1997 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH CONSUMER SMELLED GAS IN THE VEHICLE. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE TOTALLY DESTROYED THE VEHICLE.*AK

TOOK 1997 CAMRY TO DEALER SEPTEMBER 2002 FOR SLIGHT HESITATION PROBLEM AND ADVISED THEM THAT I NOTICED A SMALL OIL LEAK WHILE PARKED AT HOME. DEALER ADVISED IT WAS ENGINE SLUDGE. CAR REMAINED IN DEALER'S POSSESSION FOR 1 1/2 MONTHS BECAUSE OF NO RESPONSE FROM SERVICE TECH. THEY CLAIMED THAT SLUDGE PROBLEM WAS FIXED, HOWEVER. JULY 8, 2004 THE CAR STOPPED. HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE DIED FROM SLUDGING...AGAIN. DEALER SAY THEY WILL NOT FIX IT AND THAT I MUST PURCHASE ANOTHER ENGINE FOR $5200.00 (USED 2000 TOYOTA ENGINE). I ADVISED THEM OF THE LETTER FOUND ON THE I-NET FROM TOYOTO RE. "COVERAGE FOR OIL GELLING RELATED ENGINE DAMAGE FOR 8 YEARS UNLIMITED MILEAGE FROM DATE OF FIRST SALE" BUT SERVICE TECH SAID "WE FIXED IT ONCE AND WE WILL NOT DO IT AGAIN". I AM WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION, AND NO SATISFACTION FROM TOYOTA DEALER. HELP!*AK

TRUNK LID WAS CUTTING THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE TAIL LIGHTS AND THE BACK UP LIGHTS WHEN OPENING AND CLOSING THE TRUNK. DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK

5INCIDENTS: 1) MILDEW ODOR FROM AIRCONDITION (BROUGHT CAR TO CHECK--DATE NOT AVAILABLE). THE AIRCONDITION WAS REPLACED WITH EITHER NEW OR USED PART. *AK 2) WENT TO RENO (SNOWING) AND THE AIRCONDITION (HOT/COLD) DID NOT DEFROST PROPERLY ON THE WINDSHIELD. ALL FOGGED WITH NO VISIBILITY. I STICKED MY HEAD TO THE SIDE WINDOW AND DRIVE VERY SLOWLY & ON A SLOW LANE BEHIND A HUGE TRUCK--IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY!!!!! 3) PERIODICALLY, THE LEFT SIGNAL LIGHT FLASH TOO FAST BUT BY HITTING THE FRONT SIDE OF THE CAR IT'S WENT BACK TO NORMAL. 6) WHEEL ALIGNMENT--ALWAYS HAVE PROBLEM WITH THAT TOO (AT THE MOMENT CANNOT RECALL DETAILS). 5) ON 6/9/04, MY HUSBAND WENT TO GET A SMOG CHECK. THE CAR HAS ABOUT 15,000 MILES BU IT DIDN'T PASSED THE EMISSION CONTROL SYSTEMS VISUAL INSPECTION/FUNCTIONAL CHECK RESULTS. "MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT--FAIL. THIS VEHICLE FAILED THE MIL/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DUE TO OBD COMMUNICATIONS FAILURE."--NO SIGNAL. THE CAR IS HARDLY USED AND PARKED IN GARAGE. WHAT SHOULD WE DO AND HOW CAN YOU HELP? THANKS ;-)!!!

MY 1997 CAMRY WILL NOT START BACK AND HOLD AN IDLE SOMETIMES AFTER IT HAS BEEN DROVE FOR A LITTLE WHILE. IT STARTS FINE WHEN IT IS COLD AND WHEN IT REFUSES TO IDLE, IF I WAIT UNTIL THE FUEL INJECTORS FILL, AND TURN ON THE A/C IT WILL THEN START. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TWICE AND THEY CANNOT GIVE ME ANY EXPLAINATION, THEY TOLD ME IT COULD BE THREE DIFFERENT THINGS AND EACH PART WOULD COST AT $100.00 OR MORE PLUS LABOR THEY TOLD ME I'D HAVE TO JUST PUT ON EACH PART UNTIL IGET IT RIGHT, THAT'S TOO MUCH MONEY TO GUESS, SO I CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT AND HOPE THAT IT WILL START, THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING. I THOUGHT THAT TOYOTA WAS SUPPOSED TO BE VERY GOOD AT SERVICE? WHAT ARE THEY DOING, HIRING JUST ANYONE OFF THE STREET TO REPAIR CARS?*AK

I HAVE 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY WITH 39,000 MILES AND LARGE AMOUNT OF WHITE EXHAUST COMES OUT OF TAILPIPE WHEN CAR IS FIRST STARTED IN THE MORNING OR WHEN ENGINE IS COLD. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH THERE WAS SEVERE VIBRATION IN THE FRONT END ALSO, HAD PROBLEM WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. *AK

WHILE DRIVING FRONT END/STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED. DEALERSHIP INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM PERTAINED TO ENGINE SLUDGE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD BOOMING NOISE. THEN, SAW FIRE THROUGH THE HOOD ON THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS SOME SORT OF EXPLOSION IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHICH TORE A HOLE STRAIGHT THROUGH THE OIL PAN. THERE WERE NO FATALITIES. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK

WHILE PARKED VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING UNDERNEATH THE DASHBOARD. NO FIRE WAS REPORTED.*AK