2005 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

ON JAN. 5, 2012 AROUND 10:00 A.M. I WAS ACCELERATING UP HILL AT THE SPEED OF 50 MPG. WHEN I LET UP ON THE GAS PEDAL MY CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I STARTED APPLYING THE BRAKES BUT IT DIDN'T HELP. AS THE CAR KEPT GOING FASTER I WENT INTO A PANIC MODE APPLYING THE BRAKES, PULLING BACK ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKES AS FAR AS I COULD, AND TRYING TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL OR PARK OR ANYTHING TO GET MY CAR TO STOP. I WENT OFF THE ROAD AT THE SAME TIME I GOT IT INTO PARK. STOPPING ABRUPTLY I JUMPED FROM THE CAR THE WHEELS STILL SPINNING AND SMOKE POURING FORM THE WHEEL WELLS. I WAS PRETTY HYSTERICAL FROM MY ORDEAL BUT HAD THE SENSE TO REACH IN AND TURN OFF THE KEY. I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND SAT DOWN AND CRIED UNTIL HE GOT THERE. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA IN NAPA CA. AND YESTERDAY (JAN. 11, 2011) THEY CALLED TO SAY THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND WE CAN PICK UP THE CAR ANYTIME WE WANT. PLEASE HELP ME !!!! THIS WASN'T JUST A FIGMENT OF MY IMAGINATION. IT HAPPENED FOR SOME REASON. DO THEY REALLY THINK I EVER WANT TO DRIVE THIS CAR AGAIN??? I FEEL VERY GRATEFUL TO WALK AWAY WITH MY LIFE. IF THERE HAD BEEN MORE TRAFFIC OR NO PLACE TO GO OFF THE ROAD OR IN A WORSE CASE SCENARIO DRIVING THE 10 MILE MOUNTAIN ROAD FROM TOWN TO MY HOUSE I PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE. I FEEL THE NEED TO TELL AS MANY PEOPLE AS I CAN TO SAVE SOME ONE ELSE FROM THIS. *TR

DASH IS CRACKING AND APPEARS THE DASH MATERIAL MAY NOT ALLOW AIR BAG TO FUNCTION --- HAS MULPTILY CRACKS IN ALL DIFFERENT LOCATION IN FRONT OF DRIVER AND PASSANGER. *TR

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES DO NOT RETRACT CORRECTLY/AT ALL NOR DOES IT PROVIDE TENSION FOR SAFE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE WHILE THE DRIVER/PASSENGER ARE BUCKLED IN. AS MANUFACTURERS ARE REQUIRED TO ENSURE THE PROPER OPERATION OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT WITHIN THE VEHICLES PRODUCED OPERATE CORRECTLY FROM THE FACTORY, IT WOULD ONLY SEEM LOGICAL THAT THERE WOULD BE A PERIOD THAT WARRANTY OF SUCH SAFETY EQUIPMENT WOULD BE REQUIRED. THERE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR RUST THRU WARRANTY ON THE BODY FOR 10-YEARS, WHY IS THERE NOT A SIMILAR REQUIREMENT TO KEEP US SAFE AND FIND RECOURSE TO CORRECT DEFICIENCIES THAT I AM REPORTING. WHY DOES IT REQUIRE A DEATH OR SEVERAL TO FORCE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY INTO ACTION??? *TR

I STOPPED MY CAR AT MY MAILBOX AT THE FOOT OF MY 45% INCLINE SHORT DRIVEWAY AND PUT IT IN PARK WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. AFTER GETTING OUT TO GET MY MAIL, I RE-ENTERED THE CAR, PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, AND TOUCHED THE ACCELERATOR. THE CAR ENGINE "ROARED" MORE LOUDLY THAN I HAD EVER HEARD AND LUNGED FORWARD UPHILL TOWARDS MY BRICK HOME. I SLAMMED THE BRAKE PEDAL ONE TIME AS HARD AS I COULD AND THE CAR STOPPED. I HAD NOT EXPECTED IT TO STOP. THERE WAS NO COLLISION, BUT THANK GOD I DID NOT KILL OR INJURE SOME INNOCENT PERSON OR MYSELF. I NOW REFUSE TO DRIVE THE CAR, WHICH IS A REAL PROBLEM FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. I UNDERSTAND YOUR AGENCY HAS FAILED TO FORCE TOYOTA TO INCLUDE THE 2005 MODEL IN YOUR RECALL TO INSTALL NEW BRAKING SYSTEM OVERRIDE. THIS IS UNCONSCIONABLE. *KB

TOYOTA DEALER COMPLETED A 90,000 MILE CHECK AND REPORTED A LEAK ON THE RACK AND PINION WITH NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE AREA. DEALER QUOTED APPROXIMATELY $1900 TO REPAIR. A INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED THE RACK AND PINION AND COMPLETED THE ALIGNMENT FOR APPROXIMATELY $900. *TR

MY VEHICLE WAS IDLING IN MY DRIVEWAY WHEN IT CAUGHT ON FIRE, MECHANIC STATED IT WAS A DEFECTIVE FUEL INJECTOR. *TR

WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, THERE WAS SOME NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AND SUDDENLY I LOST POWER STEERING AND LIGHTS FLASHED ON THE FRONT PANEL. I MANAGED HARD TO PULL OFF THE VEHICLE FROM THE HIGHWAY, IT WAS SO HARD MAKE TURNS TO THE RAMP. THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE STARTED TO FLUCTUATE. THERE WAS LITTLE SMOKING COME OUT, I HAD TO STOP THERE. IT WAS TURNED OUT THERE WAS A BELT FELL OUT AND MY ALTERNATOR EVENTUALLY DIED. MY CAR IS 4-CYLINDER, NOT 6. *TR

FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT RENDERING IT TOTALLY USELESS. IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT/STATES MANDATE SEAT BELTS THEN IT SHOULD MANDATE THAT DEALERSHIPS REPLACE DEFECTIVE SEAT BELTS. IT AMAZES ME THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT FORCED THE CAR COMPANIES TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT IN FRONT OF A FRIEND'S TOWNHOUSE WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR BY PUTTING BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR STOPPED ABOUT ONE FOOT BEFORE CRASHING INTO THE FRONT WALL OF THE TOWNHOUSE. ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM SINCE THIS INCIDENT, I AM NOW SOMEWHAT AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR NOW, NOR DO I FEEL RIGHT ABOUT SELLING THE CAR. *TR

I AM A MECHANICAL ENGINEER INVOLVED IN A LAWSUIT DEALING WITH THIS MECHANICAL SCISSOR JACK. THE CASE HAS GONE TO TRIAL AND BEEN RESOLVED. AS A PART OF MY INVESTIGATION, I DETERMINED THAT THE BASE OF THE JACK IS OUT OF SPECIFICATION, AND WOBBLES. THE BASE IS MEANT TO BE FLAT, YET ALL FOUR "FEET" OF THE BASE DO NOT TOUCH WHEN THE JACK IS RESTED ON A FLAT SURFACE. BASED ON TESTIMONY BY THE MANUFACTURER, THE BASE DEFORMS DURING THE FINAL ASSEMBLY, AND THIS WOBBLE IS ACCEPTABLE. I HAVE CHECKED A 2007 CAMRY, 2005 COROLLA, AND 2011 CAMRY, AND THESE CARS ALL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE BASE. DURING MY INSPECTIONS, THE JACK WILL ROLL INBOARD DURING NORMAL JACKING, PLACING ALL THE WEIGHT ONTO THE TWO INSIDE "FEET", USING ONLY ABOUT 20% OF THE BASE. IF THE BASE IS FLAT AS INTENDED, MORE OF THE BASE IF NOT ALL WOULD BE USED PROVIDING A GREATER LEVEL OF STABILITY DURING EMERGENCY JACKING. *TR