1998 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

1998 CAMRY, 4 CYLINDER, 62650 MILES. WHILE DRIVING AT AROUND 50 MPH SPEED, HEARD AN UNUSUAL SOUND AND SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND FOUND THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE LOWER HALF OF THE ENGINE AND THE OIL DIP STICK WAS SHEARED IN TO 2 PIECES. MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE THREW A ROD AND PUT A HOLE. HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A REFURBISHED ONE AT A PRIVATE SHOP. CONTACTED THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, TOYOTA WILL NOT BE REPLACING THE ENGINE AND THE LEAST QUOTE FOR REPAIR WAS $4500.00 I BOUGHT THE CAR USED FROM A DEALER IN JAN 2001 AND HAVE HAD REGULAR SERVICE OIL CHANGE AND MAINTENANCE DONE ON IT. IN FEB 2006 HAD THE 60K MILE SERVICE DONE. IN MAY 2002 HAD RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA ABOUT POSSIBLE GELLING ISSUE WITH ENGINE OIL. SUSPECT THE ENGINE FAILURE IS A RESULT OF ENGINE OIL GELLING. THE FAILED ENGINE MAY STILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE SHOP, NOT SURE. *JB

LOOSE TIRE AIR PRESSURE. VALVES AND TIRES CHECKED NUMEROUS TIMES. NO EXPLANATION EVERY TWO TO THREE WEEKS I AM STOPPING TO PUT AIR IN TIRES. PSI SHOULD BE 35 BUT DROPS TO 20 WITH NO EXPLANATION. CAUSES DIFFICULTY IN DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS. *JB

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE MANUFACTURER IN MAY 2000 STATING THAT HIS 1998 CAMRY HAD THE POTENTIAL OF OIL GELLING OR SLUDGING. *TS THE LETTER ALSO EXPLAINED THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD BE DIAGNOSED BY THE PRESENCE OF BLUE SMOKE OR EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. THE CONSUMER VEHICLE DIDN'T EXHIBIT ANY SIGNS OF A PROBLEM WHEN THE LETTER WAS RECEIVED. EVENTUALLY THE CONSUMER STARTED NOTICING SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE TAILPIPE ON STARTUP AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE LETTER WAS PRESENTED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. THE DEALER REFUSED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT THE CONSUMER PAYING A FEE. THE CONSUMER REFUSED TO PAY AND THE PROBLEM WAS NEVER DIAGNOSE OR FIXED. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER BUT THEY ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD TO PAY THE DEALER FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST. *NM

MY MOTHER JUST HAD AN ACCIDENT THIS MORNING AND FROM HER DESCRIBING THAT 98 TOYOTA CAMRY WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND BREAK SEEMED NOT WORKING AT ALL. SO I STARTED LOOKING FOR VEHICLE RECALLS AND DEFECTS THEN I REALIZED THIS ACCIDENT MY MOTHER HAD COULD BE CAUSED BY DEFECTS. IF YOU JUST LOOK, YOU COULD EASILY FIND MANY OTHERS COMPLAINTS. SHE WAS DRIVING AT 55 MPH AND TRYING TO CHANGE LANE THEN NEXT THING SHE KNOW WAS CAR STARTED TO SWERVING SO SHE TRIED TO REGAIN CONTROL THEN HIT THE BREAK WHICH DID NOT FUNCTION. I WILL HAVE TO LOOK FOR LEGAL ADVISE WITHIN NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AND SEE WHAT THEY SAY. BY THE WAY AIR BAGS WERE NOT ACTIVATED. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY LAWSUIT OR COMPENSATION FOR THIS KIND OF FATAL ACCIDENT. THANK YOU. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE. UPON PULLING OPEN THE DOOR HANDLE IT BROKE OFF. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO AN AUTO SHOP FOR REPAIR. THE HANDLE WAS MADE OF POOR QUALITY PLASTIC THAT WAS VERY FRAGILE. THIS WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY INCIDENT WITH THE DOOR HANDLE. NO REPAIRS OR CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK

ABOUT A YEAR AGO THE DRIVER-SIDE REAR SHOULDER BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. I CHOSE NOT TO GET IT REPLACED, BECAUSE MY CHILD RIDES ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. NOW THE PASSENGER-SIDE REAR SHOULDER BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. MY CHILD IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO SIT IN A BOOSTER SEAT IN THE BACK, AND IT IS VERY AWKWARD TO USE THE CENTER SEAT WITH THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF HIS BOOSTER. I WILL BE SPENDING NEARLY $600 TO GET THE SHOULDER BELTS REPLACED. *NM

CONSUMER MECHANIC FOUND A PROBLEM WITH THE COLUMN POST ABOUT TO COME LOOSE SO THAT THE DRIVER COULD NOT CONTROL VEHICLE. *TS THE MECHANIC ALSO DISCOVERED THAT BOTH AIR BAGS WERE NOT COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED. PARTS WERE ON TOP OF THE AIR BAG BUT NOT INSTALLED. *JB

A PROBLEM WITH WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM EXHAUST WHEN STARTING THE CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME EACH DAY. BURNS OFF QUICKLY BUT SHOULD NOT BE DOING THIS AT ALL. DEALER SAYS THE PROBLEM MAY BE A VALVE LIFTER, BUT THAT THIS CAR IS TOO NEW FOR THAT. CAR HAS 80,000 MILES ON IT. CONCERNED ABOUT SMOKE AND FIRE OR EMISSIONS PROBLEM. THIS CAR IS RATED FOR CA EMISSIONS AND WAS MADE IN JAPAN. *JB

DT: THE STEAM SEAL VALVE IS LEAKING OIL TO THE CHAMBER OF THE ENGINE. THE PROBLEM FIRST STARTED IN APRIL 2005. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD AND IT IS STARTED THERE IS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE. THE CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE MAY CATCH ON FIRE. *AK

DT: WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN THE RAIN ON 8/28/2002 THERE WAS A TOYOTA PICKUP TRUCK IN FRONT WITH THE TAILGATE DOWN. THE DRIVER WAS TALKING ON HIS CELL PHONE. WHILE GOING OVER A HILL IN TRAFFIC, THE TRUCK IN FRONT HAD BAD BRAKE LIGHTS. THE TRUCK WAS ABOUT 30 YARDS IN FRONT OF THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS IN THE LEFT LANE, HIT THE BRAKES AND THE FRONT END OF THE CAR DROPPED DOWN AND SLID INTO THE BACK OF TRUCK. THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE COULD NOT SWERVE AROUND TRUCK BECAUSE THERE WAS A CAR ALONGSIDE. UPON IMPACT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER CUT HIS HAND AND FACE BUT REFUSED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THEY FIXED IT. THE CONSUMER RETURNED IT TO TOYOTA BECAUSE HE DID NOT WANT TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. *AK *SC