2005 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

MY 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY HAS HAD NO PROBLEMS AND HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AS RECOMMENDED FOR 5 YEARS UP TO THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED ON JANUARY 17, 2010. I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT AT APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE PER HOUR, LIGHTLY TOUCHED THE BRAKE AND INSTEAD OF STOPPING THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD (SELF-ACCELERATED) UP OVER A CONCRETE BLOCK ONTO A SIDEWALK AND CAME TO A STOP WHEN IT HIT A HEAVY METAL RAILING. AN 8' SECTION OF THE RAIL WAS BROKEN OFF AND FELL 4' AWAY FROM THE CAR. I REPORTED THE ACCIDENT TO THE POLICE AND TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY. A TOW TRUCK DRIVER GOT THE CAR MOVED, CHECKED THE BRAKES - WHICH HE SAID WERE WORKING PROPERLY - AND SUGGESTED THAT THE ACCIDENT MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A STUCK THROTTLE. NEITHER THE FLOOR MATS OR THE GAS PEDAL CAUSED THE PROBLEM. THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR CAME TO $2200.00 BUT NOTHING WAS DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE TOYOTA HAS NOT RECALLED THIS YEAR VEHICLE AND THE FORENSIC MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED IT FELT THAT IT WAS A COMPUTER PROBLEM AND THE SOLUTIONS OFFERED BY TOYOTA WOULD NOT ADDRESS THE RANDOM ACCELERATION PROBLEM. *TR

ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO, I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION IN MY 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY V6. IT WAS AN UNUSUALLY RAINY DAY IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA. AS I EXITED A FREEWAY OFF-RAMP TO COME TO A STOP, IT FELT LIKE THE ABS SYSTEM TOOK OVER THE BRAKING. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE CAR BRAKED, THEN ACCELERATED RAPIDLY, FISHTAILING A BIT ON THE WET PAVEMENT. I PUMPED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND WAS ABLE TO STOP A FEW FEET PAST THE STOP SIGN. LUCKILY, THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS ON THE RURAL ROAD WHERE I EXITED--THE FRONT PART OF MY CAR WAS PAST THE STOP SIGN AND OUT IN THE ROAD FOR PERPENDICULAR TRAFFIC. I WAS PERPLEXED BY THE SHORT BURST OF ACCELERATION, BUT ATTRIBUTED IT TO THE ADVANCED BRAKING SYSTEM. I HAD NEVER HAD THAT TAKE CONTROL BEFORE. MAYBE THIS INFO CAN HELP IN YOUR CURRENT INVESTIGATION OF THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION IN TOYOTA CAMRYS. THIS WAS THE ONLY TIME I EXPERIENCED THE ACCELERATION. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. I ASKED MY MECHANIC TO CHECK THE BRAKES SINCE THE PEDAL SEEMS TO BE "SOFT"--IT GOES DOWN A BIT BEFORE ENGAGING THE BRAKES. MECHANIC FINDS NO PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) DURING THE YEARS 2006-2007-2008 I LEASED AND DROVE A 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY LE. SHORTLY AFTER I GOT THE CAR I NOTICED THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT AND I FELT AS THOUGH I HAD NO CONTROL DURING SPEEDS OF 50 MPH OR OVER. WHEN I REPORTED THIS TO THE SERVICE DEPT OF MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER DURING VISITS FOR OIL CHANGES, THEY TOOK THE CAR OUT, TEST DROVE IT AND TOLD ME THEY SAW NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I WAS CONVINCED THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS VEHICLE, BUT NO ONE BELIEVED ME. I HAVE SINCE TURNED IN THE CAMRY AT THE END OF THE LEASE DATE AND WAS VERY HAPPY TO DO SO. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH TOYOTA AND RELAYED THE ABOVE INFO RECENTLY. MY CONCERN IS THAT SOMETHING COULD BE WRONG WITH THE CAMRY AND THAT SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT BE DRIVING IT. I ASKED TOYOTA IF THEY COULD FIND OUT WHO OWNS THIS VEHICLE AND THEY SHOULD BE ALERTED. I NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT; I ONLY ALWAYS FELT SCARED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE ON ANY MAJOR HIGHWAY THAT WOULD REQUIRE ME TO TRAVEL AT SPEEDS HIGHER THAN 50 MPH. HOPEFULLY SOMEONE COULD FIND OUT WHERE THIS CAR IS NOW. VIN# [XXX] . *TR

ON 2/20/2010, I DROVE MY 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY (LE) AT 70 MPH ALONG WEST-BOND I-630 OF LITTLE ROCK, SUDDENLY, THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ON AND THE ENGINE WAS CUT OFF AND ALL WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON. THE CAR HAD NO POWER FOR STIRRING AND BRAKING. FORTUNATELY, IT WAS IN THE MORNING OF SATURDAY WITH LITTLE TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY. I MANAGED TO SHIFT FROM THE VERY LEFT LANE TO CROSS TWO MORE LANES TO PULL OFF ABOUT A HALF MILE OF DISTANCE. THE CAR WAS IN LANDER'S TOYOTA SHOP FOR 3 DAYS. I WAS TOLD THE THROTTLE IS MALFUNCTION AND UNABLE TO PROVIDE CORRECT AIR/GAS TO THE ENGINE. IT ENDED UP WITH I PAID ~$1100 ON PARTS AND LABS TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE CASES OF THE THROTTLE PROBLEMS AMOUNT 1996 CAMRIES. ARE THE THROTTLES THE SAME? *TR

THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS ARE EXTRACTED FROM A COMPLAINT FILED WITH TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER IN CALIFORNIA. THE FULL TEXT IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST: "THIS PARTICULAR CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH 'DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SEAT-MOUNTED SIDE AIRBAGS AND FRONT AND REAR SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS'. I HAD SPECIFICALLY LOOKED FOR A CAMRY HAVING THIS ENHANCED SAFETY OPTION, IT ALSO CAME WITH A HIGHER PRICE THAN A REGULAR CAMRY LE. I WAS WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE ON THE BASIS THAT I WOULD MAKE A WISE INVESTMENT IN MY OWN SAFETY. THINGS TURNED OUT CONTRARY TO MY EXPECTATIONS, AS I WILL EXPLAIN IN THE FOLLOWING. NOT LONG AFTER MY PURCHASING THE VEHICLE I NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT IS UTTERLY UNCOMFORTABLE, SOMEHOW UNEVEN WITH THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SEAT (THE SIDE NEXT TO THE DOOR) BEING STIFFER AND SOMEHOW PUSHING FORWARD WHILE THE RIGHT SIDE IS LEANING BACK AND MUCH SOFTER. AS A RESULT THE DRIVER'S UPPER BODY WILL BE TWISTED, THE LEFT SIDE FORWARD WHILE THE RIGHT SIDE LEANING BACKWARDS. I FIRST ASSUMED THIS IS A TEMPORARY CONDITION. LIKE WITH EVERYTHING NEW IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME UNTIL THINGS GET ADJUSTED AND AFTER SOME USE I FIGURED, THE SEAT MAY SOMEHOW LOOSEN UP A LITTLE. I CONTINUOUSLY KEPT ON TRYING TO ARRIVE AT A COMFORTABLE POSITION BY ADJUSTING MY POSITION IN THE SEAT BUT MY EFFORTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL." "AT THIS POINT I AM INCREASINGLY FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE MY CAR ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE OF MY BEING UNABLE TO FIND ANY COMFORTABLE POSITION IN MY SEAT. I KEEP ON TWISTING AND TURNING, CONTINUOUSLY READJUSTING MY SEATING POSITION. I COULD NOT STAY MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES IN THE SAME POSITION IN THIS SEAT. AND DURING THOSE RARE FIVE MINUTE PERIODS MY BACK IS NOT FULLY LEANING AGAINST THE BACKREST, HALF OF MY BACK DOES NOT LEAN ON ANYTHING UNLESS I ACCEPT A PAINFUL POSITION WHERE MY UPPER BODY IS ROTATED DIAGONALLY AND IS FACING RIGHT RELATIVE TO THE NORMAL (STRAIGHT AHEAD) SEATING POSITION. MY DRIVING IS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPAIRED BECAUSE OF THIS..." *TR

VEHICLE WILL EXCEL AFTER LIGHTLY TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL FROM STOPPED POSITION. *TR

2005 TOYOTA CAMRY WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION ISSUE. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED AT THE EXIT OF A CAR WASH, HE PUT THE VEHICLE IN GEAR AND IT SHOT OUT OF THE BUILDING. THE ACCELERATOR WAS NOT APPLIED AND IT WAS NOT TRAPPED UNDER THE MAT. THE CONSUMER STATED IT ONLY HAPPENED ONCE. *JB

LTR FM (MD) RE HIS MOTHER'S CONCERN W/HER 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY, SHE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING, REPLY TO ROCKVILLE, MD OFC. *KB THE CONSUMER WROTE IN ON BEHALF OF HIS MOTHER. HIS MOTHER PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY, BUT TRADED IT IN FOR A NEW CAMRY. THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE PERSON WHO MAY OWN THE VEHICLE THAT SHE HAD. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY PURCHASED NEW. THE DRIVER ENTERED THE VEHICLE, TURNED ON THE IGNITION AND PROCEEDED TO PLACE THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE TO LEAVE A PARKING SPACE. THE VEHICLE THEN BEGAN TO SPIN AROUND REPEATEDLY AS IT ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED AND SHE ATTEMPTED TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE BRAKES WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE DRIVER NOTICED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STUCK DOWN INTO THE FLOORBOARD. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO SEVERAL OTHER PARKED VEHICLES AND BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN AFTER EACH CRASH. EVENTUALLY, THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP ON ITS OWN. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR BRUISING AND SEAT-BELT BURNS. A WITNESS CALLED THE POLICE TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND BECAUSE THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE SUFFERED SEVER BODY DAMAGE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNDER 65,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH INTO A PARKING SPACE ALMOST COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED OVER THE FENCE, HIT SOME BOULDERS AND THEN CRASHED INTO A TREE. THERE WAS FRONT END DAMAGE TO THE FRONT BUMPER AND UNDER CARRIAGE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE POLICE WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER WHERE SHE WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CALLED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. UPDATED 04/16/10. *LJ UPDATED 07/07/10.*JB