2002 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

S10 APPROPRIATE HANDLING FWD EMAIL RE TOYOTA RECENT RECALL NOTICES, OWNER OF A 2002 CAMRY EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND WOULD LIKE NHTSA PRESS RELEASE TO REFLECT THAT MY NOT LISTED IN THE TOYOTA RECALL NOTICE MAY EXPERIENCE SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *TGW

WHEN I DRIVE OVER ROUGH ROAD OR A GRATE, MY VEHICLE APPEARS TO NOT STOP IMMEDIATELY. IT SEEMS TO ACCELERATE INSTEAD. IT IS VERY SCARY WHEN THERE IS A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF YOU AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOUR VEHICLE WILL STOP. I DRIVE VERY SLOW WHEN I SEE ROUGH ROAD OR A GRATE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE. *TR

LAST YEAR MY DAD'S TOYOTA WAS GOING INTO REVERSE ON THE 710 FREEWAY (EASTBOUND TO PARAMOUNT, CA, TO WORK) WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GEAR SHIFT. THIS REALLY FRIGHTENED US. HE TOOK MY CAR IN TO HAVE THEM THOROUGHLY INSPECT THIS PROBLEM. THEY TOLD HIM NOTHING WAS WRONG THAT THEY COULD SEE. HE TRIED TO DRIVE IT AGAIN AND IT WAS JUST A SHORT TIME THAT MY DAD'S TOYOTA WAS GOING INTO REVERSE ON THE 710 FREEWAY (EASTBOUND TO PARAMOUNT, CA, TO WORK)WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GEAR SHIFT. AGAIN, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR!! FRIGHTENED AT THE THOUGHTS OF THIS HAPPENING AGAIN AND SERIOUS THREAT TO MY DAD'S LIFE, HE TRADED IN HIS 2002 CAMRY AND BOUGHT A 2009 COROLLA LAST YEAR - TO SAVE HIS LIFE!! THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY INAPPROPRIATE RESPONSE TO MY DAD'S PROBLEM. HE LOVED THE CAMRY COMPARED TO THE COROLLA AND WOULD NEVER, EVER HAVE SOLD HIS CAR IF HE WEREN'T IN FEAR OF HIS LIFE ON LOS ANGELES FREEWAYS. WE WATCHED THE TESTIFYING OF A LADY IN FRONT OF THE COMMITTEE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., SAYING SHE COULDN'T STOP HER CAR FOR 500 FT. THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO OUR DAD AND ONLY BY CIRCUMSTANCE, IT DIDN'T. HOWEVER, HE HAD TO BUY A NEW CAR WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOTALLY UNNECESSARY. HE IS ON SS AND MEDICARE AND THIS WAS A HORRIFYING AND VERY APPALLING EXPERIENCE AND EXPENSE THAT SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN IN HIS LIFE. *TR

WE PURCHASED A NEW 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY 7-16-02 AND THE ACCELERATOR SURGED WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY 11-9-02 CAUSING IT TO STRIKE ANOTHER PARKED VEHICLE AND STOPPED 6 INCHES FROM STRIKING A HOUSE. THE TOTAL DAMAGE WAS ALMOST $10,000. WE TOLD THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT HAD TO BE AN OPERATOR ERROR BECAUSE THEY NEVER HEARD OF ANOTHER ACCELERATION PROBLEM. THE DEALER NEVER OFFERED TO DO A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK AND THEY TOLD US TO GO TO A DEALER CLOSER TO OUR HOME IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN. IN 2004 WE READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WITH THE CAMRY AND LEXUS VEHICLES. WE LOOKED ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE AND UNDER SPEED CONTROL COMPLAINTS WE SAW A COMPLAINT OF A 2002 OR 2003 CAMRY ACCIDENT EXACTLY LIKE THE ONE WE EXPERIENCED. WE SENT A LETTER TO TOYOTA INC. 4-18-04 AT P.O. BOX 2991 IN TORRANCE, CA 90509 AND TOYOTA NEVER RESPONDED BACK. WE NEVER EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION IN THE 2002 CAMRY AGAIN AND EVENTUALLY SOLD IT. WE HAVE A COPY OF THE TOYOTA LETTER. THERE WAS A NEIGHBOR THAT WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT AND SAID THE CAMRY MADE A LOUD ACCELERATION NOISE. MY WIFE PUT BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKES TO BRING IT TO A STOP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY PURCHASED BRAND NEW. WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 50 MPH, SHE SWITCH LANES TO AVOID A CONSTRUCTION AREA. THE VEHICLE THEN ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING OR DRIVER INTENT. SHE ATTEMPTED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKES, HOWEVER THE BRAKES WERE NOT RESPONSIVE TO DRIVER INPUT. SHE ALSO ATTEMPTED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BUT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS ALSO NON-RESPONSIVE AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE IN AND OUT OF TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE THEN SWAYED TO THE LEFT AND CRASHED THROUGH A METAL GUARD RAIL. THE CONTACT WAS HOSPITALIZED AND SUFFERED NECK INJURIES .THE SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER. CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS INCONCLUSIVE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2700. UPDATED 4/13/10 *CN UPDATED 05/10/10*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY LE. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED, SWERVED TO THE SIDE AND HE ENGAGED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE MEDIAN AND BECAME UNCONSCIOUS. THE VEHICLE ALSO ROLLED OVER MULTIPLE TIMES. THE CONTACT WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR SEVERAL WEEKS AND SUSTAINED MULTIPLE INJURIES. THE CONTACTS INJURIES HAVE CONFINED HIM TO A WHEELCHAIR FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT HAS NOT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS CONTACTED IMMEDIATELY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 74,000.

ON THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2006, MY 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY HAD UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AT THE SHERTON PALO ALTO. WHEN ENTERING HE PARKING LOT, THE CAR ACCELERATED WITH ENGINE RACING AND CRASHED THROUGH THE PARKING LOT BARRIER. THE HOTEL GRACIOUSLY REPAIRED THE BARRIER AT THEIR EXPENSE. THIS INCIDENT HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED PREVIOUSLY. THIS IN THE ONLY INCIDENT TO DATE. A SECOND SAFETY ISSUE IS THE TRANSMISSION "LURCH" MY CAR HAS. I TRIED TO HAVE IT CORRECTED BY TOYOTA, BUT THEY REFUSED, SAYING THAT IT WOULD BE TOO COSTLY FOR TOYOTA TO FIX THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. WENT TO MEDIATION WHO AGREED WITH TOYOTA. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 50 MPH, THE DRIVER STATED THAT SHE SWITCHED LANES AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK AND ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE MADE A U-TURN ON ITS OWN AND THE DRIVER CRASHED INTO 2 GUARD RAILS. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE DRIVER WAS ALSO INJURED AND TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.

SECOND TIME IN THE 8 YEARS THAT WE HAVE OWNED OUR 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY THE CHROME PLATING ON THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES ARE STARTING TO PEEL AGAIN CREATING A HAND CUTTING HAZARD. FIRST TIME THEY WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. I TALKED TO A SERVICE REP AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND HE SAID HE HAS SEEN MANY DO THIS. MY WIFE AND NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CUT BECAUSE OF THIS MANUFACTURER DEFECT. TOYOTA REFUSES TO CORRECT PROBLEM AND I REFUSE TO PAY MONEY TO PAY FOR OTHER DEFECTIVE PARTS ONLY TO DO THE SAME THING IN THE FUTURE. *TR

TODAY, I WAS EXITING A PARKING GARAGE. AFTER THE ARM WENT UP, I MOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE AND MOVED IT TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, GENTLY, REALIZING THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE AND OTHER CARS IN THE SAME EXIT AREA. THE CAR "PEELED OUT" LEAVING RUBBER MARKS ACCELERATING AT A HIGH SPEED EVEN THOUGH I HAD TAKEN MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. I HIT THE BRAKES HARD AND THE CAR SKIDDED TO A STOP ABOUT THREE CAR LENGTHS FROM THE GARAGE EXIT AT WHICH PLACE THERE IS A LARGE TRAFFIC AND PEDESTRIAN CIRCLE BEFORE YOU ENTER THE STREET AGAIN. THERE WAS A POLICEMAN AT THE EXIT WHO JUMPED OUT OF THE WAY WHEN HE SAW MY CAR ACCELERATE. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED THE CAR OFF. THE POLICEMAN CAME TO THE CAR TO SEE IF I WAS OKAY. I WAS SHAKEN BUT NOT INJURED. THE POLICEMAN ASKED PERMISSION TO ENTER MY CAR. I EXITED AND HE TURNED ON THE IGNITION AND PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, MOVED FORWARD, AND THEN IN REVERSE AND MOVED BACKWARD. IT SEEMED TO BE OKAY. AS THE CAR EXITED THE GARAGE WHEN THE ACCELERATION HAPPENED, THE CAR SIDESWIPED ONE OF THE YELLOW 4 FOOT POLES CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE REAR RIGHT DOOR AND BACK FENDER PANEL. FORTUNATELY NO PERSON OR CAR WAS HIT. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR AND THEY ARE KEEPING IT OVERNIGHT TO CHECK IT OUT. *TR