2002 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

FAILURE OF DOOR LATCHES ON A TOYOTA 2002 CAMRY. IN THE LAST YEAR I HAVE HAD BOTH DOOR LATCHES ON THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE TO BREAK WITHOUT ANY NOTICE, PREVENTING EXIT FROM THE VEHICLE. CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THE Y NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE LATCHES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO DRIVE GEAR AND NOTICED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE UNLESS THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED MORE THAN 3/4 OF THE WAY DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED A COMPUTER CHIP WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 20 MPH WHEN THE STEERING FAILED AND BECAME EXTREMELY RESISTANT. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE EXAMINING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED A PUDDLE OF COOLANT UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE WHERE IT WAS PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE RADIATOR WAS REPLACED. ONE MONTH AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE FAILURE RECURRED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 130000.

WE WERE RIDING ON A COBBLE STONE STREET GOING VERY SLOW IN A TOURIST AREA OF SAVANNAH, GA. OUR 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY, SUDDENLY ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. WITH THE BRAKE FULLY ENGAGED WE SKIDDED DOWN THE STREET IN SHOCK. IT LASTED ABOUT 4 TO 5 SECONDS AND THANKFULLY THERE WERE NO PEOPLE OR OTHER CARS IN THE WAY. I ESTIMATE WE WENT ABOUT 50 YARDS. IT STOPPED AS SUDDENLY AS IT STARTED. WE THEN CALLED THE POLICE TO REPORT WHAT HAPPENED AS WE WERE VERY SHOOK UP. WE REPORTED THIS TO THE TOYOTA DEALER WE BOUGHT THE CAR FROM. THEY HAD IT TOWED TO THEIR DEALERSHIP. THEN THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND THEY WOULD CALL TOYOTA FOR FURTHER DIRECTION. I AM WAITING FOR THEM TO CALL ME BACK. *TR

STOPPED IN LINE AT FAST FOOD DRIVE-UP. PLACED VEHICLE IN PARK. PLACED VEHICLE IN DRIVE TO MOVE FORWARD AND THE VEHICLE QUICKLY ACCELERATED. STEPPED ON BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. VEHICLE STOPPED AFTER SLAMMING INTO VEHICLE IN FRONT. WILL BE GOING BY THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN THE MORNING TO REPORT WHAT HAPPENED. *TR

CAR WAS FILLED WITH GAS ON RETURN TRIP AND WHILE IN TRAFFIC SUDDENLY BEGAN TO DECELERATE WITH NO WARNING. THE CAR WAS PULLED OVER AND STOPPED. SAMARITANS STOPPED TO SUPPORT STRANDED CAR AND WHEN THEY TRIED TO TURN THE CAR ON , IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. WHEN CHECKED BY A INDIVIDUAL WHO IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS A MECHANIC, HE SAID, HE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM. IT WAS CLEAR THAT THERE WAS OIL IN THE CAR AND IT WAS CLEAN. INSURANCE COMPANY AND TOWING SERVICE SUPPORT CALLED AND $400.00 PLUS DOLLARS LATER THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO LOCAL DEALER. AFTER CONVERSATION WITH DEALER REPRESENTATIVE , WE WERE INFORMED THAT OUR OBVIOUS NEGLIGENCE AROUND REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGES WERE THE CAUSE OF THE OIL SLUDGE THAT CAUSED THE DAMAGE TO OUR CAR TO THE TUNE OF $4,600. SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS LATER, ALLOWING COOLER HEADS TO PREVAIL, WE WERE ABLE TO GAIN SOME SUPPORT FROM THE LOCAL DEALER HOWEVER WE WERE STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE SECOND HAND ENGINE BECAUSE TOYOTA REFUSED TO COVER THE COST OF THE PROBLEM.BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A SMALL COMMUNITY AND HAVE BEEN DOING BUSINESS WITH THIS GROUP FOR YEARS, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE PART OF THE CAR THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC IN QUESTION REPORTED THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING QUITE LIKE THIS BEFORE AND HE HA BEEN WORKING FOR MANY YEARS AT THE SAME LOCATION. ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE PAPERWORK FROM OUR LOCAL MECHANIC WHO HAS ROUTINELY DONE THE OIL CHECKS SINCE WE'VE HAD THE CAR. EVEN AFTER PHONE CALLS AND LETTER REQUESTING THAT TOYOTA "DO THE RIGHT THING" EVEN THOUGH OUR SITUATION WAS A FEW MONTHS SHY OF THE "07 SETTLEMENT, THEY REFUSED TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

I THINK MY 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY HAS THE SAME STEERING PROBLEM AS THE RECENT STEERING RECALL FOR THE TOYOTA AVALONS. ON 2/27/09 I HAD TO GET $970.00 OF REPAIRS INCLUDING A "REMAN GEAR ASSY AND CONE RETURM". WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR REPAIRS THE TOYOTA DEALER WAS STUMPED AS TO THE PROBLEM, BUT IT SOUNDS A LOT LIKE THE RECENT AVALON PROBLEM, COULD THE CAMRYS HAVE THE SAME DEFECTIVE PARTS? *TR

ONE OF TWO ELECTRONIC ACCELERATOR POSITION SENSORS MALFUNCTIONED ON MY 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. I EXPERIENCED A SLUGGISH RESPONSE TO PEDAL ACTION (I.E. I HAD TO PUSH THE PEDAL FARTHER THAN NORMAL TO GAIN ANY ACCELERATION - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED). I IMMEDIATELY DROVE TO MY MECHANIC'S SHOP FOR EVALUATION AND REPAIR. AFTER RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS, HE DETERMINED THAT THE SENSOR HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND ADVISED ME NOT TO DRIVE THE CAR ANY FURTHER UNTIL IT WAS REPAIRED. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, FROM MY MECHANIC'S EXPLANATION, THE SENSOR DETERMINES THE POSITION OF THE ACCELERATOR AND SENDS A REQUEST FOR ACCELERATION AS A VOLTAGE RANGING FROM 0-5V, WHERE 0V IS NO ACCELERATION AND 5V IS FULL-THROTTLE. THROUGH FURTHER TESTING, HE DETERMINED THAT THE SENSOR THAT HAD MALFUNCTIONED WAS READING 5V. I FIND IT VERY CONCERNING THAT IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE THE SENSOR DOES NOT "FAIL SAFE" (I.E. FAIL TO 0V, RATHER THAN 5V). THE TECHNICIAN EXPLAINED THAT THE SECOND SENSOR WAS THERE AS A SAFETY REDUNDANCY, BUT EITHER WAY, "FAIL SAFE" IS ONE OF THE MOST BASIC DESIGN CONCEPTS IN AN APPLICATION WHERE SAFETY IS CRITICAL AS IS THE CASE HERE. IN MY CONVERSATION WITH TOYOTA, THEY WOULD NOT STAND BEHIND THE PART (MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND IT WAS NOT ON RECALL), NOR COULD THEY GIVE ME ANY ASSURANCE THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART HAD BEEN REDESIGNED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT WOULD "FAIL SAFE." I AM A WIFE, MOTHER OF TWO SMALL CHILDREN, AND THE PRIMARY INCOME GENERATOR FOR OUR FAMILY. I DO NOT FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHAT I NOW KNOW ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY CAR AND DO NOT FEEL THAT TOYOTA TOOK MY CONCERNS TO HEART. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANYTHING YOU COULD DO TO HELP. I SUSPECT I MAY NOT BE THE ONLY ONE TO EXPERIENCE THIS SAFETY FAILURE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THE ODOMETER AND TRIP ODOMETER DISPLAYED AN INACCURATE CALCULATION. THE ODOMETER READING WOULD INCREASE BY 1.6 MILES FOR EVERY MILE BEING TRAVELED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000. UPDATED 11/03/10. *LJ