2002 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE FUEL FILTER NEEDED TO BE CLEANED AND THE FUEL FILLER CAP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, IT WAS DETERMINED THE FUEL FILTER WAS CORRODED DUE TO OXIDIZATION OF THE FUEL FILTER MATERIAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.

I NOTICED GASOLINE DRIPPING FROM THE REAR OF MY 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY LE AT THE RATE OF ABOUT A DROP PER SECOND WHILE IT WAS PARKED WITH THE ENGINE OFF. THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN RUN FOR A DAY AND A HALF AND HAD ABOUT 3/4 OF A TANK OF GAS IN IT. THE GASOLINE WAS DRIPPING NEAR THE MIDDLE OF THE REAR AXLE, ABOUT 2 INCHES FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. I WAS AFRAID TO START THE CAR AND AFTER CLEARANCE BY THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT, HAD IT TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE TOYOTA DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE VACUUM VALVE ASSEMBLY HAD FAILED AND THAT THE CHARCOAL CANISTER ASSEMBLY WAS FILLED WITH FUEL. THEY REPLACED BOTH THE VACUUM VALVE ASSEMBLY AND THE CHARCOAL CANISTER ASSEMBLY. I DO NOT HAVE THE OLD PARTS. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE FULL COST OF THE REPAIRS AS TOYOTA SAID THAT MY CAR WAS BEYOND THE WARRANTY PERIOD. *NM

I HAVE HAD THE DOOR HANDLES ON BOTH FRONT DOORS OF MY CAMRY BREAK IN THE COURSE OF NORMAL USAGE. THE PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE BROKE IN THE SPRING AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE THIS MONTH. WHILE THE BROKEN DOOR HANDLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS AN INCONVENIENCE (MY WIFE RODE IN THE BACK UNTIL THE HANDLE WAS REPAIRED), THE BROKEN DRIVER SIDE HANDLE WAS A DANGER IN THAT I HAD TO LOWER THE WINDOW AND OPEN THE CAR DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE. WERE I IN AN ACCIDENT THIS EXIT ROUTINE COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. EARLIER THIS YEAR THE DEALER REPLACED THE PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE AT NO CHARGE BUT DISCLAIMED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DRIVER SIDE HANDLE. THE PARTS REPLACED WERE KEPT OR DISPOSED OF BY THE DEALER. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH IN A PARKING LOT AND ATTEMPTING TO MANEUVER INTO A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 30 MPH WITHOUT WARNING CRASHING INTO A POLE AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO A FENCE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AND THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. UPDATED 10/13/06. *JB

THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCK WOULD NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK WITH THE REMOTE OR THE KEY. IT HAD TO BE MANUALLY UNLOCKED FROM THE INSIDE. IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BUT TOYOTA AGREED TO PAY FOR THE PART AND I PAID THE LABOR. NOW THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK HAS FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER, ALTHOUGH I AM ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR WITH THE KEY. AT TIMES THE DOOR WAS UNABLE TO BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE. THE HANDLE WOULD NOT MOVE TO OPEN THE DOOR AND I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE HANDLE WOULD BREAK. IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND TOYOTA WILL NOT REPAIR. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT SINCE SOMEONE COULD GET STUCK IN THEIR CAR IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY AND THAT TOYOTA SHOULD REPAIR THIS DEFECT AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. *JB

THE DOOR LATCH HANDLES (PLASTIC) ON THE INSIDE OF BOTH FRONT DOORS HAVE BROKEN OFF DURING NORMAL USE. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD; IF I'M IN AN ACCIDENT THAT DISABLES THE POWER WINDOWS (BATTERY FAILURE) I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE THE EXTERIOR HANDLES, AS I DO NOW, AND I WILL BE TRAPPED IN THE CAR. BECAUSE THE CAR WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED THE DEALER SAID THE FAILURE IS NOT COVERED AND OFFERED TO REPLACE THEM FOR $33 EACH, PLUS INSTALLATION CHARGES. THE CORPORATE "CUSTOMER SERVICE" 800 NUMBER ALSO DENIED COVERAGE UNDER THE WARRANTY AND OFFERED NO OTHER ASSISTANCE. I SEE NO PURPOSE IN REPLACING THEM WITH DUPLICATES THAT WILL ALSO BREAK. *JB

IN HEAVY HUMID, HARD RAINING WEATHER, THE DEHUMIDIFIER, AIR-CONDITIONING UNIT CEASES TO OPERATE AND A GREEN LIGHT FLASHES. I COMPLETELY FOG UP WHILE DRIVING. *NM

SEAT BELTS CONTINUE TO FAIL ON '02 SOLARA CONVERTIBLE. THE SEAT BELTS FAIL TO RETRACT. HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES WHILE UNDER WARRANTY AND THE SEAT BELTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED. HAPPENED AGAIN WHILE OUT OF WARRANTY AND DEALER WOULD NOT REPLACE. IT IS A CONCERN BECAUSE MY CHILDREN RIDE IN THE BACK SEAT AND WITH A CONVERTIBLE...YOU NEED YOUR SEAT BELTS TO WORK CORRECTLY AT ALL TIMES. *JB

THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE USED TO EXIT THE CAR BROKE OFF,AS I WAS ROUTINELY USING IT. AT FIRST I WAS ANXIOUS AS I THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE TO TRY TO CRAWL OVER THE TRANSMISSION TO GET TO THE PASSENGER SIDE IN ORDER TO GET OUT. I THEN REALIZED I COULD USE THE POWER WINDOWS TO LOWER THE WINDOW , AND REACH WAY AROUND TO OPEN THE DOOR WITH OUTSIDE HANDLE. I THINK THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN AN ACCIDENT OR IF THERE WERE OTHER PROBLEMS THAT NECESSITATED A QUICK EXIT. *NM

EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE WERE NORMAL USE OF CAR DOORS. INSIDE DOOR HANDLES OF FRONT PASSENGER AND BACK PASSENGER DOORS CRACKED AND ONE COMPLETELY FELL OFF. DOOR HANDLES BROKE ON SEPARATE OCCASIONS, BUT WITHIN A 1.5 YEAR TIME SPAN AS PASSENGERS WERE TRYING TO GET OUT OF CAR (CAR WAS UNLOCKED). AS A RESULT RIDERS CANNOT LET THEMSELVES OUT OF THE CAR. ONLY THE DRIVER DOOR IS STILL IN WORKING CONDITION. DRIVER MUST "VALET STYLE" LET PASSENGERS OUT OF THE CAR. INSIDE DOOR HANDLES NEED TO BE REPLACED. *JB