while excellerating. I was told there was a lot of sludge in the engine and the engine was starting to \"lock up\". After I asked for a regional representative to investigate the Toyota dealership informed me that the parts would be paid for by Toyota but I\’d have to pay for the labor. Should I have been charge for the labor?

I went look for a car on Sunday 3rd, 2005 at Toyota of Goldsboro (919-778-3232) and purchase a 2002 White Toyota Camry from Sales Rep Isaac Ward. The car was dull in color but was told by sales rep that it was going to be wax and buff. At that time I asked if the color would not shine after waxing could I back out of the contract. I was told yes. I was told yes by Isaac Ward and the finance Manager (Mr. Sasser). So I left the car to be wax and buffed after completing the loan. I was told the car would be ready by Wednesday. I left Greenville to pick up the car and it was still dull. Isaac said that it had not been wax and buffed yet but you can take the car and bring it back anytime and I will give you are car to drive until yours is ready. I then drove the car to Greenville to return it on Friday to get buffed. The detailed guy said that it was already buffed and that he told the inside sales people that the car needed painting. Then I decided that I did not want the car and was told that I had to keep it or trade it for another. I was told that I could back out of the contract if the car was not like I wanted it. That did not happen. I am truly disaapointed in the sales department because they are full of lies. My sister in law refer 3 people to this Toyota of Goldsboro and we were her fourth referral. I will not refer anyone to the company ever. No one likes to be deceived and I just wanted you to know what was going on with this particular company. Isaac also promised that he would replace my hubcaps and give me car mats and neither of those things were done. He said that he would meet me in Goldsboro friday but he was a no show. Toyota of GOldsboro did a terrible job of satisfying there customer. I will not refer anyone to this company. Who wants a new dull car. Was he correct when he told me that I can not return this car once sold after he told me I could?

I kept hearing a water sloshing sound when making turns. I took it to the dealer multiple times to no avail. I finally rode with the mechanic and pointed it out. Took 2 trips to get a headlight cover replaced.Needed brakes within 18 months of purchase date.Service dept. doesn\’t have record of many visits when no actual repairs were done.

I experienced a tremendous frustration — while driving in downtown Washington, DC, my car lost its power steering. When I opened the hood, I saw that the reservoir for power steering fluid was indeed full. Not wanting to be stranded 40 miles from home, I drove to the dealer from which I purchased the vehicle. I was advised that it could be several days before my car was evaluated and/or repaired.About 2 days after purchasing the vehicle, I returned it for 2 complaints:(1) the driver seat jars forward and back upon stopping and accelerating, approximately 80-90% of the time;(2) stopping/slowing the vehicle at speeds greater than 40mph (such as when slowing for an exit) causes the vehicle to shake and pull to one side.I was advised, by the services manager that the seat moving "happens in this kind of car", and that the alignment of the car was "OK" and that "pulling and shaking happens in this kind of car". And, I’ve tolerated it. Now, I’m wondering if the shut down of the steering also ‘happens in this kind of car’. If so, I don’t want "this kind of car" and perhaps my needs would best be served by some other ‘kind of car’

Engine oil light came on and engine began to sputter. 1/13/2010- 117745- 328.00- No payment by manufacturer- First thing the tech said was “lack of maintenance”. Even though I had never taken car to this dealer before. He said this before even looking at vehicle.

Check engine indicator flashing. Dealer service shop said there is a misfire problem. The service shop said there is sludge in the oil and accused me of not changing the oil and do not seem to want to honor the warranty. This is a 2002 Toyota Camry with a 1MZ-FE V-6 engine. They addressed the misfire problem as oil sludge.

Brought car in because of smoke at start-up. Was told it was sludge and cost to me would be $1200-$1500. Two days later there was a story on the local news about Toyota\’s problem with this on my year and model.

Both interior handles for the front doors snapped in half this month within one week of each other. This created a safety concern because the only way to exit the front of the cabin was to roll down a window and open the door with the exterior handle. As the car has power windows, had there been an electrical fire the windows wouldn\’t have opened and neither the driver nor the passenger could escape.

At 1,500 miles the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT went on. I brought the car to the dealer on November 8, 2002 and was told that nothing was wrong with the car and they reset the computer. The car was fine until I arrived at home and the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT was on again.I brought the car to the dealer on November 11th and they said they didn’t know what was wrong with the car. They were going to remove the transmission but needed a part.It is now November 25th and the part still hasn’t arrived and the car hasn’t been repaired.

After the accident happened Marcy A. Prusceck sent me a letter as claim adjuster. The following is my answer to her: Dear Mr. Pruseck, Thankyou for your letter and forms to be filled. My accident does not not fit into that form. I explain why. On July 11, 2009 my wife and I went to Vassar College in Poughkeepsie to see a play. We parked the car alongside of a street in marked places in front of the theater in a spot that was empty. There were several cars in front of me and several behind me. When we got out of the car I thought may be I should adjust my parking a little better in relation to the curb. So I went back to the car to go slightly backward. As soon as I put the gear in reverse a strong engine surge took place and the car moved fast in reverse and hit the car behind me. I immediately took the car out of reverse and put it in drive. The engine surge repeated and the car moved fast forward and hit the car in front of me. Signed:Manuchehr Afzal (my car was totaled)

Toyota dealer said my engine has a critical sludge problem and will stop working very soon. An independent mechanic confired this. I told the dealer I changed my oil regularly as required (I have some records but not all). The dealer told me if was my fault that there was sludge in the engine and he could replace it for $5,500. I have taken no action yet.

Our car is a 2002 Toyota Camry LE with the 4-cylinder engine, automatic transmission, and cruise control but it does not have ABS. I purchased the car from the original owner in October 2003 and, at the time of the accident, had about 35,000 miles on it. Based on the original owners’s records and my own, no electrical work had ever been done on the car and the battery was the original. The accident occurred on July 22, 2004 in Mission Viejo, California in broad daylight and in clear weather. Colleen was alone in the car and was not hurt. The air bag did not deploy. There was about $3,500 in damage. The accident occurred as my wife was parking the car when she arrived at her doctor’s office for an appointment. As she made a left turn into a parking stall, she slowed to almost a stop half way into the parking space. The gear lever was in the normal drive position and her foot was on the brake. Suddenly, the car lurched forward jumping over the cement parking space bumper, over the curb at the end of the parking space, and squarely into a block wall just a foot beyond the curb. The surge in acceleration must have lasted less than a second since the total distance traveled was only about 6 to 8 feet and yet resulted in $3,500 damage. My wife was really shaken by the incident and has driven very little ever since. She swore her foot was on the brake all the time. Later, however, since there seemed to be no other possible cause, she convinced herself that her foot must have slipped off the brake and onto the accelerator. Eventually, she accepted blame for the accident and, as a result, our insurance company raised our rates considerably. After the car was repaired, I took it to a Toyota dealer and told them about the accident. I asked them to check for any problems with the accelerator and they found everything operating “normally”. No problems were ever identified with the transmission or the accelerator.

OIL SLUDGE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER DENIED REPAIR REGARDLESS OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT

Car began to decelerate in traffic after stopping to refuel. It became necessary to pull over and stop. Samaritan offered assistance and checked the oil, individual who identified himself as a mechanic that there was oil and that it was clean. He attempted to turn the car on but it would not turn over. Called insurance company and towing service and $400 later the car was returned to the local dealer. The local representative suggested that because of our obvious negligence around regular maintenance and oil changes that the oil sludge was our fault.  We were therefore responsible the $4,600 for the second hand engine that was placed in our car. Several conversations and cooler heads prevailing , we were able to gain some support however we were still responsible for the cost of the car as Toyota refused to accept any responsibility for the problem. Because we live in a small community and have been working with these folks for many years, we were given the part of the car that contributed to the problem by the mechanic. Additionally, we have access to the paperwork that supports that we have regularly maintained the car with oil checks and the like. Despite several conversations with Toyota employees and a letter suggesting that despite the fact that our problem fell a few months shy of the ’07 settlement, Toyota should still "do the right thing", they have assumed no responsibility for the problem.

2002 toyota camry. consumer states sudden acceleration. *tgw the consumer pulled into a garage. the turn into the garage was tight, so it required her to back up and then pull forward in order to execute the turn. she backed up and turned the steering wheel hard to the right. she had her foot on the brake and shifted from reverse to forward when all of a sudden, the vehicle accelerated out of control and crashed into the house, doing several thousand dollars of damage to the house and the vehicle. several weeks later the same situation occurred. fortunately, the consumer's foot was on the brake when she shifted, so the vehicle only shot forward a few feet before she was able to stop it. *jb updated 03/30/10 second document was sent in as a congressional letter.*jb updated 06/02/10 *jb

2002 toyota camry delayed acceleration*cw the consumer stated the problem was delayed acceleration when the pedal was depressed. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer and was told at the time, the problem was due to the vehicle's computer program and there was nothing they could do. *jb updated 03/08/10

Ltr fm (ca) re the 2002-2005 toyota camry, solora, and lexus automobiles, request nhtsa do a full investigation on these vehicle re sudden acceleration. *ts while drivng the vehicle accelerated suddenly and resulted in an accident. *nm

While approaching a red light consumer started slowing down, there was a surged while applying brakes. the brakes had to bedepressed with great force. please describe details.*mr see voq 10080160. *dsy

While driving the steering wheel dropped into the drivers lap, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. steering wheel adjustment came loose, causing the steering wheel to fall into the driver's lap. vehicle is currently being investigated by the driver's insurance company. also, the air bags failed to deploy.*ak the driver had an accident as a result of the steering wheel failure. *tc

Child safety seat molding holding bar in place is loose. *ts when disengaging the base, the metal rod needed to be pulled out. this required a molded plastic tab on one side to be pushed to the side allowing the rod to slip out of the base. the rod was free moving with no molding or other means to remain in place. *sc

Purchased the camry from reyes auto group in lakewood, nj. took the vehicle back to pa where i live and 2 mechanics showed me the rusted out under carriage of vehicle and stated that it will not pass the pa safety inspection and would cost over $2000 to fix! gas started leaking from tank because of rusted condition.

03/16/2021 - 2002 toyota camry 2.4l my regular auto shop revealed that the engine's head bolts are stripped and is a common issue amongst this camry year. it's going to cost $2,200 to repair albeit new radiator, and thermostat. coolant was found in the engine block. stripped head bolts. mechanic says he's seen many camry's with this issue especially the 2002-2003. the kbb value is less than that. thinking it makes sense to sell as salvage than repair. so disappointed! long-time toyota fan but if this is a common issue indicative of a manufacture defect then what's the hold up for a recall.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving 38 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently and surged forward. the contact placed the gear shifter into neutral. the vehicle stalled and the check engine indicator illuminated. the vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. later, the contact noticed a strong odor of fuel around the vehicle. the contact noticed fuel pouring out on the ground from the fuel tank. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that fuel was in the vacuum line of the engine. the vacuum canister was also filled with fuel and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact called hanlees davis toyota dealer (located on 4202 chiles rd, davis, ca 95616), elk grove toyota dealer (located on 9640 w stockton blvd, elk grove, ca 95757), and maita toyota of sacramento (2500 auburn blvd, sacramento, ca 95821) all three dealers stated that the vehicle did not qualify for free repairs due to its age and the fact that there was no open recall. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vehicle was too old to qualify for free repairs. the approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

To whom it may concern: on tuesday, april 18, 2017 i was on the highway on my way home from work when suddenly i heard a very loud pop. at that moment i wasn't sure whether the sound had come from my vehicle or someone else's, so i continued to drive home. when i arrived to my house i proceeded to check my vehicle to make sure that said noise hadn't come from my car. that's when i noticed that the dashboard on the passenger side was elevated and the airbag was visible. after extensive research, i have found that multiple toyota vehicles including but not limited to the following models, 2003-2008 corolla, 2003-2008 matrix, 2003-2006 tundra, and 2002-2007 sequoia have had identical problems with their passenger side airbags and have been recalled for same. according to the information found on toyota.com, the reason these airbags were unsafely erupting was due to "high absolute humidity". oddly enough the day that this incident occurred it was unusually humid out; i remember turning my air conditioner on because it was so hot outside. now, i understand that my car is not among the ones that i previously listed but the fact that the same thing that occurred to the above-mentioned vehicles happened to mine should not be dismissed. it is alarming to think of what would have happened if that airbag would have erupted while i was driving in the highway, what if there was someone in the car with me?.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact observed that the frontal passenger air bag separated from the dashboard without warning. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer and local dealer were not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 177,000.

I was backing into a parking space with the foot on the break when my car suddenly accelerated back and i hit the wall. i looked down to see if my foot was on the gas but it was on the break. i got out and looked at the car but since i was close to the wall there was no damage. this was two days ago. forward to today, i pulled out of my parking spot on the street. i put my foot on the brake at the intersection to check for traffic, when i applied the break, the engine revved and the car accelerated about a foot and stopped. so while going to my destination i had to stop significantly far away from cars, intersections or anything else because when i break. the car accelerates 1-2 feels at a very high speed before jerking to a stop. the car is now parked because it is unsafe to drive.

I have a 2002 toyota camry le 4 cylinder. after the vehicle sits for 3 days in a stationary position on the street, at startup i see white smoke coming from the tailpipe. the white smoke will last for about 60 seconds and go away. i have read other people with camrys with this same issue. my vehicle has only 78,000 miles and the oil level is always full. this should be a recall toyota needs to check in about.

I bought a new camery toyota 2002 in 2002 at dave edwards in spartanburg sc after 5years the cadilac inverter needed to be replaced so i had the dealership install a new one in 2007 and now 9 years later it needs to be replaced again it sounds to me this particular part have to be defective i ask a couple of div mechanics and they told me that it is rare that two cadillac inverter go bad most of the time it outlast a car. can u help me with that .

My car was involved in an accident that resulted in it being totaled; and the airbags did not deploy.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving 30 mph, the check engine indicator illuminated. the contact stated that the vehicle did not stall, but there was a knocking noise coming from the engine compartment. the vehicle was driven to the contact's residence and a tow truck service was requested. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. the contact was informed that the cylinder head bolts were defective and caused the engine to overheat. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

Like many other 2002 camrys, i have a stripped threads for the head bolts in the 2.4l engine; this repair is expensive. toyota issued a service bulletin describing the repair. google 'toyota bulletin t-sb-0015-11' to read more. toyota should be made to replace this engine.

During recent work under the hood the hood support rod (support cylinder) became noisy and retarded motion when raising or lowering the hood. a serious engine compartment fire occurred when the when the hood support rod became disengaged at the lower end shorting the battery to the rod attached to the hood. the vehicle was parked and the fire was observed upon returning to the vehicle from the auto parts store..

Head gasket failure due to head bolt was stripped, common in toyotas why i see i have 107xxx miles in my car

I had an accident because my 2002 toyota camry didn't stop when applying the brake but kept on going till it hi a fire hydra06nt. i had just pulled into a parking place but the car just didn't stop. it happened once before but just lasted a few seconds and it didn't cause an accident. i'm still driving but am afraid this mieht happen again. i can't keep driving a care that just drives itself.. i know this is a defect in the toyota and there have been recalls. i just can't find it in the 2002 modle.

Sold *tr

The car is experiencing sudden acceleration it is lunging forward. the last occurrence was around 20 minutes ago, it has happened to two family members so far, while driving no extra pressure on the gas the car suddenly accelerate.

Like many other 2002 camrys, i have a stripped threads for the head bolts in the 2.4l engine; this repair is expensive. toyota issued a service bulletin describing the repair. google 'toyota bulletin t-sb-0015-11' to read more. toyota should be made to replace this engine.

Bough the car from a toyota dealer 8/2013 with 36k miles. yes, very low mileage, 36,000 miles. on 11/2015 on my way to work while i was in the free way, i've noticed my temperature gauge was starting to go up, i was lucky enough to exit out of the freeway and was able to take it to one of the mechanic i usually use after i was able to add water. the mechanic did not even looked at the car after i told him what happen, his response was you need a new engine. the car has 52.5k miles on the original engine. had a blown head gasket issue from strip head bolts. the problems that could have created an unsafe condition is if i did not noticed my temperature gauge and the car suddenly stall while i was on the freeway, i could have gotten hit by another vehicle. i did a research about the 2.4l 2azfe engines and found out this was a very common problems with this engines. i've called the dealer and even toyota corporate office to see if they could help me out, i am pretty much out of my luck. my mom car was a 06 scion tc with same engine, 136k, 1/18, blown head gasket due to strip head bolts. i ended up buying rebuilt engines for both cars and i did not buy it from the dealer. i had a 92 camry, 2.2l i was able to get the car to almost 300k with original engine.

The car is burning a quart of oil a week and no visible signs of a leak. the door locks do not work only the drivers side door opens withe the key and fob.

Every time i tried to use the ac air conditioner in the car it makes the car shut off if i use the cigarette lighter outlet to charge up my cell phone it drain the battery and that will cause the car to shut off also my front passenger door opens by itself even when i'm driving it will unlock and open on its own

The vehicle accelerated and would not stop. the accelerator stuck

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving 40 mph, the vehicle hesitated to drive, the gauges start to go crazy, and the vehicle lunged and then stalled. the contact was able to coast the vehicle and push it over to the side of the road with assistance from another person. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the alternator failed and needed to be replaced along with the battery cable. the vehicle was repaired. afterwards, while reversing the vehicle, it stalled. the technician replaced the alternator a second time. the vehicle was repaired. the contact stated that after driving the vehicle 30 miles from the independent mechanic, the failure recurred. the vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the ground wires needed to be replaced and the battery cable. the vehicle was repaired. the contact stated that two weeks later, the vehicle was rattling and failed to start. the contact stated that the vehicle restarted the following day. the contact stated that a new battery was installed two days ago, but the failure continued. the contact also stated that the vehicle ran out of oil and three quarts had to be added. the oil had to be changed every 700 miles. the contact also stated that the valve cover gasket and the catalytic convertor failed. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer and was not repaired. the contact stated that the vehicle was consuming too much oil and shook when driving more than 50 mph. the manufacturer was made aware of the failures and provided case number: 1909271661. the approximate failure mileage was 23,800.

I was coming out of my mechanic driveway and i let cars go by down a busy street> my foot was clearly on the brake and suddenly i heard a wining noise and my the accelerated on it's own and went across the road and hit a car in the middle of the street. i said to myself this car is causing me to have an accident. i had my mechanic check the brakes abs and transmission no problem with that.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that the front passenger air bag was protruding out of its compartment. there were no warning indicators illuminated. legacy toyota (3800 w tennessee st, tallahassee, fl 32304, (850) 688-9264) was contacted and stated that the contact would have to pay for diagnostic testing. the dealer provided case number: 1907100960. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not assist. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 127,000.

I was rear ended on the interstate. i was at a complete halt when a distracted driver of a cement truck rear ended my camry resulting in the car being completely totalled. zero airbags deployed after blunt force to the rear causing the car to spin around and be hit again in the front.*dt photos attached *jb

Vehicle is a convertible. the air bag light remains on whenever the car is running. car has never been in a collision. many others have reported same problem for same make/mode/year. where collisions have occurred with vehicles displaying this condition, air bags fail to deploy.

Recall

Recall air bags

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that a bolt fractured in the engine assembly and anti-freeze was leaking. an independent mechanic diagnosed that the engine bolt may need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the dealer was not contacted. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Excessive oil usage. car at 4 years old and less than 40k miles was reported to the dealer as using 1q of oil every 1500 miles. at 60k it was using 1q every 1000 miles. all the times this was reported to the dealer i was told this is normal oil consumption, now at 100k it is using 1q every 300 miles and i am being told i need new rings. i believe the 02 camry is experiencing the exact same thing the later models were recalled for and toyota was hiding the fact this is a problem with their 4 cyl models. this will eventually become a smog emissions issue with the oil usage. contacted the 1-800 toyota number and they said it isn't under a campaign and wont do anything about it.

Tl* the contact owned a 2002 toyota camry. while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle's speed control malfunctioned. the vehicle failed to stop accelerating while turning, even with the brake pedal depressed. the contact approached a red light and crashed into a parked vehicle. the air bags did not deploy. a police report was filed, but was not completed by the officer. the contact was informed that the report would become available within ten days. the contact sustained two broken arms, a fracture to the second and fifth ribs, a dislocated wrist (side unknown), a broken right ankle, and bruises to the right leg. medical attention was required in the form of surgery (bone reset). the vehicle was destroyed and towed. the contact stated that the front end of the vehicle was smashed into the interior of the other vehicle near the passenger seat. a dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

I bought my 2002 camry new. i maintained it properly every step of the way. at 107k miles a gurgling sound began in the engine and rough idling, and the temperature went straight to h, took immediately to my experienced auto mechanic, he put in a new radiator. within days the gurgling and rough idling began again. once again i took it to my mechanic. after thoroughly checking the engine (he even called in another top mechanic for a second opinion) and then told me the bad news. 2002-06 toyota camry's have a flaw in the bolt design that causes the cylinder head to separate from the engine block resulting in the coolant leaking to the engine. when i bought the car the salesman said camry's run for 300k miles, well he neglected to tell me that after only 107k miles because of this flaw in the engine you will have a blown head gasket and stripped head bolts so the seal is not tight -- so you need to replace the engine!!!! after looking online, i see this is far from an isolated case!!! toyota is well aware of this engine flaw. they need to pay for these very expensive engine replacements!!!! my mechanic said toyota used steel head bolts in an aluminum engine. very bad! steel and aluminum expand and contract at different rates, which causes the problem!

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving, smoke could be seen coming from the engine compartment. there were no warning indicators illuminated during the failure. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the valve cover failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the dealer was not contacted for diagnostic testing or repairs. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that there was no recall for the failure. the contact would be responsible for the cost of the repair. the failure mileage was 160,000.

2002 toyota camry. consumer writes in regards to unintended acceleration. *ld *tr

Driver bags not work i have light on in my dash for airbag problem pls let net step

At 145,000 miles the head gasket failed due to 3 stripped head bolt.

Driving on the freeway, check engine light came on, smoke coming out of the hood, brakes and emergency brake failed, vehicle accelerated on its own (no pedals were working), car crashed and fire engulfed the vehicle

Two separate episodes of rapid uncontrolled acceleration on 27jan2018 and 09feb2018 resulting in vehicle moving forward and engine running rapidly. first episode occurred while moving into my garage causing car to knock down three cases of water and hitting storage area; second episode occurred while pulling out of atm area the vehicle accelerated, had to swear left not to hit another car, hitting bank stop sign. had to place car in neutral, brakes did not slow vehicle. second episode witnessed by passage in front seat. after first episode drove care carefully locally and it did not reoccur, until approximately two weeks later when second episode occurred at atm site. when getting car home placed car in neutral before stopping, made appointment for dealership service department to check care on 12feb2018. able to drive to dealership, slowly and using neutral gear prior to breaking. dealership, after examining for approximately an hour said car was fine. not happy with this result since there is something wrong to create such a frightening acceleration. at dealership called toyota customer service to start review process of these events. in progress now. toyota has said car was inspected (no road test) and car is safe to drive. i do not feel car is safe to drive. i am completing this complaint to make sure the issue is addressed. i am the only owner of this car since it was new and know there is something wrong that either is undiscovered or unrevealed. thank you for reviewing this form.

The brake system in this kind of vehicle are defective. i almost crashed another cars by rear ending them when the brakes did not responded and went all the way without the car stopping. i took the car to a mechanic and he replaced the master cylinder and purged the lines but the problem persists; by the way the pads are in more than 60% life. toyota needs to do something to fix this problem once and for all. it has been too much leniency for this manufacturer and lots of accidents due to this manufacturer's defect.

I had just gotten in the car in the parking lot of a store. turned the car on, put my seatbelt on, and began entering in a destination into my phone gps when both the airbags deployed. the car was in park with my foot on the brake and my hands were not touching the steering wheel. i had not left the parking space and no one hit or bumped the vehicle. there are not currently any recalls on this vehicle and i can only assume it was an airbag malfunction.

The engine will begin to jerk and then it will not idle. i have to turn it off for at least 15 minutes before it will restart then it runs well for a month or so before it happens again. i have had it to the dealer who cleaned the throttle body. that did not help. the car has 151000 miles on it has presents this problem about every 3000 miles always when the engine is at operating temperature. when this happens on the interstate, it is very dangerous to try to move out of the way of other traffic.

Tl* the contact owned a 2002 toyota camry. while driving approximately 15 mph, the front driver's side tire struck an object and burst. the vehicle drove into a ditch and crashed into a tree. the contact stated that there was approximately an inch of snow on the ground. the front air bags deployed. the front passenger seat belt unlatched and fractured into pieces. the rear driver's side seat belt unlatched. the front driver's seat belt did not unlatch and was cut off to free the driver. a police report was filed. the driver and the passenger sustained injuries that required medical attention. the vehicle was totaled and towed away by the insurance company. the dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failures. the failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

The srs light has blinked for 5 years. it may blink for a day or two and then not blink for a week. now it has been blinking everyday for 2 weeks. a diagnostic check was made and i was told that the passenger air bag tried to open but did not. i bought this car used and after about a month the srs light began to blink.

The engine light came on and i took it to find out why, and was told it was the catalytic converter, so i had it repaired, the light was off. i was driving on the 70 highway in st louis, mo when going around a circular off ramp the car turned off and it would not turn back on. i lift the hood but could not tell what was wrong. mo dot (highway tow service) pushed me off of the road, and the driver said it was the engine. i called aaa and had them take it to a repair station, but it was closed. i left it there till morning and went back the next morning to check on it. it started and i let it run a few minutes till someone could look at it. i drove it to the bay and the tech ran a computer check on it ( see printout). he said take it back to the other place but it stopped on the lot. the worker lifted the hood, and it was spewing from the radiator! he said turn it off, and after looking said the problem was with the radiator, the head gasket and the engine! it would not start back up, and i was told it would cost $4,500 to repair it!!! i had it towed to another repair place and was told the same!!! before this, i had no problems, no lights had come on and no indicators of any problems!! i checked toyota's site and found that this is a common problem with the engines and head gaskets!!! this should be repaired!!!! contact me!!! i am not in a position to purchase then repair this car that has unreported problems that you are aware of. !!!!!!! i am 63 years old with bad back issues, my toyota sitting in my driveway, and i am stuck at home, not even close to a bus stop!!!!!!!

Takata recall? i was involved in a frontal collision at 45mph and the air bag did not deploy. i was injured as a result.

2002 toyota camry. consumer writes in regards to at time of vehicle purchase, dealership did not inform consumer vehicle was in litigation due to unintended acceleration class action claims. *smd

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving at an unknown speed and attempting to brake, the brake pedal failed to depress and the engine warning light illuminated. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 138,000. ...updated 09/14/16 *bf *cn

Passenger side air bag is bulging up till you can see a brown section inside what should i do not make noise, not moving, just does not look safe.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. after the hood was shut from the vehicle being serviced, the hood latch failed to operate and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 96,000.

Continental touring contact as tires experienced tire failure, 2 front tires have same wear pattern. the steel cable was exposed. *bf the consumer was told that the tires seemed as if they were running while under inflated as the outside edges on all four tires were worn. the recommended pressure on the door frame was conflicting with the information on the tire. *sc *jb

The exhaust manifold on my 2002 toyota camry with 2.4l cracked. it seems to be a common problem on these cars. my camry only had a little over 60,000 miles when it happened. other toyota cars have been recalled for the same problems. brake need long distance.

The exhaust manifold on my 2002 toyota camry with 2.4l cracked. it seems to be a common problem on these cars. my camry only had a little over 60,000 miles when it happened. other toyota cars have been recalled for the same problems.

Brake failed while on the road, car crashed. abnormal long distance brake. could've died

Please help me. i purchased my car from toyota superstore in hartford ct february 9,2005 new. the car shuts off while in drive.there are 3 light that comes on; check engine light, the battery and the gas light . this problem has been going on since the first wednesday of 2013. ti was an intermittent problem . now it 21016 and it a frequent annoyance. they did not try to help me with any recall issues. my car has 5 recalled items on this vehicle but all of these were issues that i address out of my pocket. you issued those recall after my monies were spent to carry on diagnostics, and the changing of parts that had no bearing on the problem. while customer like myself spend and spend and spend.this car was $30,000 and because i had done a trade in unfairly good condition. i was able to to get it for $2000 less. i need your intervention in the matter. i am certain i am not the only one in america with this issue. it is appalling that toyota make these defective vehicles and sell them with the hopes that at 100,00 miles you are going to have to get rid of the vehicle because it begins to break on you. no one in america is willing to drive a car like mine, but i cannot do any better. my family keeps saying i should get rid of the car because the money i am spending on it come buy a new one but i cannot afford car payment right now. my economics is not the best. when i purchased this vehicle i did so believing that this vehicle would last a considerably long time. my confidence was based on the reputation of a company that had integrity and wholesome family values. i am reliant on a car to get me from point a to b. i take my client to see houses and i need a good functioning car to conduct business. i need a good functioning car to make money. i need a well functioning car to take care of my safety on the roadway at nights. please intervene in this matter.

Took the car to good year change a bunch of parts. aftet that took the car to get the oil changed. on the 01/27/2016 check engine light is now on the the vehicle. i sent you are report last week as well. i need your intervention. please stop toyota from ripping consumer off. it now states that the gas cap is off and or loose. this is not the case.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while operating the vehicle, smoke appeared coming from the exhaust pipe. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the head gasket had blown due to the head gasket bolt stripping from the engine block. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 140,000.

Whiles driving east on i-20 the tread on my rear passenger side tire came off almost causing me to crash. i was traveling around 65 mph & almost lost control of the car. after pulling off, i found damage to the wheel-well. i also think something in the exhaust system may have been damaged because the car sounds different.

Stripped head bolts.

Sudden unintend acceleration at slow speed--on december 17, 2015, when pulling slowly into a garage and nearly stopped, the car suddenly surged forward raming the car into the garage interior wall. this resulted in "totaling the car" and damage to the garage and property in the garage. this is the second time that this sudden unintend acceleration occurred with this 2002 camry . it also occurred on january 20, 2010 with a different driver (my wife) who had her foot on the brake when pulling into a parking spot. the car suddenly surged forward about three car lengths causing damage to the underside of the vehicle. we filed a complaint with nhtsa on january 30, 2010 (seenhtsa id number 10303355). for the 2010 incidence the car was towed to a toyota dealer where repairs where made. when we picked up our car from the toyota dealer, we noted that none of the repair items on the invoice mentioned accelerations problems. several days later after complaining to the toyota service manager, he agreed to perform a "courtesy inspection of accelerator pedal assembley for any possible binding sticking slow return or abnormal performance." no problems were noted. the service manager said the vehicle was safe to drive. in both incidences the surges were quick, unintended, and at very slow speeds. the incidences involved two different drivers.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving 5 mph approaching a gate, the vehicle suddenly accelerated independently without warning. as a result, the vehicle went through the gate and crashed head on into another vehicle. the passenger sustained injuries to the head and leg. also, the occupants of the other vehicle sustained unknown injuries that required medical attention. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to a salvage yard. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 130,000.

2002 toyota camry. consumer writes in regards to engine and valve head gasket failure due to poor design in the head bolt attachment. *smd the consumer requested toyota replace the engine before a failure occurred. toyota declined to assist the consumer. *jb

Toyota camry 2002- vin: [xxx] passenger airbag is being exposed . ( images are attached ) thank you, information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I had an accident with my toyota while my husband was driving on a city street and i was sitting beside him. we hit a car when it stopped suddenly. the seat belt and air bags did not protect me. my head strongly hit the windshield.

Husband was driving home from playing golf on the highway. as he headed north up the hill, he pressed the gas. the car promptly jerked then completely shut down/ceized. husband immediately looked at the temperature gauge, which read normal, as well as the gas gauge (full). as he stepped from the car to pop the hood, he could smell smoke. in opening the hood, there was a small flame that within 1-2 minutes, completely engulfed the engine/hood. husband immediately called the fire department, as the car continued to grow in flames which spread to a brush fire. husband was not injured and there were no other persons involved in this accident (non-collision). both the fire department and state trooper arrived to the scene and took a full report and inspection of the accident. all parties agreed this was the result of a vehicle malfunction, as cars do not nor should they just catch fire! the car was completely destroyed and was towed.

02 camry 2.4l 5 spd: bought the car from a bay area toyota dealer 2 yrs ago, aug 2013. car did have 36k miles on day of purchase and does have 53.5k on it when engine issue occurred. used the car as a back up or weekend car. work car is a 92 camry 4 cyc with 279k (original motor). decide to use 02 camry for work and temp gauge went to hot, check coolant level and it was empty, although 2 days prior to the engine issue, my car's coolant was good. added water to cooling system and noticed severe leak of water from the back of the engine. spoke to two mechanics i usually go to and they did not even check the car, they already knew the problem. decide to call a toyota tech mechanic i know to check the car, he had informed me of stip head bolts, same issue the other two mechanic had mention to me. did went to the dealer next day and inform of this issue, they recommend time sert which cost about $4500. they had also told me to call customer care, but i doubt customer care will be able to help me with this issue because i've seen people post online who had contact customer care re: this issue and did not do anything. been a die hard toyota guy, with this issue, been disappointed with toyota's craftsmanship on the 2.4l engines.. in fact the toyota tech i spoke to had mention this is common issue with this engine model and had also informed me the newer engine model, 2.5l has also a defect, piston ring issue which dealer had been replacing those engine. at this time there is no recall for this strip head bolt. i guess toyota is waiting for some one to get hurt from this issue before they start act; such as car stalling in the middle of the freeway due to blow head gasket and getting hit by another motorist. i was just lucky enough to see my temperature gauge went to hot and was able to park the car to safety.

Car suddenly accelerated as my wife camille pulled in driveway. called wills toyota of twin falls and was told floor mat in the way of accelerator objective impossible when looked at. looked on line with issues lead to filling out complaint.

While driving on the freeway the passenger side air bag started to pulsate and started to rip the air bag cover open, pulled the car over to the brake down lane and called a toyota dealership. all they said was ther is no recall on that vin # thanks for the concern toyota! i am afraid that air bag will deploy wile car is in operation.

The car now has approximately 80,000 miles on it - for at least the last 35,000 miles, it's had a problem with either stalling or not restarting after the engine's turned off (often, several incidents will occur in rapid succession, after which the car will function properly for months). stalling tends to occur when the car is decelerating and coming to a stop - if adequate speed can be maintained, the engine will sputter but won't shut down. in my opinion the stalling and failure to restart problems are connected and i've read of other camry owners who've been confronted with this issue. unfortunately, after an incident nothing registers on the car's computer, so mechanics really don't where to start in diagnosing the problem and formulating a possible fix. my car's been meticulously cared for and i've put a lot of money into trying to solve this problem, but nothing has worked so far - the car has been taken to a toyota dealer and to an independent mechanic. i've contacted toyota headquarters about the problem, but they're unwilling to address it, even though i've told them my online searches have revealed other owners with the same problem. i've also told toyota that were i to explore trading-in the vehicle (with full disclosure), i have no doubt a dealer would accept it and pass it on to an unsuspecting buyer. i'm convinced there's a fairly widespread problem toyota's unwilling to address.

7/14/2015. evap system. check engine code p0446. cannister clogged and vsv and purge valves leaking. replaced charcoal canister. mileage: 244309......updated 11/13/15 *bf 9/23/2014. evap system. check engine light code p0442. faulty gas cap. replaced cap. mileage: 230,564. 12/14/2013. evap system. check engine light code p0420. catalytic converter failed. replaced catalytic converter. mileage: 213,621. 7/30/2013. steering rack leaking. mileage: 203939. 10/4/2008. failed maryland emission inspection. evap system. fault codes: p0420 catalyst system efficiency below threshold (bank 1); p0440 evap control system malfunction; p0441 evap control system incorrect purge flow; p0446 evap control system vent control circuit malfunction. mileage: 96796. replaced catalyst converter. 10/6/2006. failed maryland emission inspection. p0440 evap control system malfunction; p0441 evap control system incorrect purge flow; p0446 evap control system vent control circuit malfunction. replaced charcoal canister. mileage: 64147. updated 12/05/2017*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving at 60 mph, the vehicle accelerated unexpectedly to 90 mph. the contact stated that the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was 94,000.

Cylinder head bolts pulled out of the block causing catastrophic engine failure

I had a wreck in jan., 7th, 2005. i was traveling below the speed limit and the lady in front of me was dead stopped and i cold not stop my car. i hit her stopped car, doing 45 mph and my airbags did not deploy! now the airbag on the passenger side, is not right. it has moved and separated as if it is about to pop open, since the wreck and the people that did the service on my car to fix the front end (via my insurance co. - usaa) have had it looked at and they will not do anything about it. the cover has moved even more, since my wreck in jan. 7th, 2015 and i am really scared. my 84 year old mother and my service dog ride in the passenger seat. please help me before it deploys in her face!

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that the instrument panel failed. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 81,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine valve cover needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 180,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that the vehicle unintentionally accelerated while in a parking space. the contact mentioned that the vehicle surged forward rapidly and crashed into a wall. a police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was not available. updated 6/30/15*cn updated 10/4/2017*cn

My wife was backing into our garage. she pulled forward to realign car. when she placed gearshift back into reverse (autom. xmsn) and perhaps had lightly touched the accelerator pedal, the throttle immediately went to very high setting. car accelerated backward until stopped by firewood pile, furnace and rear wall of garage. throttle continued at high setting for some time. driven wheels kept spinning (as shown by skid marks on garage floor). then throttle autonomously returned to idle. firewood was scattered. furnace was destroyed. garage wall was displaced about one inch. bumper, one rear light assembly and one quarter panel of car were damaged. (body shop inspection may reveal other damage.) my wife experienced neck discomfort, which has gone away. she is sure that she did not press accelerator pedal more than very lightly. clearly, under other circumstances the results of the throttle runaway could have been far more disastrous. *tr

2002 toyota camry. consumer writes in regards to vehicle acceleration problems. *smd the consumer stated her mother was involved in an accident, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated out of control, as a result of the accelerator pedal being stuck. the consumers mother crashed into another vehicle. *jb

I had trouble shifting my automatic transmission from park to reverse. it would not engage. i had it in reverse but the car would not move. after a few tries it engaged. i slowly drove a couple blocks to rossi's auto service and left it for the weekend. i learned it was low on transmission fluid and there was absolutely no sign anywhere of any leakage. i had it serviced at salinas toyota on 01/22/15 for an oil change and the front brakes. i returned 02/03/15 to have a front engine mount installed. on 02/27/2015 it was missing approximately a quart of transmission fluid with a few minor metal found in the dirty fluid. i've spoken numerous times with rossi's and salinas toyota and they have spoken to each other. no one can figure out where the transmission fluid went. the salinas toyota assistant service manager has tried to find an answer but has not been able to. i need this explained or solved in order to feel safe driving this car. i do not want to take a chance on being stranded in the middle of nowhere. i would appreciate any help making sure i am safe driving this vehicle. *tr

The trunk of the car is leaking on the passenger side. it's coming from the seal of the back windshield. corporate says they have not had enough complaints addressed to them to make this an issue. if you read the blogs, there are a load of complaints regarding trunk leaks. who is passing the buck on this problem? *tr

While driving on highway car ride is jerky . at any left exit the car shuts off on exit ramp on left turn. steering tightens and lock-up. the car shuts done while still in drive mode. the engine goes quite and dies.the gas pedal stop producing power. the car shuts off completely with key in ignition and still in drive . also going down hill the car becomes immobile and stall. on other occasions car stall at lights on local roads shortly after making left turns and stop light. i took the vehicle into toyota superstore weston st hartford ct. on three occasions. they kept it for a day, two days, a week and there is still no solution. . nothing has been done to stop the condition. i took it to local mechanics, auto zone. they see the car act up but there are no codes and no system error activity summary. dealership offer no solution . always there are 3 light that comes on. check engine light, check battery light and check fuel light . triple a toll this cat on 3 occasions. on one occasion during the snow it had check traction light came on. please someone help me. i took my car in to the dealership always to get the necessary oil change because i have lifetime oil and lube. they are the ones servicing the car so if any parts go wrong they are the ones changing them.. they want me to buy a new car. i told them i cannot afford one. i wonder if they are sabotaging my car. in hopes that i will purchase a new one. please help me! i learned that the car stops and starts up again after you shut it down take the key out of the ignition for a while so this is how i am surviving. this is very scary! help! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry equipped with goodyear assurance comfortred touring tires, size 205/65r15 (na). while driving approximately 45 mph, the driver suddenly lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a barrier. there were no injuries and a police report was not filed. while inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered that the front passenger side tire had a three inch crack present in the sidewall. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 90,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 mph, the temperature gauge started to fluctuate as hot air blew into the vehicle without warning. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 141,000.

Vehicle shake at 55 mph. *tr

Defective valve cover gasket refer to chrysler valve cover recall. *tr

Aprox. two years after purchasing the vehicle new..a small tear...started on the passenger front airbag..presently it has increased in size of the tear.. a lot worse..i'm concerned for the saftey of occupants. *tr

Transmission failure. i am surprised that a car with just 117k miles could have a transmission failure. i was parked at a stop light and when it turned green my car just stopped moving. i showed my car to multiple auto shops and they say they are have seen this issue with 2002 camry xle and not sure why since camrys are generally considered reliable and have a longer life of 200k plus. maybe a manufacturing defect? *tr

First time. (second time dec. 12,2014) hole chewed in top of gas filler hose. gas leaked from top of hose when refueling. *tr

I was driving southbound on lakeshore dr when with no warning of a turn signal a tow truck driver cut me off and slowed almost to a complete stop. i had no choice but to brace for impact as i stomped down on my brakes. the entire front end of my car was totaled as the front right end of my car made impact with the left rear end of his tow truck. after the dist settled i looked around and realized that no airbags deployed. i found this realization extremely alarming, not only for the chest pain that i was experiencing on my right side which i felt was from my chest hitting the steering wheel (even thought i was indeed wearing my seatbelt) but because earlier this year toyota had come out with a recall list, and when i called to find out if my car was on the recall list i was told no. i don't know how my car was looked over but this is a situation that should be immediately rectified. thank god my situation wasn't worse than it was and my 5 year old son was not in the car, but there are others on the road who may not meet the same outcome. *tr

As many others have realized with their camrys, mine too has a problem with the rack and pinion. it is leaking fluid from the rack and pinion boots, as well as the steering pump. i am now faced with a $1600 repair bill. design errors occur, as an engineer i understand this. but the problem is toyota will not stand behind their products and admit to the error. this is my first toyota. i had heard how reliable they were. i am not so sure now. i am currently shopping for a new car, and i have scratched toyotas off of my list. i can not give business to a company that treats clients this way. *tr

Passenger airbag is separating from dashboard. it's approximately 3" long. brought vehicle into dealership but it's not currently listed on the recall list. insurance company inspected and verified that it is a safety issue. *tr

I was on a ramp to i-520 at a speed between 45-50 miles.hr and the ramp is straight. suddenly the car lost control and spinning - finally, i noticed the front passenger side tire is flat. the problem is the airbags were not deployed though the front (both left and right) hit the concrete wall badly and damaged badly. also the abs was not engaged. *tr

Cylinder head gasket leak, cylinder head bolts stripped. coolant lost. *tr

Driver of toyota camry 2002 had 3 spoke steering wheel air bag which had been subject of recall. failed to inflate properly and face and neck of driver sprayed with metal fragments on face and all around eyes. driver was on non-impact side of right front impact. driver however suffered far worse facial injuries from exploding air bag canister than passenger that was killed on impact side of car from other injuries. plastic surgeon picked metal fragments of all sizes out of face of toyota driver for over 8 hours and said it was impossible to get it all. he compared her face to being shot by a shotgun several times full of metal fragments. mri and ct scan confirm extensive metal still left in face of driver-- especially all around eyes, nose and forehead area. pieces of metal in neck as well due to this driver can never have an mri again due to the metallic magnetic danger. plastic surgeon commented-- worst facial damage he had ever seen on non impact side of accident. suspected air bag defect and canister of charge for air bag exploded defectively-- sending hundreds of metal fragments into face and neck of driver. ....updated 01/12/15*bf..updated 05-27-15 *bf...updated 06-12-15 *bf updated 6/11/2015 *js updated 09/01/2017*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that exhaust smoke started to emit from the tail pipe. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that engine pressure was excessive causing the engine bolts to separate and the head gasket to fail. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

Seat no longer moves forward or backward but twists like only the inside track is making contact with the gears. i can see the outer gear turning but no contact with worm gear. *tr

Car was having problems with acceleration(sluggish) and would die when car came to a stop. mostly happened when exiting highways, then happened during normal driving. the car would idle very roughly and die if gas pedal wasn't depressed. if car sat for a while, then it would start up and run just fine. had it into the shop several times, but unless the problem was currently happening, it couldn't be diagnosed. the problem is the idol throttle body(seems like there are many many complaints about this part). the cost of the part was $1014.45(ridiculous). labor $68. what's going on? toyota is failing to provide a good quality product and i have lost confidence in their product. look into this matter. people's lives are at stake, especially if people don't realize you are stalled and run into you. i've been scared for my life several times. *tr

Ignition key was removed with transmission in drive and ignition switch not in off position. this has now happened at least twice. *tr

2002 toyota camry. attorney representing consumer writes in regards to vehicle engine cylinder head bolts service bulletin. *smd the engine failed while driving in heavy traffic, less than six months after the vehicle was purchased. the mechanic informed the consumer, after the damage and the extensive re-build of the engine, other parts would began to fail. *jb

Engine head bolts stripped causing antifreeze loss, head had to be resurfaced, new head gasket, and a special kit was need to re-thread the loose bolts repairs cost over $3000 . which is better than a new engine but repairs aren't guaranteed because this is a factory defect with this particular engine. had i known this i wouldn't have purchased this particular make of car. *tr

Coolant leak due to apparent stripped head bolts due to manufacturer defect. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that while applying the brakes, the vehicle suddendly accelerated and warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was merged to the side of the road and shifted into the park position. the vehicle was restarted and resumed normal function. the failure occurred on 2 different occasions. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 85,000 and the current mileage was 90,000. updated 8/12/14*cn updated 8/23/2017*ct

2002 toyota camry. consumer writes in regards to vehicle acceleration problems. *smd the consumer stated when the sudden acceleration occurred, he immediately placed the gear in park. *jb

I parked the car. after realizing that i was about 2 ft from the parking bump, i decided to move it forward and as i took the car off park the car took off and hit the bump and was stopped by a tree. the car climbed partially on the tree, leaving the passenger side wheels completely off the ground. i put the brake and shifted to neutral. fortunately, no one was hurt, no airbags displayed. i took the car to the toyota dealer to get an estimate on the repair of the front bumper. toyota investigated and a month later delivered the "data" by mail from bosch, without any useful information for me. i do not dare drive the car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving various speeds, the vehicle accelerated without warning. the vehicle was taken to a independent mechanic where the technician was unable to find a failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 85,000.updated 06/10/14 ma updated 8/23/2017*cn

Each time you turn the steering wheel there is a "whining' in the steering column. it happens everytime you move the steering wheel. i was told there is a plastic piece in the steering wheel that may cause the problem they are not for sure and it would cost me over $200 if that is the problem for a "cheap" piece of plastic that toyota is well aware of using it. i guess i will have to wait until something happens drastically! *tr

My wife was in the process of parking the car in a private driveway. she pulled into the parking spot and pressed the brake to shift into park. as soon as she pressed the brake the car lurched forward. the car struck the parking curb damaging the front bumper. she put the car in neutral and looked down to make sure her foot was on the brake and not the gas pedal. she turned off the ignition, shifted into park and called me to tell me what had just happened. i will be contacting the service manager of the nearest dealer for inspection and to make a formal complaint with toyota. *tr

Began noticing gurgling/water sloshing noises at approximately 100k miles. approximately one month later, car overheated. noticed coolant was low, so had coolant refilled. checked out by mechanic next day and was told that a stop-leak would fix problem. completed this procedure at personal cost. three days later, car overheated again. took to different mechanic, and was advised to replace radiator. replaced radiator at personal cost. few days later, car overheated again. took to four different mechanics and noticed coolant leaks. was advised by all four mechanics that it was blown head gasket, that this was a common problem with this make/model, that replacing the engine would be safest solution. one mechanic also said that simply replacing head gasket might not work because the bolt threading in this particular model was known to be defective. cannot afford $4000 to replace engine, especially if this same problem can possibly recur. currently refilling coolant every other day. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the engine overheated as the temperature warning indicator. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. the engine cylinder head blot was stripped and replaced with a new one however, the transmission failed. the vehicle was not repaired for the most recent failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contacted stated that while driving 5 mph and attempting to park, the vehicle began to accelerate independently. the vehicle crashed into a set of cement stairs. the vehicle was destroyed. a police report was not filed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. updated 4/4/14*cn

The coolant started leaking from behind the motor. my mechanic looked at it and said that the foam insulation was saturated with coolant and it was leaking from there, between the head and the cylinder. when i researched about it online in many toyota forums, the common thing that i have come across is that there is a problem with the head bolts stripping and the coolant leaking from that area. my mechanic said that i either need a new engine or do a fix the stripped head bolts with a heli-coil or a time-sert. this is very disappointing with toyota, that they are not acknowledging the defect with there 5th gen 4 cyl 2az-fe engines and are refusing to do anything about. the solution that they are giving is a very expensive one of getting a new engine for $5000. this needs to be addressed by toyota or someone needs to make them take notice of this issue. *tr

Steering has been getting tight. thought it was power steering pump. mechanic says entire steering column need replacement. why no recall? *tr

The is a service bulletin regarding the replacement of the catalytic converter and reprogramming the ecu. i don't think toyota notifies current owners of free work to be done that is not an actual recall. instead they wait to see who finds out on their own. the service bulletin tsb 2404 dated 07-01-04 covers the replacement of the catalytic converter and reprogramming the ecu to resolve the problem. it mentions the smell of sulfur from the exhaust and was apparently the only reason most people had it checked out. my wife's car has had the smell of sulfur for a few years now, but since we don't make it a habit of making our car exhaust smell pleasant we never thought anything of it. now, the check engine light is on and the catalytic converter needs to be replaced but her car is over the 8 year, 80,000 mile limit of the tsb. if we were notified of toyota's design error earlier and had the catalytic converter replaced and the ecu reprogrammed for free, we would not be looking at a $1000 repair bill in our future. we should not have to pay for toyota's error, we already paid for the car. *tr

After taking my car to a local mechanic because of overheating, a coolant leak, and misfiring, i brought my camry to a certified toyota dealership. i explained to the toyota representative of the fore mentioned issues. after conducting an inspection, the toyota rep. told me i had a bad coil in cylinder #2, and found pressure leaking into #2 and #3 cylinders. after a further tear down of the engine, it was discovered that the engine had loose head bolts in these cylinders, and that the threads on the engine for these bolts was stripped. they told me that there is no fix to this problem and quoted me a new engine with 90,000 miles with an estimate cost between $5000-$6000. furthermore, i was told replacing the coil at $227, would fix the misfiring. however this did not fix the misfiring problem, as the misfire was due because of the loose head bolts which was explained to me by the dealership as well. this conflicting information led me to believe it was safe to drive the vehicle as long as coolant was plentiful in the radiator and over flow reservoir. however, the overheating, leaking of coolant and misfiring continues. the misfiring creates dangerous random stalls. *tr

On the evening on august 30, 2013, my wife and i were involved in an auto accident due to a sudden unintended acceleration problem with our 2002 toyota camry. i was driving at a low speed around a cul-de-sac when the car accelerated out of my control and crashed into a tree. i pressed the brake a few times but it was ineffective. the crash destroyed the car and is determined to be a "total loss." *tr

Both front air bags did not deploy in a head on collision. car was totaled and both passengers, belted in front seat were injured. *tr

On december 14, 2012, at about 7:20 am, my spouse, [xxx] got into the driver's seat of the above described 2002 toyota camry, which was parked on our driveway. after fastening her seat belt and then checking behind to make sure our street was free of pedestrians and bike riders, my spouse placed her right foot firmly on the brake and shifted the automatic transmission lever from "park" to "reverse" the toyota camry instantly accelerated backwards at a high rate of speed. and hit a tree on my across the street neighbor's lawn, fortunately, the car stopped before hitting my neighbor's garage door because the passenger side front wheel dug itself into the lawn and the front wheel drive lost traction in a manner similar to what one expect when one drives into heavy snow. the total time elapsed during the sudden unintended acceleration was less than two seconds. the distance traveled during the sudden unintended acceleration was extremely short. the tree was located about 57 feet from the rear end of the car and the total distance that the car traveled was only 72 feet.. my spouse was terrified by the experience but, fortunately, she was not physically injured. i had to call aaa to come with a tow truck. aaa extracted the car from the lawn's soft earth by the use of a chain attached to the back of the truck. the trunk lid was severely damaged and the parking paw within the transaxle assembly was broken.. i am a retired nys professional engineer. i can prove that the sua incident was caused by a defect in the firmware (software) in the electronic control module within the camry. i filed a 48 page brief objecting to the us court recent toyota economic loss lawsuit. it is available on the pacer system. i specifically requested that all 2002 through 2006 toyota camry cars be recalled by toyota and equipped with applicable brake override systems. . information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

On 8/11/13 i pulled up to a gas pump, and as i shifted the transmission into park while my foot was on the brake pedal, the engine suddenly accelerated. i purchased this used vehicle on 12/1/12 to replace my car that was destroyed by superstorm sandy. *tr

My '02 toyota camry xle has 115,530 miles on the odometer and i have had to replace all four tires four times over this period (details below). at this point, firestone believes the problem lies with the engineering of the car somehow because their maintenance log supports the fact that i have given these tires the proper care (regular alignment checks, tire balance/rotation every 4k miles, and maintaining proper air pressure) and they are no longer willing to honor tire warranties for this vehicle because each time the tires are replaced, they are under the warranty. they claim that the probability of the problem lying with the tires is virtually impossible, given this tire history. here are the details of dates, odometer readings, and tire details each time they were replaced: first set replaced 10/3/04 with 26,712 miles on odometer (with firestone 106879 affinity lh30 p215/60r16 tlbl ps). second set replaced 9/1/06 with 49,619 miles on odometer (with bridgestone 109355 turanza ls-t w/uni-t aw bl p215/60r16 94t 80,000 warranty). third set replaced with 91,000 miles on odometer (misplaced paperwork on details, but can provide from firestone database if needed). fourth set replaced 7/23/13 with 115,530 on odometer (with bridgestone 147127 turanza w.serenity plus bl 215/60r16 95v 75,000 warranty). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that after shifting into reverse, the vehicle lunged backwards. the contact then shifted into drive and the vehicle erroneously accelerated. the vehicle was destroyed. there were no injuries. the manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 53,000. updated 9/12/13*cn the consumer stated when she placed the vehicle in reverse, the vehicle lurched and she brushed a vehicle next to her, and the vehicle made a very loud noise. she then put the vehicle in drive with her foot on the brake, but it did not stop, so she slammed it into park, but the vehicle still did not stop.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated while driving 55 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently. as the vehicle increased in speed and the brakes became inoperable, the contact applied the emergency brake and powered off the vehicle to stop the failure. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnosis but no cause for the failure was determined. the vehicle was then towed to an authorized dealer where the contact was awaiting diagnosis of the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle had not been repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure and current mileage was 40,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated while driving approximately 40 mph the temperature gauge increased rapidly into the red zone. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the radiator was leaking and the thermostat was defective. the vehicle was repaired. smoke also emitted from the engine two hours after the vehicle was repaired. the vehicle was taken to both an independent mechanic and dealer for inspection. the dealer detected that the engine cylinder head bolts were striped and the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 180,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where it was advised to the contact that the air fuel ration sensor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximated failure mileage was 19,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving in reverse the vehicle made an unusual sound. the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into a parked vehicle. no one was injured during the crash. a police report was filed. the contact called the manufacturer regarding the sudden acceleration. the manufacturer stated there were no recalls for the vehicle. the failure mileage was 37,460. the vin was not available.

Harsh/hard/delayed shifting between 2nd and 3rd or 2nd and 4th (overdrive) on 1mz-fe v6 engine due to faulty engine control module failing to regulate transmission solenoids properly. this issue occurred on the ecm on rav4 (same year, 2002) and resulted in settlement in which toyota agreed to repair all. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that while attempting a turn, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and caused the contact to lose control of the vehicle. the contact crashed into the curb and then a tree. the vehicle rolled over and the front driver and passenger side air bags failed to deploy. the contact sustained severe injuries to the left arm, which was partially separated. a police report was filed of the incident. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 60,000.

Over a period of time steering became difficult and turning was a problem. steering like a mad truck with jerking movements when turning and pulling back. took to toyota dealer and they said it was the entire steering column. why has toyota not had recall? at same time they said brakes gone. just had them fixed at local gas station a year ago but did not take rotor down. grand total $2700

Cylinder head bolt stripped off from engine block thread and damaged the engine. *tr

No failure yet but the sidewalls of the tires are badly checked. the tires are only 5 years old and the car has been garaged or parked in the shade most of the time. there is still close to half the tread life left. i put in todays date for the "approximate incident date" just because a date is required, but there has not been an incident. *tr

The fuel filler line weld at where the egr line ties in (just beneath the fuel filler cap) failed. the failure of the weld caused air to leak into the fuel system and trip the "check engine" light. the weld failure was the result of a poor weld and poor anti rust coating applied at the location of the weld.

On november 13, 2009, i applied my brakes to turn in and park my car (my foot still pressing the brake). when my car unexpectedly accelerates about 15 feet and smacks into a building. a $10,000 claim was made against my insurance company. i informed the local toyota dealership where i purchased the car since the responding officer urged me to get my vehicle checked out. almost instantly after i began explaining the details of the incident over the phone, they informed me that the gas pedal wasn't the issue and that my car was not included in the recall. i feel like i have been passed over because my car wasn't brand new, even though it was one of the same year models that received an electronic throttle. i received a post card notifying me of a class action lawsuit against toyota, however it does not pertain to property damage and i'm not sure which avenue to take. *tr

Vehicle was stopped and putting in drive, car accelerated and crashed through garage door and brick frame on 4/19/13 at approximately 11:50am for unknown reason. *tr

Blown head gasket on 2002 toyota camry le. apparently this is a manufacturer defect as evidenced by all the blogs on the internet. something should be done to compensate the consumer for this defect. *tr

I drove up in front of mosses town hall building in lowndes county al as i tried to put on brakes to park the car it begin to accelerate and jump the parking bumps and hit the building knocking down the wall of bricks and that's when it stopped. i immediately got out of the car and looked and took a look. there were person in the other side of the building who ran out to see were i okay. this was the first and i hope the last incident i had with the car. *tr

In the 8 years i have owned my 2002 camry i have experienced periodic problems with the brakes. specifically, they become soft, they do not stop the car in normal fashion and also can pull the car significantly to the side. today, my 19 year old ran into the back of another car because the brakes did not engage. over the years i have sought a solution but repair shops, including toyota dealerships, have found no problem. as i see other online comments related to this car i believe it was a common problem with this vehicle and should have been included in a recall. *tr

Car was overheating and we didn't know why. the reservoir was full of coolant so we took it into a mechanic to see what the problem was with the cooling system. we were told we needed a new head gasket. we left the car with the mechanic and he found that 3 bolts for the engine block were loose (he could easily pull them out with his hands and the threading came with them). he had never seen this before so he looked online and found this was a common problem. the car had about 109k miles on it. looking on this site shows that toyota has a service bulletin on it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated while driving approximately 15 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the mechanic stated there was a failure with the electronic throttle sensor. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

I was backing out of a parking space. when i put car in drive and started turning wheel to the right, car wouldn't turn and braking did not stop car. it seemed as if accelerator was stuck. car finally stopped when it hit parked car. something similar happened about a year ago. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that the check engine warning lamp was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the head bolts were stripped. as a result, the engine had to be either replaced or rebuilt. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was repaired. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 137,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that while parked, the gear shifter released from parked position and caused the vehicle to roll backwards into to the garage door. the vehicle was taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic. the vin was not available. in addition, the contact mentioned that the vehicle doors lock activated independently, althought the trunk was open. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 97,000.

2002 toyota camry. consumer writes to request a full investigation against a local dealer for fraudulent and deceptive business practices related to their vehicle not starting *tgw

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while parked, the contact inserted the key in the ignition and noticed that it could not be turned. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the mechanic advised the contact that the brake light switch would have to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 8,603. updated 12/19/12 *cn updated 01/09/13

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry le. the contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, a clicking noise occurred when the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the approximate failure was 110,000.

Car was parked on flat road, then started. brake pedal was pressed and car was put into drive. when brake pedal was released, car was propelled in reverse. after double and triple checking that car was actually in forward gear (via indicator on dash). the car continued to go backwards. after shifting the car into park, (shutting engine off) and retrying identical sequence of events, car behaved normally, moving in forward direction. fortunately, car had been parked parallel to curb with no cars around it, and the problem was fealized before the accelerator was pressed, so no accident, injury or damage occurred. in any other scenario, damage or injury may have resulted. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving 65 mph when smoked was emitted from the engine compartment and the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the cylinder head developed a cracked. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and the current mileage was 175,000.

My son was making a left turn off brown rd onto amber glen dr in charlotte, nc when the cars steering wheel locked up causing the car to go out of control. when he tried to press the brakes to stop the car it would not stop. the car hit a tree that cause major damage to the vehicle. thank god no one was hurt/injured or killed. but my 2002 toyota camry is totaled and cannot be repaired. i just bought this car in april 2012 from the toyota scion dealership in huntersville, nc and was not made aware of any problems or recalls with the steering wheel locking up. this is a very serious issue that could have caused someone to lose their life. i feel like i have been mislead and cheated out of my money to purchase the vehicle. this car should not have been sold to anyone and why was the dealership not aware of the problem and made the customer aware or did they just not care. toyota has left a bad memory that i will never forget and that is definitely a bad way to run a business. i have not even had the car for 3 months and this is what happens. http://www.aboutautomobile.com/complaint/2002/toyota/camry/steeringhttp://www.carproblemzoo.com/toyota/camry/steering-wheel-problems.php. *tr

I bought this car new in 2002 and have maintained it meticulously. the car overheated for the first time since i bought it on 7/9/12. when i took it to the shop on 7/11/12 for evaluation of the problem, i was told that the cylinder head bolts were defective, causing the car to lose coolant resulting in the overheating incident. the auto shop also told me that this is a design or manufacturing defect that is well known, but toyota refuses to recall these vehicles for repair. the cost of repair is approximately $2200.00 to $2400.00, if it can be repaired. if it cannot be repaired, the engine will have to be replaced at a much higher cost. i went on line to carcomplaints.com and found many other complaints of this same exact problem from other 2002 camry owners around the usa. *tr

Bad threads on engine block. engine leaking coolant. mechanic determined head gasket bad. toyota certified mechanic tore apart engine and on reassembly found the threads on the lower engine block were stripped and this was the cause of the head gasket failure. new engine/rebuild required at $5200. failure caused by faulty threads/engine block at manufacturing end. simply driving vehicle causes threads to disintegrate and catastrophic engine failure. *tr

My 2002 camry had no issues until at about 211,000 miles when antifreeze started to leak from back of engine. after mechanic inspected, he said water had gotten into head gasket. when he tried to remove bolts we noticed three back bolts were loose already and thread was stripped. after having head gasket cleaned and "repaired" this repair guy said there wasn't anything wrong with head itself. all he did was inspect, clean, and sand it. he did say it is a common problem he encounters with toyota's. the only repair he says will work is to have engine block removed and he will rethread all the holes with different material to make sure it doesn't happen again. none of this is a sure fix because it could still fail, the only sure way is to buy a new engine, but if toyota makes defective head gaskets, this will happen again. i have always swore by toyota cars, that is all i have ever owned but i will never buy a vehicle from them again. *js

I purchase a 2002 toyota camry in august 2003 from reinhart toyota in montgomery, alabama. the vehicle was certified used with only about 19000 on the odometer. because it was certified used i assumed that the vehicle had been reviewed to ensure that it had all of its parts and they operated properly. i have driven the vehicle for almost nine years without any major issues. about a year or two ago, the airbag light would come on and stay on in the vehicle when the cabin of the vehicle got hot but i did not take in to have it looked at that time. until recently when i took the vehicle to bob howard toyota in edmond, oklahoma to replace the driver side door handle (which was my third time replacing it) during this time i thought it was good idea to have the technician check out the airbag light also. after the technician conducted their review they informed me that my vehicle did not have a passenger side airbag. they installed resistors to keep the airbag light from coming on to warning me about the issue. this gave me a false sense of security by intentionally falsifying information about the vehicle in order to earn a profit, therefore endangering the lives of my family members. if the light would have come on before i bought the vehicle i would have asked about it but it did not. if they sell a certified used vehicle and they mention that it has dual-side airbags, the consumer should not have to worry about the company lying to them about it. i have driven the vehicle for about nine years with the assumption i had dual airbags in my vehicle to recently find out that i been lied to for the past nine years. now, i am being held responsible for a defect that should have been corrected during the certification of the vehicle. this is unfair have the customer pay for someone elses mistake. they are now refusing to correct the mistake. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving 70 mph when a burning smell emitted inside the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the mechanic confirmed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 100,000.

I bought 4 new pirelli cinturato p5 tires for my 2002 toyota camry in february of 2010 from discount tire. i was told that these tires they easily last for 85,000 miles before having to replace them. since then i gone back to discount tire to have them regularly rotated and balanced. last tire rotation was in the month of december 2011. when i went to get my tires rotated and balanced again on 3-23-2012, i was told that two of the tires are already worn out and other two are close to getting worn out and i would be better off to get new tires to keep me safe while driving. i informed the sales personnel that these tires are just two years old and with less than 27,000 miles since purchased. he mentioned to me that tires many a times do not give the mileage they are rated for. in my case, i got less than 1/3rd of the rated mileage. with my driving pattern (12,000 miles/year), i would have expected these tires to last for about six years as i take good care (rotating, balancing, and alignment) of them. with my driving pattern (12,000 miles/year), i would have expected these tires to last for about six years as i take good care (rotating, balancing, and alignment) of them. *js

Radiator/oil cooler copper nipple disintegrated causing loss of oil. part that failed is original part of vehicle. the nut holding the nipple rusted and crumbled causing the oil cooler hose to separate from the oil cooler. car has never had front end or any other damage. *tr

In a parking lot, picking up a friend. went to drive her home. as i depressed the gas pedal, it suddenly floored itself, engine roared, and the car being in drive, lurched forward towards a row of parked cars. i quickly put the car in reverse, but the car then lurched backwards..... quickly shifted into neutral and killed the engine. asked my friend to get out of the car. started the engine, which continued to roar ar high rpm. i then pumped the pedal a few times, and the rar and rpm's subsided. i motioned to my friend to get in, and slowly drove home. immediately called a neaby toyota dealer. arrangement were made and the car was towed to the dealer on monday, feb. 6, 2012 ( i was afraid to drive it.) [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I purchased a 2002 toyota camry 3 years ago at 115,000 miles. i now have 205,000 as of the date of this letter. last spring, the power steering failed in cold weather and there was a sqeaking noise behind or around my steering wheel so i replaced the pump. it warmed up, so i couldn't test the result. this winter, the problem is much worse and unsafe, so it wasn't that. after nearly hitting a car because i could hardly come out of my turn, i took it to the toyota dealership on 1/17/12. they kept it overnight to experience the problem. they said they would start by replacing the steering column u-joint for $510, but would not guarantee it. i asked 5 other mechanics who said that it can't be that if it only occurs in cold weather, so i told them not to do anything. i'm bringing it back to my town to have others look at it and fix it. most of them feel it is the rack, or, just goo'd up power steering fluid, which they will start with, at a cost of only $50 to drain and refill. i have had rack quotes of $880. this car has always been well maintained and i plan to keep it for 500,000 miles. *tt

I have a 2003 toyota camry and have major damage to cylinder block with stripped head bolts. cost is approx $4700 to repair. i talked to executive offices at toyota they will not help. also has caused coolant to leak into engine. please see http://www.camryforums.com/forum/general-tech-8/2002-stripped-head-bolts-4585/ and check out the "technical service bulletin tsb2740. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that the vehicle was overheating. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic for diagnosis when the contact was informed that the engine was leaking coolant and needed to be replaced. the dealer did not offer any assistance and the manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. the vehicle had not been repaired. the current and the failure mileages were 135,000.

Air bags failed to deploy on a frontal crash that pushed dash into my knees and engine back about 1 ft. i don't think i was injured because i braced the impact. just whiplash and soreness in arms and knees. the car is currently being stored at the insurance company lot but will be junked in the next few days. *tr

Steering became hard and steering wheel would not return to a straight position. this resulted in a near pedestrian accident. *kb

2002 toyota camry. consumer writes in regards to engine problems *tgw the consumer stated his mechanic wanted to charge him an additional $3,450 to perform valve work and other repairs to the engine. the consumer stated when he started the vehicle in the morning time, a plume of exhaust smoke could visibly be seen. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving 20 mph when the steering wheel seized. the contact was unable to maneuver the vehicle and crashed into a pole. the vehicle was towed to a local body shop where the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was destroyed and the contact was injured. the failure and current mileages were 77,398. updated 10/27/11*lj updated 12/06/2011 *ln

After waiting in line at a fast food outlet for about five minutes, my toyota camry's engine suddenly accelerated to very high rpms. only my quick reaction to apply the brakes as hard as i could kept us from hitting the car ahead. the passenger reacted by pulling the emergency brake. shutting off the ignition stopped the engine. it restarted normally and seemed to be fine.

I was losing coolant in my system so i took it to my mechanic. he told me that the head bolts on my engine had become stripped and that i would need a new engine put in. i paid for that repair and now two years later i am having the same symptoms. i went on the internet and found that i am not alone with this problem. it seems that stripped threads are very common in 2002-2008 camrys. it is clearly a design defect. i cannot believe that a class action suit is not being arranged. *tr

Three head bolts in the engine have stripped and pulled out of the engine block. the largest consequence of this is a head gasket failure; this also caused coolant loss and overheating, which in turn ruined my radiator. when my mechanic opened up the engine to replace the head gaskets, these faulty bolts were loose and he was able to pull them out by hand without needing wrenches/tools. the total cost of the fix, which included drilling out and retapping the bolt holes, repairing/resurfacing heads, installing new head gaskets and installing a new radiator exceeded $3500; the only other option was buying a new/reconditioned engine for $7000+. toyota refuses to admit that this line of cars has defective head bolts. my 2002 camry xle had about 98,000 miles on it at the time, which is not a lot by toyota standards. while searching internet forums, i have found many many other people with toyota vehicles (especially camrys from 2002 to 2005) that have had the same exact bolts fail on their engines, leading to blown head gaskets. *tr

2008 toyota camry hybrid floor became wet due to roof drain hoses becoming disconnected from drain pan. consumer feels this should have been covered under warranty. consumer also found a tsb issued in april 2011. *kb

For the last 2 years of its life, the camry had a stalling problem. it would ride ok for a few weeks and then for several days it would stall out frequently. on the highway, the car would sometimes hesitate. stalling occurred mostly when stopping at a stop sign or red light after coming off a highway. the car would start again, and then stall repeatedly at every red light or other event that involved slowing down or stopping. after enduring the stalling problem for many months, on 6/19/09 we took the car to our mechanic. they said the stalling might be caused by a sticking valve or the idle control motor, but they could not fix it. we brought the car to the mechanic again 8/20/09 and they replaced the throttle body assembly, which seemed to help. by spring 2010 the problem was back. we brought the car to the mechanic 5/21/10 and this time they cleaned out egr assembly and checked all vacuum lines. car still stalled so 6/26/10 we took it to toyota dealer. dealer was unable to reproduce the stalling problem and said that next time it happened, we should bring it directly to their service center. on 7/20/10, our son was driving the camry. as before, when he was driving at a higher, steadier speed, the car was ok. when he slowed down to park in a parking garage, the stalling problem recurred. trying to get the car to restart, he stepped on the gas and the engine engaged. the car lurched forward and slammed into a wall inside the parking garage. it was totaled. we believe there was a fundamental manufacturing flaw in our camry that resulted in the repeated stalling. we note other toyota products being recalled for stalling problems, as well as recalls for unintended acceleration. we contacted toyota but they took no responsibility. they said there was nothing they could do without examining the vehicle directly, but by that time the car had been sent to a salvage yard.

2002 camry le with 153,000 suffered failure of catalyst and charcoal canister at time of state inspection. this is the third failure of the catalyst since purchase of the car. dealer said that catalyst is only warrantied for one year from date of installation and gave an estimate of more than $1700 to complete repairs. contact with toyota concerning this ongoing problem was a complete and total waste of time. vehicle taken to private mechanic who performed repairs with conforming non oem parts carrying better warranties at half the price quoted by dealer. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was exiting a residential driveway at 10 mph when the vehicle abnormally accelerated and caused the contact to crash into a mailbox. the manufacturer inspected the vehicle and was unable to locate a failure. the contact previously experienced unintended acceleration in 2008 while attempting to park. the vehicle accelerated and the contact crashed into two vehicles. the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileage was 58,000. updated 08-29/11 *bf the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired for two seperate accidents involving abnormal acceleration. updated 06/15/2012 *js

It is 2002 toyota camry le with 2.4l 2az-fe engine. it happened while car was driven. engine produced a loud bang and stalled. did not started after cranking it. before trip there was noticeable steam out of exhaust. after considering head gasket failure there was attempt to replace the gasket. during repair was found that several head bolts were loose due to striping from their sits. after digging in google it was found that was a common problem for this engines. it seems like it is a manufacturer design flow. all 2az-fe engines are prone to this because of inadequate heat dispersion at the back of the engine. toyota customer service response is that they have nothing to do with it. this is a major design flow and there should be a recall. all engines from 2002 are prone to it. *tr

Instrument panel and all gauges , lights went dead replacing or taking out the fuse which was still good , turns it back on but then when the car is off the dash goes out again. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving 20 mph when suddenly, the vehicle accelerated and the contact was unable to stop the vehicle. the contact crashed into another vehicle and sustained minor chest injures from the seat belt. the contact was able to drive the vehicle from the crash site as the vehicle exhibited an abnormal ticking and rattling. the vehicle was shut off and towed to the local dealer. an investigator was sent by the manufacturer to further inspect the failure who was unable o locate or duplicate a failure. the manufacture would not assist, stating that no failures were discovered within the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 165,000.

Tl* the contact owned a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated while driving approximately 55 mph the vehicle surged forward until crashing into a concrete divider. a police report was filed and the driver suffered minor injuries. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to a towing company. the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure and current miles were 75,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated while driving 45 mph the clutch pedal went to the floor. she had to reach down and pull the pedal up in order to drive onto the emergency lane. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the clutch was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not offer any assistance since the warranty had expired. the vehicle identification number was not available. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 104,000.

I purchased a 2002 toyota camry back in march of this year from a private auto seller. on may 20th while sitting at a stop sign in neutral, my rpm gage all of a sudden surged. i pressed on the gas pedal twice to see if it was stuck since i'd heard news reports that this was reportedly the issue according to toyota when other incidents were reported, but i thought they were with the newer models. nonetheless, when i released the pedal, the gage continued surging. thank goodness i was in neutral when the acceleration started because there were children in the area who were waiting to catch their school bus. i decided to turn off my vehicle and sat for about ten seconds, started it back up and it was still surging for approximately another three seconds, then finally stopped and went back to normal. at that point, i turned back around and parked the car at my home. fortunately, i have another vehicle i was able to drive. that following tuesday i stopped at a toyota dealership in kansas city, kansas and explained to the service parts worker what happened. his explanation was it's the floor mat getting stuck causing the acceleration and that i need to provide my vin number for them to look it up. first of all, this was not a floor mat issue. if that was the case then when i pressed the gas pedal, it should've come unstuck. it's obvious that the dealership wanted to go the route that's going to be the least expensive instead of actually looking into the problem. upon doing some research online, i came across a technical bulletin memo from august 2002 that addressed the acceleration issue stating that it was an electronics glitch. i e-mailed toyota¿s customer service dept. and the only resolution they offered was.....nothing. apparently the warranty has expired for this particular issue so now i have to pay for any repairs done. due to the dangerous nature of these incidents, repairs should be automatic and not at the cost of the consumer! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving 25 mph when the anti-lock braking system malfunctioned with the illumination of the anti-lock brake warning light. when applying the brakes, the pedal would go further into the floorboard than usual. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic for a diagnostic test. the mechanic stated that the rear driver side and both front speed sensors would need to be replaced. the contact called the manufacturer regarding the failure and was advised that there were no recalls for the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 65,869.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed the engine coolant was low and the temperature gauge needed to be replaced. the mechanic replaced the temperature gauge and added more coolant to the vehicle. approximately 100 miles after being repaired the head gasket blew out. the vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic where the contact was informed the engine needed to be replaced. while repairing the engine, the mechaniced noticed the bolts which mounted the engine were stripped. as a result, the engine was previously mounted out of position, preventing the engine coolant from properly entering the engine. the contact was informed that due to this failure, the engine ran at a low temperature and the head gasket failed. the failure mileage was 90,000.

27 may 2011 1. events leading up to the failure: the car battery, incorrectly place directly over the left side air bag sensor normally leaked water and acid onto the wiring harness opening the circuit and causing the air bag light to go on and the car safety air bags to be disabled. the left side air bag sensor maybe moved so that it is not under the car battery or the sensor could be shielded, such as a splash guard. 2. the failure, how often it occurs, it consequences: this is a 2002 or 8 year old car; however, i would estimate this failure could occur within 6 months to four years. the consequences are that the air bags would always fail to deploy in an accident; making the safety system inoperable. 3. what was done to correct the failure; the main engine wiring harness was replaced; toyota wanted $3,800 dollars at first. the two wires to the air bag sensor could have a disconnect, so that only the two wires to the air bag sensor could have needed too be replaced. *tr

Tl* the contact owned a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately 10 mph when another vehicle crashed into the vehicle and the air bags did not deploy. a police report was filed and all three occupants of the vehicle were reported injured. the vehicle was destroyed and towed an insurance lot. the failure was not diagnosed. the failure mileage was unknown. the vin was unavailable.

2002 toyota camry xle upon hitting the brake car will continue to jump while still moving forward. it is happening more and more. almost caused a couple of accidents. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that blue smoke was emitting from the tail pipe abnormally. the contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic for an oil change and the mechanic advised that there was sludge building up in the engine and causing the engine to burn mileage extremely quickly. the failure mileage was 82,000 and the current mileage was 89,000.

My car alarm goes off during the night and will not reset. this has happened periodically. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving at any speed, the contact stated that the vehicle would suddenly stall intermittently, then the check engine warning light illuminated. the dealer advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. the contact did not inform the manufacturer of the failure since he knew that there were no related recalls. no repairs were performed. the current and failure mileage was 50,000.

Atlanta, ga, requires an emission inspection each year. my 2002 camry xle has passed with no problem in past years. when the inspection tester was hooked to the car it reported "not ready" codes in all test categories and the inspection could not be completed. i took the car to my mechanic and he could clear the computer and get it to reset but almost immediately the codes would start to drop off to "not ready" again. he was able to get it to set long enough to complete the inspection that passed properly and then the codes began to drop off again. calls to toyota have received no information on what to do to correct this problem. *tr

Steering wheel became difficult to turn and did not return to center when released. check power steering fluid it was ok. no power steering leaks. took car to have problem evaluated. mechanic said that steering shaft universal joints were worn and rusted and binding up. only solution was to replace entire steering column. he has seen this problem before. if allowed to go too long steering could lock up completely or shaft could shear causing loss of control. repair will cost $900 since entire shaft must be replaced and part is only available from toyota. i have never had this kind of problem with a vehicle and was shocked to know the design of the steering shaft left it exposed to road spray and subsequent corrosion damage. this is a serious safety issue and gave no warning as to the impending failure. steering wheel became very difficult to turn even with the power steering assist. *tr

Traveling on an interstate highway i accelerated to 60 or 65 mph. the steering wheel began vibrating badly and the car started to shake. on slowing down the shaking lessened but continued and the steering wheel stopped vibrating. on bringing the car to the shop they determined that the engine mounts had failed. on replacing the mounts one of them had split into two pieces.

I received a letter in the mail stating there was a recall for my sunroof made by webasto. the serial number of my sunroof is between the range of 6000000 to 6396298. i would like to have it replaced if that is the case, please. *tr

I own a 2002 toyota camry 70,000 mi and while driving one day the steering froze and i was unable to turn the wheel. since that day the steering has become extremely stiff and hard to steer. after checking the power steering fluid levels and found it to be normal i have made an appt with the dealership to have it looked at. after reading these complaints i feel it is an issue with the part itself and a safety issue that toyota should replace. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, he noticed that the temperature gauge increased and the vehicle overheated. he pulled over and opened the hood and found that there was no coolant in the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who advised that the head bolt was stripped. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. the current and failure mileage was approximately 110,000. updated 08/05/11*lj updated 08/15/11

I have a 2002 toyota camry. i have had to replace intermediate steering shaft in the steering column. the toyota service manager told me this was a common problem and happened a lot in this model. after doing some research i found that this happens too often to the 2002 camry. the steering column is a two piece rod that could to catastrophic steering loss. i contacted toyota complaint department and they told me was that they had issued a service call that only included greasing the shaft. *tr

The steering failed, too hard to turn the wheel. the repair shop replaced the steering shaft with u- joints. they said it is common in 2002 camry. *tr

In july 2010, i was driving my 2002 toyota camry at approximately 40 mph on a heavily traveled two lane highway, accelerating as i approached a grade, when suddenly there was no response from my accelerator pedal. the check engine light came on, and the car stalled. there was a group of bicyclists on the right shoulder. i activated my emergency flashers, and managed with difficulty to pull off the road. i could restart the engine, but the cel remained on, and the car would not respond to the accelerator in any gear. the car was towed to the dealership, where error code p1121 was found. the ecu was replaced, and i was assured the problem had been resolved. this was an extremely dangerous situation that cost me several sleepless nights, and it was fortunate that it did not result in an accident, injury, or worse. on february 17, 2011, i was driving at about 30-35 mph when once again the accelerator would not respond and the cel lit up. this time, the engine did not stall. i pulled off the road and changed gears and depressed the accelerator many times with no response. finally, the car moved and i was able to drive it the short distance home. after calling the dealership, who agreed the car was not safe to drive until checked, it was towed to the dealer, where the same code p1121 was read. all components indicated by this code were checked and deemed okay. after the dealer contacted toyota, the car was also checked for grounding and voltage issues. again, everything checked out okay. the dealership kept and drove the car, trying unsuccessfully to duplicate the problem. it remains there today while we decide what to do with it. the dealership and toyota are not offering any solutions. i feel that the car is unreliable and unsafe. research on the internet convinces me this is not an isolated incident, and it needs to be resolved no matter how much it costs. a price cannot be put on life or peace of mind. please investigate! updated 06/24/11 *bf *tr repairs attached.. updated 01/05/2012 *ln *tr

Automatic transmission failure on the freeway. initially hard-shifting, then loss of power when accelerating to pass. miles later while cruising on level ground on the freeway, the transmission disconnected (felt like it went to neutral) and i needed to pull over to the side of the road immediately. turned off engine, waited and re-started car. used a merging ramp to safely merge back into traffic. toyota dealer tells me that the transmission fluid was like "chocolate" and there were chunks of metal in the bottom of the pan. needed a new transmission ($3300-$4800). car was last serviced at another toyota dealer (wondries in alhambra, ca) 14,000 miles ago and had the transmission fluid changed at that time. *tr

The car accelerates at a high rate with little pressure on gas. it seems to happen at random times when the car is warm. i could be stopped at a red light then have it happen when the light turns and i step on the gas. it also has happened when accelerating while still moving ie: taking a corner while slowing then stepping on the gas once i have straightened out. *tr

S10 direct reply-letter to the secretary from (2002 toyota camry sudden acceleration) *tgw the consumer stated when the gear was placed in reverse, the vehicle went out of control. the vehicle would not stop when the brakes were applied and consequently, the consumer crashed into a building. *jb updated 01/20/11

On nov. 11, 2010 while driving my 2002 camry, suddenly the engine accelerate, not brakes function at that time then i took a slope were vehicle finally stop and turn the engine off. call the auto-dealer for appointment to check failure. meanwhile only vehicle problem was the revolutions (rpm), too low on nov. 24, 2010 took the vehicle to the auto-dealer were the mechanic stated, failure was caused by the throttle. replacement by a new throttle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle independently decelerated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed as a faulty accelerator. the vehicle was repaired. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 120,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately 20 mph when the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into a brick wall. the contact was injured. the vehicle was destroyed. a police report was available. the contact called the manufacturer who advised that someone would get back to her. updated 1/19/2010 updated 04/20/11

Stuck accelerator pedal 2002 toyota camry. i have a 2002 toyota camry se 4 cylinder automatic that has had the accelerator stick under the floor mat several times in the last week. i have been able to pull the mat off the accelerator so far. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that both rear doors did not lock or unlock automatically. the contact had to open the front doors to unlock the vehicle and had to manually lock the rear doors before exiting. the dealer inspected the vehicle but the contact could not remember what the dealer said needed to be repaired. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was approximately 105,000.

I have a 2002 toyota camry which has faulty brakes. earlier in the year i was using this car for long distances due to school and work. i thought this car would be safer because of its larger body and smoother drive. i noticed that the brakes had a slow response time and that if i had to stop hard, i could end up hitting the car in front of me. i had to deal with the stop and go of rush hour every day and one day i was driving my friend home and there was a sudden stop in traffic and if i hadn't stopped in the emergency lane to stop, i would have ran into the car in the front of me. later, on my graduation day from college, my father was driving the car home and there was a car turning left in the oncoming lane and due to the brakes slow response time we ending up hitting the car at a speed that could have been controlled if the brakes had worked better. because of this accident i have injuries that bother me still to this day. we have had several tune-ups and brake checks to see if they are working correctly and have never heard once that the brakes have an issue. i looked on a blog and realized that a lot of other owners of 2002 camry's have the same problem. they have gotten them tightened and checked and fear that an accident could occur, which in my case happened and could have been even worse if we were driving at an ever faster speed. *tr

Vehicle dies in middle of the road when idling. this almost caused an accident a few days back. i am told this is the failed throttle body (apparently a defective part) which has already been replaced once on my vehicle. *tr

2002 toyota camry. s10 appropriate handling- letter from regarding toyota problem *tgw the consumer stated she as well as her husband experienced sudden acceleration on three separate occasions which resulted in accidents. the first accident occurred when the consumer was slowing down to make a left turn, when suddenly she found herself in the middle of heavy traffic and subsequently was hit by another vehicle. she was cited for failing to yield. the second time, her husband was stopping on a side street before entering a main street and he discovered he was unable to stop the vehicle and consequently, hit another vehicle. the last accident, the consumer stated the vehicle suddenly accelerated and she crashed into her garage wall causing thousands of dollars worth of damage. the consumer stated prior to the accidents. there were rare occasions, at anticipated stops when she lifted her foot from the accelerator to slow down to place it on the brake, the brake would not engage. instead of slowing down, the vehicle would lurch ahead. *jb

My 2002 toyota camry had stalled-engine problem these years. most of the problem happened when the car stopped at the traffic red light or stop sign. when i apply the brake to slow down and waiting at the traffic lights or at the stop sign, my camry car engine abruptly ceases operating and stops turning. i have to turn the key and start the engine again. this problem happened a lot of times these years and give me a big trouble when a lot of other cars waiting behind me. it's not safe and be dangerous especially in heavy traffic. this stalled engine problem just happened this morning when i sent my son to the baseball game. *tr

2002 toyota camry. appropriate handling- letter from regarding toyota's recall including the 2002 toyota camry *tgw the consumer stated in april 2004, the vehicle surged when he applied the brake going downhill into a parking garage. he was able to stop by putting the gear in park. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they were unable to duplicate the problem. in december 2008, as he was coming to stop in a driveway, slightly downhill, the vehicle surged again. he had his foot on the brake in preparation to come to a full stop. there was not much room to stop, so consequently, the consumer crashed into a garage and caused damage to a park car. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that the driver started the vehicle and shifted into reverse, when it suddenly accelerated forward to 65 mph. the vehicle crashed into a garage and hit another vehicle, pushing the vehicle two feet. the driver turned off the vehicle and got out. the right front tire on the contact's vehicle melted because of the heat accumulated because of the acceleration. there were no injuries. a police report was filed. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer had not been notified. the vin was unavailable. the current and failure mileages were approximately 90,000.

About 2 months ago i started experiencing a jerking of my car at about 40 mph. my car is a 2002 camry xle v6. i took it to the dealership and had two tech's ride with me and they experienced the jerking but couldn't determine what it was. now the jerking is getting worse and is happening at all speeds. i have about 111000 miles on the car presently. i have had a few times where i thought the car was going to stop completely in the middle of traffic. i called toyota's national office to make sure my dealership hadn't missed a recall or service bulletin and the national office said there wasn't a recall or service bulletin. however, i have found many similar complaints on the internet. the national office offered to call my dealership, which they did, i don't know what they'll do for me since last time they told me until a check engine light comes on they can't do anything. i have never had a check engine light come on. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately 20 mph approaching an intersection to make a left turn. when the brake was applied there was an unintended acceleration and caused the vehicle to crash into the proceeding vehicle. there were no personal injuries. a police report was filed of the incident. the contact was able to drive the vehicle from the scene. the failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

2002 camry with only 50,586 miles driven very easy by my wife. vsc trac off lights come on and stay on after car is in motion which i am told means the vehicle stability control is not working. in certain situations am told this can possibly cause an accident or injury. took car to a toyota dealer and am told it needs a skid control ecu and yaw rate sensor at a cost of $2600 plus tax. have called toyota customer assistance center and all they will do is contact the dealer's customer relations person to see what they are willing to do. i guess toyota isn't willing to do anything. i am reporting this because i have heard there have been issues with toyota's vehicle stability control. *tr

2002 toyota camry. consumer states problem with brakes *tgw the consumer stated when he applied the brakes to slow down, there was no brake response and the vehicle continued to accelerate. consequently, the consumer rear ended another vehicle. the consumer and his wife suffered minor injuries. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. after starting the vehicle the contact shifted into drive gear and noticed the vehicle would not accelerate unless the pedal was depressed more than 3/4 of the way down. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed a computer chip was malfunctioning. the vehicle was not repaired. there were no prior warnings. the failure mileage was 31000 and the current mileage was 32000.

1. events leading to failure: on 11/21/09. at about 10:45 pm, the accelerator on my 2002 toyota camry xle jammed open. 2. consequences: i tried to stop the car by stepping very hard on the brake pedal, but the car kept accelerating. as a result, the car hit a tree head-on. my wife and i both suffered bodily injuries. 3. what was done to correct the failure: i wrote three letters to toyota, and i received replies to each one. toyota sent an investigator to examine my car. toyota's legal department concluded that there was nothing wrong with my car that could hsve caused the sudden acceleration. however, they would not release to me the data that they obtained, from downloading the data from the car's main computer. *tr

Failure of door latches on a toyota 2002 camry. in the last year i have had both door latches on the driver and passenger side to break without any notice, preventing exit from the vehicle. contacted toyota and the y not acknowledge any problems with the latches. *tr

We were riding on a cobble stone street going very slow in a tourist area of savannah, ga. our 2002 toyota camry, suddenly accelerated out of control. with the brake fully engaged we skidded down the street in shock. it lasted about 4 to 5 seconds and thankfully there were no people or other cars in the way. i estimate we went about 50 yards. it stopped as suddenly as it started. we then called the police to report what happened as we were very shook up. we reported this to the toyota dealer we bought the car from. they had it towed to their dealership. then they said they could not find anything wrong with the car and they would call toyota for further direction. i am waiting for them to call me back. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while examining the vehicle the contact noticed a puddle of coolant underneath the vehicle where it was parked. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the water pump was replaced; however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the local mechanic where the radiator was replaced. one month after the vehicle was repaired the failure recurred. there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 130000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving 20 mph when the steering failed and became extremely resistant. the dealer inspected the vehicle and advised the contact that the steering column would need replacing. the vehicle was repaired by the dealer. the failure and current mileage was 90,000.

Car was filled with gas on return trip and while in traffic suddenly began to decelerate with no warning. the car was pulled over and stopped. samaritans stopped to support stranded car and when they tried to turn the car on , it would not turn over. when checked by a individual who identified himself as a mechanic, he said, he didn't understand the problem. it was clear that there was oil in the car and it was clean. insurance company and towing service support called and $400.00 plus dollars later the car was returned to local dealer. after conversation with dealer representative , we were informed that our obvious negligence around regular maintenance and oil changes were the cause of the oil sludge that caused the damage to our car to the tune of $4,600. several conversations later, allowing cooler heads to prevail, we were able to gain some support from the local dealer however we were still responsible for the cost of the second hand engine because toyota refused to cover the cost of the problem.because we live in a small community and have been doing business with this group for years, we were able to get the part of the car that contributed to the problem. the mechanic in question reported that he had never seen anything quite like this before and he ha been working for many years at the same location. additionally, we have access to the paperwork from our local mechanic who has routinely done the oil checks since we've had the car. even after phone calls and letter requesting that toyota "do the right thing" even though our situation was a few months shy of the "07 settlement, they refused to take any responsibility. *tr

Stopped in line at fast food drive-up. placed vehicle in park. placed vehicle in drive to move forward and the vehicle quickly accelerated. stepped on brake pedal and the vehicle would not stop. vehicle stopped after slamming into vehicle in front. will be going by the toyota dealership in the morning to report what happened. *tr

I think my 2002 toyota camry has the same steering problem as the recent steering recall for the toyota avalons. on 2/27/09 i had to get $970.00 of repairs including a "reman gear assy and cone returm". when i brought the car in for repairs the toyota dealer was stumped as to the problem, but it sounds a lot like the recent avalon problem, could the camrys have the same defective parts? *tr

One of two electronic accelerator position sensors malfunctioned on my 2002 toyota camry. i experienced a sluggish response to pedal action (i.e. i had to push the pedal farther than normal to gain any acceleration - check engine light was also illuminated). i immediately drove to my mechanic's shop for evaluation and repair. after running diagnostics, he determined that the sensor had malfunctioned and advised me not to drive the car any further until it was repaired. as i understand it, from my mechanic's explanation, the sensor determines the position of the accelerator and sends a request for acceleration as a voltage ranging from 0-5v, where 0v is no acceleration and 5v is full-throttle. through further testing, he determined that the sensor that had malfunctioned was reading 5v. i find it very concerning that in the event of failure the sensor does not "fail safe" (i.e. fail to 0v, rather than 5v). the technician explained that the second sensor was there as a safety redundancy, but either way, "fail safe" is one of the most basic design concepts in an application where safety is critical as is the case here. in my conversation with toyota, they would not stand behind the part (my warranty had expired and it was not on recall), nor could they give me any assurance that the replacement part had been redesigned in such a way that it would "fail safe." i am a wife, mother of two small children, and the primary income generator for our family. i do not feel good about what i now know about the safety of my car and do not feel that toyota took my concerns to heart. i would appreciate anything you could do to help. i suspect i may not be the only one to experience this safety failure. *tr

Passenger front door latch no longer closes. the door needed to be taped shut to drive it home. the latch failed in the open state instead of the closed state and i'm concerned this could happen to someone while on the road. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving approximately 65 mph, the contact observed that the odometer and trip odometer displayed an inaccurate calculation. the odometer reading would increase by 1.6 miles for every mile being traveled. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 110,000. updated 11/03/10. *lj

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while the contact was driving less than 40 mph, there was a noise coming from the engine compartment. the oil temperature gauge indicated the engine was overheating. the vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and inspected underneath the hood area. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnosis and repair. the technician recommended that the engine be replaced due to the defective cylinder head bolts. the technician ordered a new replacement engine at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was 140,000. the vin was unavailable.

On my camry 2002 se engine stalls and/or rough idles anytime while cold or after being warmed up. premature and unjustified throttle body failure is suspected. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving approximately 15 mph up hill the vehicle lost power without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the diagnostic test identified the accelerator position sensor caused the failure to occur. the manufacturer was contacted, but they would not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileages were 58,000.

I have been experiencing much difficulty with acceleration when driving my 02 toyota camry xle..i step on the gas and the car hesitates to accelerate..then all of a sudden it goes hard..this is now on a daily basis whenever i drive. *tr

We were leaving a gas station and proceeded to go around the back of the gas station but decided there was insufficient amount of area to go through between the gas station and an iga store.. the wife put the camry in reverse and the engine accelerated and backed into a telephone pole ..it threw us forward and again backed into the pole.. my wife automatically put the car in drive and the car shot through between the store and the gas station.. it broke both side mirrors and scratched down the sides of the car.. we proceeded into three lanes of traffic, hitting a honda van in the passenger door.. the car kept going across two more lanes of traffic and into the gas station across the street before i finally reacted and told the wife to apply the emergency brake...the car stopped about two feet from hitting another vehicle..and the other gas station.. both vehicles were totaled in the accident.. the car would not stop even with my wife riding the brake until we hit the van.. witnesses said they heard the brakes squealing as we were coming out of the gas station area.. *tr

2002 toyota camry. consumer states problem with bucking and hesitation *tgw the dealer did note the transmission fluid had a slight metallic odor. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. she stated while driving at speeds of 40 mph attempting to brake for a traffic stop, the vehicle abnormally accelerated. the contact was unable to stop the vehicle and crashed into another vehicle. the police arrived on scene and the vehicle was towed. a police report was available. the contacts vehicle was destroyed. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer were contacted. the failure mileage was 60,000. updated 06/24/10 *bf updated 07/06/10 updated 8/9/10 *cn according to the consumer, her husband was killed as well as another motorist. there were also two injuries. updated 08/11/10

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. she stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the electrical system failed causing the vehicle to lose power and the abs system failed. the dealer advised that the vehicle computer system was damaged causing the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer would not provide any assistance. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 30,000 and the current mileage was 50,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that while reversing from a driveway, the vehicle abnormally accelerated backward. the contact attempted to depress the brake but to no avail. the vehicle proceeded to crash into three parked vehicles. the contact was not injured and a police report was filed accordingly at the scene. the body damage to the vehicle was repaired however; the vehicle was not diagnosed for the sudden acceleration failure. the failure mileage was approximately 155,000 and the current mileage was approximately 165,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, the gear shift selector independently moved to the drive position but the vehicle did not roll away. on a separate occasion, the vehicle was parked and unoccupied and when she returned to where she had parked the vehicle, it had rolled into a different parking spot and the gear shift selector had again moved to the drive position. the dealer advised that the gear shift unit would need to be replaced and repairs were made at her expense. the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the transmission solenoid was lubricated. the failure had not recur following repairs. the failure and current mileages were approximately 55,822. updated 07/19/10.*lj updated 07/26/10*jb

This is an ongoing problem. whenever i hit a pothole or a bump and i hit my brakes to slow down, the car makes this really loud grinding sound and the car does not stop at all and keeps accelerating. the only way i can get the brakes to engaged is by taking my foot off the brake completely and stepping on it again. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving 15 mph, the vehicle was struck by another vehicle on the front passenger side and the side air bags did not deploy. the current and failure mileages were approximately 171,000. updated 07/29/10 *bf the consumer stated he received a recall notice from toyota regarding a recall for the side air bags. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for an inspection and the consumer was informed the side air bags were ok. updated 08/03/10.*jb

2002 toyota camry. consumer states sudden unintended acceleration. *tgw the consumer stated as his wife entered the driveway, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into the consumers other vehicle. *jb

I purchased a 2002 toyota camry le, carfax one owner, steering lose hard to turn took to shop that's been in operation since 1972 told i had acracked steering column the same as the toyota trucks and suv mid 2000 models. the shop said it would be 750.00 dollars should take to toyota as they have seen this problem before in toyota cars and trucks. called toyota they said car was to old even though other wise car in perfect mechanical condition. i'm sure i am not the only consumer out their with this problem. there is no excuse for cracks in any vehicle's steering column since this is one of the most component on any vehicle, the big 3 never had this problem, even though they had scores of others. every one knows this is unacceptable, faulty steering cracks on a -1 used car because of a design flaw, not usage. *tr

On driving, smoke and fire from passenger side door, 2002 toyota camry le. *tr

2002 toyota acceleration in reverse. on 30 april 2009 the camry accelerated and crashed in to a pt cruiser. the crash was reported to toyota in april 2010, and case number 1004020679 was made. when the consumers wife put her foot on the brake and started the engine, it had a very high idle after it was started. she placed the transmission into reverse with her foot still on the brake when suddenly, the vehicle accelerated backwards and hit a parked vehicle. updated ivoq 05/25/10 the consumer received a letter from toyota stating diagnostic testing did not reveal any type of manufacturing design or defects which contributed to the accident. updated ivoq. 10/18/10*jb.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact noticed the vehicle leaking coolant and took the vehicle to an independent repair shop. the mechanic informed him that the head bolts were stripped and the head gasket had blown. the mechanic told the contact that the problem was common with his particular model. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were approximately 99,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while making a u-turn at 2 mph on the grass, the vehicle suddenly accelerated until the brakes were applied. the vehicle had not been repaired and the problem had not resurfaced when the complaint was filed. the failure mileage was approximately 35,000. the current mileage was 36,000. updated 08/03/10. *lj updated 09/21/10*jb

Tl*-the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately 35 mph approaching traffic stop signal. when the brake pedal was engaged the vehicle accelerated and crashed into another vehicle. there were no personal injuries and the vehicle sustained damages. a police report was filed of the incident. the vehicle was not included in a recall defect. the failure mileage was unavailable. the current mileage was 53,000.

Tl*the contact owned a 2002 toyota camry. on february 5, 2004 on, the driver attempted to make a left turn when the vehicle accelerated uncontrollably and crashed into a tree. the passenger and driver were both injured. the speed when the failure occurred was 30 mph. the police responded and a police report was filed. an ambulance report is also available if needed. the air bags deployed after the crash occurred. the vehicle was towed to repair facility where it was repaired. the vehicle was sold when the complaint was filed. updated 05/12/10. *lj updated 10/12/10

Veh# 1 was exiting burbank ave turning left onto colonel john gardner when the floor mat became stuck' under the gas pedal,ca;using the vehicle to race forward.mcc turned the wheel but drove across the front lawn at 140 cjg . vehicle then went across the street into the circuliar driveway at cjg striking several landscaping oiers , knocking sthem on the ground. the vehicle then went thru an 8! foot section of split rail fence and ran over a ail box post with 3 mailboxes on the property on the property of133 cjg. vehicle then crossed sthe street and struck a tree causing extensive front end damage.

I have just filed a complaint and have since found my vin number. i would like to provide that to you now as an addendum to my complaint. my car surged forward even while i was applying the brakes at the intersection of hwy 1604 and i-10 at 4:45 p.m on january 14, 2010. i crashed into the car in front of me smashing badly the front of my car but barely scratching the other car's rear bumper. the other party didn't want a police report. i have his name and phone number for verification of the incident. i will be in komaki,japan until july 2010 so please contact me through e-mail until then. *tr

My 2002 toyota camry failed to stop at an intersection in san antonio, texas not far from my home. it surged forward and plowed into the car infront of me smashing the front of the toyota but barely scratching the other car's rear bumper. this happened at 4:45 p.m on january 14, 2010 at the intersection of hwy 1604 and hwy 10. i know i was pressing the brakes when this happened. i will be in komaki, japan until july 21, 2010. since i'm not home now with my vehicle, i can't provide my vin number until i return to the united states, but i will then.*tr

The metropolitan police department investigated an automobile accident that involved a 2002 toyota camry w/ a v6 and cruise control. the operator claims the vehicle accelerated without pedal application causing the crash. he struck several trees and rolled over. if you have any questions or need more information, please call me at [xxx] . information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Claimant was pulling into her parking spot on the third floor of a parking garage in menands, ny when she experienced unanticipated acceleration of her 2002 toyota camry. the police report states that no skid marks were present, indicating that she did not pull into the spot fast. at the end of the parking spot there were marks indicating that the tires were spinning. the spin marks continued up onto the concrete curbing and also onto the guard rail. due to the unanticipated acceleration claimants vehicle drove over the guardrail and concrete barrier of the third floor parking garage, flipping over, and landing upside down on the ground level. *tr *dt

Since my purchase in december 2003 of a used toyota camry xle, six cylinder (vin [xxx] , there have been three (3) instances of unintended acceleration. twice i was behind the wheel; once my wife was. in each case, circumstances were similar: the car was idling in neutral or park; the driver put his/her foot on the brake and shifted into drive; virtually simultaneously the engine accelerated rapidly. in each case the driver's foot on the brake prevented the car from moving forward with any speed, but it was necessary to press hard on the brake -- and even with that in at least one instance the car strained and bucked. the situations were resolved when the driver shifted. in two instances the shift was into park and the vehicle then stalled in each case. i do not recall clearly whether the shift in the third instance was into park or neutral or whether the vehicle stalled. we were at the time exiting a gas station and merging into traffic. in no instance was there a problem with the mat and in no case was the driver's foot on the accelerator. rather the right foot was in each case on the brake. the approximate dates of the instances were fall 2006, june 2009, and september 2009. the first instance was reported to oaklawn toyota, oaklawn, illinois; the second to toyota south, richmond, kentucky. each was the then servicing dealer with toyota south also the dealer from whom the car was purchased. neither dealer could find anything wrong with the car. the third instance was not reported. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Last year, i was at a shell gas station at lunchtime to vacuum out my car. right behind the vacuum was a gas pump. after parking my car and removing the carpets, i went to put change in the vac..the side of the vac i was on was broken. so i got back in my car to move to the other side of the vacuum. i started my car, put my foot on the brake to put the car in reverse, and my car had a power surge and started going on its own. my car backed into the gas pump that was behind the vaccuum. my car was a 2002 toyota camry, and it just surged and took off on its own. here is a link to what was reported on the news: http://www.wcpo.com/content/news/neighborhoods/deerfield_township/story/fire-at-gas-station-destroys-2-cars/m2yynuvwq0in6lql1nauda.cspx thanks. shalini

2002 toyota camry. consumer states sudden acceleration. *tgw the consumer pulled into a garage. the turn into the garage was tight, so it required her to back up and then pull forward in order to execute the turn. she backed up and turned the steering wheel hard to the right. she had her foot on the brake and shifted from reverse to forward when all of a sudden, the vehicle accelerated out of control and crashed into the house, doing several thousand dollars of damage to the house and the vehicle. several weeks later the same situation occurred. fortunately, the consumer's foot was on the brake when she shifted, so the vehicle only shot forward a few feet before she was able to stop it. *jb updated 03/30/10 second document was sent in as a congressional letter.*jb updated 06/02/10 *jb

Sudden acceleration fourth occurrence. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately 65 mph when she release the accelerator pedal to apply her foot to the brake pedal, the vehicle kept accelerating. as a result, the contact crashed into another vehicle. there were three people injured in the crash. the contact stated that the vehicle was at her insurance company. the vehicle had not been taken to the dealer for diagnostic and testing. the contact stated there are 2 people in the family that drive the vehicle and 2 people have experienced unintended acceleration. the approximate failure and current mileages were 49,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while attempting to drive 5 mph into a parking space, the vehicle abnormally accelerated without driver intent. as a result, the vehicle was involved in a crash and was severely damaged. there was no mention of any injuries or if a police report was filed. the dealer was unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. the manufacturer would provide no assistance. the failure and current mileages were 50,000.

I was on a 150 mile trip. was going down a hill in the country and lost speed control of my car. the car was going faster and faster and the brakes were doing nothing. we flew over a railroad crossing and through an intersection. i brought the car under control using the emergency brake. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving at speeds of 60 mph in clear weather conditions, he placed his foot on the brake pedal and the vehicle abnormally accelerated. he was unable to maintain control of the unintended acceleration as the vehicle persisted to crash into another vehicle. the vehicle was destroyed. the current and failure mileages were 112377 5/10/2010*cw updated 05/14/10.*jb

This is in reference to the recently announced toyota recall for increased unintended acceleration of the vehicle. i believe this is an issue dating back to 2002 toyota model cars. i would like to add that i believe toyota was aware of the potential problem. let me explain: my mother purchased a new 2002 toyota camry in 2001, and within 3-6 months of driving the vehicle she experienced the unintended increased acceleration with complete braking failure problem more than once. i was a passenger on one incident, sitting in the back seat, and the car accelerated on it's own from 25mph to 45 mph, hand brake, pedal brake all failed when applied. car kept moving. if i had not reached across from the back seat and jammed the car gear from drive into the park position, there would have been an accident with injuries or worse. my mom refused to drive the vehicle after this incident on may 21,2002. she tried to trade it in and get her money back from the dealer in dallas/ft.worth area, but the toyota dealer refused. she had to go thru an official arbitration board hearing with the executives at toyota because she did not want to drive the vehicle and wanted to return it. the toyota board hearing outcome was not in her favor. go figure. but on the way out of the hearing the lead toyota mechanic took her aside and told her "off" the record "that this acceleration problem was going to be a big problem in the future" and that he was sorry. that same week my mom traded her new 2002 toyota camry in for a new honda at the honda dealer. my mom since has passed away. anyway, i just thought that due to the importance of this issue i would share our story with you. in addition my sisters accompanied my mom to her arbitration hearing at toyota in dallas ft worth area along with my brother in law who is a ford mechanic , and i am sure they can provide more information regarding the hearing events if needed. we think further investigation may be warranted. *tr

I was rear-ended on the highway while driving my 2002 toyota camry. when i tried to slow down and move into the breakdown lane, the car accelerated. i ended up going down an embankment hitting several trees. the car was eventually spun around and crashed rear end into a tree. the car was totaled. my passenger and i experienced concussion syndrome along with muscle spasms in the neck, back, and ankle. we were taken by ambulance to the new britain general hospital where we were treated and released . we are both receiving follow-up medical care. *tr

Last year, 2009 on dec. 6th, 10th, and 12th, my brakes failed at very low speeds and could not stop my 2002 camry xle purchased new at the toyota dealership.. finally stopped by running into heavy bushes. car never speeded up. took to dealer with no results. then took to a garage, entire system checked. their diagnosis was the master cylinder. this was replaced and worked fine from 12/23/09 to 2/23/10. then on this date i turned from the street to enter a restraint parking lot. everything was fine as i slowed to turn straight into a parking. my speed could not have been but 3 to 4 miles per hour.the brakes did not stop the car and i ran into the side of the building. the four times this happened was twice in reverse and twice going forward . the car never accelerated at any of the four times. the speed was always under 4 to 5 mph. i was able to drive to my home and the camry has set in my garage since then. *tr

While entering a parking stall our perfectly maintained 2002 toyota camry seemed to go full-throttle and tossed us over a curb, a sidewalk, under a steel handrail, and down a 15 ft rockery, just missing trees and a building..totaling our car. we walked away sore and shaken, but uninjured. the investigating officer's report states "rear tires leaving visible drag marks on the sidewalk" indicating the brakes were engaged. this sidewalk is attached to the curb so the brakes were engaged during the entire incident. the car was totaled, and $3800.00 damage was done to the apartment complex property. *tr

2002 camry driver experienced sudden unintended acceleration through stop sign(s) into yard and concrete barrier, resulting in property damage and death. updated 05/10/10 *bf *tr updated ivoq 08/26/10 updated 9/29/11*cw

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while the contact was driving 30mph ,the vehicle suddenly began to accelerate without warning causing the vehicle to crash into an embankment and flipped over on top of its hood. no one was injured during the crash. a police report was filed for the incident. the vehicle had not been diagnosed by the dealership and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 152000. updated 4/22/10 *cn updated 08/11/10

I have a 2002 camry that i bought new at smithtown toyota and i experienced the very same problem with my brakes from ¿day one¿ that has now been identified on the prius & lexus models. i had the brakes checked quite a few times by smithtown toyota & again by riverhead toyota when i moved to the area in august 2003 & was told that there was nothing wrong with the brakes. since i was the one driving the car, i thought the explanation was a bit cavalier since my brakes continued to fail on uneven surfaces. i wrote to the dealership & toyota headquarters numerous times but was ignored (i have copies of my correspondence). after all these years, i have become adept at handling the car when the brakes fail but i have had some very close calls when the car keeps moving into intersections after trying to stop. apparently, toyota has misdiagnosed my problem for years. i paid $700 in 2007 to have new ¿brake sensors¿ installed but they did not fix my problem. i have been very lucky to not have had a serious accident in the last 6+ years! the brakes are still grabbing and locking on rough surfaces yet toyota has continued to deny that there is a problem & that it is more widespread than being acknowledged. *tr

The car suddenly accelerated forward while pulling into the driveway and crashed through the garage door crashing into a refrigerator. the crash also damaged a sewer line and many other items in the garage. the garage door was destroyed. damage to the car was more then $5000 and property damage close to that. there were no injuries to people. there had been no acceleration issues with this car before this. we believe it may have had something to do with the sudden acceleration problems that some toyota¿s have been having. crash repairs to the car and the house have been completed but nothing regarding the possible acceleration issue since the 2002 camry has not been recalled. *tr

Engine racing in 2002 toyota camry. *tr

Twice on start-up i had the engine race, sounding like a jet revving up. last time was as i parked in the garage after using the car it revved up sounding again like a jet starting up. i thought someone or some thing had come up behind me in driveway. dates were approximately oct. 2008 and nov. 2009. car has under 45,000 actual miles on it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. on april 1, 2004 the contact was involved in an accident. while pulling out of a parking space, the vehicle surged forward, then backwards landing on top of another vehicle. the contact was injured. a police report was filed. the contact spoke with the manufacturer and filed a complaint. the manufacturer stated the contact stepped on the incorrect pedal. the contact stated the vehicle was destroyed. updated 5/17/2010 * cn the consumer stated when the vehicle accelerated out of control, it kept going around in a circle in reverse even with her foot on the brake. the trunk of her vehicle landed n top of another vehicle when it finally stopped. updated 09/16/10

2002 toyota camry le. consumer states unintended acceleration. *tgw the consumer stated as she approached an intersection, she attempted to apply the brake, but the vehicle began to lurch forward and would not stop. in order to avoid going into a major intersection, the consumer steered toward a ditch. the second incident occurred when the consumer was approaching a light, once again the vehicle starting accelerating. the consumer was able to steer the vehicle toward a vacant field. the vehicle was inspected for a second time, but, the dealer was unable to duplicate the problem. *jb

Tl* the contact owned a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that his daughter was driving the vehicle and suddenly it went out of control. the vehicle went off the road, into a ditch and then overturned. she was killed due to the accident and the vehicle was totaled. the state trooper made a report but no one could figure out why the brakes were not applied or what the cause for the accident was. the contact had not spoken with the dealer or the manufacturer to-date. the contact stated that the current and failure mileages were 40,000. updated 04/15/10. *lj updated 05/19/10 *bf the deceased struck a tree and then overturned. updated 05/20/10.*jb updated 09/30/10*jb updated 9/29/2011*cw

Sudden acceleration while backing out of driveway. brought under control by intensive braking at the time it was thought to be an isolated incident - so no remedy was sought aprox. 5 mph. 9-26-08 sudden acceleration and brake failure when pulling out of gas station and making right hand turn within 100 feet of gas station-finally under control within 12" of home aprox. 15 mph. diagnosis - abs sensor failure complete braking system replaced. 5-21-09 sudden acceleration and brake failure while trying to slow down from 5 mph resulting in citation by ma state police for driving 87 mph. court records available (i've never had a citation ever in 45 years of driving.) 8-31-09 sudden acceleration & brake failure aprox 15 mph. brake failure - completely new brake system installed. toyota doesn't return calls. dealership says it's not on recall list so they refer me to toyota. i have less than 59,000 miles on this car it is a 2002. we do not drive it much since the second incident on 9-26-08. updated 04/28/10.*jb

We have a 2002 toyota camry with a 2.4 liter engine with a 38, 900 miles in the odometer. and on march 4, 2010 my wife came home from a the grocery store asked me to check the car because of the check engine light iis on. i drove the car for a test drive around our neighborhood for five minutes with the speed of 10 miles to 15 miles an hour. before i came to the stop sign, the engine start racing, rpm is up the red line, i could hear the engine roar. i step on the brake hard, shift the gear hard into park and turn off the ignition. i was so lucky, i was driving in the right place and the right time with no traffic and kids playing on the street. if my wife would be driving at that moment especially she is an elderly like me, it could be big accident. it's a terrifying experience. i suggest that 2002 camry should be included in the recall. before somebody gets hurt. that same day i called toyota dealership for service appointment. *tr

This is my second event and complaint concerning a sudden acceleration incident with my 2002 toyota camry. please reference my first complaint odi #10312684. today (3/8/2010) while pulling up to my mailbox my camry lurched forward at a high rate of speed. my foot was not on the accelerator pedal when this happened. it was on the brake pedal because i was stopping at my mailbox when this occurred. i immediately applied all of my body weight on the brake pedal and was able to stop the car after about 10 - 12 feet. upon stopping i immediately placed the gearshift in park and turned the key off. *tr

1. the was no prior notice of defect. 2. the fuel pedal assembly failed generating a check engine light, and the car became unable to drive safely. the car became very erratic and would not operate unless running over 20 mph. *tr 3. the car was taken to the dealer where the fuel pedal assembly was found defective and replaced. updated 01/06/11 *bf

While i was pulling my 2002 toyota camry into my driveway with foot on brake pedal (and brake lights on- my neighbor witnessed), the car surged forward despite me trying to jam brake even harder. this resulted in me crashing into my house and partly damaging the wall and garage. the impact was high enough to shift the stucco off the foundation. surprisingly, the airbag did not go off. the impact dented the front fenders of my car quite badly though. in 8 years of driving this car, i have never experienced such surge in acceleration in such short distance (my driveway is about 20ft max). i turned off the ignition at the same time the impact occurred, which stopped the car. i have filed a complaint w/ toyota.*tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while the contact was driving 5 mph and attempting to make a turn the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning, the contact was able to stop the acceleration by applying extreme pressure to the brakes. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer and there were no prior warnings. the failure mileage was 20000 and the current mileage was 28000. updated 4/26/10 *cn the consumer stated when she pulled forward from her parking space, and turned left the vehicle suddenly accelerated. she stated she braked hard and was finally able to get the vehicle to slow down gradually. updated 06/01/10.*jb

2002 toyota camry se v6 - around september 2009 i began to notice sudden surges in acceleration while driving between 40-45 mph. without changing the position of the gas pedal, the vehicle would surge-hesitate-surge several times then suddenly stop the behavior. since then, i notice it occurs at least once every 3 out of 4 times i'm driving the car. to me, this is not related to anything on the floor or the gas pedal itself. it appears to come from within the engine or other component. no repairs have been investigated or performed. i am considering a visit to the dealer. *tr

I was using the cruise control, set at 70 mph, on an aprox 4 hour trip. at one point the car accelerated to a little over 90 mph then decreased it's speed back down to where it was. i turned the cruise control off and drove manually the rest of the way home. the next time i had it at the dealer for service i mentioned this and they shrugged it off saying they hadn't heard of anything like this happening. i have not had the problem again. *tr

2002 toyota camry,sudden acceleration. *tr

When i drive over rough road or a grate, my vehicle appears to not stop immediately. it seems to accelerate instead. it is very scary when there is a vehicle in front of you and you don't know whether your vehicle will stop. i drive very slow when i see rough road or a grate. i do not feel safe in this vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owned a 2002 toyota camry le. while driving 60 mph the vehicle accelerated, swerved to the side and he engaged the brake pedal. the contact crashed into the median and became unconscious. the vehicle also rolled over multiple times. the contact was hospitalized for several weeks and sustained multiple injuries. the contacts injuries have confined him to a wheelchair for several months. the vehicle was destroyed. the contact has not notified the manufacturer. the insurance company was contacted immediately. a police report was filed. the current and failure mileages were 74,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while parking the vehicle at approximately 2 mph. the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated and lunged forward. the driver was able to stop the vehicle. the identical failure occurred on a separate occasion. the driver floor mat was removed before the failure occurrence. the failure and current mileages were 150,000. the consumer stated is seemed the vehicle accelerated more, each time he applied the brake harder eventually, the vehicle did slow down and returned to normal operation. updated 03/29/10

I was pulling into my driveway in my 2002 toyota camry. the driveway is about 80 feet long. i slowed down to about 5 mph and activated the garage-door opener when all of sudden the car sped up and i crashed into the brick wall at the back of my garage, demolishing it. i filed two insurance claims, under both my auto and homeowner's policy to clean up the mess. i had one of my kids in the car at the time but neither of us were hurt, though we were pretty shaken up. nobody has ever been able to explain that accident. i have been driving more than thirty years and have an impeccable driving record. (no moving violations in a lifetime of driving.) about a month later i was with my wife and was pulling into a parking space--again at a speed of about 5mph--when the car suddenly sped up. this time i was ready for it and i put on brakes in time to avoid an accident. *tr

I had a new 2002 toyota camry. the brakes seemed to be very soft when the first day i drove the car home from the dealer - i needed to really press the brake down to get the car to stop. i went back to the dealer the next day, they checked and told me no problems were found. later i also found that when braking from a slightly more elevated speed (bet 40-50 miles), the car's abs system seemed to make the brake pump by itself and cause braking to delay. i was worried about this and went back to the dealers at least another two times but every time was told no problems. because the brake, i had three accidents in which two times i rear-ended the vehicles that had stopped in front of me and the front end of car was badly damaged. i had not been going more than 30 miles an hour, as far as i know. but if the brakes had functioned correctly, i do not think the accidents would have occurred. *tr

On thursday, april 27, 2006, my 2002 toyota camry had unintended acceleration at the sherton palo alto. when entering he parking lot, the car accelerated with engine racing and crashed through the parking lot barrier. the hotel graciously repaired the barrier at their expense. this incident has not been reported previously. this in the only incident to date. a second safety issue is the transmission "lurch" my car has. i tried to have it corrected by toyota, but they refused, saying that it would be too costly for toyota to fix the transmission problem. went to mediation who agreed with toyota. the problem continues. *tr

My 2002 toyota camry v6 xle has had a problem with stuttering as though the transmission, engine or computer is not working properly. four different toyota dealerships have looked at the car and their only statement is that if the engine light doesn't come on, they can't diagnose the problem. a now independent, former toyota mechanic did observe the problem and can't diagnose the problem with a computer. i was treated with arrogant denial by customer service at toyota and they blackmarked me on their system-wide computer history. i did learn that one problem was a recall publication 3 months before i bought my car that said the computer needed reprogrammed. none of these dealerships knew this and toyota's "roman" in customer service denied me any reimbursement about the reprogramming even though i was complaining about the engine stuttering or missing since about one month after new purchase to the present. this is the company denial and arrogance that the congress and investigators are coming up against. toyota just won't accept that there is a problem with my car that has persisted since a month after november 2002 purchase. now i get emails calling me "friend" from them wanting my business and service. i just want my car to run correctly and fear that my transmission, engine or computer program is a forerunner of the problems coming to light lately before congress. *tr

Last year my dad's toyota was going into reverse on the 710 freeway (eastbound to paramount, ca, to work) without touching the gear shift. this really frightened us. he took my car in to have them thoroughly inspect this problem. they told him nothing was wrong that they could see. he tried to drive it again and it was just a short time that my dad's toyota was going into reverse on the 710 freeway (eastbound to paramount, ca, to work)without touching the gear shift. again, i was told there was nothing wrong with my car!! frightened at the thoughts of this happening again and serious threat to my dad's life, he traded in his 2002 camry and bought a 2009 corolla last year - to save his life!! this is an absolutely inappropriate response to my dad's problem. he loved the camry compared to the corolla and would never, ever have sold his car if he weren't in fear of his life on los angeles freeways. we watched the testifying of a lady in front of the committee in washington, d.c., saying she couldn't stop her car for 500 ft. this could have happened to our dad and only by circumstance, it didn't. however, he had to buy a new car which should have been totally unnecessary. he is on ss and medicare and this was a horrifying and very appalling experience and expense that should have not been in his life. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry purchased brand new. while traveling at speeds of 50 mph, she switch lanes to avoid a construction area. the vehicle then abnormally accelerated without warning or driver intent. she attempted to depress the brakes, however the brakes were not responsive to driver input. she also attempted to maintain control of the vehicle but the steering wheel was also non-responsive and the vehicle continued to accelerate in and out of traffic. the vehicle then swayed to the left and crashed through a metal guard rail. the contact was hospitalized and suffered neck injuries .the she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. cause of the failure was inconclusive vehicle was destroyed. the failure mileage was 2700. updated 4/13/10 *cn updated 05/10/10*jb

1992 toyota camry would not go into gear. *kb the consumer stated he had to push the shift lock override button to get the gears to work. while driving on a 4 lane road, with the cruise control activated, the consumer came upon a red light with cars stopped. he touched the brakes to deactivate the cruise, but instead the engine revved up. the harder he pushed the brakes the faster the engine ran. he finally pushed the cruise button on the stalk and the vehicle was under control. the dealer found the brake light switch had an open circuit. *jb

2002 camry le was parked in large mall parking lot. when started and put into drive, car began to accelerate as i pressed the accelerator pedal. as i applied the brake, the car continued rapidly accelerating by itself even though my foot was off the pedal. brakes did not function at all; car continued to increase speed. i downshifted to neutral and car suddenly stopped with a jolt. i drove the car to local toyota dealer where it was tested. result:"could not duplicate concern. vehicle operating as designed." this happened only once. car now has 51,000 miles on it. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. a vehicle crashed into the contacts vehicle while he was at a traffic light pushing him into another vehicle. the air bags did not deploy and there were extensive damages to the front and rear of the vehicle. two people were injured but did not go to the hospital. the vehicle was driven to the body shop and the vehicle was repaired. a police report is available. the dealer and manufacturer were not called. the failure mileage was 40,003.

My 2002 camry 4 cylinder experienced a speed control problem a couple years ago. i was able to get to the dealer and have repairs made without any accident, however. the problem required replacement of the accelerator pedal sensor at a cost of $567 to me.. *tr invoices received. updated ivoq 02/16/11

2002 toyota camry delayed acceleration*cw the consumer stated the problem was delayed acceleration when the pedal was depressed. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer and was told at the time, the problem was due to the vehicle's computer program and there was nothing they could do. *jb updated 03/08/10

Letter request status of his two petitions re sudden unintended accelerations in his 2002 camry xle; ref es05-006490 was due 11/28/05 and es05-007354 was due 12/27/05 both assigned to nvs-200. *tgw the consumer had an accident as result of sudden acceleration. when the consumer put the gear into reverse, while on a residential driveway with his foot on the brake, the vehicle then accelerated at an extraordinary and increased rate, turned around and ended up on an adjacent driveway crashing into a utility box. the seat belt prevented the consumer from being injured. *jb

We purchased a new 2002 toyota camry 7-16-02 and the accelerator surged while backing out of the driveway 11-9-02 causing it to strike another parked vehicle and stopped 6 inches from striking a house. the total damage was almost $10,000. we told the toyota dealership and they said it had to be an operator error because they never heard of another acceleration problem. the dealer never offered to do a diagnostic check and they told us to go to a dealer closer to our home if it happened again. in 2004 we read an article about sudden acceleration problems with the camry and lexus vehicles. we looked on the nhtsa web site and under speed control complaints we saw a complaint of a 2002 or 2003 camry accident exactly like the one we experienced. we sent a letter to toyota inc. 4-18-04 at p.o. box 2991 in torrance, ca 90509 and toyota never responded back. we never experienced sudden acceleration in the 2002 camry again and eventually sold it. we have a copy of the toyota letter. there was a neighbor that witnessed the accident and said the camry made a loud acceleration noise. my wife put both feet on the brakes to bring it to a stop. *tr

I own a 2002 toyota camry. i reported to tansky toyota (columbus ohio) that i have a steering wheel issue. tansky toyota technicians mentioned that they have heard this problem before from other toyota owners. he mentioned that since this is not a safety issue, toyota is not considering this as a recall. i read a report today that toyota corolla is having similar issue. i wanted to bring it to your attention that as a toyota camry owner, i have a similar issue and i would appreciate if you could investigate this and ensure that this is not a safety issue and ensure that we are driving a safe vehicle. *tr

S10 appropriate handling fwd email re toyota recent recall notices, owner of a 2002 camry experienced sudden acceleration and would like nhtsa press release to reflect that my not listed in the toyota recall notice may experience similar problems. *tgw

Tl*the contact owns 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that the vehicle accelerated while driving 35 mph when he tried to stop the vehicle it continued to accelerate into an intersection. the vehicle eventually stopped on it's own. the camry is a 6 cylinder vehicle and the mechanic who looked at the vehicle stated that the 4 cylinder had a gas cable and a 6 cylinder has electronics. the mechanic thought the problem was caused by the electronics. the contact also hit a wire when the vehicle accelerated which prevented him from making the right turn. the failure mileage was 52000. the current mileage was 56759. updated 04/01/10 *bf updated 07/14/10.*jb

The brake of my toyota camry was not function. the car was crashed with road side barrier. *tr

I did not notice any malfunctions of my car prior to the event that i am reporting. in june of 2009 i was pulling into a parking space in a parking lot. my foot was lightly on the brake and i nearly at a complete stop when my car lurched forward like a rocket. my car jumped the curb of the parking spot, sideswiped a row of mailboxes on my left while traveling across an small island of lawn and shooting over another curb on the other side of the island. my vehicle came to a stop on the other side of the parking lot approximately 15 feet short of ramming the side of a parked car. both of my feet were on the brake pedal, both of my legs were fully extended with my knees locked and my entire body was fully extended with all of my weight applied to the brake pedal. i immediately placed the car in park and turned the engine off. the left front quarter panel of my car received minor damage from hitting the mail boxes. there was a witness from the veterinary clinic where the event occurred who saw the accident. because my foot was on the brake and not on the gas pedal i do not believe that this event occurred because of a mechanical problem with the accelerator pedal or floor mat. *tr

Unanticipated acceleration. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving 38 mph the vehicle surged and accelerated going into traffic as she depressed the brakes pedal, the vehicle would not slow down. she shut the engine off immediately after she made a right turn. the vehicle was driven slowly back to her home. she called the dealer informing them of what happened and requested that they have the vehicle towed to a repair facility. the dealer told her she would have to pay for a diagnostic test. the toyota manufacturer was difficult to reach when she called them. the failure mileage was 32,3000.

Car starts and shifts into gear ok, but no response from gas pedal,car would not rev up or respond at all. *tr

Second time in the 8 years that we have owned our 2002 toyota camry the chrome plating on the interior door handles are starting to peel again creating a hand cutting hazard. first time they were replaced under warranty. i talked to a service rep at toyota dealership and he said he has seen many do this. my wife and numerous other people have been cut because of this manufacturer defect. toyota refuses to correct problem and i refuse to pay money to pay for other defective parts only to do the same thing in the future. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the driver was involved in a crash in may 2009. the contact drove 3 mph in her driveway and turned her vehicle around when the vehicle accelerated up to 40 mph on its own and crashed into a fence. the driver was thrown from the car into her neighbors yard. the driver was very sore from the crash but did not go to the hospital. the dealer stated that they would document the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 19,000. the current mileage was 20,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while the contact was attempting to exit a car wash at 5 mph. the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning causing it to crash into a pole. no one was injured. a police report was not filed. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the failure could not be reproduced. there were no prior warnings. the current mileage was 84000. the failure mileage was 8000.

2002 toyota camry. the consumer wants to be reimbursed for repairs. *dt the check engine light illuminated. the dealer stated there was a problem with the emission system. the problem was repaired and the consumer was charged $600.00. two days later, the light illuminated again. the consumer returned to the dealership, but the problem was not resolved. when the consumer stopped for gas, he noticed the gas tank would not fill up, the gas would spill out. the consumer went to another establishment and it was determined that a pair of pliers were on the vent of the gas tank. the dealership was contacted and the consumer was told a mistake was made by one of their mechanics. the second dealership replaced the vacuum switching valve. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry xle. while he was at a traffic light on an incline, there was a very loud roaring noise coming from the engine. the weather was not a factor. the vehicle responded as if it were going to take off at full speed but it didn't. the failure occurred a second time with her foot depressing the brake pedal. neither the dealer nor manufacturer was contacted. the failure mileage was 74,800 and the current mileage was 75,474.

Today, i was exiting a parking garage. after the arm went up, i moved my foot from the brake and moved it to the accelerator pedal, gently, realizing that there were people and other cars in the same exit area. the car "peeled out" leaving rubber marks accelerating at a high speed even though i had taken my foot off the accelerator. i hit the brakes hard and the car skidded to a stop about three car lengths from the garage exit at which place there is a large traffic and pedestrian circle before you enter the street again. there was a policeman at the exit who jumped out of the way when he saw my car accelerate. i immediately turned the car off. the policeman came to the car to see if i was okay. i was shaken but not injured. the policeman asked permission to enter my car. i exited and he turned on the ignition and put the car in drive, moved forward, and then in reverse and moved backward. it seemed to be okay. as the car exited the garage when the acceleration happened, the car sideswiped one of the yellow 4 foot poles causing minor damage to the rear right door and back fender panel. fortunately no person or car was hit. i drove the car to the toyota dealership where i bought the car and they are keeping it overnight to check it out. *tr

My 2002 camry began "lurching" approx. 2 years ago. we have taken it for service 5 times, to no avail. we replaced spark plugs, a sensor and were told by one dealer that it was jumping from cylinder to cylinder, but they could not find the source of the problem. two other visits to 2 separate dealers were unsuccessful in experiencing the problem during test drives. they even had a regional manager come and check it out. they said they have never seen this problem before and could not diagnose it. it happens inconsistently when cruising at lower speeds and again at higher speeds. sometimes it is worse than others and then it goes days without happening. i am now concerned that it may be a safety issue connected to the gas pedal and would like to know what the problem is and have it corrected. i have also experienced issues when braking when going downhill on a bumpy surface. this has happened since i had the car. when i reported it to the dealer, they told me it was just the way the disc brakes work, but it was scary - feels like you don't have control over the car. we have been loyal toyota owners for many years due to their history of quality, reliable cars, but have concerns now. please let me know what can be done to help us with these issues. thank you. approx. incident dates below are not accurate. it has been an ongoing problem for 2 or 3 years. *tr

My 2002 toyota camry accelerated suddenly as i was turning into a parking lot causing me to hit a parked car.. the car that was hit was totaled & my car had 3400.00 worth of damage. at the time of the incident in sept. 2009 i did not know that toyota's were having a problem. now in light of the recent recalls i believe my car has an acceleration problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately 40 mph on a bumpy road surfaces. there was pressure applied to the brake pedal, followed by a sudden acceleration. the vehicle was able to slow down after several attempts; and continued in operation. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. the failure occurred whenever encountering a rough road surface, bumps and ice. the technician stated the brakes functioned properly and were unable to duplicate the failure. the failure mileage was 200. the vin was unavailable.

In jan. 2002 i bought a 2002 v6 toyota camry with auto transmission. i noted that on level surfaces at a constant speed of +/- 50 mph it would shift randomly between 3rd and 4th. on slick road surfaces there was a momentary loss of control. i reported to my toyota dealer who for months denied the problem. then toyota announced a reprogramming of the computer. i got this, but it made no improvement. i reported to toyota usa, and to nhtsa, but there was no action. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. she stated that while driving at 5 mph when parking the vehicle with her foot on the brake, without a warning it accelerated on its own. she crashed into a cement pillar and there were front end damages. there were no injuries. the vehicle was towed and the police was contacted and a report was filed. toyota has not been contacted. there have been repairs done to the vehicle . after the crash, it happened one additional time. the failure mileage was 55000 and current mileage was 65000. updated 5/3/10 *cn the consumer stated the incident happened when the vehicle was in reverse, fortunately the consumer was able to get the vehicle under control. updated 06/10/10.*jb

Tl*the contact owned a 2002 toyota camry. while driving on the highway at 50 mph, the driver stated that she switched lanes and the accelerator pedal became stuck and accelerated on its own. the vehicle made a u-turn on its own and the driver crashed into 2 guard rails. the vehicle was destroyed. the driver was also injured and taken by ambulance to the hospital. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 2,000.

Problem with anti-lock brakes. i have had two occurrence. one while driving through my resident parking lot at a speed of 10 miles per hour, i applied the brakes. i heard a grinding sound of the brakes. my hands was blasted off the steering wheel and i felt a hard thump in the seat which eject me toward the ceiling of my car. i lost control of the car. i ended up facing the rear of the car near driver door. the second incident occurred while driving to work in the snow. i was driving 20 mile per hour and applied the brakes. the same thing happened as mention before. hands blasted off steering wheel, hard thump in seat, and ejection out of the driver set. had toyota to repair brakes at cost of nearly $450. i never got an explanation of why my hands were blasted off the steering wheel or the hard thump in the seat which lead to me being ejected out of the seat. the parking lot was smooth surface, so i did not hit a bump. *tr

Constant squeaking from my steering wheel. repaired twice at toyota dealer but still squeaks. brought car to my repair shop an it still squeaks. first incident an second took place under warranty. usually squeaks in cold weather. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately 10 mph on normal road conditions when the vehicle stalled as he proceeded to a traffic signal. the vehicle restarted within twenty minutes and resumed normal operation. the failure occurred once a week. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. the vehicle has not been repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure was 50,000.

Tl*the contact previously owned a 2002 toyota camry. the consumers wife backed out of a parking space and then shifted the gear into drive, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. the consumers wife was unable to control the vehicle failed and consequently, she crashed into two unoccupied parked vehicles. the driver sustained no injuries. the police was called to the scene. the vehicle was towed to an auto body shop and repaired for the damages. the contact no longer owns the vehicle. there was concern regarding the safety of that year, make and model vehicle. updated 03/10/10. *lj updated 06/24/10.*jb

After picking up her mail at her condo mailbox area, my mother (93 years old but in good health) started up her car, heard a loud roaring noise, thought it was an airplane flying low overhead (it was her car engine), and put the car in reverse to exit her parking space. with the throttle jammed for some reason, the car took off very fast in reverse in an uncontrolled manner, circled around several times over curbs, grassy areas, side swiped a sign pole, and came to a stop finally after backing (crashing) into anther condo unit across the street from where she lives. obviously she was very scared after this very fast uncontrolled backward ride, but happy to find that she had not been injured, or that she had not hit another car or person. the car (2002 camry) was towed to the local toyota dealer where it was repaired over a period of several weeks (body and mechanical suspension parts) and checked over. no obvious reason was found for the throttle jam was found. she did have an extra floor mat on top of oem mat to better protect from wear and wet weather. she said she did look later to see if the floor mat had gotten out of place to have caused the incident, but it did not appear to have moved out of place enough to have caused the incident. fortunately, the throttle jam has not occurred again. *tr

2002 camry. powered door locks randomly stop working. remote keyless or keyed entry will not unlock affected doors. power lock/unlock button inside vehicle will not lock/unlock the affected door. doors have to be manually locked/unlocked from within the vehicle. this is a safety issue because 1) affected doors do not lock when car is put in drive. and 2) the door may not unlock if airbags are deployed. this is a problem that is well documented on the internet toyota camry 2002-through 2007 and has not been addressed by the manufacturer. *tr

I bought a brand new 2002 toyota camry in august 2002 and have since noticed the brake pedal is somehow softer than other cars. it takes more time to fully apply the brakes. this might have led to a rear collision in october 2008, at a time few were aware of toyota brake problems. as toyota recalls got more media exposure, i became more concerned about my 2002 camry and started driving more carefully and stopping my car early and staying in more distance from other cars. however, my caution did not overcome the brake problem when i was parking the car in my garage on february 13, 2008. my foot was on the brake pedal and pressed down slowly when the car was ¾ in the garage. the time i felt i pressed the brake all the way down, the car accelerated suddenly and hit the garage wall. i had to pull the emergency brake to stop it. the airbags were not triggered. neither my wife nor i were explicitly injured. the front bumper fell apart. i am waiting for my insurance company to exam the damages. *tr

As i was driving my vehicle, my front brakes engaged and locked up my front tires completely and suddenly and would not disengage. ii had not pushed on my brake pedal when this happened. had to have my vehcile towed to a repair facility because it would not move forward. smoke was pouring out of the tire well due to the heat on the brakes. the repair facility stated that the brake pads were welded to the rotars from the amount of heat generated. the repair facility stated they had corrected the problem by replacing the master cylinder. as i drove my vehicle home, the same problem occured again and i was very close to being in a serious accident. my front tires once again suddenly locked and would not turn due to the front brakes engaging and then would not disnegage. i was not pushing on the brake pedal when this occured. the mechainc at the garage stated that he watched the brakes engage themselves when he was attempting to repair my vehicle. i picked the vehicle up once again and drive 2 blocks and the brakes began locking up once again. i took it back to the repair facility who then had to take it to toyota for repairs. *tr

On 12/8/09, on my way to the clinic my check engine light came on and staid on. leaving the clinic my check engine light remained on and the gas pedal became rigid. it was hard to depress and did not want to move freely. the car moved at a couple mph. when i attempted to depress the pedal to make the car go faster the wheels would spin. i was driving my 2002 toyota camry le with about 60,000 miles on it when this occurred. my mechanic replaced the gas pedal with a sensor on the reverse end. i am worried that this might happen again and cause an accident. it sounds as if it was acting like the recalled vehicles. *tr updated 03/19/10 updated 03/24/10.*jb

2002 toyota camry. the abs has always let go when i brake on a road with a series of rough pot hole type pavement. also when braking on rail road tracks. it catches again when i am over the rough spots. i had the brakes checked by a certified tech and they tell me nothing is wrong. seems very similar to the prius problems to me. *tr

I have a 2002 toyota camry xle with a 4 cylinder engine. the anti lock brakes have never really engaged properly when braking even moderately on any uneven surface, such as rippled pavement, railroad tracks or smaller pavement irregularities. the pedal feel is very light and you need to really brake quite hard to get the brakes to engage. this situation cases a very long stopping distance and with a very weak and dangerous braking effect. it is almost as if there is very little braking action when trying to stop on the uneven road surface. the braking effect is better, but not as strong as it should be on normal road conditions. i have always maintained the car to the manufacturer's recommended level and have asked about this braking issue on several occasions. the dealer has said that the brakes perform properly. i think this may be a computer related system issue and needs to be examined. please note that this is not a single instance occurrence. this has happened at least 5 or 6 times since i purchased the car new in june 2002. it is a very disconcerting feeling when trying to brake and the car just doesn't respond as it should. we have 4 other cars in our family, two hondas (accord and odyssey), a toyota corolla and a nissan altima. none of those cars have any such braking issues. i can get you the vin ,but do not have it as i am filling out this form. *tr

I have a 2002 toyota camry. upon pulling into a parking stall i applied the brakes to slow down as normally done when parking. at this time the car lurched forward, the engine raced, the car hopped the curb and hit a building. i believe this could be tied to the current gas pedal recall. i have a witnesses that will attest to the fact that during this whole scenerio my brake lights were on the whole time. *tr

While entering my garage toyota camry 2002 surged and crashed through neighbor's garage hitting her car. incident was tossed aside as an isolated incident by toyota when i contacted the main company. i also filed a complaint through nhtsa. nothing was done to correct problem . car was sold in 2007 after surging continued. *tr

2002 toyota camry. brakes have always been spongy and go to the floor. toyota service manager said it was normal. *tr

After backing out of driveway into street, when i shifted from "reverse" into "drive", car suddenly had no acceleration. engine was running, but no movement or ability to "rev" engine. repair at toyota dealer stated: "code p1121 diagnosed & replaced accelerator position sensor. *tr

My 2002 camry, purchased new, did not stop when i applied the brakes while riding over road bumps and engaging the antilock brakes. i had a dealer check for proper antilock brake function in 2002 and was told they could not find a problem. this condition is similar to that described for the toyota prius. *tr

I pulled into a parking lot for the salvation army in san rafael, ca and was attempting to park my 2002 toyota camry in a parking slot. all of a sudden the car lurched forward with the engine revving at high speed right after i applied the brakes. my car plowed into a toyota truck and pushed it through the parking lot for two rows before my car came to a stop. a witness stated that she heard the motor revving and the brakes squealing at the same time my car was pushing the truck across the lot. this has never happened previously and we are the original owners. *tw

This is an ongoing problem with my 2002 toyota camry with the abs system. the abs system engages much too easily. this system engages on sand, leave or any loose surface. and when it engages my car essentially has no brakes. recently i was on a wet slushy road approaching an intersection and upon applying brakes the abs engaged. the system shuttered at a very high frequency and had no braking function. i had to turn the car into the snow bank in order to stop the vehicle before crossing the line of traffic at the intersection. i did inform the dealer of what i thought to be a weird way that an abs should operate, but they mealy instructed that it is was operating as design. i am only recently becoming aware that this is a faulty design, especially in light of the recognition that prius and lexus having similar problems. since i bought the car i always thought that this is the way abs operates and was my argument why i don't think the abs is a good idea. but now i know it a poor design. *tr

Vehicle accelerated on its own, applied brakes and wouldn't stop. hit vehicle in front of camry, and that vehicle hit the car in front of it. no airbags went off. *tw

I drive a 2002 toyota camry xle 4 cylinder car. ever since we bought it, it had problems braking when over an irregular surface like potholes, manholes etc. recent reports on toyota prius braking issues sounds very similar to what i experience on my car. i read on blogs online that other 2002 camry xle owners reported the same. i thought this was pretty normal at first, but not anymore. the car jerks for couple of seconds when i try to brake over irregular surfaces, the abs kicks in and you lose control for couple of seconds. please investigate this matter with seriousness. i think this is a very important safety issue. thank you. *tr

I bought a brand new toyota camry in 2002. after 8 months (sept 04, 2002), when i was trying to stop the car at a red light i lost control of the car. i was about 20 yard behind a car which came to a stop at the red light. when i tried to stop the car, the car continue moving and lost control; i immediately i moved my car to the left lane and tried to hit the brake again and again and when finally i managed to stop the car it was exactly parallel to the car which was ahead of me. i nearly escaped the accident. i reported the incident to burnardi toyota (dealer) at framingham , ma and they were not listening to me. then, i also faced similar problem while i was driving on route 9. on both cases the ground was wet (due to little rain) and on both situations, i could not stop the car and i thought it was a break defect. i reported again (2nd time) to the dealer and told them i am scared driving this car and i also told them that it may be one in a million with the defect but they were arrogant and told me that the car has no problem. with my request they gave me 1-800 number to the toyota company to call if i have concerns. i called the toyota company and talked to a representative. they told me there are no similar incidents reported on their model. then,asked them to record my discussion with them. they told me any conversation is recorded. since, i do not want any other person driving the same car model to be hurt and i think it was to nhsta (?) that i report (email) my complaints. since toyota company or dealer did not respond to my complaints and i was afraid for the safety of myself and my family, in june of 2004 i went to the dealer and asked them to exchange the car and they gave me an estimated price of $12000 for the camry (almost 50% of the original price i paid) and i paid the difference for a toyota highlander. when i get rid off the car the book value was about $16,000-17,000. may be toyota should compensate my loss. *cn

I have had problems with the braking system in my 2002 camry since purchase, but no one has been able to diagnose it. upon sudden braking on hills, uneven ground and other conditions, occasionally, the brakes are jerky like they are not catching and it is difficult to stop. it has been difficult to reproduce the problem at the shop and so no one has been able to correct it. there is no particular date (since 2002) although i am putting in a date so i can get through the form. *jb

Toyota camry 2002. the check light came on. three bolts were strip from the engine. toyota is aware of it and didn't do anything. it cost me approx $4,000 to fix. toyota issued a tsb 2 years ago about this failure: tsb 01507, nhtsa #10021542, dated april 6 2007. i found this in my research. my mechanic told me toyota said to replace the head, head gasket and bolts. that the head had been redesigned since it was a know issue. it was alleged caused when toyota changed building the head from cast iron to aluminum. i am not the only one with this issue. www.toyotanation.com/forum/printthread.php?t=274802&pp=40. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while the contact was pulling out of a parking space the vehicle suddenly accelerated causing the vehicle to crash through the contacts garage and into her home. the vehicle was towed to the dealership where the contact was informed that there were no problems with her vehicle. the contact noticed prior that the vehicle would occasionally surge without warning but would immediately correct itself.there were no injuries and there is no police report. the current and failure mileages were 43600.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. she stated that the vehicle accelerated twice and it was not due to the floor mat. the first incident occurred while pulling out of the garage with her foot on the brake pedal. however, she was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop by applying the brake. the dealer advised her to the floor mat out of the vehicle. the failure mileage was 20,000 and the current mileage was 26,000. updated 03/10/10 *bf the consumer stated the second incident occurred after she backed out of the driveway. updated 05/06/10.*jb

02 toyota camry accelerated on it own x prob corrected itself as i was taking car out of drive x only happened once. *tr

Sudden acceleration--when pulling into a parking spot with the car nearly stopped, it suddenly made a loud racing noise and accelerated over two cement parking space curbs. the car landed in the adjacent parking lane and the driver was able to stop it in about 3 car lengths. driver had foot on brake and was nearly stopped when sudden acceleration occurred. the car had accessory winter floor mats. however, the mat was not near gas pedal. vin number starts wit a "j" indicating it was built in japan. toyota mechanic found "engine splash and driver front fender liner ripped loose, driver side subframe scratched and dented (cosmetic), driver front fender liner rubbing tire causing noise. nothing was done to address acceleration problem when initially taken to toyota service center. after expressing concerns, service director called and said that he would do an acceleration test on the car. car was repaired at toyota dealer and independent body shop. the sudden acceleration problem has occurred only once. *tr

2002 toyota camry. once or twice in the last 90 days, the accelerator pedal appeared to "stick" and cause the vehicle to accelerate while driving in-town. only by applying the brake pedal hard was driver able to bring vehicle to a slow-down condition. driver reports it has not happened again. however, in light of the recall affecting newer camry models and the fact that owner does not know if this situation will occur again, it is requested nhtsa contact owner for more details and may wish to extend the investigation back to prior years of toyota camry models to confirm or deny the existence of a problem. note: owner checked and the floor mats are not binding the accelerator pedal in any way. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry . the contact stated that while starting the vehicle up and while having his foot on the brake the vehicle accelerated on its own. after he shifted the vehicle into neutral and then to park and turned it off, there was smoke coming through hood from the engine. the dealer was contacted and they stated that it was impossible for this to happen. the dealer diagnosed the vehicle and failure could not duplicated . there have been no repairs done to the vehicle . the failure was 35,000. updated 03/04/10. *lj the consumer stated the pedal became stuck. the consumer stated he experienced the same problem with a second camry. updated 09/16/10

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving approximately 5 mph into a parking lot in reverse, the vehicle accelerated and crashed into another vehicle at a high rate of speed. the vehicle continued to accelerate in a complete circle, across two parking lots and crashed into a boulder before coming to a stop. the contact was unable to stop or control the vehicle when it accelerated. there were no injuries. a police report was filed at the scene. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileages were under 116,000.

I have a toyora camry 2002 model. the problem that is currently reported with prius brakes, i have similar problem. several times i have complained to the dealership in oakbrook, il but i was told that is the way it is designed. whenever i go over a bump and if hit brakes, it does not engage for a few seconds and actually accelarates. can someone look at these models that are not recalled yet. this happens periodically not just once. *tr

I kept hearing rushing water coming from somewhere but nothing seems to be wrong. so at the end of november my car ran hot i took it to the mechanic and was told the thermostat may need to be replaced. i replaced it¿.it ran hot again the next day. was told i had a coolant leak. to make a long story short¿ i need an engine! stripped head bolts in the block, no not just a head gasket problem i was told the head bolts have let go from the block. i asked the mechanic for a write up of his findings: (paraphrased) ¿the only option left is to remove the head, which requires an extensive disassembly (r and r cylinder head). after loosening the bolts in sequence, i notice the head bolts in the back of the engine are loose. from my experience in the field, i can confidently conclude that this only means one of two things: the bolts were left loose at the factory, or the bolts are stripped. ( i commonly have seen stripped bolts in the aluminum cadillac north star block discovered through leaking coolant.) next, i removed the head and sure enough, one bolt came out with aluminum in the thread...thus indicating a stripped bolt. my theory: the placement of the (insulation) foam rubber piece between the intake manifold and the engine block created an uneven dispersion of heat, creating "metal fatigue" in the aluminum block allowing the head bolt to strip.¿ i am very disappointed. toyota is responsible, there's no preventative maintenance for this and my problem is not isolated... look it up! *tr

Follow up to complaint 10060829 i have the camry now 8 years. the problem as described in the original complaint has showed up off and on for the years i have had the car. most of the time on the freeway. just a few seconds, never did i lose control of the car. then in beginning sep 09 the check engine light came on. i had auto zone get the code, but they could not read anything. i had a hard time starting the car after that. i had my mechanic check out the car the next day. nothing was found. fourteen days later, driving out of a strip mall parking lot, the car engine revved violently, no sticking pedals, not even touching the gas pedal. and check engine light came on again. next morning no problem whatsoever to drive to the repair shop. it took the mechanic a while to diagnose the problem. he replaced vehicle speed sensor, 9/14/2009. since that timei have not noticed the sudden unintended acceleration yet. the repair bill was just under $ 700. asked mechanic if this was normal wear and tear. he said no. tw*

While driving to work in a toyota camry 2002, the car in front of me slowed down and stopped for a red light. believing that i had enough room to stop my toyota camry safely i applied my brakes but the car did not slow down and hit the car in front of me. there was minor damage to the vehicle that was struck but my toyota camry was totaled. the road condition was wet from rain but not unsafe to drive. i fully believe that i was applying the brakes with enough pressure to safely stop the car before hitting the vehiclein front of me but my toyota camry vehicle did not stop or slow down. please note that traffic accident happened on december 29, 2005. a police report was filed and on file. i did not receive a ticket. originally i thought it was just an accident until the january 2010 recall of certain model year toyotas with the accelerator sticking. *tr

I was driving to work in my 2002 toyota camry when all of a sudden i saw a fire and smoke coming from under the hood. when i lifted the hood i noticed that the exhaust was red near the burn site. after looking on the internet i found several complaints with this model catching fire while driving. *cn *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that as soon as he shifted the vehicle into drive, it accelerated on its own. the vehicle drove over the curb and into a snow embankment before crashing into a stone wall. the contact did not call the police or need to go to a hospital. the contacts insurance company towed the vehicle so that it could be repaired. the contact called the manufacturer regarding the crash to file a complaint. the contact is concerned since a passenger could have been seriously injured when the crash occurred. the failure mileage was 68,000. updated 1/28/10 *cn the consumer has since traded the vehicle. updated 02/03/10.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving 15 mph in traffic or when he stopped at a traffic sign the steering wheel became inoperable. on several occasions, the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure or identify a failure code. the failure mileage and the current mileage was 110,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry le. while driving approximately 5 mph into her garage, suddenly, there was an unintended increase of acceleration. the vehicle failed to slow down and crashed through the interior walls of the garage. there were no personal injuries. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer and repaired for the body damages. the technician was unable to determine the cause of failure. there was a separate occasion the identical failures occurred with severe injuries sustained to the two occupants in the vehicle. the police and fire department were called to the scene. the vehicle was completely destroyed. the failure mileage was unknown.

We have 02 toyota camry le, 4 cyl. on 12/23/09 we experienced a power loss. fortunately it occurred in our driveway; the engine would idle normally, but there was no power from depressing the accelerator pedal. the car was towed to a local garage. the corrective action was the replacement of the gas pedal assembly. this is all electronic, our part cost was $447.75 plus labor and taxes. i think this component should be considered as a potential in the toyota recall. *tr

Originally i opened odi 10060806 / de04021 in early 2004 to report sudden and short surges of acceleration with my 2002 camry le. this problem has continues periodically without warning since my original report. the last occurrence was in reverse about 5-6 months ago. i am very disturbed that toyota has now recalled later model year cars with similar problems but continues to not address earlier models which first reported the problem in pe04021, dp05002, and dp06003. i called this morning and was told i would need to re-issue a new odi to get the nhtsa to re-open this investigation. i have additionally opened cases locally and at the corporate level with toyota, as i want this problem documented against my vin number. please, help the owners of the 2002 model year cars that started these investigations originally before there are more deaths or injuries as the problem still exists.*cw *tr

My 2002 toyota camry v-6 has had speed control issues starting about three years after we brought it. it surges occassionally at different speeds. i have had to take it to the dealer twice and they say there is nothing wrong. *tw

Unintentional acceleration of 2002 toyota camry le model with stability control. (this car was manufactured in the us and purchased in folsom, ca in march 2002. within the first two years the car experienced two cases of unintentional acceleration. fortunately, speeds were low as the car was in the process of stopping. both times the engine suddenly raced and the vehicle would not stop. the dealer said it was not aware of any problems and it must be the way the car was driven. the second time the dealer checked the systems and could find nothing. the problems has not recurred. there is the possibility of a problem in the software that may have been corrected without our knowledge. *tr

I have just noticed that my 2002 camry 4 cylinder has a coolant leaking problem. search on the web, the issue is very likely due to the stripped head bolt as many people have reported the same problem. this warrants a recall!!!!!! *tr

Wife driving 2002 camry for smock inspection. i am following behind. camry stalls - engine just dies. steering is locked. wife stopped and tried to restart. after ~2mins, car restarted. continued ~2 miles and engine dies again, steering again locks. wife able to start again. after car starts, vsc and trac off lights are now on. took car to toyota dealer next day. a skid control computer is down per toyota. toyota unable to duplicate engine dying, but admit faulty computer could be cause. skid control computer costs $1453 to replace + $xxx for labor. i have read this is a common issue for 2002 toyota so am filing a complaint. why has toyota not recalled/fixed this yet? if this occurred on freeway, steering wheel lockup at 55+ mph? are they crazy? *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving approximately 10 mph in reverse, the vehicle accelerated and crashed into a pole. she shifted gears into drive and the vehicle continued to accelerate and crashed into a wall. there were no injuries. there was extensive damage to the front and back end of the vehicle. the vehicle will be towed to a toyota dealer. the manufacturer was not notified. the police and fire department arrived; however, no police report was filed. the failure mileage was 100,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that while at the stop light her foot was on the brake and without warning the vehicle lunged forward and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. the crash caused damage to both vehicles. the contact called the manufacturer and a mechanic from toyota national headquarters retrieved data from the vehicle. the contact stated that the service manager at a local dealer stated that the manufacturer saw nothing wrong with the vehicle. the contact stated that if the other vehicle was not in front of him it would have accelerated into on-coming traffic. the failure mileage was 85,000.

2002 camry xle v6...at 138,000 miles while waiting at a traffic signal during rush hour the engine stalls and after 4 attempts finally restarts. the car continued to not idle the rest of my trip home - stalling every time i slowed down to stop or turn a corner...very unsafe...didn't trust the car to make it to mechanic. car was towed, mechanic could find nothing wrong. it happened again 3 more times within a week. same scenario, towed to mechanic, found nothing wrong because the check engine light does not come on and therefore the computer does not register any issues. mechanic cleaned all sensors, idle valve, dealership and independent mechanic find nothing wrong. car was fine until july 4, weekend and did the same thing twice again. mechanic finds nothing because it so random. same situation in november while turning car stalled because it would not idle, lost power steering and brakes and almost hit another car while turning. 3 mechanics and no one can find anything wrong. have also experienced the issues mentioned with brakes and rotors which have been replaced 3 times. *tr

I own a 2002 toyota camry v6 le with a mileage reading of about 115000. i do regular oil changes and all necessary services. however off lately the car has randomly started to stall in the middle of road while being driven. this has started to be a big problem and i hesitate to drive the car for long distance. the car would suddenly die in the middle of road specially when i stop for a light or stop sign and then would refuse to start again. i have to keep the gas pedal depressed in order for the car to stay idle and not die. after about 5-10 mins the car would again start up and work normally. i've had this problem about three times this past 2 weeks and its scary now to even drive this car anywhere. i took it to a mechanic where i get all services done and he says everything is fine, but then i had two stalls after the visit. problem is that it stalls randomly and when i take it to mechanic, it performs quiet well with no problems at all. i read today in motortrend website that nhtsa is enquiring about some toyota vehicles regarding this same issue and was wondering if these incidents are related? *tr thanks.

Loss of coolant. took to auto repair. told to replace head gasket. upon replacement of head, discovered head bolts would not tighten because threads in aluminum block were stripped. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. immediately after starting the vehicle, the rpm's increased to 5,000. the engine was turned off and towed to an authorized dealer for inspection. the technician stated that the failure was contributed to the accelerator pedal warning sensor. the vehicle is in the process of being repaired. the contact had concerns of the safety risk involved. the vin was unavailable. the failure and current mileages were 112,000.

I am writing this letter on behalf of my mother. she drives a 2002 toyota camry. last week she informed me that her car ¿did it again¿ and that she is afraid to drive the car. well, i didn¿t fully understand when she said her car would sometimes accelerate in bursts until i saw nightline last night regarding the toyota run-away car issue. here are the incidences that have happened to my mom: 1) on the morning of september 3, 2009, she was backing out of her space at a supermarket parking lot and ¿the car back out really fast¿. she was so afraid that she was going to hit someone. luckily, no one was behind her so no one got hurt. she tried applying the brakes to no avail and then tried moving the gears and eventually the car stopped. 2) on september 20, 2009, she was backing out from her home and the car ¿took off and went back really fast and then spun around and then hit a tree across the street¿ in the neighbor¿s swell. she hit the brake pedal but the car did not stop. she then turned the ignition off and the car eventually stopped. 3) on october 6, 2009, she was backing out from getting her hair done and ¿the car accelerated, turned around and went towards the house across the street and then went straight into the backyard of the house---hitting the side of the house along the way¿. the car was out of control. the brakes didn¿t work. the car broke down the clothes line. thank god that neither she, the passenger , nor the owner of the house got hurt. the owner of the house was under a car - fixing it in the backyard. had he not been under the car, she felt sure that the car would have hit him. 4) on october 27, 2009 she was driving about 40 miles per hour when the car ¿just took off going really fast¿. she took her feet off of the gas pedal and tried to use the brakes. that¿s when she told me that she was so scared and didn¿t want to drive the vehicle anymore. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while in traffic, the vehicle suddenly accelerated into another vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. since the technicians could not identify the cause of the failure, no repairs were made. he traded the vehicle. the failure and current mileages were 47,000. updated 12/08/09. lj the consumer stated after stopping at a red light, it then changed to green and then suddenly the engine rpm's race and the vehicle accelerated at full force and crashed into another vehicle. the consumer had damage to his bumper, but no damaged to the other vehicle. updated 12/10/09.

2002 toyota v6 se; front brake discs caused severe steering wheel shaking when slowing from 40 to 35 mph. dealer originally replaced all front brake system at about 15000 miles under a toyota bulletin. at 60,000 miles began to have same problem which became uncontrollable at about 75,000 miles. out of warranty, so owner replaced front rotors and problem seems to be corrected.... no toyota recall..... *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry le. while driving into a parking space and applying pressure to the brake pedal the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated. the vehicle came to a complete stop immediately after an aggressive force was applied to the brake pedal. the identical failure occurred on a separate occasion without warning. the cause of the failure has not been determined. the contact had concerns of the safety risk involved. updated 11/23/09 *bf updated 11/24/09

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while pulling to the valvoline service station to get an oil change the vehicle accelerated unintentionally and drove through the service bay, the gas station, and then onto a side street. the vehicle eventually came to a complete stop. the dealer nor the manufacture were contacted. she was parking her vehicle when the second failure occurred. consequently she crashed into several vehicles. the failure mileage was 40945.

My wife was pulling into the garage and the automobile just took off . luckily she was stopped by the end of the carport by concrete steps. second, my wife and grandchild where at shopping center. my wife was backing out of a parking space and the car, as before, just took off at full throttle. this time she went into a 180 degree spin and struck three other autos, with extensive damages to our cat and others. we have taken the automobile two times to the dealer and they say they find nothing wrong. being that this condition has happened twice, so far, both my wife and i are very concerned and would like this problem solved. *tr

My 2002 toyota camry with 72,500 miles had the check light come on. i took it to a toyota dealer in columbia, sc. i was told the engine had sludge and would soon stop working. i told the dealer i changed the oil regularly when needed but the dealer said it was my fault. *tr

In august 2009 my 2002 toyota accelerated into reverse while backing out of my parking space causing a bad accident. i brought it to my toyota dealer. they told me nothing was wrong. *tr

2002 toyota camry emissions control system failure. camry with 128,000 miles with check engine light on. dealer said it will cost about $1000 to repair. charcoal cannister failure, emission valves and fuel filler neck failure. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. on october 22, 2009 she attempted to drive out of a parking space and suddenly the vehicle accelerated and caused her to crash into two parked vehicles. she was forced to crash into the parked vehicles or a wall in order to bring the vehicle to a stop to and avoid a tragedy. the driver and passenger sustained injuries. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer stated that the sudden acceleration was due to the floor mat; however, the hooks on the floor mat have an additional cover and was not touching the accelerator pedal. the air bag did not deploy when she crashed into the third vehicle. the dealer stated the air bag sensor is located in the middle and that the crash occurred on the right side of the vehicle which is why the air bag did not deploy. the honolulu police report number 09383098. the vehicle will be repaired. the failure and current mileage were 30,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving 5 mph into a driveway her vehicle crashed into a brick retainer wall. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who quoted a repair cost of $2000 to repair the damage to the front fender. the mechanic stated that he confirmed that there was no mechanical damage done to the vehicle. the air bags did not deploy and no one was injured. while parking the vehicle it unexpectedly accelerated and crashed into a beauty salon. the police was notified and a report is available. the police officer stated that the contact loss consciousness prior to the crash. the contact stated she was in complete control of the vehicle when it accelerated on its own on both occasions. the dealer stated that there were no problems with the vehicle when it was sold to her. the manufacturer stated that they would conduct a survey of the damages and check for a mechanical failure. the contact was not notified by the dealer if a representative has assessed the damages. the failure mileage was 55,000. updated 11/13/09.*lj updated 11/16/09.*jb see also odi 10265717 *dsy

2002 toyota camry, engine stall/low idle problem at 60k miles, no codes on obd replaced spark plugs, coil pack, fuel injection service but still same problem, no error code on diagnostics. *tr

Tl*the contact was driving a 2002 toyota camry. the contact owns a 2006 graco snugride infant child seat, model number 8643mdw3, manufactured on december 14, 2006. the contact was transporting the child to the vehicle secured in an "infant only" child restraint seat when the handle mechanism failed to remain in the lock position. when grasping the carry handle firmly the seat flipped forward; however, the child was not injured. the manufacturer was notified; however, the offered no resolution. the contact is aware of the safety risk involved. the vin was unknown.

2002 toyota camry xle comes to a stall (engine stops running and car does not restart for a few minutes) on red light and stop sign. many parts have been replaced or fixed but does not fix the issue. the car automatically restarts in a few minutes in most cases. it is very dangerous for a car to stop suddenly at red light or stop sign. *tr

2002 toyota camry has foul odor coming from hvac vents. dealer has removed fan enclosure in engine and cleaned out and added disinfectant. odor remains a problem. *tr

Oil sludge build up resulting in potential for engine seizure and fire. *tr

While my wife (driver for 40 years) was backing out of the driveway the car accelerated at full throttle, shot across the street and into the neighbors' yard and crashed into a tree which prevented the car from crashing into the house. *tr

2002 toyota camry, stalls as coming to a stop or slowing down for traffic, turning or someone pulling in front of me in traffic. car will not start for 20 minutes. when trying to start car before 20 minutes it turns over but not start or has a hard time starting and sputters till i can pull over off the street and stalls in a parking lot. when i wait the full 20 plus minutes the car starts as if never had a problem. by the time i get to the dealer or another repair shop they can not find anything wrong or say it has to do with the emissions control and they do not guarantee that may be that problem & i may have to bring the car back in & i will not be refunded my money & will have to pay more out of the pocket. this has been going on for 2 years. it is worse in the heat & humidity (happens more often). *tr

I own a 2002 toyota camry purchased new from dealership and regularly maintained. the check engine light came on while my daughter was driving the car and so i took it to our mechanic who said it was a faulty sensor which he replaced. the next day the check engine light came on again while she was driving and she was just able to make it back to the mechanic's shop with the car running roughly. the mechanic advised that the engine (136,000 miles) had suffered a "blown" head gasket. he recommended replacing the head gasket but warned me that because of the aluminum casting of the engine that there was a good chance that when he removed the steel bolts they would strip out the aluminum threads and then i would be looking at a new engine. unfortunately that is what happened - total cost to put in a reasonably "new" used engine (from a 2009 scion) was $5,800. i understand that things can happen and am not unduly upset that the head gasket was blown however, something as basic as knowing that you should not use steel bolts in an aluminum thread should be remedied by toyota. when a repair such as mine is undertaken there is a high probability of the bolts stripping out the aluminum threads. when that happens the cost of repair goes from approximately 1600 to replace a blown head gasket to 5800 to replace an entire engine. this is really a design flaw that should be obvious to any engineer and should be remedied by toyota. *tr

2002 camry le,50k miles always pulls to left. has been to dealer and various shops. steering wheel shudders and vibrates at any and all speeds. problem is structural. brakes are constant problem. sunroof will not seal correctly therefore rear floor is now wet. now experiencing electrical problems. would have been better off buying a 1950 studebaker! and gm is in trouble? last toyota for me. car is unsafe. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving approximately 15 mph, the vehicle accelerated without warning. as a result, the contact crashed the vehicle into a wall. the vehicle was moderately damaged. one week later, the failure recurred and the vehicle crashed into a building. the vehicle was completely destroyed and none of the air bags deployed. the contact was not injured in either crash. a complaint was filed with the manufacturer and a representative concluded after inspection of the vehicle that nothing caused the spontaneous acceleration. a police report was filed. the failure mileage was 50,000 and current mileage was 60,000. see also 10286930 *dsy

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that the driver's side seat belt tensioner does not retract. the failure began approximately 6-8 months ago. the dealer stated that it would cost $400 to replace the tensioner. no repairs have been made. the vin and mileages were unknown.

My 2002 camry le check eng. light came on from a coolant leak was told by the dealership i needed a new motor at the cost of $3,500 the car was only three years old it was a lease certified buy back also when i bought it the windshield washer went bad less then a month was told i had to fix on my own they the motor ran hot but the coolant gage never indicated the problem. *tr

The seat belt latch release on my 2002 toyota camry fails to "pop out" after un-fastening (releasing) the seat belt. this could lead to an un-safe condition since it could appear that the seat belt was latched when it was not. i was told be the dealer that it would cost $140. to repair this condition. i said that i thought this was a safety matter and should be repaired at no cost. i understand that some other car manufacturers warrant seat belts for the life of the car and make such safety repairs at no charge. why does toyota charge for repair of such safety devices? thank you for your attention to this matter. i look forward to your reply. *tr

I have a 2002 camry. in 2006 i started having problems with the acceleration of the car. i would be driving and the car would start to stall, i have taken the car to toyota on 6 different occasions. everytime i was told they could not duplicate the problem.. so there was nothing that they could do. i notice the problem when i can not accelerate between 30-50 mph in the first 5 -10 min of driving. the car will then start to stall. all lights come on and i have to pull over to the side of the road. if i let the car sit for a minute or two what ever the problem is resets its self. i am afraid one day there will be nowhere to pull off the road and i will get hurt very badly. i've taken the car to two different dealers and no one seems to know what the problem is or how to fix it. recently my vsc light and traction control light came on, i took it to dealer to be fixed and rep told me it was safe to drive and not a big deal. when the road is wet the car does not seem to get the traction control. i am going to have to get dealer to reset. *tr

Tread is separation and vibration when driving. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the vehicle has sumitomo tires. while accelerating from a stop or driving up to 55 mph, the vehicle would hydroplane. the contact noticed that the tread was bald on the one year old tires. the vehicle was driven to a sears repair shop for a routine tire rotation three times within one year. on each visit, the mechanic stated that the tires were not defective. the manufacturer was not notified. the dot number, tire line, and tire size were unknown. the current mileage was 142,000 and failure mileage was 136,444. updated 03/12/09. *lj updated 03/13/09. *jb

Prior to the accident on 2/8/2008 at 8:55pm there were 2-3 episodes within a 6 year period when ana lopez felt the vehicle mildly accelerate on its own for only a few seconds. the episodes were so mild that she questioned herself whether the car truly accelerated and so she never had the car inspected. however, on 2/8/2008 at 8:55pm while driving home heading south on the veterans expressway in tampa she experienced what she describes as the most frightening event in her life. the first sign that something was going wrong was the dash lights began to flicker on and off so she made an attempt to pull over so she could call her husband and make him aware of how the car was performing. as she began slowing down and veering off the road on the outside lane, which was witnessed, the vehicle mad a very powerful acceleration accompanied by a loud acceleration sound and loss of steering ability as the car began to steer to the left going back into traffic lanes. she felt as though the vehicle was now controlling itself and shortly after began to spin out of control. the vehicle struck the barrier wall and came to a final rest on the right southbound lane. ana lopez suffered multiple fractures to her right leg and spent 2 months in the hospital and rehab unit where she suffered greatly with pain and continues to suffer from pain and debilitation. the vehicle was inspected by a professional inspector at her home and nothing was found wrong with the vehicle. but the inspection was a preliminary inspection and she feared that a more through inspection would be too costly for her. her story about the incident has never changed and still is traumatizing to her. this complaint was translated and written by alberto lopez, her son. *tr

Failure to accelerate properly ( 1 or 2 second hesitation) i took the car to the toyota dealer for 2 years and they reset the computer each time but that fix only lasted about 1200 miles each time. dealer says engine falls within specifications and refused to do any more to fix the car under warranty - i have now 34,000 miles and i get scared when i pull out into traffic and the car temporary stalls the slow acceleration. *tr

At subzero temperature (below 0) car starts with check engine light on (error code p1128), traction control and vsc disabled. idle at 600-800 rpm. engine does not respond to acceleration pedal, so car is not drivable. after warming engine up and erasing error code from ecu car drives normally. *tr

When it is below 32 degrees f. outside the cars throttle body will freeze shut. this causes the car to not operate and the car needs to be placed in a warm environment to warm it to above freezing, and the car will operate well. this has been addressed in a service bulletin put out by toyota and to correct this problem it will cost approx $1200. this is a defect on the part of toyota. it is not because of age, and it is a serious problem. *tr

The door handles on the car where you open the door at break. this is from normal wear and tear from just opening the doors. *tr

Inside door handles on driver and passenger. the chrome coating has cracked and peeled revealing a sharp edge that cuts the fingers of the person pulling the handle to open the door. permanent repair requires removing the inside door panels and installing new handles. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that the interior door handles failed on the vehicle at least three times. the handle would not open the door. the failure mileage was less than 50,000 and current mileage was greater than 61,000. updated 12/30/08 *cn the door handles were cracked. updated 12/30/08. *jb

After backing out of a parking space and switching the car from reverse to drive, the car accelerated quickly forward crashing into two parked cars and finally stopping after hitting a concrete structure. applying the brake would not stop the car. the car has been declared a total loss by the insurance company. unexplained acceleration events have occurred before with this car. *tr

Vehicle started smoking (white smoke) i took vehicle to dealer he advised that the prior year vehicles had a defect of the motor sludging up but my model had been redesigned and that it was due to me not changing the oil filter my husband owns a repair shop and had done the oil changes and replaced the filters the vehicle was still under 50,000 but dealer would not take care of problem. *tr

This accident occurred in my garage. i had backed the car out of the garage and left the engine running with the car in park while i removed the garbage container and upon returning to my car about 1 minute later, i placed my foot on the brake pedal and shifted the car into drive. immediately, the car accelerated forward at a very high speed and despite the fact that my foot remained on the brake pedal, it did not stop and crashed into the concrete wall at the rear of my garage. the air bags deployed minimizing my injuries. the car was totaled by my insurance company - the front end was badly smashed and the frame was bent. the total estimate to repair was in excess of $9000. the total travel of the car was 26 feet. i have no idea how fast the car accelerated to, however in the 60,000 miles that we had driven the car, i had never experienced this high degree of acceleration. please note that when i had first re-entered the car just prior to the crash, there was no indication of a fast engine idle at all. also, i observed after the crash that my foot was still on the brake pedal and there was no indication of anything lodged beneath the brake pedal. *tr

Replacement of wheel bearing and brakes required for 2002 toyota camry, 64k miles, no record of accidents. no accident occurred, but one will before long when wheel bearing and/or brakes fail. *tr

My 2002 toyota camry got stuck in reverse and accelerated causing a 5 car accident in a parking lot. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the vehicle has b.f. goodrich traction t/a tires, size 205/65r15 (na). the tread on all four tires has cracks on the first and last rows. b.f. goodrich offered to give the contact new tires at a 40 percent discount. the contact has pictures available. the tire failure mileage was 14,500. the vehicle failure mileage was 41,453. updated 08/14/08 *bf updated 08/14/08

I have a 2002 toyota camry. the rear back speakers disintegrated! they cracked and then just crumbled when i touched them. *tr

3 flat tires faulty valve stems in all 3 tires replaced the 3 valve stem. replaced valve stem part number is tr414. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving 60 mph, the front passenger side tire blew out. the contact took the vehicle to the tire shop and they stated that the valve stem was cracked and caused the failure. within the following weeks, the three remaining valve stems failed. she took the vehicle back to the tire shop and they replaced the valve stems. the stems that were replaced were the tr418, manufactured by dill air controls. the failure mileage was 47,000 and current mileage was 51,000.

3/21/2008 car stopped running while on expressway. towed 50 miles into dealership alamo toyota, san antonio, tx =not where purchased 100 miles from residence. told engine mounting bolts sheered off into the engine block which caused crack. engine had to be replaced. dealer found salvage engine with 37000 miles on it. owner did not receive proof of the mileage. dealer kept used engine $4,000.00+. included used longblock, oil, oil filter coolant rear main seal, fipc, radiator cleaning. owner rented at own expense rental vehicle. told car was repaired. picked car up drove off lot, turned around and went back into dealership. car was misfiring. had to leave car again. additional $235.00 to replace 4 coils april 11,2008. on may 2 2008, a/c stopped cooling. took car into champion toyota, austin texas. $613.00 for ac condenser, condenser assy, relay, warranty. ac condenser leaking, probably damaged during radiator cleaning at alamo toyota. *tr

The door handle lock release on the driver's side had broken when i proceeded to open the door of the vehicle to get out. had this been an emergency situation such as a vehicle immersion and if there was no power to the power windows, i would not have been able to open the driver's side window to reach out and release the door lock from the outside. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving 30 mph, the overhead compartment directly above the rearview mirror came down and struck the contact in the eye. the glasses she was wearing prevented the injury from being severe. the contact pulled off the road and learned that the cover to the compartment and the mechanism that controls the sunroof failed. she was able to close the compartment until she returned home, but it would not completely latch back together. the sunroof has never been used. the current and failure mileages were 54,000. updated 09/10/08 *bf updated 09/11/08 *jb

Two complaints (1) headlights are delaminating which i understand is a common, expensive problem. (2) inside driver's side door handle broke so i couldn't get out of the car. both of these problems, i have learned are quite common to other camry owners. *tr

To whom it may concern: we purchased a 2002 toyota camry from arlington toyota, jacksonville, florida- new in december 2001. we have always owned toyotas with no problems. presently the car has 64,000 miles. on june 26 the check engine light came on for about an hour and then went off, after that the a/c stopped working. we took the car into coggin toyota at the avenues on june 28 and were given a bill of $1154 with an explanation that the entire a/c condenser assembly, air flow sensor and air fuel sensor needed replacement. obviously we had to pay for this and have it done as we're going out of town and have a child who rides in this car regularly, but this is beyond ridiculous. for this age of a car, and supposedly being the most reliable and highly rated car for that year this should not have happened. this car has not been in any bad accidents and is not driven excessively. all routine maintenance is performed on a regular basis. this is clearly a defect on toyota's part and needs to be compensated for. we should not have had to pay this much for a repair on this type of car, whether or not the warranty is expired. i expected much more from toyota than we have presently experienced and am very disappointed and frustrated. we had planned to purchase a new sienna within the next few years but now will look else where. ************ kristi b. gabriel, lmt, ba, mba healing waters therapy *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving 2 mph, she heard a grinding noise then the vehicle shut off without warning. the dealer stated that engine mounting bolts sheered off into the engine block, which caused the corner of the engine to crack. the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. as of june 6, 2008, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the failure and current mileages were 92,000. the vin was unavailable

Vacuuming my drivers side seat i had moved the driver seat forward finished vacuuming i tried to move the seat back to the position i had it,would not budge so i thought maybe a bad fuse no the fuse was good so i thought the motor would be bad and have to wait till monday to take into toyota. at toyota i received this information that the seat track assembly has either seized or was frozen and to repair this part would be $1,200.00 i have never heard such a thing as track were you are sitting freeze or seize. *tr

I purchased a 2002 toyota camry new and recently noticed the car blowing blue smoke on start up in the mornings. i took the car to my dealer where they did an eval. they are suggesting that i have the valve stem seals replaced at a cost of around $2,000.00. i was shocked. my car is 5 years old with 77,000 miles. how could this be? i have taken excellent care of my car, getting oil changes every 3,000 miles (and have the receipts and records to prove it. in fact the dealer handled all the oil changes and service for me, up till the last 2 oil changes.) i know there was a class action suit for an oil sludge/gel problem, which after reading everything on the internet, i believe is probably the real issue with my car, but everything i've read says it ended with the 2001 camry models. have you heard or received any complaints for the 2002 models as well? any information or advice you could give me would be much appreciated! *tr

At low speeds, when the gears switches it makes the noise. have taken to dealer several times and still no proper fix. been this way form at least two years. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that the engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. she stated that there was a faulty charcoal canister that needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 82,630. updated 07/15/08 *bf updated *jb 07/15/08

Backing out of my driveway, i put the car in reverse, a 2002 toyota camry and it took off at full speed and did not stop until it went across the street and hit a tree even though i was trying to brake. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving 25-30 mph, the brake pedal extended to the floorboard when he depressed the brake. as a result, the stopping distance increased. the mechanic stated that the master cylinder caused the failure. as of february 7, 2008, the mechanic had not repaired the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 53,000. updated 3/1/08 *cn updated 03/11/08 *tr

Engine light came on during a trip to lexington, ky on a saturday. i experienced a bad shift on one occasion during that trip. took it to the dealer the following monday. was told that my catalytic converter was going bad. cost to repair was approx $800. elected not to repair car at that time. i have approx 127000 miles on car and just paid it off last december. within two weeks of this visit to the dealer, the transmission began to jerk when shifting between 25 and 40 mph. i parked car and began to drive my older vehicle until i could get it back into dealer. i took it to the dealer on feb 14 and was told that my transmission needed replaced. i had all of completed transmission services during the life of the car. i feel that this is a safety problem as the transmission hesitated during driving and could have resulted in me being rear-ended by another vehicle. i am concerned with the quality of toyota vehicles as i have read about their engine sludge problems and other people with transmission failures. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. beginning on august 14, 2007, the vehicle's gears would shift into reverse, but the vehicle would not accelerate over 15 mph. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the transmission failed. the transmission was replaced. a new battery was installed without the owner's consent, knowledge, and need for a new battery. the cost for the repair was $4,432. in december of 2007, the vehicle would occasionally not switch gears or allow the contact to drive above 10-15 mph. the vehicle was taken to the dealer on december 13, 2007 and the contact was informed that the transmission failed again. the transmission was repaired once more under the manufacturer warranty for the previous transmission. the dealer stated that there was a hole in the dust boot on the passenger side. the contact has the dust boot available. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 147,000 and failure mileage was 140,083.

Passenger inside vehicle went to exit vehicle and inside door handle cracked and broke. handle was replaced by dealer at cost of $78.00. *tr

Inside driver door handle broke off. passenger inside door handle did the same thing in 2003. *tr

Brakes have a long stopping distance; even though it has been in the shop several times for this. mechanics can't fix it. this car has been like this since it was brought new. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 evenflo discovery, model number 4791255p1 child seat. whenever the contact places the child seat in the middle of the back seat, the base is very unstable. she does not like to place the child by the windows and feels that the middle of the seat is the safest place. updated 02-19-08 *bf the consumer stated her mom owns the car and jennifer romero is the complainant. updated 02/20/08 *tr

I purchased a 2002 camry (new) and have had to replace both the drivers and passengers front door handles due to breakage, were not talking excessive force here. this is the part you put your fingers in to pull open door latch. they are breaking at the pivot point, where the pin goes through. toyota is charging $37.00 apiece for an item that will get your virginia state inspection sticker revoked until repaired, as i just found out. in my opinion the safety aspect of this( not being able to egress the vehicle in an emergency)constitutes a recall. thankyou, mark grose *tr

There was a vibration sound on the passenger side air bag. the local toyota dealer checked out the vehicle and indicated air bag malfunction problem, and that it may deploy or may not deploy in case of accident. driving the vehicle is not recommended due to safety issue. *tr updated 10/10/07 *tr

2002 toyota camry inside door handle failure. customer states that the inside driver and passenger door handles have failed and needed to be replaced. customer believes this is a safety hazard. *kb the left brake light bulb was inoperative.

Just after the warranty expired (5 years, 4 months) the ?check engine? light came up with the generic p0770 code of what seems to be a frequent transmission/solenoid failure problem for few toyota models. i contacted toyota canada for support in this matter to only experience more disappointment. after being assured that a response to my request would not take longer than seven to ten business days, i had to follow up with customer service on few occasions, by e-mail and phone, until finally receiving a response after six weeks ? a negative one. my current disappointment is not so much due to the fact that toyota took such a long time to reply, but to the inflexibility proven by those who analyzed and ?solved? my case. also, they seem to send "canned messages". but, to be more specific, here are the quick facts about my car as also presented in my correspondence with the customer service: 1. the solenoid failure was first reported at 43,000 km (25,000 miles) when the car was 4 years old, well under warranty. at that time instead of dealing with the root of the problem, a transmission flush was performed and the code reset. but the code reappeared when the car was five years and four months old, and only 67,000 km (40,000 miles). just 4 months out of the official warranty. 2. the problem my car has is common for toyota cars. although the p0770 code i got is a generic code, a google search returns only toyota reported issues in the first 40 results. my camry has transmission u140e which is shared with other toyota cars. lexus rx300 (using u140e) has a service bulletin (1999-2002): proper identification of the 5 solenoids used in the u140e/u140f transmissions (nhtsa item number: 10009396) there are also numerous tsb for solenoid problems with the following toyota cars: tundra, highlander, matrix, camry, lexus rx300, sienna. they seemed to be plagued by this problem. even sienna 2004 (5 years later after the first tsb in 1999) still has that problem. *jb

At about 105,000 miles on my 2002 camry v6, the car experienced hesitating driving while driven at speeds above 40 mph when removing slightly the foot from the throttle pedal. the car is bucking backward and forward for indefinite time until the throttle pedal is fully depressed or fully pressed. this is an unsafe situation since on the highway the speed cannot be decreased or increased any time. notified dealer and told that this cannot be identified since there is no error code generated (no check engine light on). replaced all spark plugs at 108,000 miles on aug 24, 2007. problem not solved. spouse noticed increased bucking while driving down hill. went back to the dealer. performed test drive with technician in the car and the diagnose system hooked to the car's computer. detected some misfires on cylinders 5 and 6. replaced solenoid ignition packs for cylinder 5 & 6 and test drove again. problem not solved. technician concluded that fuel injectors are clogged. performed fuel injectors purge (cleaning). problem not solved. technician recommended to replace all fuel injectors and solenoid ignition packs. car was maintained properly during the ownership. oil & filter changed every 3000 miles, replaced air filter every 30,000 miles, replaced timing belt and belt tensioners at 87,000 miles, replaced water pump at 87,000 miles, flushed transmission fluid at 87,000 miles. from reading various customers complaints, it appears to be a transmission problem but dealer did not mention anything about it. *jb

Sidewall is bulging - will be returning to dealer (costco). has not completely failed. tire is a michelin mxv4 s8 all season p215/60r16 94v rrbl. installed 1/10/06. about 10,000 miles of use. *tr

Toyota camry le 2.4 l winter weather cause to vvt on auto to fail and stall engine. stalled engine caused lost of controls, steering, brakes, etc..parts replaced were oxygen sensors, cat.convertor, etc.. the vvt is variable valve timing control along with ocm, pcm, throttle sensor, mass air sensor which regulates the engine performance. *tr

Tl*- the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. she noticed gas fumes and a gas leak coming from the vehicle. the dealership informed the contact this occurred when the gas tank was overfilled. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic for repair. the mechanic informed the contact that the charcoal canister needed to be replaced. there have not been any other occurrences since the replacement. the current mileage was 70000. *ak the consumer stated she always topped of the tank and there was no where in the manual where it said it couldn't be done. updated 04//12/07. *jb

Tl* - while backing up out of a parking lot the 2002 toyota camry suddenly accelerated. the contact applied the brake with full force in order to stop vehicle from accelerating into a wall. the contact took vehicle into the local mechanic and the mechanic replaced the accelerator position sensor. the current mileage is 21265 and the failure mileage is 21200.*ak consumer has included the repair order and wants to be reimbursed. update *4/17tr

My wife, amy s. jenson, rear ended another vehicle on s main st in findlay, oh. there was extensive damage to front end of her car. the engine was pushed back the best part of a foot because of the accident. the problem is that there was no airbag deployment of any sort from the accident. isn't that what air bags are there for? as a result there is significant bruising of my wife's head where it hit the windshield and broke it. i would like to know if this defective air bag is common among her car type. she drives a 2002 toyota camry. *nm

My 2002 camry has been a great car except for the foul odor coming from the air conditioner. i have contacted the dealer as well as toyota about this problem several times but nothing has been fixed. we are still dealing with the odor from the air conditioner. *jb

Applied brakes to make a sudden stop at 25 mph. the brakes went all the way to the floor(spongy) and also abs got activated but did not stop. it hit vehicle in front and stopped without any damage. this happened couple of times earlier, but not involved any accident. before this accident, got the brakes adjusted 3 times at dealer for low pedal. after the repair was done, the brakes still remained the same. on bumpy roads abs gets activated directly. i paid fine for the accident for toyota flaw. will get rid of this camry if toyota does not recall. *nm

I was driving my wife's 2002 camry se v6. traveling at approximately 45-50 mph applied brakes to make a right turn at traffic light (light was red) and brakes continued to travel to floor without stopping vehicle. i quickly released brake pedal and pumped brake. car then slowed but i had to make a very aggressive tire squealing right turn. if i did not think to pump brake i don't feel that car would have slowed at all. if i was not making a right turn, by the time the brakes activated the vehicle would have entered or passed the intersection before coming to a complete stop. this happened at approx. 5:30 am. i took vehicle to toyota dealership at 8 am the same morning. the dealership said they "could not duplicate concern". *nm

1. the vehicle in the front made a sudden stop at the traffic light. 2. brakes failed to stop at a safe distance from the car in the front as they were too soft. 3. brakes and assembly was checked and nothing was changed as they are as per the standards. *jb

I purchased my car in 2001, used with 17k miles, form toyota of durham. i have 105k miles now on it. i kept the routine oil change and had sluggish oil problems every time i got my oil changed. there was no documented oil sluggish problem from toyota. my vehicle is clicking with a strange sound. i had it looked at and the mechanic determined the timing belt is going. but he advised me to take it to the dealership where i purchased it. i did and they told me that it was the engine. i need a new engine. a new engine, no way. how is it that a toyota camry with barely 100k miles need a new engine and nothing is said to be wrong with this vehicle. i have owned toyota and lexus models for a long time now and have yet to deal with such shame in their models. i am really disappointed at this mess of a car. surely, we know that there are something that need to be done at a certain time but why is it that a new engine would be required? i am really not going to be the best person promoting toyota cars in the future. i had plans on looking into the toyota sienna for my family. but the odyssey is looking much better now. *jb

We own a 2002 toyota camry last night my wife, son and a friend were sitting at a stop light behind another car. with my wife's foot on the brake, the car revved up and lunged into the back of the car in front of her. immediately after hitting her once, the engine revved up even higher and accelerated into the car again. had she been first in line at the light, she would have been thrown into the middle of a busy four lane intersection and might possibly not be here today. if you have any more info on this, could you please send it to me or tell me where it could be found. *jb

I was coming home one day and my check engine light came on. i immediately took my car to the dealer and they told me it was the o2 sensor going bad. i wanted a second opinion so i took my car to another dealer who told me it was the catalytic converter. i was very concern by these two different answers, so i went to a third dealer who told me it was indeed the o2 sensor. after having that replaced, within 2 months the light was back on again. *nm

Ltr fm (ca) re the 2002-2005 toyota camry, solora, and lexus automobiles, request nhtsa do a full investigation on these vehicle re sudden acceleration. *ts while drivng the vehicle accelerated suddenly and resulted in an accident. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while parking the vehicle on the upper level of a multi-level parking garage, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle surged forward, breaking through the safety cable and damaging the body of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer, where the dealer was unable to duplicate or determine the cause of the problem. updated 12/5/2006 - *nm

2002 toyota camry. car will not accelerate in temperatures 40 degrees or less. i have spoke with the dealer who says that they have numerous complaints about this issue. i offered to send articles from consumer magazines and they state that they already have been sent info. from at least 10 times different customers. *jb

I noticed gasoline dripping from the rear of my 2002 toyota camry le at the rate of about a drop per second while it was parked with the engine off. the car had not been run for a day and a half and had about 3/4 of a tank of gas in it. the gasoline was dripping near the middle of the rear axle, about 2 inches from the exhaust pipe. i was afraid to start the car and after clearance by the local fire department, had it towed to a toyota dealer for repairs. the toyota dealer determined that the vacuum valve assembly had failed and that the charcoal canister assembly was filled with fuel. they replaced both the vacuum valve assembly and the charcoal canister assembly. i do not have the old parts. i had to pay for the full cost of the repairs as toyota said that my car was beyond the warranty period. *nm

Driver concluded business at a drive through atm at a local shopping mall. vehicle was shifted into 'drive' and at that instant the engine started racing at high speed and the vehicle accelerated rapidly. the driver depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle would not stop. the engine was still racing at top speed and the vehicle was picking up momentum. the driver pumped the brakes several times, but no feedback response could be felt. the rapid, unintended acceleration caused the vehicle to travel across the centerline and into the opposite direction of traffic. with opposing traffic approaching the driver turned the vehicle sharply to the right in an effort to avoid a collision. seeing a number of cars stopped at the approaching intersection to the main road, the driver continued to steer the car hard to the right. the vehicle then went over an embankment and struck a steel light pole resulting in total loss of the vehicle and significant injuries to the driver. total travel distance of the vehicle from acceleration to impact was approximately 300 feet. total incident time and final speed are uncertain. *nm

I have had the door handles on both front doors of my camry break in the course of normal usage. the passenger door handle broke in the spring and the driver's side door handle this month. while the broken door handle on the passenger side was an inconvenience (my wife rode in the back until the handle was repaired), the broken driver side handle was a danger in that i had to lower the window and open the car door from the outside to leave the vehicle. were i in an accident this exit routine could have been fatal. earlier this year the dealer replaced the passenger door handle at no charge but disclaimed any responsibility for the driver side handle. the parts replaced were kept or disposed of by the dealer. *nm

I was sitting at a red light waiting to turn left. i suddenly heard my engine rev and looked at the dash. the rpm's were all the way over to the right. my car lurched forward, hard, and hit a lincoln navigator in front of me. i pressed the brake as hard as i could, with both feet, to try and stop, but ultimately had to turn the car off to stop it from moving forward. i am now waiting for an investigation, which they have told me could take up to 30 days. i was told that if they determined that it was a mechanical failure, they have another 30 days to fix it. i am in sales and use my car all day, every day. they weren't very concerned about it. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds, the check engine light illuminated without incident. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who determined the fuel filter needed to be cleaned and the fuel filler cap needed to be replaced. in addition, it was determined the fuel filter was corroded due to oxidization of the fuel filter material. the manufacturer was notified.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 10 mph in a parking lot and attempting to maneuver into a parking space the vehicle accelerated to 30 mph without warning crashing into a pole and causing damage to a fence. the air bags did not deploy. a police report was taken and the dealer was notified. the vehicle was totaled by the insurance company. updated 10/13/06. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while parked, air was noticed leaking from a rear tire. the vehicle had no warning lights for tire pressure. the leak was continuous and no problem was detected in the tire itself. the vehicle was taken to the dealership, who determined the leak was coming through the cast alloy rim. the manufacturer was contacted who took the case and promised to call back the next business day which never happened. the contact expressed concern because the other three wheels could be defective as well.

The front passenger side door lock would not lock or unlock with the remote or the key. it had to be manually unlocked from the inside. it was out of warranty but toyota agreed to pay for the part and i paid the labor. now the drivers side door lock has failed in the same manner, although i am able to open the door with the key. at times the door was unable to be opened from the inside. the handle would not move to open the door and i was concerned that the handle would break. it is out of warranty and toyota will not repair. i feel that this is a safety defect since someone could get stuck in their car in the event of an emergency and that toyota should repair this defect at no cost to the consumer. *jb

The door latch handles (plastic) on the inside of both front doors have broken off during normal use. this is a safety hazard; if i'm in an accident that disables the power windows (battery failure) i will not be able to use the exterior handles, as i do now, and i will be trapped in the car. because the car warranty has expired the dealer said the failure is not covered and offered to replace them for $33 each, plus installation charges. the corporate "customer service" 800 number also denied coverage under the warranty and offered no other assistance. i see no purpose in replacing them with duplicates that will also break. *jb

In heavy humid, hard raining weather, the dehumidifier, air-conditioning unit ceases to operate and a green light flashes. i completely fog up while driving. *nm

The driver's side door handle used to exit the car broke off,as i was routinely using it. at first i was anxious as i thought i would have to try to crawl over the transmission to get to the passenger side in order to get out. i then realized i could use the power windows to lower the window , and reach way around to open the door with outside handle. i think this could be a dangerous situation in an accident or if there were other problems that necessitated a quick exit. *nm

Events leading up to the failure were normal use of car doors. inside door handles of front passenger and back passenger doors cracked and one completely fell off. door handles broke on separate occasions, but within a 1.5 year time span as passengers were trying to get out of car (car was unlocked). as a result riders cannot let themselves out of the car. only the driver door is still in working condition. driver must "valet style" let passengers out of the car. inside door handles need to be replaced. *jb

I wrote to you on may 9, 2006 about my 2002 toyota camry. in june 2004, the driver's inside door handle cracked and the door could not be opened from the inside. in may 2006 the passenger inside door handle cracked. toyota did not handle this episode and refused to deal with me. in july 2006 the back seat passenger side door handle cracked. all three times it cracked when trying to exit the vehicle. exiting the vehicle became impossible. in may i contacted my toyota dealer and toyota international. but did not get any satisfaction. this is a dangerous situation. the first two episodes happened when i opened the door. this last one occurred when an 81 year old man tried to open our door. i cringe to think if it were an emergency. we've owned a lot of cars and never had door handles crack. there is a problem with this product. *jb

The inside passenger side door handle in my 2002 camry broke off. very seldom do i have passengers ride with me, so it wasn't excessive wear and tear. i have a 1995 toyota corolla and have replaced both inside front seat handles and a 1996 toyota camry and have replaced both inside front handles and the passenger side outside handle. i don't think this is normal wear and tear on a 2002 toyota. i have not contacted the dealership yet. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 10 to 15 mph the vehicle accelerated to 30 mph. the issue was intermittent. the service dealer was not unable to determine the problem with the vehicle.

Dt: the contact stated that the door handles on the inside of the vehicle keeps breaking in the middle. this incident occurred on two doors prior to the expiration of the warrenty. the third door handled fractured recently and will need to be repaired at cost. to open the doors once the handle breaks the occupant has to roll down the window and open the door from the outside.

Dt*: the contact stated after starting the vehicle, it immediately accelerated and subsequently crashed into a house. updated 10/06/06. *jb

Front passenger interior door handle snapped at spindle. this car has 29,000 miles and passengers are rarely carried. breakage rendered door inoperable from inside,causing major safety hazard in event of emergency. called dealer and was told this is a cosmetic problem, therefore warranty will not cover repairs. upon calling toyota's extra care protection plan, i was also informed that this problem was not covered by the warranty. dealer will replace at my expense. *jb

The car would not start. jump started it. drove around but just stalled after 2 miles. again tried to start but could not. battery ok. called tow company and put the car back in my garage. again jump started it to pull back into garage. let the car remain started in parking position. engine again died after 5 minutes. *jb

Toyota camry le 2002, passenger inside door plastic handles front and rear (right side) broke within one day apart, therefore exiting the vehicle was impossible in case of an emergency, since doors and windows are electric. in 2004, driver seat inside door handle also broke in the same manner, (cracked in the handle). *jb

Transmission intermittently slips out of gear when driving. causes the car to hesitate abruptly upon acceleration. the problem has persisted since the car was purchased. no remedy has resolved the issue yet and it seems to be worsening. *nm

I wrote on may 9, 2005 about my 2002 toyota camry. in june 2004 the driver's inside door handle cracked and the door could not be opened from the inside. in may 2006 the passenger inside door handle cracked. toyota refused any support. in july 2006 the back seat passenger side door handle cracked. all three times it cracked when attempting to exit the vehicle. exiting the vehicle becomes impossible. this is a dangerous situation. i have again contacted my dealers customer care and parts department as well as the general manager. they would not let me talk to the owner. the part manager says there have not been a lot sold at the dealership and there is nothing in the bulletins. but this is a recurring safety issue. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the heater and air conditioner control panel illuminated intermittently. the dealership could not duplicate the problem however, determined the panel needed to be replaced. within two days, the same problem arose with the new panel. the dealership replaced the third control panel. although there have been no problems with the third control panel, the contact is concerned the same problems will reoccur with the new panel.*ak

I have a 2002 toyota camry - every year i replace the rotors and break pads. now i have a bigger problem, my calibers froze, causing the(front) breaks to lock, and now my master cylinder is gone - we are talking a $700.00 repair job, on a car that is 4 years old, with less than 60k miles. with all the complaints i just read, how come toyota hasn't done a recall?????????????????? why do "we" need to replace the rotors, and pads every year? *nm

My car's check engine light would come on and my son would check the code (po420) then send me to the dealer. i took this car to two different dealers during this time. the first time the light came on i was out of town and took the car to a local dealer who changed a sensor connected to the exhaust system. the next time to light came on i took the car to a dealer in my area and they told me that it was a bad sensor (same one that had just been changed) after i told them that sensor had already been replaced they came back and told me that it was a different sensor. i left this dealer and shortly after the check engine light was on again and i went back to the second dealer who said that the computer needed to be reprogrammed. this problem has been on going for about four years, during which time my car was under warranty and the first service bulletin on this problem was issued on may 24, 2004 and the second on july 27, 2004. now that the car is not under warranty i have found out about these service bulletins. i intend to take this issue up with toyota as this should have been repaired back in 2004. *nm

I own a 2002 camry, the car was purchased new from the dealer. in july 2005, the inside passenger side door handle broke at the point of connection to the door. i had handle replaced by the dealer. november 24, 2004, we were driving camry, and rear drivers side door handle broke in the same manner as the previous front door handle. i questioned the dealer's service coordinator as why, answer "they got a bad batch of handles, they are made in usa and the just fall off" toyota has not recalled nor can i find any information on failed handles, but several customers of same dealer and car have told me they also have had to replace faulty door handles, each handle costs about $85 to replace. *nm

I am the owner of a 2002 toyota camry. in june of 2004, the inside driver's door handle cracked when i tried to exit the car. the handle is made of plastic. toyota replaced the handle because the car was still under warranty. on may 5, 2006, the same thing happened to the passenger inside, plastic door handle when attempting to exit the car. this is a safety issue because the door won't open and you have to climb over the console to exit or have someone open the door for you. i'm grateful i wasn't exiting for an emergency. i have contacted toyota. the first time you think it is a fluke but the second time makes you realize that they have a defective part which creates a safety issue. i don't want my door handle breaking when trying to get out of the car. i have owned many cars in my life time and have never broken a door handle. toyota has refused to fix it claiming that it is not under warranty. however, they asked me such questions as whether i had my car serviced at the dealer and if i ever owned any other toyotas. these questions are not relevant to the problem. *nm

Response to letter received from claims administrator, for toyota, alleging that all systems were functioning properly for 2002 toyota camry. *ts the manufacturer claimed that all systems were functioning properly when the consumer's vehicle suddenly accelerated and ended up inside a travel agency. *nm several months before the accident, the battery went completely dead. the consumer was informed the battery would not hold a charge and a new battery was needed. updated 02/23/10

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle has lurched forward six times since purchase. this happens with the brake pedal depressed and with the vehicle at a stop or while traveling. the vehicle has been to the dealership, but the problem could not be duplicated. the manufacturer has been alerted.

3 incidents of sudden accelerations, the last one causing property damage. the dealer said nothing wrong with car. i found many other people on-line that had same problem. someone is going to get killed in a crosswalk or parking lot. i'm afraid to drive it or sell it to another with this problem. *nm

Attempted to replace left front parking light bulb. socket was very difficult to remove and nearly impossible to install. location adjacent to very sharp sheet metal caused several cuts. my wife's hands are smaller, so she was able to reinstall the socket, but not without also being cut. *nm

Car accelerated without driver input on two separate occasions . the last event resulted in smashing through a plate glass window of a travel agency, injuring one employee. the car ended up totally in the agency, halted by an interior wall. the police reported skid marks on the sidewalk in front of the agency, as well as within the agency as i attempted to brake the car. there is also evidence that the right front tire was rotating very rapidly, so much so that when the car stopped the tire burned a hole in the carpet. carpet threads are embedded in the right front wheel tire. on the one hand, the marks on the carpet and sidewalk indicate that skid marks were made by all three wheels, while the right front wheel obviously was burning rubber. *jb updated 03/01/06

On 12/31/05, during a rainstorm, the hazard lights on the vehicle started flashing while the vehicle was parked at our home and not running. the only way to turn off the hazard lights was by removing the fuse. the next day, while driving the car, we found that we had no turn signals as the fuse removed also controlled them, and we discovered there was about an inch of water on the floor on the driver's side of the vehicle. we replaced the fuse, and although the hazard lights were no longer constantly flashing, when a turn signal is activated both lights go on causing a driving hazard. at our earliest convenience (on 1/17/06), i drove the vehicle to the closest toyota service and dealer (modesto toyota, and hour and a half drive from our home). after checking the vehicle i was informed that there was a leak in the firewall near the driver's side door and that water damage had caused the electrical damage. furthermore, they (modesto toyota) could not repair the damage; we would need to take the vehicle to an auto body shop. we next took the vehicle to the dealer where it was purchased, merced toyota, on 1/25/06. the results were the same, and we were also informed that there was a technical service bulletin regarding this problem (although no one ever offered to give us a copy, or even allow us to read it). we were also told that toyota would not fix this problem, although they know about it, because we were past the 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. the possibility of a water leak that can cause major electrical damage is a hazard. because of this problem, we have been driving our car, with our 5 year old and 2 year old daughters in the back, with no working turn signals for almost two months. toyota is aware of this problem as evidenced by the tsb (i believe it is #b001503, nhtsa# 1000348), yet they have not made consumers aware of this potential hazard and the need to have this seam repaired before it leaks. *jb

With no warning or previous problems, while driving at 60 mph, the 4 cylinder engine in my 2002 toyota camry. i am a 78 year old woman and i was unable to control the car with no power. i just barely avoided a head-on collision. this happened 5 more times in quick succession before i could drive immediately back to my home. i brought the car back to ray brandt toyota of metairie 504-464-4500. told them of the problem and the potential for a serious accident, due to the car shutting down while driving. the dealers service department has had the car for a day, duplicated the problem, but claim they can find no reason for this to happen. i do not want to die in a fatal accident caused by the engine shutting down and if they cannot locate the cause of this problem, i will get rid of the car and never purchase another toyota. please help. *jb

The 2002 toyota camry, purchased used from ray brandt toyota in august of last year, completely shut down while my mother was driving at highway speeds this past monday. she barely missed a head-on collision, because she was unable to control the car without power steering. i advised her to bring the camry immediately to ray brandt toyotaÂ?? s service department. she turned it over to them that same afternoon. the next day a service technician was able to duplicate the problem in the shop. even with the problem occurring at the shop, the technicians were unable to locate the cause that day. yesterday, sheila, a ray brandt toyota service representative, assured me that they had solved this type of intermittent problem before. i asked if the diagnostic cost would run into the thousands of dollars. she said $300 would most likely be enough to pay for the diagnostic time to determine the cause. she added that she would be calling me with the resolution today. today, at approximately 12:45 pm i went in person to the service department. i spoke to another ray brandt toyota customer service representative named mike. i asked him had ray brandt toyota solved this type of problem before. mike stated that yes they had although it took 2 weeks and cost $850. mike told me to be patient; give ray brandt toyota time to fix it. later this afternoon sheila told my mother that there was nothing ray brandt toyotaÂ??s service could do to determine the cause of the problem. this was, of course a direct contradiction to what she stated to me yesterday. my mother then again expressed her concern that the car was a death trap. sheila agreed that the car was, in fact, not safe to drive. she nevertheless told my mother to come pick the car up. doing that to my mother was despicable. *nm

During a 60,000 mile check-up at my service station, it was discovered that i needed a new "flex pipe assembly" (manifold exhaust pipe and catalytic converter combined). the mechanic said that he has seen the same problem on many 2002 toyota camry le's. the part alone cost me $900 and $100 in labor to install. toyota told me that this part is not on recall list. i approved the replacement by my mechanic who told me that i should file a complaint. *nm

I had new car battery installed by local toyota dealership late on 12/2/05. the car seemed to shift and sound markedly differently after driving the car off the lot with the new battery. three days later my 4 cylinder, automatic 2002 4d-s toyota camry was left in "d" with the overdrive button remained engaged. my foot was on the brake pedal. i did not drift. i'd been stopped for a while at a "t" intersection for a while and not moving; nor were any other vehicles moving. this particular intersection is controlled by a long signal light. i was aimed straight ahead, but was the third car back from the stop line, signaling to turn left. all of a sudden i heard what sounded like an airplane engine roaring, getting ever louder. my foot was still on the brake. the engine raced, surged abruptly caused my car to accelerate forcefully into the stopped car in front of me. the car in front of me was pushed into an suv in front of it. the force of impact caused my engine to shut down. the driver in front of me appeared to have a whiplash injury. all told, there was about $1500.00 worth of damage to my car and it was estimated the smaller and older car in front of me sustained about $2500.00 worth of damage. i had the car towed to the dealer. the local toyota dealer informed me they "found nothing wrong with the car." the car was then towed to a shop for body repairs. upon the return of my camry, it still had a bit of a vibratory and auditory distortion that was atypical for the 3 previous years. i also realized that the brakes were barely working. at a return visit to the dealer, i was told my brakes were almost "completely gone" and that i needed new brakes. however, i am certain that the marked and sudden decline in my brake function was a result of the brakes attempting to hold my car back as the engine surged forward. *jb

I started the car, and i released the brake and started in reverse. after a few seconds, the car suddenly sped up to about 45 mph in reverse. the car would not stop even as i pressed the brake, and it then hit two cars. that is when it stopped. i tried to put the car in drive to go back into the parking space, but it jolted forward and skipped two parking bumpers. at that time, i hit another car. at that point, i left the car alone seeing as there was something clearly wrong. in the end, my car sustained damaged to the front and to the back totaling $10,111.60. this does not include the damage to the three other cars, the totals of damage of which i am not aware of although they are claiming my insurance. i took the car to a local toyota dealer having conducted research on what happened to me. i found that there have been claims against toyota for problems with electronic throttle where there is a sudden, involuntary acceleration. i showed the service department all the research i had gathered from the internet. the dealer checked the car's computer, and they claimed they found nothing wrong with the electronic throttle or with the car's computer. they claimed that air pockets between the acceleration and the brake caused the problem. as a result, they fixed the structural damage to my car, but they maintained that nothing was wrong with the electronic components, specifically the throttle, of the car. *nm

Dt: the contact stated while stopping at a stop sign the contact's vehicle was involved in a crash. upon impact, the front and side air bags did not deploy. the vehicle was hit broadside on the passenger's door. the vehicle was driven away from the scene. the vehicle is now at a body shop awaiting repairs. the manufacturer was notified, and the contact was expecting a return phone call. *ak

While driving in heavy rain, my 2002 camry xle hydroplaned on the interstate and first smashed head-first into a guardrail before being jolted back on to the highway where it was then hit broadside by an oncoming car. serious damage was done to both the front end, side and rear of the vehicle (from impact). the car is supposedly equipped with side curtain air bags as well as front airbags. none of them deployed. the car that hit my car, a 1995 suburu, had deployed both of its front seat air bags. how is this possible and why did it happen? *nm

This car is barely 3 years old and has about 50,000 miles on it: both front interior door handles broke within one week of each other. this made it impossible to exit the front seat without rolling down the window to use the exterior handle to open the doors. as they are power windows, had the power been out- the only way to exit the vehicle would have been from the back seat (which had child locks engaged so it would have been impossible at that time...). *nm

Dt: the contact stated due to the design of the accelerator and brake pedalthey were too close together. as a result, the vehicle crashed into a cement bird bath. the police were not notified of this incident. *ak updated 01/05/06. *jb

My 2002 toyota camry is the worst car i have ever driven in snowy conditions. it has no traction, fishtails, can barely make it up hills, etc. a mechanic (not at toyota) also pointed out the tires were wearing unevenly and very quickly (i have put fewer than 20,000 total miles on this car). last week i was coming around a corner in the snow (at about 10 mph) hit a slippery patch and the car seized up completely. i slid across the road and into another car. now looking at the nhtsa site, i see that i am not alone, and that the tires that come with the car from the factory are not meant for all weather driving. i am outraged. like others i bought this car because of its reputation as a "safe" family car. i called the service manager at my dealer who basically said "too bad. toyota is not doing anything with tires at this time." he did admit, however, that the tires on the car are considered 'high performance' and are not meant to be used in the snow. great. i too have an appointment to buy $500 worth of new tires tomorrow. i feel toyota should pay for some if not all of this. not likely. it is also not likely that i will ever buy another toyota. people need to be informed of this very dangerous situation. it could easily be life-threatening.

Problems with 2002 toyota camry. august 2003 - driving along. husband began to stop slowly to pull up to a light and it felt like it was not breaking but car continued to accelerate so husband let off brake and reapplied the brake and it finally stopped the surging. 2. while getting gas we were driving around it to find an pump, we were pressing the brake and car was trying to accelerate against the brake as it was applied. let off brake and reapplied quickly and car stopped normally. january 2004 husband began to pull into a parking space and as he started to brake again the car was trying to accelerate and so he let off the brake, reapplied it (all very quickly) and was able to park barely missing hitting vehicle beside him. march 27, 2004, we took our vehicle once again to dealership stating the vehicle was surging while driving. october 2004 on a trip to gatlinburg, tennessee- husband applied the brakes, car continued to accelerate-reapplied the brakes- surging/acceleration stopped. october 3, 2005 trip to north carolina on 7 separate occasions the car engine started racing and the car had to be put in neutral and the brake held tightly. on one occasion as while attempting to stop behind a school bus full of children, almost hit the bus from behind because accelerator went to full acceleration as we applied the brakes. fortunately, my husband put the car in neutral and it was revving at full throttle. he hit accelerator pedal as we was in neutral, and acceleration went back to idle speed. december 5, 2005 while in we were stopped in a line of traffic waiting at a light the engine once again started racing had to put it in neutral, and again it revved at full throttle while holding brake pedal down tightly¿¿ otherwise would have rear ended cars in front of us. put car in neutral, released brake pedal and then pressed down on the accelerator- engine speed went to idle speed. *jb

Dt: the contact states the rear seat belt buckle assembly gets lodged under the seat. this makes the seat belt inoperative. the dealership advised him to connect the seat belt when not in use, so the buckle will not go under the seat. this has been a problem since he purchased the vehicle and no corrections have been made. *jb

Dt: contact states while his car was parked, he put his foot on the brake in order to shift it into drive and the car accelerated causing the vehicle to go across two sidewalks and a hospital lawn and into two trees. he reports having no problems with the car prior to this incident. *jb updated 12/7/2005 - *nm

Child safety seat molding holding bar in place is loose. *ts when disengaging the base, the metal rod needed to be pulled out. this required a molded plastic tab on one side to be pushed to the side allowing the rod to slip out of the base. the rod was free moving with no molding or other means to remain in place. *sc

Dt contact stated the vehicle surged forward on two different occasions. when putting the foot on the brakes to slow the vehicle down and to come to a stop, the vehicle surged forward. the first time this happened it caused the contact's vehicle to rear end another vehicle. the vehicle is at the dealers now. at this point the dealer is not sure what is wrong with the vehicle. *ak

Front passenger side door handle broke. piece is made of plastic and just broke, door cannot be opened from inside, passenger cannot exit the vehicle. spoke with dealer, car is out of warranty, part can be repaired at owners expense. *nm

Brakes were unable to bring car to a stop, instead the car accelerated. car finally came to a stop after crashing into the house. car was damaged and the body and fenders of the car were repaired but nothing was repaired which led to this occurrence in regards to the mechanics of the car. in addition airbags did not deploy on impact.*jb

I have a 2002 camry and there is a knocking sound when making left hand turns. i've noticed several other complaints that are similar, so this must be a defect with the car. i was told that my struts and mounts needed to be replaced - along with my brakes. *nm

Severe vibration in steering when brakes applied 20+ months after purchase. brought to dealer, deformed rotors, machined front disc brakes & replaced pads. when braking after this, vehicle pulled to the left. 24 months later had same severe vibration/brakes again. researched complaints nhtsa site..many have same complaint to dealer again & they wanted to charge me $99 to diagnose. i said no & the mgr steve said we don't charge that fee for brakes. i advised i knew of tsb's issued for this car & shouldn't have same problem from 2 yrs ago. he said only 1 yr warranty on prev work, but he would take a look. he said my rotors were warped & could not be machined again, only replaced, however brake pads are replaced when they are 2 ml & mine were at 7-8, & safe so either replace rotors & pads $469 live w/ vibration until pads worn down to 2 ml then do brake jobe. i advised i knew of tsb's for this problem & he said he already checked & there aren't. i said check again & after waiting told me there was a tsb but it had expired but in an act of "good will" he would order the part and do the repair to both front brakes free. i made an appt & went for repair. repair order said only one side rotor and pad replaced. now when i approach hgwy speed of 60-65 mph, steering wheel shimmies. people are having accidents due to these brake problems according to nhtsa complaints & nothing is being done! i worry someone will be hurt because this problem is not deemed worthy of a recall. the design of the brakes is a problem. *nm

Anti-lock brake system is entirely too sensitive. the brake system kicks in at speeds below twenty, on dry uneven pavement, iron grates and any sought of bump in the road. the has almost resulted in numerous accidents. was told by a salesmen this is a problem on 2002 camry's. have had brakes checked on numerous occasion by toyota service technicians but no problem is ever found. *nm

I was driving with my family south bound on i-5 when we exited the freeway and pulled into the tillicum chevron station. the cruise control was on but disengaged. i turned right into a parking spot at a low rate of speed (3 to 5 mph). i was almost at a complete stop and had just enough time to realize that i could not stop!!! i could hear the car's engine roar and a moment later found that i had driven over a concrete curb, up a two foot concrete retaining wall, and through a chain-link fence. i don't know how a car could do this!! the total space for this to happen was only about 3 linear feet!! i was not pushing the accelerator!! there was indeed an acceleration surge in my 2002 camry v6. the car stopped, straddling the concrete wall, the front drive wheels were off the ground. i got out of the car and asked the mechanic on-site if there were any recalls on the 2002 camry. i swear this is the very first thing i said because i knew that i did not cause the accident. the accident was caused by a defect in the toyota camry. a tow truck removed my vehicle form the retaining wall. i then drove the car directly to the titus-will toyota dealership. they could not duplicate the problem with the vehicle and indicated it was safe to drive. damage to the car included the front bumper, several major scratches, and several small dents. i explained that we were very concerned about safety and asked about recalls. they indicated that there were none for my vehicle. they did admit after some questioning that they would not know how many times this has happened in the past due to the fact that the dealerships do not share information and toyota corporate does not share this information with the dealerships. the young lady (employee) at the payment desk volunteered that she had also had unexpected acceleration with her toyota camry. i request that a formal investigation be launched and a recall placed for 2002 toyota camry's. *jb

I have a 2002 toyota camry with 42,608 miles. the check engine light went on yesterday. today i had the charcoal canister, hose and vacuum sealed valve replaced at great cost. now i have read that this was a problem with the 96-98 camry's and that the epa required toyota to extend the emissions warranty to 14/150000. *jb

2nd time in a year that my 2002 toyota camry accelerated and jumped the curb. this time the car his another vehicle. fortunately no one was injured. *nm

Dt: the contact stated the plastic door opening lever on the inside at the right corner of the driver's door broke off, making it impossible to get out of the car without lowering the window and reaching the outside handle of the door to open the door. this was an engineering problem , and did not relate to the mileage of the car. the contact felt it was a safety issue. if he had an accident and the power was off he would not have been able to get the window down. *ak

The trunk release on this car failed. this is bad enough, but when it fails the emergency trunk release that is located in the trunk no longer functions either. if a child gets trapped in the trunk, they probably won't be able to get out. since i have small children, i am really concerned. i called a toyota dealer and was told that the trunk release is repaired fairly often. i was told they have to take the trunk apart to get access to repair the part. i would say this is unacceptable. i am aware of the trunk lock feature that prevents access to the trunk unless you have a key. regardless of this feature, the trunk should be able to be opened from the inside to prevent possible death to small children. this has not been repaired yet. *jb

Dt: consumer owns a 2002 toyota camry. the seat track wore out. she felt that this may cause an accident because it allowed the seat to move freely. the dealer told her the seat repair would cost $350 for labor and the part was $1304. she called the manufacturer, and the manufacturer left her a message saying that they would make her a one time offer of reimbursing $1000. *ak

1) front brakes keep going bad 4 times in 25,000 miles 2) warping of the disc bad vibration 3) keep replacing front rotors and pads. *jb

Terrible smell from heat/air vents,kids have asthma and can't stand the smell, toyota dealer just sprayed vents and poured freshner in outside vent, problem kept coming back and pollen filter kept plugging, nothing done to correct it, now in 2005 my water pump went bad. i know that the smell is some kind of mildew or mold from something not being fixed, which could lead to severe health conditions!

2002 toyota camry le-while on vacation on 8/3/2005, i attempted to open the front passenger door and the handle cracked. i could not exit the car from the interior cabin. someone had to open the door from the outside, or i had to roll down the window and open the door myself. upon returning home, my 6 year old son attempted to exit the vehicle through the rear passenger door. that door handle cracked in the exact same place. this poses a safety issue in the event of an emergency in that we are unable to exit the vehicle from the interior cabin of on the entire passenger side. i placed a call to the dealer where i purchased the car and advised there must be some defect on the door handles of my car. i was told they would charge me $41.00 to come in and diagnose the problem. i subsequently called the consumer headquarters for toyota and advised of the problem and obtained a case number. i was told that there was no national recall and i should contact the customer relations manager at the dealer. this person told me that because the car "was so far out of warranty," there was nothing they could do. i do have 95,000 miles on the car and it is 3 years and 5 months old. i again contacted the headquarters for toyota and explained that the mileage on the car had nothing to do with the door handles. i was told that the mileage showed that it was "fully used." i noted that both of the handles broke off within 8 days of each other in the same place. i was told this was a sign that it was related to the way the consumer used the device. i was told that i would have to repair both handles at my own expense. i do feel this is a defect and i should not be responsible for the repair. please provide me with any data you have on this. *jb

Defective struts, front end and rear end noise, severe shudder when applying brakes. *jb

Dt: on june 29, 2005 consumer's vehicle was rear ended, at 65 mph, and then it hit the vehicle in front of it. upon impact, air bags did not deploy. the dealership did not know why they did not deploy. consumer's daughter was driving the vehicle. she sustained whiplash and wa sseeing a chiropractor. this happened in a 2002 toyota camry. the vehicle was totaled, and a police report was taken.*ak

The inside front seat passenger door handle (the opener) broke (simply snapped in two) and became inoperable in my 2002 camry. when i went to get a replacement, the parts office told me it happened every day, it was plastic and to be expected. this is a safety issue because in an emergency, the rider would have a difficult time exiting the vehicle. i have/had two other camrys- one a 1987 model and the other a 1996. neither has had the problem and have had far more use of the door handle than this newer car. *jb

Dt: contact states the speedometer fluctuated while driving and the rpm gauge fluctuated on its own. the first three times this happened the car slowed down . consumer felt the shift change while she was driving. this last time the speedometer gauge went up to 60 mph while she stopped in traffic, and when she accelerated the speedometer shot up to 80 mph. she took vehicle to a dealership 4 times, and they told her that nothing was wrong. she tried to contact the manufacturer, but has not been able to reach them. this happened since june 2004. they changed the transmission, and the speed sensor in june -2004 after the first 3 times this happened. currently, they told her nothing was wrong with the car.*ak

Our car is a 2002 toyota camry le with the 4-cylinder engine, automatic transmission, and cruise control but it does not have abs. i purchased the car from the original owner in october 2003 and, at the time of the accident, had about 35,000 miles on it. based on the original owner¿¿s records and my own, no electrical work had ever been done on the car and the battery was the original. the accident occurred on july 22, 2004 in mission viejo, california in broad daylight and in clear weather. colleen was alone in the car and was not hurt. the air bag did not deploy. there was about $3,500 in damage. the accident occurred as my wife was parking the car when she arrived at her doctor¿¿s office for an appointment. as she made a left turn into a parking stall, she slowed to almost a stop half way into the parking space. the gear lever was in the normal drive position and her foot was on the brake. suddenly, the car lurched forward jumping over the cement parking space bumper, over the curb at the end of the parking space, and squarely into a block wall just a foot beyond the curb. the surge in acceleration must have lasted less than a second since the total distance traveled was only about 6 to 8 feet and yet resulted in $3,500 damage. my wife was really shaken by the incident and has driven very little ever since. she swore her foot was on the brake all the time. later, however, since there seemed to be no other possible cause, she convinced herself that her foot must have slipped off the brake and onto the accelerator. eventually, she accepted blame for the accident and, as a result, our insurance company raised our rates considerably. after the car was repaired, i took it to a toyota dealer and told them about the accident. i asked them to check for any problems with the accelerator and they found everything operating ¿¿normally¿. no problems were ever identified with the transmission or the accelerator.

Dt: the consumer stated that the vehicle accelerated while in reverse for the second time. the vehicle made j like turn and hit an electrical box which caused the power to go out in approximately three homes and damaged the vehicle. when the vehicle was first delivered in april 2002 this happened. but the consumer thought it was because it was a new vehicle. on july 5, 2005 a police report was filed, and the vehicle was towed and was taken to bell toyota . while the vehicle was in reverse it continued to accelerate. *ak *sc

Driver's side inside door handle broke and door cannot be openned from the inside. handle is made of plastic. i have had to special order a replacement part from the dealer at my own expense.

I purchased my 2002 camry new [xxx]. after approximately 25,000 miles (4 jan 03 was repair date), the front brakes began to vibrate and shake, causing some control problems when braking. i went to the dealer and the front rotors were resurfaced and new pads were installed. now, at approximately 50,000 miles, the same problem developed. i was told by the dealer this has never happened before and that he blamed poor driving habits on the failure. again, the front rotors were resurfaced and new pads were installed. even though i had paperwork from the first repair, and i had purchased the extended warranty, this repair wasn't covered. after conducting some research at this website, i find that there is a problem with the front brakes, but toyota is evidently not owning up to the problem. there is a toyota service bulletin (00602), but i can't seem to get the dealer to find or admit to that bulletin. *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Attempted to open the driver's side door and the interior door handle cracked and broke. unable to open the door from the inside - this could pose a serious safety hazard in an emergency situation. part was replaced at my expense - informed by the manufacturer that it is considered "normal wear and tear."

On two separate occasions the windshield has been broken by low impact road debris thrown up by another vehicle. i have experienced stronger impacts in other vehicles with no or considerably less damage.

At approximately 90,000 miles, the vehicle check engine light came on. checking with toyota dealer, they indicated the catalytic converter must be replaced. they futher indictated that there is a nationwide backorder for this item and they already have 10 vehicles on the waiting list at their dealership. i believe, from this information, that this must be a problem that is a result of a design defect and therefore should be resolved by toyota.

Strong glare in windshield due to reflection of sunlight off top of dash above instrument panel. this is very distracting to see through during bright sunlight and makes driving dangerous.

Consumer was in an front end collision accident yet the air bags did not deploy. the consumer was going the speed of 35 mph . *ak *tt *sb

While backing out of a parking space and turning the wheel counterclockwise, i attempted to brake but the car flew out of control , crashed into a concrete wall and a parked vehicle.

The consumer was involved in an accident after his vehicle suddenly accelerated and did not stop when the brakes were applied. *mr all computer pulses were tested and nothing was found wrong. when the shifter was placed in the drive position, the vehicle took off. the brakes were applied but did not stop the vehicle. the consumer steered to avoid the parked vehicles and crashed into a church. *sc *jb

Dt: 2002 toyota camry having an issue with the brakes and accelerator. when both owner and the spouse drove the vehicle, they felt the placement of the accelerator and the brake was a safety issue. there were no accidents and no other problems with the vehicle. this only occurs when both accelerator and brake are pushed. the consumer felt it was a design flaw or defect. *jb *sb

The consumer request that the air bags in her 2002 toyota camry be turned off because she only sits appr. 6 inches from the steering wheel. *mr *nm

Original tires do not function on road if any light rain or snow is present. hazardous.

After the vehicle was pulled through the car wash while idling the attendant motioned the consumer to drive the vehicle out of the car wash. consumer shifted vehicle into drive and it suddenly and unexpectedly accelerated and lurched forward at high speed and hit a tree before stopping. consumer and passenger sustained minor injuries to the body, but they declined transportation to the local hospital. manufacturer and the dealer were notified.*ak

Toyota camry 2002 brake problems. *bf the consumer stated the dealer graciously fixed the brake and requested that the file to be closed. *jb

The front passenger side door will not unlock with or without the remote or the key. no one can enter into the passenger seat.*ak

While driving 80 mph vehicle stalled. consumer managed to pull over and had the vehicle towed. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak the battery was replaced but the toyota dealership refused to reimburse the towing cost. they won't pay for the 7 miles towing charge because the vehicle was not towed to the nearest dealer. *bf

Driver noticed that driver's side door handle was inoperative. driver was unable to open the door from the inside. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the handle assembly needed to be replaced, and replaced it. a few years later the problem recurred with the front passenger door. then, mechanic determined that the handle assembly needed to be replaced. *ak

2002 toyota camry pulls to the left. have taken vehicle to the dealer twice, both times they told me it was the alignment. after car was realigned it still had the same problem. *ak

I was turining into the parking area at my complex i attempted to slow down and applied the brakes as i normall would to turn into my parking space. as i started to brake, the car started to accelerate. i made a conscious effort to lift my foot off both pedals to be sure i was not pressing the accelerator instead of the brake. the vehicle kept accelerating. i immediately started to apply the brake, which did not slow the vehicle. when i realized that i was not slowing down, i aborted the turn into the parking space and straightened out the vehicle to avoid hitting other park cars and to give more time and distance to safely brake. the vehcile would not slow, and kept accelerating, causing it to go up and over the concrete curb/sidewalk, and right into a set of stairs at the complex. no one was injured, myself included, but the staircase, needless to say, is demolished, as is the entire front end of my camry. vehicle is at body shop as of now, no assessment has been done. i did, however, earlier this evening simply log onto google where i typed in "toyota camry accelerator sticking" and came up with the following link: http://subscript.bna.com/samples/pld.nsf/0/33a2947408d24d5185256e5300035cac?opendocument. *ak *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Vehicle was running while the driver was sitting inside of the parking lot. vehicle suddenly accelerated uncontrollably. driver applied the brakes and the pedal went to the floor. driver was unable to maintain control of the vehicle and it crashed into a brick wall. upon impact, both air bags did not deploy. no injuries reported. *ak

Failure of abs on 2002 toyota camry. *bf this problem caused an accident. toyota blamed the incident on worn tires. *sc

When braking intermittently the vehicle accelerated. this condition has occurred 8 times within two months. vehicle had been to the dealer on several occasions. dealer was unable to locate the cause or duplicate the problem. *ak this problem also occurred while the vehicle was in reverse. *bf

Water leaked inside the floor boards, causing a puddle of water on the floor, and the pedals would be slippery. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

While turning and driving at low speeds driver heard a loud squeaking noise coming from the steering wheel. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that steering wheel needed lubrication. *ak dealer lubricated steering column booth according to tsb relating to problem. consumer felt this is just a temporary fix, and parts are defective and should be replaced. manufacture notified. *tt

Vehicle is experiencing a problem with sudden acceleration. owner was driving down the road at approximately 45 mph. when the owner applied the brakes , the vehicle began to accelerate without warning. the owner had to turn off the engine, in order to stop the vehicle. provide further details. *nm

When the brake pedal was depressed to slow down or stop the vehicle the anti-lock brakes engaged. this made it difficult to stop or slow down the vehicle; which almost causd several accidents. the dealership has performed a diagnostic test , but no failure code was found. the dealership indicated that that was the way the abs was suppose to operate. *jb

While driving in inclement weather water would come in from the windshield and leaked down from the windshield onto foot board. the gas and brake pedals became slippery. driver took vehicle to the dealer, and mechanic determined that the windshield needed to be replaced. driver informed the mechanic that this problem still occurred ,and had not been resolved. *ak

January 31,2005 dear toyota customer representative: i have been a toyota owner and buyer since 1976. i purchase a new toyota about every two or three years. i presently have a 2002 camry xle that a purchased new from stevens toyota, hunting station,ny 11746, tel # 631-423-5013 in 2002. the vehicle has reformed very great with little or no problems as all my past toyotas. the other morning i went is open my gas filler cap and the cap broke in three pieces leaving one piece still in the filler line and the other two pieces in my hand. i was able to get the piece off and fill the car with gas after a period time. i have not replaced the gas cap has of this time. i believe that totota has a problem with the manufacturing of the gas filler gas filler cap. did toyota recall their gas caps or replacing them under a good customer relations policy?*ak vehicle id # [xxx] #[xxx] camry hoping to hear from you before i purchase my next toyota. thank you in advance, [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

I believe that the antilock brakes on the toyota camry 2002 are too sensitive. they engage way too early when applying the brakes. when there is a little snow on the road and i am traveling even at a snails pace and try to stop, the brakes engage causing the car to skid through the light. every other car i drove slowed to a stop. *nm

Vehicle suddenly experienced a surge in acceleration. car crashed into a tree at the front parking space *bf on two separate occasions the consumer was entering a parking space and the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into a tree at the front of the space. the second incident occured after the fuel tank was filled. the engine accelerated to high rpm's while the consumers foot was on the brake. *tc

The throttle stuck wide open on the car when put in reverse, from a parked position. this caused the car to go completely out of control striking several objects coming to rest in the middle of a road. *nm

When applying the brakes pedal preceded to the floor, resulting in extended stopping distance. *ak

The consumer is experiencing problems with the brakes. when the brakes are applied, the pedal will go to the floor. the owner took the vehicle to the dealer and the dealer says "the brakes on this vehicle is normal". provide further details. *jb

Have very serious concerns with brake system on my car. brakes repaired on numerous occasions . consumer feel this problem could lead to a serious automobile accident if not corrected. *bf nar *jls the rear brakes were noisy and made a grinding sound. the front brakes vibrated, the consumer replaced the front brake pads and rotors. the consumer stated that the trunk flaps and clips were installed to fix the problem. the left front door kick panel came loose. bond pak primer applied to fix the problem. the consumer stated that the vehicle shimmies when driving at high speeds. vehicle front wheels out of balance. the problem was not with the wheel balance but with the brakes. rotors where warped. the consumer stated that the moon roof does not open smoothly it jolts and shakes the car roof. the consumer smelled a rotten egg smell when the heater and air conditioner was used. the consumer was told that it was burning sulfur and it would diminish at 25000 miles. 35000 miles the smell was still there. *tc the rear view defogger was replaced.

Brakes on the 2002 to present camrys, i have changed the whole systems out, and i keep telling tech suport that the fluid drains back into the mastercylinder from the line that loops up on non abs systems, the lines leak on the abs sysem due to under tighting. they tell us that the system was made to be soft from complaints of previous owners this is on 02 and present. i see all the below but why wait berfore someone gets killed,somthing needs to be done now. i work at a toyota dealership for 12 years now and this keeps getting shoved under the rug, the design is a defect in it self. at least do this test, drive a 02- 04 camry non abs, 2az eng 4 cyl, find a safe road, running about50- 80, slam on the brakes, to the floor they go. hope nothing is in front of you. may not do it on every one. find one that will ,then bleed them, still soft but will stop better,wait awhile then try it again, to the floor they go. sorry about the fake name and all but i woulden be working at toyota or any dearlership very long reporting somthing like this. call me a rat if you like but then say,maybe he is just thinking about me and my loved ones. please don't let this turn into a firestone thing.*ak

While pulling into a pet store parking lot, the vehicle suddenly accelerated uncontrollably causing me to crash into a retaining wall in front of the store. there were previous incidents involving the acceleration of the vehicle in the hour immediately before the crash occurred. *jb

During a regular maintenance check, it was discovered the engine had a crack in the engine block. the consumer made contact with the manufacturer and they will be replacing the engine. *jb. toyota has corrected the problem in the new models of camry.*ak

After having the vehicle serviced for an oil change. upon arriving home the vehicle had no brakes and the consumer went through the garage door, then proceeded into the home. the vehicle was totaled. *nm.while turning into consumer's driveway vehicle experienced brake failure, resultin gin loss of control. vehicle went through the garage door, through the kitchen, and came to a halt at the rear wall of consumer's house.ems treated the driver at the scene. *ak

The consumer experienced sudden acceleration . the brakes failed to work causing an accident. *nm the consumer's vehicle collided with another vehicle at a stop sign. *sc the air bags did not deploy. *jb

While parking the vehicle, the brakes failed and the vehicle proceeded forward until it hit a building. the frontal air bags did not deploy. *nm the sheriff stated by the position of the wheels he knew the brakes failed. *tc before the accident, the consumer complained to toyota about the brake going to the floor when it was applied. *jb the consumer stated she was sure that the high acceleration that occurred with her vehicle was the result of the gas pedal sticking. the consumer stated she knocked down a 4 foot metal parking light, proceeded and hit one wall, ran over numerous shrubbery, a tree and hit the entrance of a brick wall at a bank. updated 04/19/10

Two complaints: vehicle shifts very harshly when placed into drive when engine is cold. while the vehicle is moving and applying the brakes, there is a mild to loud clunking sound. on two occasions the noise was so loud, the check engine light came on, and a transmission sensor had to be replaced. fortunetly, i have a great service dept at toyota. they understood my complaint and is currently replacing the transmission. *ak

I have a 2002 toyota camry and the front left wheel well makes noise. this is the second camry that i have owned and our first one also had the defect. it was a 1999 camry. every time i hit a bump there is a noise in the wheel area. not sure what it is but since this has now happened on my second camry obviously this is a defect. *jb

The original tire that toyota placed on my 2002 camry xle v6 was unsatisfactory to the point of being dangerous. even in a new condition, the tires never provided adequate traction in rain or snow, frequently sliding with the abs system engaged. i now notice on the internet that this is a frequent complaint of many other owners of this specific tire, even on other than toyota manufactured vehicles. the tire in question is the bridgestone potenza re92 p215/60r16 94v. toyota refuses to address the problem. *jb

Consumer was driving about 65 mph and the accelerator pedal became stuck. driver had to turn off the ignition in order to get the vehicle to stop. *ak updated 03/29/10.*jb

Sudden vehicle acceleration while pulling in to a parking space, resulting in a crash into a tree, despite the fact that the anti-lock brake system was activated. significant vehicle damage, but no injury. a second occurrence while stationary; no vehicle damage, just very discomfited owners. additional details in cc'd correspondence addressed to toyota, dated 6-dec-04.*ak

While applying the brake pedal vehicle pulsated and vibrated uncontrollably. consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and drove it to the dealer for inspection. mechanic determined that front rotors needed to be replaced, and replaced them twice. however, the problem recurred. *ak

While driving 20 mph vehicle accelerated uncontrollably. consumer applied the brake pedal and vehicle continued to accelerate. consumer was unable to maintain control of the vehicle, and it hit a lady, who sustained major injuries, and was transported to the hospital by ambulance. vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic could not duplicate the problem. consumer was involved in five different accidents due to sudden acceleration. *ak

My camry has pulled to the left since the day purchased. it has been aligned or checked for alignment numerous times. i have been told there is notheing wrong with my car. i have been told all camry's pull to the left. i have been told i should upgrade. i have been told yes, it does pull to the left, but it is inherent in the car. now after 2 1/2 years of asking toyota to fix my car, they are now saying it is the tires and of course that is not their problem as their waranty does not cover tires. this vehicle will pull across the line into another lane at the higher speeds and this makes the car dangerous.

While driving 50 mphconsumer's vehicle was involved in a collision. consumer's vehicle hit the back of a parked vehicle. upon impact, air bags did not deploy. *ak. driver's side seat belt did not engage backwards, buckled hood; tore off right front side of bumper. *ak

While driving the steering wheel dropped into the drivers lap, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. steering wheel adjustment came loose, causing the steering wheel to fall into the driver's lap. vehicle is currently being investigated by the driver's insurance company. also, the air bags failed to deploy.*ak the driver had an accident as a result of the steering wheel failure. *tc

The consumer stated that while pulling into a parking space she suddenly found herself and child in the store. she pulled into a parking space, applied brakes, and then suddenly the vehicle accelerated and crashed into the store front. the consumer was sure that she did not put her foot on the accelerator instead of the brake pedal. the consumer went on line and found that dot was investigating the same type of problem. *ak *sc

I have a 2002 camry se v6 that has a persistent noise when the brakes are applied. i had the car's brakes repaired at jack sherman toyota in binghamton ny because all rotors were warped at approximately 20,000 miles. i have since noticed a clang or clank when the brakes are applied or the steering wheel is turned or occasionally going over bumps. i took the car back to jack sherman toyota and made them aware of the noise but was told nothing could be done to correct this problem. i have since pulled the front right wheel and noticed the wheel studs are too short! this problem is actually present on all wheels. the taper at the base of the stud does not protrude through the hub flange to center the rotor properly and this allows the rotor to slap against the stud threads when the brakes are applied. this may eventually cause them to shear off. i have pictures available upon request. i believe longer studs are required because when i removed one of them from the flange and inserted it through one of the bolt holes in the rear of the rotor it fit properly. *ak

Tire separation on goodyear tires. driver side rear tire blew out on freeway damaging the wheelwell and scraching the car with the flying rubber. the other tire was flaking on near the treads. goodyear is going to replace two rear tires. *ak

On 11-14-02 my wife was setting at a red light and was hit from behind by a suv traveling approximately 50 mph, causing $15000.00 in damage. the air bag(s) did not deploy. *ak

There was water leaking from the right rear headliner onto the seat which causes the windows to fog . there is water "slashing" in the front of the dash area. my warranty had expired but i do have the extended 72 mo platinum warranty. i took the vehicle to the dealership where they wanted to charge me for any required repairs. i informed my insurance company. the vehicle headliner was taken out by the body shop where the found bent drain tubes from the manufacturer. the toyota dealerships said they did not care and was going to charge me for any repairs and said; it was the sunroof(which is not the case) and the water in from was a plugged air conditioner drain(which i checked and the drain is not plugged)*ak

Have very serious concerns with abs system on this automobile. these brakes on numerous occasions over the ownership of this car, including today (my wife driving), have acted extremely erratically, with excessive pulsating and chattering performance that i would not qualify as a rotor issue. this problem has occurred a minimum of 30-50 times since the car was new, has been reported on at least two occasions to the dealer (bernardi. framingham, ma) during routine service, and has been discounted as a non-problem. i disagree, and am to the point that i feel this problem c