2012 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

2012 TOYOTA CAMRY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BRAND NEW TIRE EXPLODING ON VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WAS BADLY DESTROYED RENDERING IT TOTALED. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WITH LESS THAN 200 MILES ON THE NEW SET OF TIRES. *JS *JS

TAKATA RECALL, MY CAR HAS BEEN SHOOTING ICE FROM THE VENTS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND SOMETIMES THE DRIVER SIDE. ALSO, WHEN THE GREEN ECO LIGHT COMES ON THE CAR STARTS SHAKING. I'VE HAVE SEVERAL DIAGNOSTIC TEST DONE ON THE CAR AND THERE ARE NO CODES APPEARING. THIS TYPICALLY HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND SOMETIMES WHEN I START THE CAR IF THE AC WAS ON BEFORE I BRIEFLY TURN IT OFF. AS FAR AS THE SHAKING IT ONLY DOES IT WHEN THE ECO LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN THE LIGHT WILL FLICKER AND TURN OFF AND IMMEDIATELY THE CAR WILL STOP VIBRATING.

AIR-CONDITIONING UNIT MALFUNCTIONS CAUSING WATER TO DRIP INSIDE THE CABIN UNDER THE FRONT SEATS. AS A RESULT, THE CARPET UNDER THE FRONT SEATS GETS WET AND MOLDY, CREATING A FOUL SMELL IN THE CABIN AND MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO BREATHE NORMALLY. THE FAULT IN THE AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM CAUSES HEALTH PROBLEMS. THIS IS A KNOWN AND LONG-STANDING DEFECT AND IS MENTIONED ON DISCUSSION WEBSITES, SUCH AS CAR.COMPLAINTS.COM. TOYOTA STATES THAT MY CAR WAS RECALLED IN 2013 FOR AN AIR-CONDITIONING PROBLEM AND WAS REPAIRED. AS A CONSUMER, IT IS DIFFICULT TO KNOW, WHETHER THIS CURRENT ISSUE IS CAUSED BY THE SAME MECHANICAL DEFECT THAT THEY REPAIRED IN 2013. BUT AS IT IS NOW, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO DRIVE THIS CAR BECAUSE I FEAR FOR MY LONG-TERM HEALTH.

WHILE DRIVING THE CAMRY IN AUTOMATIC THE TRANSMISSION APPEARS TO DOWNSHIFT SLOWLY AND DRAG

THE TRANSMISSION FILLS LIKE IT IS SLIPPING WHEN I GET BETWEEN 25 -50 MPH. AND IT IS GETTING WORSE

WHILE DRIVING AND RUNNING MY VEHICLE AC, I BEGAN HEARING A "LIQUID SWISHING" NOISE, OFTEN WHEN TURNING OR COMING TO A STOP. LATER, WHEN PARKED, I NOTICED THE MAT/CARPET UNDER THE DRIVERS SEAT WAS WET. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION A FEW DAYS LATER, THE MAT WAS STILL SOAKED AND THERE WAS STANDING WATER THERE, AS WELL SOAKED CARPET BEHIND THE PASSENGER SEAT. FROM RESEARCH, THIS APPEARS TO BE A MORE COMMON ISSUE WITH THE 2012 CAMRY IF THE AC COMES LOOSE OR BECOMES CLOGGED.

WE EXPERIENCED THE "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" MESSAGE ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE FIRST INCIDENT, ON APRIL 3, 2019, INVOLVED DRIVING EIGHT MILES AND THEN LEAVING THE CAR (OFF AND PARKED) FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. ON RETURNING AND ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR, THE POWER CAME ON BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT AND THE "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" MESSAGE DISPLAYED. IT WAS EVENING, SO WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO OUR NORMAL REPAIR SHOP AND LEFT A DESCRIPTION OF THE ISSUE. THE NEXT DAY THE REPAIR SHOP CALLED TO SAY THAT THE CAR HAD STARTED UP RIGHT AWAY, SO THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. THEY SUGGESTED WE CONTACT TOYOTA IF THE ISSUE RECURRED. WE RETRIEVED THE CAR, AND DIDN'T OBSERVE ANY FURTHER ISSUES, SO WE CONTINUED DRIVING IT 20-25 MILES DURING THE WORK WEEK. ON APRIL 28, 2019, TWENTY-FIVE DAYS AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35 MILES PER HOUR ALONG A STRAIGHT SECTION OF A FOUR-LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE CUT OFF AND THE THE "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" MESSAGE CAME ON. THE ELECTRONICS REMAINED ON AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SLOW. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF OTHER CARS NEARBY, BUT FORTUNATELY I WAS IN THE RIGHT-HAND LANE AND WAS ABLE TO NAVIGATE THE CAR ONTO THE SHOULDER. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, THEN ATTEMPTED TO RESTART IT AGAIN AFTER ABOUT 15-20 MINUTES (UNSUCCESSFULLY). I HAD IT TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. AT FIRST THEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A QUICK REPAIR, BUT AFTER A FEW DAYS OF TROUBLESHOOTING AND ESCALATING ITS ISSUES TO HIGHER LEVELS AT TOYOTA, THEY DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS A PROBLEM WITH THE INVERTER AND THE BATTERY: A REPAIR OF NEARLY $8000. I ASKED THE SHOP TO DOCUMENT THE REPAIRS WITH PHOTOS AND GIVE ME THE BROKEN PARTS. THE TECH AGREED TO DO SO, BUT (DESPITE FOLLOWING UP MULTIPLE TIMES) I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING EXCEPT AN INVOICE FOR THE COST OF REPAIRS. I DO NOT HAVE THE INVOICE NEAR AT HAND, BUT CAN LOCATE IT IF NECESSARY.

VEHICLE EXHIBITS EXTREME DELAY IN ACCELERATION, PARTICULARLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. GAS CAN BE TO THE FLOOR AND THERE IS LITTLE TO NO RESPONSE FOR AT LEAST ONE MINUTE, NOT EVEN A JUMP IN RPM AAA A RESULT OF THE INCREASED THROTTLE. TRYING TO MERGE ON TO THE HIGHWAY IS DANGEROUS WHEN THE VEHICLE REMAINS STUCK AT 40MPH FOR AT LEAST ONE MINUTE, IF NOT LONGER. EVEN ONCE THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP TO SPEED, TRYING TO CHANGE LANES OR PASS IS NEAR IMPOSSIBLE AS THERE IS LITTLE TO NO RESPONSE TO ENGAGING THE THROTTLE. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND COULD EASILY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.. I HAVE SEEN THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. TRANSMISSION HAS A GENERALLY DELAYED RESPONSE, VEHICLE ROLLS BACKWARDS WHEN TRANSITIONING FROM BRAKE TO GAS, EVEN ON FLAT GROUND. THIS IS YET ANOTHER HAZARD SEEMINGLY BROUGHT ON BY THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. VEHICLE WAS PART OF THE TORQUE CONVERTER RECALL. THE RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED AND IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE FOR THE VEHICLE. THE TRANSMISSION FEELS LIKE IT IS ON THE VERGE OF FAILING DESPITE THE VEHICLE STILL BEING 'YOUNG' AND WELL-CARED FOR. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY A DEALERSHIP THAT CLAIMS THIS IS NORMAL. THE AMOUNT OF HESITATION IN THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT AND CAN NOT BE NORMAL. THE CAR DRIVES LIKE ITS HALF ASLEEP. IT HAS BEEN GETTING WORSE RECENTLY AND I FEAR THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING TO FAIL, OR THE VEHICLE MALFUNCTION IS GOING TO RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT.

THE FRONT PASSENGER AND REAR DRIVER DOOR LOCKS/UNLOCKS INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES, I HAVE TO LOCK/UNLOCK MANUALLY, OTHER TIMES IT WORKS WITH THE KEY FOB. THERE IS NO RHYME, REASON OR PATTERN TO WHEN IT DOES OR DOESN'T WORK. THE DOORS NORMALLY LOCK WHEN I SHIFT OUT OF PARK, IT NOW DOES IT INTERMITTENTLY AS WELL. I HAVE CHECKED THE FUSE, SWITCH, AND WIRING. THEY ARE ALL IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. WHEN I PUSH THE LOCK BUTTON, BOTH DOORS CLICK, BUT DO NOT ALWAYS LOCK/UNLOCK.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A WALL. THE FRONT AND REAR DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WERE DAMAGED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE POLICE WAS PRESENT, BUT A REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE IMPOUND LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000.