2002 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH MY 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY WITH THE ABS SYSTEM. THE ABS SYSTEM ENGAGES MUCH TOO EASILY. THIS SYSTEM ENGAGES ON SAND, LEAVE OR ANY LOOSE SURFACE. AND WHEN IT ENGAGES MY CAR ESSENTIALLY HAS NO BRAKES. RECENTLY I WAS ON A WET SLUSHY ROAD APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION AND UPON APPLYING BRAKES THE ABS ENGAGED. THE SYSTEM SHUTTERED AT A VERY HIGH FREQUENCY AND HAD NO BRAKING FUNCTION. I HAD TO TURN THE CAR INTO THE SNOW BANK IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE BEFORE CROSSING THE LINE OF TRAFFIC AT THE INTERSECTION. I DID INFORM THE DEALER OF WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE A WEIRD WAY THAT AN ABS SHOULD OPERATE, BUT THEY MEALY INSTRUCTED THAT IT IS WAS OPERATING AS DESIGN. I AM ONLY RECENTLY BECOMING AWARE THAT THIS IS A FAULTY DESIGN, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE RECOGNITION THAT PRIUS AND LEXUS HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THIS IS THE WAY ABS OPERATES AND WAS MY ARGUMENT WHY I DON'T THINK THE ABS IS A GOOD IDEA. BUT NOW I KNOW IT A POOR DESIGN. *TR

I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT FOR THE SALVATION ARMY IN SAN RAFAEL, CA AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK MY 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY IN A PARKING SLOT. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD WITH THE ENGINE REVVING AT HIGH SPEED RIGHT AFTER I APPLIED THE BRAKES. MY CAR PLOWED INTO A TOYOTA TRUCK AND PUSHED IT THROUGH THE PARKING LOT FOR TWO ROWS BEFORE MY CAR CAME TO A STOP. A WITNESS STATED THAT SHE HEARD THE MOTOR REVVING AND THE BRAKES SQUEALING AT THE SAME TIME MY CAR WAS PUSHING THE TRUCK ACROSS THE LOT. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY AND WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS. *TW

VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN, APPLIED BRAKES AND WOULDN'T STOP. HIT VEHICLE IN FRONT OF CAMRY, AND THAT VEHICLE HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF IT. NO AIRBAGS WENT OFF. *TW

I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW TOYOTA CAMRY IN 2002. AFTER 8 MONTHS (SEPT 04, 2002), WHEN I WAS TRYING TO STOP THE CAR AT A RED LIGHT I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR. I WAS ABOUT 20 YARD BEHIND A CAR WHICH CAME TO A STOP AT THE RED LIGHT. WHEN I TRIED TO STOP THE CAR, THE CAR CONTINUE MOVING AND LOST CONTROL; I IMMEDIATELY I MOVED MY CAR TO THE LEFT LANE AND TRIED TO HIT THE BRAKE AGAIN AND AGAIN AND WHEN FINALLY I MANAGED TO STOP THE CAR IT WAS EXACTLY PARALLEL TO THE CAR WHICH WAS AHEAD OF ME. I NEARLY ESCAPED THE ACCIDENT. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO BURNARDI TOYOTA (DEALER) AT FRAMINGHAM , MA AND THEY WERE NOT LISTENING TO ME. THEN, I ALSO FACED SIMILAR PROBLEM WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON ROUTE 9. ON BOTH CASES THE GROUND WAS WET (DUE TO LITTLE RAIN) AND ON BOTH SITUATIONS, I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A BREAK DEFECT. I REPORTED AGAIN (2ND TIME) TO THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM I AM SCARED DRIVING THIS CAR AND I ALSO TOLD THEM THAT IT MAY BE ONE IN A MILLION WITH THE DEFECT BUT THEY WERE ARROGANT AND TOLD ME THAT THE CAR HAS NO PROBLEM. WITH MY REQUEST THEY GAVE ME 1-800 NUMBER TO THE TOYOTA COMPANY TO CALL IF I HAVE CONCERNS. I CALLED THE TOYOTA COMPANY AND TALKED TO A REPRESENTATIVE. THEY TOLD ME THERE ARE NO SIMILAR INCIDENTS REPORTED ON THEIR MODEL. THEN,ASKED THEM TO RECORD MY DISCUSSION WITH THEM. THEY TOLD ME ANY CONVERSATION IS RECORDED. SINCE, I DO NOT WANT ANY OTHER PERSON DRIVING THE SAME CAR MODEL TO BE HURT AND I THINK IT WAS TO NHSTA (?) THAT I REPORT (EMAIL) MY COMPLAINTS. SINCE TOYOTA COMPANY OR DEALER DID NOT RESPOND TO MY COMPLAINTS AND I WAS AFRAID FOR THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND MY FAMILY, IN JUNE OF 2004 I WENT TO THE DEALER AND ASKED THEM TO EXCHANGE THE CAR AND THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATED PRICE OF $12000 FOR THE CAMRY (ALMOST 50% OF THE ORIGINAL PRICE I PAID) AND I PAID THE DIFFERENCE FOR A TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHEN I GET RID OFF THE CAR THE BOOK VALUE WAS ABOUT $16,000-17,000. MAY BE TOYOTA SHOULD COMPENSATE MY LOSS. *CN

MY TOYOTA SOLARA, CRASHED AND DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. AAA INSURANCE PAID,BUT I DIDN'T AGREE TO SETTLEMENT BECAUSE I THINK THE CAUSE WAS FAILURE OF ACCELERATOR, AS BRAKING DID NOT STOP THE CAR -- GAS PEDAL DID NOT RELEASE. CAR REAR ENDED CAR AHEAD WHICH STOPPED AS ANOTHER CAR STOPPED SHORT AHEAD OF HIM. I HAD TIME TO STOP BUT WAS UNABLE TO. I REPORTED THIS TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR

I DRIVE A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY XLE 4 CYLINDER CAR. EVER SINCE WE BOUGHT IT, IT HAD PROBLEMS BRAKING WHEN OVER AN IRREGULAR SURFACE LIKE POTHOLES, MANHOLES ETC. RECENT REPORTS ON TOYOTA PRIUS BRAKING ISSUES SOUNDS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT I EXPERIENCE ON MY CAR. I READ ON BLOGS ONLINE THAT OTHER 2002 CAMRY XLE OWNERS REPORTED THE SAME. I THOUGHT THIS WAS PRETTY NORMAL AT FIRST, BUT NOT ANYMORE. THE CAR JERKS FOR COUPLE OF SECONDS WHEN I TRY TO BRAKE OVER IRREGULAR SURFACES, THE ABS KICKS IN AND YOU LOSE CONTROL FOR COUPLE OF SECONDS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER WITH SERIOUSNESS. I THINK THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TR

MY 2002 CAMRY, PURCHASED NEW, DID NOT STOP WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES WHILE RIDING OVER ROAD BUMPS AND ENGAGING THE ANTILOCK BRAKES. I HAD A DEALER CHECK FOR PROPER ANTILOCK BRAKE FUNCTION IN 2002 AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. THIS CONDITION IS SIMILAR TO THAT DESCRIBED FOR THE TOYOTA PRIUS. *TR

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM IN MY 2002 CAMRY SINCE PURCHASE, BUT NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO DIAGNOSE IT. UPON SUDDEN BRAKING ON HILLS, UNEVEN GROUND AND OTHER CONDITIONS, OCCASIONALLY, THE BRAKES ARE JERKY LIKE THEY ARE NOT CATCHING AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO STOP. IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM AT THE SHOP AND SO NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT IT. THERE IS NO PARTICULAR DATE (SINCE 2002) ALTHOUGH I AM PUTTING IN A DATE SO I CAN GET THROUGH THE FORM. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH INTO A PARKING LOT IN REVERSE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE IN A COMPLETE CIRCLE, ACROSS TWO PARKING LOTS AND CRASHED INTO A BOULDER BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP OR CONTROL THE VEHICLE WHEN IT ACCELERATED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AT THE SCENE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE UNDER 116,000.

I KEPT HEARING RUSHING WATER COMING FROM SOMEWHERE BUT NOTHING SEEMS TO BE WRONG. SO AT THE END OF NOVEMBER MY CAR RAN HOT I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THE THERMOSTAT MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. I REPLACED IT'.IT RAN HOT AGAIN THE NEXT DAY. WAS TOLD I HAD A COOLANT LEAK. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT' I NEED AN ENGINE! STRIPPED HEAD BOLTS IN THE BLOCK, NO NOT JUST A HEAD GASKET PROBLEM I WAS TOLD THE HEAD BOLTS HAVE LET GO FROM THE BLOCK. I ASKED THE MECHANIC FOR A WRITE UP OF HIS FINDINGS: (PARAPHRASED) 'THE ONLY OPTION LEFT IS TO REMOVE THE HEAD, WHICH REQUIRES AN EXTENSIVE DISASSEMBLY (R AND R CYLINDER HEAD). AFTER LOOSENING THE BOLTS IN SEQUENCE, I NOTICE THE HEAD BOLTS IN THE BACK OF THE ENGINE ARE LOOSE. FROM MY EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD, I CAN CONFIDENTLY CONCLUDE THAT THIS ONLY MEANS ONE OF TWO THINGS: THE BOLTS WERE LEFT LOOSE AT THE FACTORY, OR THE BOLTS ARE STRIPPED. ( I COMMONLY HAVE SEEN STRIPPED BOLTS IN THE ALUMINUM CADILLAC NORTH STAR BLOCK DISCOVERED THROUGH LEAKING COOLANT.) NEXT, I REMOVED THE HEAD AND SURE ENOUGH, ONE BOLT CAME OUT WITH ALUMINUM IN THE THREAD...THUS INDICATING A STRIPPED BOLT. MY THEORY: THE PLACEMENT OF THE (INSULATION) FOAM RUBBER PIECE BETWEEN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE ENGINE BLOCK CREATED AN UNEVEN DISPERSION OF HEAT, CREATING "METAL FATIGUE" IN THE ALUMINUM BLOCK ALLOWING THE HEAD BOLT TO STRIP.' I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. TOYOTA IS RESPONSIBLE, THERE'S NO PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE FOR THIS AND MY PROBLEM IS NOT ISOLATED... LOOK IT UP! *TR