1998 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

FRONT SUSPENSION MAKES EXCESSIVE NOISE OVER BUMPS. THE MECHANICS I SENT IT TO DON'T KNOW WHAT'S CAUSING THE NOISE. I HAD ALL THE STRUTS AND SPRINGS CHANGED BUT THE NOISE PERSISTS. ALL THE PARTS WERE FROM THE DEALER. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT I CAN DO AND IF THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. *LA

IN DECEMBER STARTING ON THE 5TH MY REAR SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT. A FEW WEEKS LATER A SECOND SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT. *CB

HAVE NOTICED FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT A LOT OF BLUE-BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHUAUST UPON STARTUP. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT A LOT OF TOYOTAS HAVE HAD ENGINE FAILURE CAUSED BY OIL SLUDGE BUILD-UP. NOW I'M CONCERNED THAT THE ENGINE MAY FAIL SOON. I HAVE HAD REGULAR OIL CHANGES (SOME DONE BY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND SOME BY MYSELF). THE TOYOTA DEALER IN COOS BAY ASSURED ME THAT THIS WAS NOT A PROBLEM AND ONLY HAPPENS ONCE IN ABOUT 25,000 CARS. THE FACTS SEEM TO BE QUITE DIFFERENT.

THE ENGINE IN MY CAMRY BLEW. THE CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND RUNNING FINE. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY OIL SLUDGING/GELLING. HOWEVER, THEY COULDN'T EXPLAIN WHY THE ENGINE BLEW. ALL THEY COULD TELL ME IS THAT A PISTON BLEW THROUGH THE ENGINE. SINCE THEY CLAIMED THERE WAS NO OIL SLUDGING/GELLING THEY REFUSED TO COVER COSTS OF REPAIR.

I CHANGED MY OIL AND THE ATTENDENT SAID THE OIL WAS GELLING UP. SINCE THAT DAY FOWARD MY CAR BURNS 4QUARTS OF OIL IN LESS THAN 200 MILES I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM THE DEALER LESS THAN A YEAR IN A HALF AGO.(DEC 22,2002). NOT ONE GARAGE WANTS TO REPAIR MY VECHILE THEY TOLD ME IT WAS OIL RINGS OR VALVES BUT ITS DUE TO THE OIL SLUDGE. I CALLED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME TOO BAD THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR THE DEALER TO TAKE THE HEAD OFF AND THAN LET THEM DETERMINE IF IT INDEED IT IS OIL GELLING. THAN TOYOTA USA WOULD LOOK OVER MY FILE TO SEE IF IT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM VERY RUDE AND UNIVITING.

DRIVING THE CAMRY DOWN THE INTERSTATE WHEN OIL LIGHT CAME ON. WITHIN 2-3 MILES I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF AND AS I ROLLED INTO A GAS STATION THE ENGINE BEGAN KNOCKING. WHEN TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER THEY SAID THE ENGINE WAS RUINED BUT CLAIMED IT WASN\\'T RELATED TO THE WELL-KNOWN OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM. THE OIL HAD BEEN CHANGED EVERY 3000-5000 MILES AND NEITHER LEAKED NOR USED OIL. THE DEALER HAD NO EXPLANATION WHY THE ENGINE WOULD SO SUDDENLY BE ROBBED ON OIL THAT IT WOULD THROW A ROD AND BE RUINED. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THE ENGINE HAS GIVEN SO MANY PROBLEMS THAT TOYOTA DISCONTINUED IT (THE 2.2 4LITER). SINCE I HAD TO HAVE A USED ENGINE PUT IN (TOYOTA WANTED $5300!!) I HAVE NO ASSURANCE THAT THIS ENGINE WON\\'T DO EXACTLY THE SAME THING!!

ENGINE FAILED DUE TO OIL SLUDGING.DEALER TOLD ME IT IS MY FAULT DO TO INFREQUENT OIL CHANGES.THEY SAY I NEED NEW ENGINE.I REPAIRED MYSELF SO IT IS DRIVABLE,BUT STILL HAS PROBLEMS.SOME KIND OF KNOCK AND OIL LEAK.I RECEIVED LETTER STATING TOYOTA WILL BACK THERE PRODUCT, BUT DEALER STILL WILL NOT HELP. DEALER IS TOYOTA ON NICHOLASVILLE.

MY CAMRY STARTED ACTING FUNNY. WHILE LEAVING WORK TO TAKE MY CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER, THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING NOISES SO I PULLED OVER, SHUT THE CAR OFF AND WAITED FOR THE TOW TRUCK. THIS WAS WEDNESDAY JUNE 25, 2003. ON FRIDAY MORNING, MY HUSBAND WAS NOTIFIED THAT WE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE OF "OIL GELLING" OR "OIL SLUDGING" AND IT WOULD BE $3,500. I TOOK ALL OF THE PAPERWORK WITH A COPY OF THE JUNE 2002 TOYOTA LETTER TO MY DEALER TO SEE IF I WOULD "QUALIFY" FOR THEIR SUPPORT PROGRAM. WHEN I ASKED THE SERVICE TECH WHY THE CARS HAD NOT BEEN RECALLED DUE TO THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE THAT COULD BE CAUSED AND HE TOLD ME IT WAS ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF CONSUMERS. I HAVE FOUND THAT TO BE UNTRUE. I WOULD EXPECT FOR TOYOTA TO PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE PLUS A COMPORABLE RENTAL CAR UNTIL MY CAR IS FIXED ALONG WITH OFFERING A EXTENDED OR NEW WARRENTY SINE THE SAME PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE REOCCURRING.

ENGINE BLOW UP AND BLEW RODS, ROD BARS, CRANK, OIL PUMP, RINGS, PISTONS, THRUST WASHERS, SHIMS.

CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM. MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP HAS NOT COMMITTED TO TAKING CARE OF THE PROBLEM. WE ARE CURRENTLY STILL WORKING WITH THEM TO SEE IF THEY WILL TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM.