2002 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN AND DID NOT RETURN TO CENTER WHEN RELEASED. CHECK POWER STEERING FLUID IT WAS OK. NO POWER STEERING LEAKS. TOOK CAR TO HAVE PROBLEM EVALUATED. MECHANIC SAID THAT STEERING SHAFT UNIVERSAL JOINTS WERE WORN AND RUSTED AND BINDING UP. ONLY SOLUTION WAS TO REPLACE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN. HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. IF ALLOWED TO GO TOO LONG STEERING COULD LOCK UP COMPLETELY OR SHAFT COULD SHEAR CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. REPAIR WILL COST $900 SINCE ENTIRE SHAFT MUST BE REPLACED AND PART IS ONLY AVAILABLE FROM TOYOTA. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS KIND OF PROBLEM WITH A VEHICLE AND WAS SHOCKED TO KNOW THE DESIGN OF THE STEERING SHAFT LEFT IT EXPOSED TO ROAD SPRAY AND SUBSEQUENT CORROSION DAMAGE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND GAVE NO WARNING AS TO THE IMPENDING FAILURE. STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN EVEN WITH THE POWER STEERING ASSIST. *TR

TRAVELING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY I ACCELERATED TO 60 OR 65 MPH. THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN VIBRATING BADLY AND THE CAR STARTED TO SHAKE. ON SLOWING DOWN THE SHAKING LESSENED BUT CONTINUED AND THE STEERING WHEEL STOPPED VIBRATING. ON BRINGING THE CAR TO THE SHOP THEY DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE MOUNTS HAD FAILED. ON REPLACING THE MOUNTS ONE OF THEM HAD SPLIT INTO TWO PIECES.

I OWN A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY 70,000 MI AND WHILE DRIVING ONE DAY THE STEERING FROZE AND I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. SINCE THAT DAY THE STEERING HAS BECOME EXTREMELY STIFF AND HARD TO STEER. AFTER CHECKING THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVELS AND FOUND IT TO BE NORMAL I HAVE MADE AN APPT WITH THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. AFTER READING THESE COMPLAINTS I FEEL IT IS AN ISSUE WITH THE PART ITSELF AND A SAFETY ISSUE THAT TOYOTA SHOULD REPLACE. *TR

I RECEIVED A LETTER IN THE MAIL STATING THERE WAS A RECALL FOR MY SUNROOF MADE BY WEBASTO. THE SERIAL NUMBER OF MY SUNROOF IS BETWEEN THE RANGE OF 6000000 TO 6396298. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT REPLACED IF THAT IS THE CASE, PLEASE. *TR

IN JULY 2010, I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ON A HEAVILY TRAVELED TWO LANE HIGHWAY, ACCELERATING AS I APPROACHED A GRADE, WHEN SUDDENLY THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM MY ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE CAR STALLED. THERE WAS A GROUP OF BICYCLISTS ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER. I ACTIVATED MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS, AND MANAGED WITH DIFFICULTY TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. I COULD RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT THE CEL REMAINED ON, AND THE CAR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE ACCELERATOR IN ANY GEAR. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE ERROR CODE P1121 WAS FOUND. THE ECU WAS REPLACED, AND I WAS ASSURED THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN RESOLVED. THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT COST ME SEVERAL SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, AND IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT IT DID NOT RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT, INJURY, OR WORSE. ON FEBRUARY 17, 2011, I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 30-35 MPH WHEN ONCE AGAIN THE ACCELERATOR WOULD NOT RESPOND AND THE CEL LIT UP. THIS TIME, THE ENGINE DID NOT STALL. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND CHANGED GEARS AND DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR MANY TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE. FINALLY, THE CAR MOVED AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT THE SHORT DISTANCE HOME. AFTER CALLING THE DEALERSHIP, WHO AGREED THE CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL CHECKED, IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE SAME CODE P1121 WAS READ. ALL COMPONENTS INDICATED BY THIS CODE WERE CHECKED AND DEEMED OKAY. AFTER THE DEALER CONTACTED TOYOTA, THE CAR WAS ALSO CHECKED FOR GROUNDING AND VOLTAGE ISSUES. AGAIN, EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT OKAY. THE DEALERSHIP KEPT AND DROVE THE CAR, TRYING UNSUCCESSFULLY TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IT REMAINS THERE TODAY WHILE WE DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH IT. THE DEALERSHIP AND TOYOTA ARE NOT OFFERING ANY SOLUTIONS. I FEEL THAT THE CAR IS UNRELIABLE AND UNSAFE. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET CONVINCES ME THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, AND IT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED NO MATTER HOW MUCH IT COSTS. A PRICE CANNOT BE PUT ON LIFE OR PEACE OF MIND. PLEASE INVESTIGATE! UPDATED 06/24/11 *BF *TR REPAIRS ATTACHED.. UPDATED 01/05/2012 *LN

THE STEERING FAILED, TOO HARD TO TURN THE WHEEL. THE REPAIR SHOP REPLACED THE STEERING SHAFT WITH U- JOINTS. THEY SAID IT IS COMMON IN 2002 CAMRY. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE TOYOTA SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND HAPPENED A LOT IN THIS MODEL. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THIS HAPPENS TOO OFTEN TO THE 2002 CAMRY. THE STEERING COLUMN IS A TWO PIECE ROD THAT COULD TO CATASTROPHIC STEERING LOSS. I CONTACTED TOYOTA COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT AND THEY TOLD ME WAS THAT THEY HAD ISSUED A SERVICE CALL THAT ONLY INCLUDED GREASING THE SHAFT. *TR

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON THE FREEWAY. INITIALLY HARD-SHIFTING, THEN LOSS OF POWER WHEN ACCELERATING TO PASS. MILES LATER WHILE CRUISING ON LEVEL GROUND ON THE FREEWAY, THE TRANSMISSION DISCONNECTED (FELT LIKE IT WENT TO NEUTRAL) AND I NEEDED TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY. TURNED OFF ENGINE, WAITED AND RE-STARTED CAR. USED A MERGING RAMP TO SAFELY MERGE BACK INTO TRAFFIC. TOYOTA DEALER TELLS ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LIKE "CHOCOLATE" AND THERE WERE CHUNKS OF METAL IN THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN. NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION ($3300-$4800). CAR WAS LAST SERVICED AT ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALER (WONDRIES IN ALHAMBRA, CA) 14,000 MILES AGO AND HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED AT THAT TIME. *TR

ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2010, AT APPROXIMATELY 8:30 PM, (AZ-GMT) I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY SE 4-DR IN A ROAD CONSTRUCTION ZONE AT 15 MILES PER HOUR. I CAME TO A STOP AT A RED SIGNAL LIGHT WHEN I SMELLED THE ODOR OF AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. I STARTED CHECKING THE DASHBOARD FOR ANY WARNING LIGHTS ON, WHICH THERE WERE NONE LIT. A/C AND HEATER SWITCHES WERE IN THE OFF POSITION. AS THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I WENT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY. I STARTED LOOKING AROUND THE INTERIOR TO SEE IF SOMETHING WAS BURNING. AS I WAS CHECKING THE BACK SEAT, I SAW BLACK SMOKE BILLOWING OUT OF THE REAR BOTTOM OF THE CAR, THINKING THAT IT WAS SOMETHING BURNING IN THE TRUNK. I USED THE TRUNK LEVER TO OPEN IT, GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND NOTICED THAT NOTHING WAS BURNING THERE, AND WENT BACK TO THE DRIVERS DOOR. I THEN NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I REALIZED THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RAN A SAFE DISTANCE AWAY FROM IT. I DIALED 911 TO REPORT THE FIRE. I WAS LESS THAN A HALF MILE FROM HOME AND CALLED MY HUSBAND, WHO RESPONDED IN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES WITH A LARGE FIRE EXTINGUISHER. HE DID NOT OPEN THE HOOD, BUT TRIED TO EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES FROM THE FRONT END, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE FIRE SPREAD RAPIDLY INTO THE FRONT SEAT AREA BEFORE THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TOYOTA AS IT WAS IN GOOD OPERATING CONDITION AND SERVICED REGULARLY. PREVIOUSLY THAT DAY, I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES WITHOUT ANY ISSUES OR PROBLEMS. JUST BEFORE THE FIRE, I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR FOR APPROXIMATELY 4 MILES ON SURFACE STREETS AT 25 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR WAS RUNNING JUST FINE, AND THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS OF PROBLEMS LIKE A LOSS OF POWER, AND NO WARNING LIGHTS HAD COME ON AT ALL. I WAS THE SECOND OWNER OF THE CAR. MY MOTHER BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW IN 2002 IN MESA, AZ FROM SUPERSTITION SPRINGS TOYOTA. THE CAR WAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED. *TR

ON NOV. 11, 2010 WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 CAMRY, SUDDENLY THE ENGINE ACCELERATE, NOT BRAKES FUNCTION AT THAT TIME THEN I TOOK A SLOPE WERE VEHICLE FINALLY STOP AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF. CALL THE AUTO-DEALER FOR APPOINTMENT TO CHECK FAILURE. MEANWHILE ONLY VEHICLE PROBLEM WAS THE REVOLUTIONS (RPM), TOO LOW ON NOV. 24, 2010 TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE AUTO-DEALER WERE THE MECHANIC STATED, FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE THROTTLE. REPLACEMENT BY A NEW THROTTLE. *TR