2004 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

MY WIFE'S 2004 CAMRY HESITATES ON ACCELERATION AT TIMES. THERE IS A BRIEF, FEW-SECOND HESITATION, FOLLOWED BY A SURGE WHERE THE CAR SUDDENLY LURCHES FORWARD. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED FREQUENTLY WHENEVER EITHER OF US DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND EVER SINCE SHE FIRST PURCHASED IT (USED) ABOUT A YEAR AGO. WE THOUGHT IT MAY HAVE BEEN TRANSMISSION-RELATED, BUT TOYOTA HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE A COUPLE TIMES TO NO AVAIL AND HAS DENIED ANY PROBLEM. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW TOYOTA CAMRY IN 2004. ON THE MORNING OF 4/2/2005, I TOOK MY DAUGHTER TO HER ORTHODONTIST APPOINTMENT. ON MY WAY BACK, I FIRST MADE A STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT BEFORE MAKING A LEFT TURN TO GET ON A PARKWAY. I DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. A FEW MINUTES LATER, WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW DOWN IN ANTICIPATION OF THE END OF THE PARKWAY AND THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION, I NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE WAS NOT WORKING. I TRIED SQUEEZING (TO THE FLOOR) AND TAPPING. I HAD NO EFFECT. THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION (KEPT THE SAME SPEED). BY THE TIME I REACHED THE INTERSECTION, THE LIGHT WAS RED AND ALL THREE LANES HAD VEHICLES IN FRONT OF ME. I STEERED MY CAR BETWEEN TWO LANES TO GET THROUGH THE TRAFFIC (WITH ONLY THE MIRRORS SCRAPED OFF). ONCE THE TRAFFIC WAS BEHIND ME, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT TO GRIND AGAINST THE CURB WHICH BROUGHT IT TO A HALT. THE VEHICLE WAS PRONOUNCED TOTAL. THREE OTHER VEHICLES WERE AFFECTED WITH VARYING DEGREES OF DAMAGE (DUE TO DIRECT IMPACT ON THE SIDE OR REACTION TO THE SUDDEN TRAFFIC MOVEMENT). I INFORMED TOYOTA AND REQUESTED THEIR INSPECTION. TOYOTA LATER RESPONDED STATING THAT THEY FOUND NO "DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT". I AM NOT SURE IF THEY TOOK MY REPORT SERIOUSLY. THEY MAY HAVE LOST THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVESTIGATE A POTENTIAL PROBLEM. *TR

MY 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY XLE (6 CYLINDER) HAS A STICKING GAS PEDAL PROBLEM. WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STATIONARY POSITION, THE GAS PEDAL IS DIFFICULT TO DEPRESS FROM THE "UP" POSITION. IT TAKES A FAIR AMOUNT OF PRESSURE WHEN PRESSING DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL TO GET IT TO RELEASE FROM THE STUCK POSITION AND ALLOW THE PEDAL TO FURTHER DEPRESS FOR PROPER ACCELERATION. WHEN THE GAS PEDAL FINALLY DOES RELEASE AFTER APPLYING PRESSURE, THE MOTOR HAS REVVED UP CAUSING THE CAR TO, IN ESSENCE, POP A WHEELIE, SPIN ITS WHEELS, AND ACCELERATES IN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS MANNER. THIS TOYOTA MODEL HAS NOT YET BEEN INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT RECALL, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT IT SHOULD BE RECALLED SINCE IT IS EXHIBITING SIMILAR SYMPTOMS AS THOSE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I AM BECOMING INCREASINGLY CONCERNED THAT THIS CAR POSES A RISK PROFILE AND SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN WITHOUT BEING FIXED. *TR

I JUST READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT THE BRAKING PROBLEM WITH THE NEW TOYOTA PRIUS. IT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON A BUMPY OR UNEVEN SURFACE THE CAR WOULD EXPERIENCE BRAKING PROBLEMS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH MY 2004 TOYOTA SOLARA. I WAS COMING TO A STOP ON A RURAL ROAD THAT WAS VERY BUMPY JUST BEFORE THE STOP SIGN.THE BRAKES RESPONDED LIKE WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE ABS ACTUATING. THE BRAKES SEEMED TO FADE. AFTER THAT INCIDENT MY BRAKES NEVER SEEMED TO BE THE SAME. I HAVE TO BRAKE MUCH SOONER AND WITH MORE FORCE THEN I HAD TO USE PRIOR TO THE ABOVE INCIDENT. HAS THERE BEEN SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE SOLARA? *TR

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES FOR A STOP SIGN ON A SECONDARY ROAD(20-25MPH) THE ENGINE SPEED FAILED TO REDUCE AND THE BRAKES WERE INEFFECTIVE AT STOPPING THE VEHICLE. I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION KEY A THAT POINT AND STOPPED BEFORE THE SIGN. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT RESURFACED SINCE. *TR

SUDDEN ACCELERATION CAUSED CAR LOOSE CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO GUARDRAIL. HAPPENED IN 3 LANE ROAD. CAR IS TOTAL LOSS . TIRE SEEN BLEW OUT THINKING HAPPENED DUE TO THE IMPACT OF THE HIT. *TR

I OWN A 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY. I HAVE HAD TWO ACCIDENTS IN IT. BOTH TIMES THE CAR FAILED TO BRAKE BUT ACCELERATED INSTEAD. NO ONE BELIEVED ME THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDDLE STUCK INSTEAD OF BRAKING. MY INSURANCE PAID FOR REPAIR BOTH TIMES (EXCEPT FOR THE $500 DEDUCTIBLES). HOWEVER, AS A RESULT MY INSURANCE CARRIER OF 15 YEARS DROPPED ME AND I WAS FORCED TO TAKE OUT INSURANCE THAT COST ME MORE THAN THREE TIMES AS MUCH FOR COVERAGE. I BELIEVE THE ACCELERATOR PEDDLE STUCK BUT THE 2004 MODEL IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE CALL BACK. DO I HAVE ANY GROUNDS FOR PURSUING THIS? *TR

IT WAS MARCH 2008 AND I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF A STORE (SPEED WAS NOT A FACTOR AS I WAS IN THE PARKING LOT AND HAD TO STOP BEFORE I PULLED INTO THE SPACE); IT WAS 1:00 IN THE AFTERNOON (BEAUTIFUL, SUNNY DAY); THE CAR TOUCHED THE CURB, MADE A REVVING SOUND, JUMPED THE CURB AND I WAS HITTING THE BRAKE (SAYING "WHY WON'T IT STOP?") BUT IT WENT INTO THE STOREFRONT WINDOW. I WAS 55 AT THE TIME, NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT (CAUSED BY ME), AND A VERY GOOD DRIVING RECORD SINCE 16. IT WAS NOT REPORTED VIA THE POLICE; ONLY THE MALL SECURITY BECAUSE IT WAS A PARKING LOT. MY INSURANCE COVERED IT (CAR & BUILDING). I HAVE THE REPAIR RECORDS BUT NO PARTS. I WAS TOTALLY DISMISSED BY EVERYONE WHEN I SAID THE CAR WOULDN'T STOP, HENCE I DOUBTED MYSELF. MY FRIEND & I BOTH HAD OUR SEAT BELTS ON AND NO ONE WAS INJURED (THANK GOD NO ONE WAS WALKING ON THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THE SPACE). I ASKED THE REPAIR PLACE TO CHECK MY ACCELERATOR & PEDAL BUT SAID THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH INTO A PARKING SPACE. THERE WAS PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, FOLLOWED BY AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE TRAVELED OVER A CURB AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE POLICE WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO COLLISION SHOP. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE COST OF $4,298.43. IN ADDITION, THE BUILDING SUSTAINED MODERATE DAMAGES. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERN OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,921.

MY HUSBAND HAD JUST PULLED HIS 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY INTO A SCHOOL PARKING LOT AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED. HE STOPPED WITH FOOT ON THE BRAKE, AND SHIFTED INTO REVERSE AS HE WAS GOING TO BACK INTO A PARKING SPACE. SUDDENLY, THE ACCELERATOR SURGED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WITHOUT WARNING AND HE HIT THE BACK OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING AT A GREAT RATE OF FORCE. THE ENGINE STOPPED BUT THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE SCHOOL BUILDING ($19,000) AND TO HIS VEHICLE ($9000.) CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO AUTO BODY DEALERSHIP. THIS WAS THE FIRST INCIDENT THAT THE CAR'S ACCELERATOR SURGED. AUTO BODY SHOP REPAIRED THE BODY OF THE CAR, BUT NO REPAIR TO ACCELERATOR AT ALL. WE HAD NO EXPLANATION AS TO WHY THE CAR ACCELERATED AT SUCH A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. NOW THAT WE HAVE BECOME AWARE OF ALL THE OTHER TOYOTAS THAT HAVE HAD ACCELERATION FAILURES, WE ARE NOW FILING THIS COMPLAINT. THIS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SERIOUS, AS CHILDREN WERE COMING IN AND OUT OF THE BUILDING FROM A SPORTS EVENT. THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS HURT. WE BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA NEEDS TO GO BACK MUCH FURTHER ON THEIR RECALLS ON TOYOTA CAMRYS THAN 2007, SINCE CLEARLY TOYOTA CAMRYS HAVE HAD THIS ACCELERATION PROBLEM AT LEAST AS FAR BACK AS 2004, PROBABLY EARLIER.R