2000 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

THE VEHICLE HAS WHITE SMOKE WHEN STARTING CAR. CAR IS PARKED INSIDE GARAGE WHEN NOT IN USE.HITE SMOKE COMING FORM MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE. TOYOTA TECH. SUGGESTED THAT CUSTOMER REPLACE STEM SEALS AT CUSTOMERS EXPENSE.*AK

VEHICLE SEEMS TO HAVE TROUBLE WITH TRANSMISSION (AUTOMATIC). ROUGH WHEN DRIVING IN REVERSE. TOYOTA TECHNICIAN SUGGESTED THAT TRANSMISSION BE REPLACE AT COST OF OWNER. *AK

WHILE TRYING TO JACK MY CAMRY TO CHANGE A TIRE ON DRY, LEVEL CONCRETE, THE TOYOTA PROVIDED JACK SLIPPED OUT FROM UNDER MY CAR TWICE. I WAS USING THE JACK IN THE TOYOTA MANDATED POSITION, AND WAS NOT ON ANY TYPE OF LOOSE OR UNSTABLE SOIL. THE TOYOTA JACK HAS A VERY SMALL BASE THAT IS EASILY ROCKED SIDE TO SIDE WITH NO STABILITY. THE JACK IS EXCEEDINGLY DANGEROUS AND VERY MUCH A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO ANYONE USING IT BECAUSE OF ITS PRACTICALLY CONVEX-SHAPED BASE.*AK

I HAVE A 2000 TOYOTA CAMRY WITH 62,000 MILES THAT HAS HAD THE OIL CHANGED EVERY 3000 MILES OR LESS, AND HAS BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED. I WAS TRAVLLING AT AROUND 65 MPH ON A BUSY HIGHWAY DURING A HOLIDAY WEEKEND WHEN WITHOUT ANY WARNING I HEARD A LOUD NOISE. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF OF THE ROAD AND I DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS OIL EVERYWHERE. WHEN A PASSERBY STOPPED HE SHOWED ME A HOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. WHEN THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER AND EXAMINED, THEY OBSERVED THAT THE ENGINE HAD THROWN THE #4 ROD. SINCE THE CAR WAS 2,000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY, AS A "GOOD WILL" GESTURE TOYOTA AGREED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE, BUT I WAS STUCK WITH LABOR ESTIMATED AT AROUND $1,500. I HAVE WRITTEN TO TOYOTA AND ASKED THEM TO PAY FOR LABOR ALSO, BUT THEY HAVEN'T MADE A FINAL DETERMINATION AS OF YET. THE ROAD I WAS TRAVELLING ON LESS THAN 10 MIN BEFORE THE INCIDENT OCCURED (THE PA TURNPIKE) WAS HILLLY, CURVEY AND CROWDED. IF THE ENGINE HAD BLOWN ON THAT HIGHWAY AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE ENSUED DUE TO THE LARGE VOLUME OF TRAFFIC AND ABSENCE OF ADEQUATE SHOULDER SPACE. I'M STILL WAITING FOR SHAFFERTOYOTA IN CUMBERLAND, MD TO REPAIR MY CAR. AS FAR AS I KNOW THEY HAVE THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED REAR AXLE PRODUCED A LOUD GRINDING NOISE RECALL 00V154000 WAS ISSUED. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

ALLOY WHEELS ON MY VEHICLE ARE SO CORRODED THAT IN ORDER TO KEEP AIR IN TIRES THE WHEELS MUST BE SEALED WITH A RUBBER SEALANT.*AK

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS STRUCK FROM THE REAR AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. THEN, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE STRUCK THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND DRIVER'S SEAT BROKE, TOSSING THE CONSUMER. *AK

I OWN A 2000 TOYOTA CAMRY XLE, WHICH HAS 51.565 MILES. ON JULY 31, 2004 THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE DEALER AND BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO BE CHECKED ON AUGUST 04, 2004. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME IT WAS THE FUEL EVAPORATOR VALVE THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $220, BUT THEY NEED TO ORDER THE PART, SO WE SET ANOTHER APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE PART REPLACED ON AUGUST 10, 2004. I PICKED THE CAR UP TODAY (JULY 31, 2004) AND PAID $114.50 FOR THE DIAGNOSTICS (I AM HOPING MY NEXT BILL WILL BE AROUND $110 SO I DO NOT GO TO FAR OVER THE ESTIMATED PRICE, BUT LOOKING AT THE BILL THEY ARE ESTIMATING $99.07 TO INSTALL AND 48.85 FOR THE PART SO I AM GUESSING I WILL BE WELL OVER THE $220 PRICE QUOTED). MY INVOICE SAYS THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CODE IS "P0446 WAS PRESENT FOR EVAP SYSTEM TRACE TO VENT CONTROL MALFUNCTION SPECIAL ORDER VSV CONTROL APPROX 99.07 TO INSTALL". I THEN WENT OUT TO THE WEB TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT THIS PART IS AND I DISCOVERED MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE ON THE WEB. MOST OF THEM WERE TOLD THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE VALVE AND CANISTER FOR A PRICE AROUND $550. BY LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB RELATING TO THIS ISSUE (MOST OF THEM WHEN THE CAR REACHES APPROXIMATELY 55,000 MILES) I DECIDED TO FILE THIS IN THE HOPES THAT THIS PART WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME A RECALL, SINCE THERE SEEMS TO BE SO MANY ISSUES. *AK

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY WIFE'S 2000 TOYOTA CAMRY LE, 4 CYLINDER. DEALER CHARGED $72 FOR DIAGNOSIS AND RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENT OF CHARCOAL CANISTER DUE TO EMISSIONS VENT CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, CODE PO 440. I DIDNT GET IT DONE. DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND SEE DOZENS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FROM TOYOTA USERS. CANT TOYOTA CORRECT THIS PROBLEM, AS ITS OBVIOUSLY A DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING FLAW? *AK

I PURCHASED A 2000 TOYOTA CAMRY CE (VIN # 4T1BG22KOYU962183) WITH A 4 CYLINDER ENGINE, 5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN FEBRUARY OF 2000. FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2004 AROUND 6:15AM I WAS DRIVING THIS CAR TO WORK ON RTE 495 SOUTH IN HUDSON, MASS. WITHOUT WARNING, I HEARD A POP UNDER THE HOOD AND SUDDENLY THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION. WHITE SMOKE WAS POURING OUT THE REAR AND DARK SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I WAS DRIVING 65 MPH DOWN A STEEP GRADE, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I QUICKLY BEGAN PULL INTO THE BRAKE DOWN LANE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE CLUTCH PEDAL WAS ALSO TO THE FLOOR. I SLOWLY APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE AND MANAGED TO GET THE CAR STOPPED. I HAD FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND SMOKE COMING INTO THE DRIVERS COMPARTMENT. THE TRAFFIC THAT WAS BEING BLINDED BY THE SMOKE AND THE ROAD HAD GUARDRAILS SO I COULD NOT PULL COMPLETELY OFF THE ROAD. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING OUT OF THE CAR INTO TRAFFIC BUT I HAD TO GET OUT QUICKLY. I GOT AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE AND CALLED THE AUTHORITIES. BY THE TIME THE FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVED THE FRONT OF THE CAMRY WAS FULLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE CAR WAS A TOTAL LOSS. WHAT OCCURRED THAT MORNING HIT ME LATER. I REALIZED THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. THANKFULLY I DID NOT PANIC AND CAUSE A BAD SITUATION TO BE WORSE. I THOUGHT WHAT IF SOMEONE ELSE HAD BEEN DRIVING THIS CAR, MY PREGNANT DAUGHTER OR MY WIFE. WHAT IF A FAMILY WITH A CHILD IN A CAR SEAT, A NEW YOUNGER DRIVER OR AN ELDERLY PERSON WAS DRIVING? I CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY TO WALK AWAY UNINJURED. SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ANOTHER STORY. I DONT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THIS TO OCCUR, I TOOK GOOD CARE OF THIS VEHICLE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY, TRAVELERS CASUALTY COMPANY OF CONNECTICUT, IS HANDLING THE SETTLEMENT. I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO LET YOU KNOW OF THIS FAILURE. I HAD FOUND THAT THERE WAS AN INVESTIGATION INTO CAMRY FIRES A WHILE AGO. PLEASE CONTACT ME IF YOU NEED MORE DETAILS. WILLIAM HOVEY. *NM