1997 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

TAIL LIGHT FUSES KEEP BLOWING OUT. VEHICLE TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP AND REPAIRS SPLIT IN THE WIRE HARNESS DUE TO THE TRUNK BEING CLOSED ONTO IT. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK CONSUMER STATES HE WAS PULLED OVER DUE TO NOT HAVING TAIL LIGHTS. *SLC

ENGINE EXPLODED - HOLE IN BLOCK ALOTS OF SMOKE NO FIRE- HAVE REPLACED CAR - ASKED TOYOTA TO RESEARCH UNUSUAL EVENT AT THEIR COST - THEY REFUSE - GOING TO SCRAP CAR BUT WORRIED ABOUT OTHER DRIVERS - I WANT NOTHING FROM TOYOTA. *AK

SEAT BELTS IN REAR SEATS FELL FALL APART WHEN BRAKING, CONSUMER'S GRAND CHILD FELL FORWARD. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK *JB

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICE D A LOUD NOISE. SOON VEHICLE STALLED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, TECHNICIAN NOTICED ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

FRONT AND REAR STRUTS FAILED, DEALER KNOWS THIS IS AN ISSUE. CAR IS UNSTABLE ON ANY UNEVEN ROAD OVER 25 MPH, ALL BUT BOTTOMS OUT, STEERING CORRECTION IS NEEDED ON THE SMALLEST OF BUMPS ABOVE 25MPH.*AK

MIDAS IN FORESTVILLE, MD DID NOT PUT ANY OIL IN MY CAR AND NOW THE ENGINE IS GONE. *AK

VEHICLE WAS IN PARKED POSITION AT DEPARTMENT STORE, SMOKE COMING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT UNDER HOOD, #4 CRANKSHAFT ROD BROKE AND PENETRATED CAST IRON BLOCK, SPRAYING SHRAPNEL & HOT OIL THROUGH THE AREA, PENETRATING RADIATOR CORE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP (CROWN TOYOTA, ONTARIO) FOR DIAGNOSIS OF PROBLEM AND ESTIMATE FOR SUBSEQUENT REPAIRS. TOYOTA SERVICE MANAGER CONTACTED TWO DAYS LATER AND ADVISED IT WASN'T DUE TO DEFECTIVE TOYOTA PART(S). SERVICE MANAGER STATES HE CONTACTED DISTRICT MANAGER FOR TOYOTA'S WESTERN REGION, STATES THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, IT'S YOUR PROBLEM. WEEK PREVIOUSLY, OWNER RECEIVES LETTER FROM TOYOTA EXPLAINING "OIL GEL PROBLEM" ADVISED SERVICE MANAGER OF THIS ISSUE, STATES I NEED TO VERIFY OIL & MAINTENANCE RECORDS FOR THIS VEHICLE. SAME ARE PRODUCED FOR INSPECTION & "FORWARDED" TO DISTRICT MANAGER. TOYOTA'S POSITION IS TOO BAD IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY! VEHICLE IS TOWED TO PERSONAL MECHANIC, WHOM CHANGES ENGINE COMPONENTS & RADIATOR, STATES PROBLEM WAS DEFECTIVE OIL PUMP BALANCER.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN HEAD-ON COLLISIONS. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED; HOWEVER, DID NOT HAVE SOLUTION FOR OCCURRING PROBLEM.*AK

BRAKES FAILED WHILE PARKING. VEHICLE JUMPED FOWARD AND CONSUMER HIT A METER. TOOK VEHICLETO DEALER, AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS RECALL 97V156000 FOR BRAKE VACUUM HOSE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

ON 4/16/01 ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM ON 4/19/01 AND REPLACED AIR FUEL RATIO (AFR) SENSOR. ON 6/26/02 THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM ON 6/29/02 AND AGAIN REPLACED AFR SENSOR. IT COST OVER $700.00 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ARE THERE PROBLEMS WITH AFR SENSORS? --- ABOUT MAY, 1999, THE VEHICLE STARTED PRODUCING VISIBLE EXHAUST SMOKE AT START UP. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TODAY. THE PROBLEM ONLY OCCURS WHEN STARTING A COLD ENGINE (WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS NOT RUN FOR FEW HOURS). VEHICLE RECENTLY PASSED A SMOG CHECK. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. ARE THERE KNOW PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE PRODUCING EXHAUST SMOKE WHEN STARTING A COLD ENGINE? IS THE EXHAUST SMOKE RELATED TO AFR SENSOR FAILURE?*AK