2009 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

AT 150K MILES STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKING UP WHILE IN MOTION. USUALLY OCCURS WHEN TRYING TO TURN RIGHT, LOCKS FOR 2 OR 3 SECONDS THEN JERKS SLIGHTLY BACK TO THE LEFT. HAS DONE THIS 3 TIMES RECENTLY, TWICE LEAVING ME PAUSED MOMENTARILY IN OPPOSITE LANE OF TRAFFIC! FORTUNATELY NO TRAFFIC WAS IN THAT LANE DURING THOSE MOMENTS BEFORE IT UNLOCKED. THE THIRD SITUATION WAS IN MOTION BUT NOT OUR OF PARKING LOT YET. ALSO MAKES A SCREECHING SOUND WHILE THIS IS GOING ON! I SEE WHERE THERE ARE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT LATER YEAR MODEL CAMRYS BUT HAVEN'T SEEN ONE ON 2009. ALSO HAVE NOT SEEN SCREECHING SOUND MENTIONED. TRYING TO FIND OUT IF OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH 2009?

WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT AT ABOUT 40 MPH (IN A 50 MPH ZONE ON A BACK ROAD) I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES WHEN APPROACHING A STOP SIGN. THE BRAKES FAILED TO ENGAGE. THE CHECK VBS SYSTEM WARNING CAME ON AS WELL AS ALL OF THE DASH BOARD WARNING LIGHTS. THE CAR WAS CHECKED AND THE BRAKE PADS WERE FINE, THE BRAKE FLUID LEVEL WAS NORMAL, AND NO COMPUTER CODES CAME UP WHEN THAT WAS CHECKED. THE BRAKE LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON AND OFF AND THE BRAKES WORK MOST OF THE TIME, BUT OUT OF NO WHERE THEY WON'T ENGAGE. IT WAS VERY SCARY, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE MY KIDS WERE IN THE CAR. THANK GOODNESS I WASN'T GOING FASTER THAN I WAS BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE WOULD HAVE STOPPED IN TIME.

BRAKE, ABS AND WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, CHECK VSC MESSAGE CAME ON AND MY BRAKES STOPPED WORKING. I WAS LEAVING MY PARKING LOT AND GOT HALFWAY DOWN THE BLOCK WHEN THIS OCCURRED. I COULD NOT BRAKE SO I LET THE CAR ROLL TO A STOP AND USED THE CURB TO MAKE A COMPLETE STOP. CAR I HAD NOT MOVED SINCE I DROVE IT REALLY SLOW TO HOUSE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OIL INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE OIL LEVEL WAS VERY LOW AFTER A RECENT OIL CHANGE. THE DEALER (TOYOTA OF LANCASTER, 43301 12TH ST W, LANCASTER, CA 93534, (661) 948-0731) ADVISED THE CONTACT TO WAIT A MONTH AND OBSERVE IF THERE WAS WHITE OR BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE, WHICH COULD SIGNAL A FAILURE WITH THE PISTON SEALS. THE CONTACT TRIED USING THICK SYNTHETIC OIL, BUT THE OIL LEVEL FAILURE STILL OCCURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 109,000.

WAS TOLD THAT THE VALVE COVER GASKET WAS LEAKING, WHICH IT WAS , HAD IT REPAIRED. I HAD IT REPLACED RECENTLY AGAIN AS THE FIRST REPAIR SHOP DID IT INCORRECTLY. CAR IS STILL USING ABOUT A HALF A QUART OF OIL EVERY 700 MILES. THERE ARE NO VISIBLE LEAKS. I HAD A MECHANIC CHECK IT ALL OVER FOR LEAKS (RESULTED IN GASKET REPLACEMENT), NO OTHER LEAKS DETECTED. THE CAR NOW HAS OVER 175,000 MILES AND IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING TOYOTA WILL NOT COVER IT AS IT IS OVER THE 150K LIMIT. IT RUNS NORMALLY, NO LOSS OF POWER, DOES NOT KNOCK OR PING. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS WILL GET WORSE OVER TIME . I ALWAYS THOUGHT I HAD NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT IN THE WAY OF RELIABILITY AS A TOYOTA OWNER. I HAVE MY DOUBTS AS I HAVE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINT SITES AND SEE SIMILAR ISSUES WITH THIS MODEL YEAR, OF EXCESSIVE OIL USE. TOYOTA WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE , I NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE .

THE FACTORY PROVIDED VEHICLE JACK IS OF POOR QUALITY. IT BENT FROM THE MIDDLE AFTER THE VERY FIRST USE. IF NOT FOR THE TIRE STILL ON THE AXEL, THE CAR WOULD'VE HAD LOTS OF DAMAGE.

WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 65 MPH ON A FOUR LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY, THE DRIVER'S VISOR SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY ROTATED COMPLETELY DOWN, BLOCKING MY VIEW OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD SO THAT I COULD NOT SEE AHEAD. IT WAS A DANGEROUS AND FRIGHTENING SITUATION! I HAD TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE CAR WHILE HOLDING THE VISOR UP SO THAT I COULD GET HOME SAFELY AND THEN GET THE CAR TO THE REPAIR FACILITY. TOYOTA KNEW THAT THIS SAFETY HAZARD EXISTED AND WAS SERIOUS BECAUSE IT DID A "WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT NOTICE" FOR 2007 TO 2011 CAMRY HYBRID SUN VISOR BRACKETS, BUT THIS EXPIRED FOR MY CAR IN MAY OF 2016.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, THE WINDSHIELD FOGGED UP AND IMPAIRED THE CONTACT'S VISION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD MATERIAL BECAME WORN OVER TIME DUE TO HEAT AND AFFECTED THE WINDSHIELD. THE DEALER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT A SPECIAL WARRANTY HAD JUST EXPIRED; THEREFORE, THEY COULD NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

GLARE FROM DASHBOARD WHEN SUN SHINES ON IT THERE IS A WARRANTY ENCHANCEMENT PROGRAM WHICH EXPIRES AFTER TIME BUT THIS REMAINS HAZARD IF DASHBOARD IS NOT REPLACED

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE ODOR OF BURNING OIL WAS PRESENT BEFORE THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE OIL DIP STICK WAS LOW. ONCE OIL WAS ADDED, THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE OIL WAS LAST CHANGED ON AUGUST 13, 2018. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER SUNRISE TOYOTA (3984 SUNRISE HWY, OAKDALE, NY) WERE BOTH NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000.