1998 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

THE SUSPENSION OF MY 1998 CAMRY LE HAS BEEN HAVING NOISES WHEN PASS THE SPEED HUMPS FOR TWO YEARS. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE HEARD SOME COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT THERE IS NO RECALL YET. IT MAKE ME VERY CONCERNED. *NLM

1998 TOYOTA CAMRY EMISSION RELATED REPAIRS. *MR ENGINE LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE NEAREST DEALER WHO STATED THE EMISSIONS VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TOYOTA IN REFERENCE TO REIMBURSEMENT OF EMISSION RELATED PROBLEMS AND WAS DENIED. THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE PART WAS LOCATED NEAR THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. *SCC *JB

EXPERIENCED A TEXT BOOK CASE OF WHAT HAS BECOME KNOWN AS THE "TOYOTA SLUDGE ENGINE" PROBLEM. CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT SPA PROGRAM WHO REFERRED ME TO THE LOCAL DEALER. HE SAID UNLESS I HAVE DOCUMENTATION FOR AN OIL CHANGE EVERY 3000 MILES (MANUAL SAYS 7500) THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. SAID THAT I DID NOT "HAVE A LEG TO STAND ON" AND I WAS "SCREWED." ONCE REPAIRS ARE DONE AND PAID FOR I PLAN TO SUBMIT A CLAIM WITH ALL PAPERS TO TOYOTA.

BACK SEAT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT. OCCURRED JUST AFTER 60,000 MILES AND DEALER SAID NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. NOW 109,672. *JB

JUST BEFORE 30,000 MILES MY RIGHT FONT SUSPENSION BEGAN TO RATTLE OCCASIONALLY. THE CAR NOW HAS 93,000 MILES AND THE RATTLE IS STILL HEARD NOW AND THEN. NUMEROUS TRIPS TO THE SHOP HAVE NOT TURNED UP ANY CAUSE. *JB

THE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER BELTS BECAME INOPERATIVE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *NLM

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEM WITH THE ROTORS. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND THE PADS DID NOT FIT CORRECTLY. *NLM

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT, AND THE EMISSION VALVE(S) NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. MR SCC *JB

INQUIRY ON RECALLS FOR 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY. MR RECALL #99V307000/STEERING WHEEL & HANDLE BAR, AND RECALL#01V012000/VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. SCC *JB

SIMPLY PUT. THE GAS PEDAL STICKS. MY WIFE HAS FOUND THE GAS PEDAL TO STICK WHILE SHE IS DRIVING. IN THE PAST, THE GAS PEDAL WOULD COME UP IN A SECOND OR SO. SHE DID NOT REALIZE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. SHE THOUGHT HER SHOE WAS GETTING IN THE WAY OR SOMETHING. BUT ON THE EVENING OF MARCH 12TH THE PEDAL WAS STICKING DOWN FOR ABOUT 5-10 SECONDS AS SHE WAS TRYING TO SLOW DOWN FOR AN INTERSECTION. IT FINALLY CAME UP AND SHE COULD COME TO A STOP. SHE CALLED ME IMMEDIATELY AND I INDICATED THAT THE CAR NEEDS TO GO IN IMMEDIATELY. THE EARLIEST THE DEALER WOULD TAKE THE CAR WAS THE MORNING OF MARCH 14TH. WHEN I EXPLAINED IT TO THE SERVICE GUY, HE KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG. HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE AIR INTAKE FOR THE ENGINE IS CONNECTED TO THE THROTTLE BODY. THE AIR INTAKE FLAP HAS A BUILD UP AROUND 15,000 AND IT WILL NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. THIS WILL CAUSE THE GAS PEDAL TO STICK. HE TOLD ME THAT I NEED TO HAVE THIS SERVICED EVERY 15,000 MILES FROM HERE ON IN. HE WROTE ON THE SERVICE SLIP "ENGINE MINOR". I CALLED TOYOTA CONSUMER SERVICE AND THEY INDICATED THAT THIS IS AN USUAL INCIDENT. HOWEVER, HE SAID IN THE SAME CONVERSATION THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED WITH THE SAME YEAR MODEL ON OTHER CARS. THE GENERAL EMPHASIS ON HIS PART WAS I WAS OVER REACTING AND INDICATED THIS PROBLEM WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 50,000 MILES. TOYOTA'S STANCE WAS THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED ON OTHER CARS BESIDES TOYOTA. I AM PLEADING WITH THIS ORGANIZATION TO INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER. I FEEL MY WIFE'S CAR IS NOT COMPLETELY SAFE UNLESS TOYOTA REPLACES THE PART IN A SPECIFIED AMOUNT OF TIME OR REDESIGNS THE ASSEMBLY AND DOES A RECALL. *JB