2002 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY - EVERY YEAR I REPLACE THE ROTORS AND BREAK PADS. NOW I HAVE A BIGGER PROBLEM, MY CALIBERS FROZE, CAUSING THE(FRONT) BREAKS TO LOCK, AND NOW MY MASTER CYLINDER IS GONE - WE ARE TALKING A $700.00 REPAIR JOB, ON A CAR THAT IS 4 YEARS OLD, WITH LESS THAN 60K MILES. WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS I JUST READ, HOW COME TOYOTA HASN'T DONE A RECALL?????????????????? WHY DO "WE" NEED TO REPLACE THE ROTORS, AND PADS EVERY YEAR? *NM

MY CAR'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND MY SON WOULD CHECK THE CODE (PO420) THEN SEND ME TO THE DEALER. I TOOK THIS CAR TO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS DURING THIS TIME. THE FIRST TIME THE LIGHT CAME ON I WAS OUT OF TOWN AND TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL DEALER WHO CHANGED A SENSOR CONNECTED TO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE NEXT TIME TO LIGHT CAME ON I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALER IN MY AREA AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A BAD SENSOR (SAME ONE THAT HAD JUST BEEN CHANGED) AFTER I TOLD THEM THAT SENSOR HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED THEY CAME BACK AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A DIFFERENT SENSOR. I LEFT THIS DEALER AND SHORTLY AFTER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AGAIN AND I WENT BACK TO THE SECOND DEALER WHO SAID THAT THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ON GOING FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS, DURING WHICH TIME MY CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND THE FIRST SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM WAS ISSUED ON MAY 24, 2004 AND THE SECOND ON JULY 27, 2004. NOW THAT THE CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY I HAVE FOUND OUT ABOUT THESE SERVICE BULLETINS. I INTEND TO TAKE THIS ISSUE UP WITH TOYOTA AS THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED BACK IN 2004. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HEATER AND AIR CONDITIONER CONTROL PANEL ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM HOWEVER, DETERMINED THE PANEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WITHIN TWO DAYS, THE SAME PROBLEM AROSE WITH THE NEW PANEL. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE THIRD CONTROL PANEL. ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN NO PROBLEMS WITH THE THIRD CONTROL PANEL, THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED THE SAME PROBLEMS WILL REOCCUR WITH THE NEW PANEL.*AK

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. IN JUNE OF 2004, THE INSIDE DRIVER'S DOOR HANDLE CRACKED WHEN I TRIED TO EXIT THE CAR. THE HANDLE IS MADE OF PLASTIC. TOYOTA REPLACED THE HANDLE BECAUSE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. ON MAY 5, 2006, THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE PASSENGER INSIDE, PLASTIC DOOR HANDLE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO EXIT THE CAR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE DOOR WON'T OPEN AND YOU HAVE TO CLIMB OVER THE CONSOLE TO EXIT OR HAVE SOMEONE OPEN THE DOOR FOR YOU. I'M GRATEFUL I WASN'T EXITING FOR AN EMERGENCY. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA. THE FIRST TIME YOU THINK IT IS A FLUKE BUT THE SECOND TIME MAKES YOU REALIZE THAT THEY HAVE A DEFECTIVE PART WHICH CREATES A SAFETY ISSUE. I DON'T WANT MY DOOR HANDLE BREAKING WHEN TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. I HAVE OWNED MANY CARS IN MY LIFE TIME AND HAVE NEVER BROKEN A DOOR HANDLE. TOYOTA HAS REFUSED TO FIX IT CLAIMING THAT IT IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THEY ASKED ME SUCH QUESTIONS AS WHETHER I HAD MY CAR SERVICED AT THE DEALER AND IF I EVER OWNED ANY OTHER TOYOTAS. THESE QUESTIONS ARE NOT RELEVANT TO THE PROBLEM. *NM

RESPONSE TO LETTER RECEIVED FROM CLAIMS ADMINISTRATOR, FOR TOYOTA, ALLEGING THAT ALL SYSTEMS WERE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY FOR 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. *TS THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMED THAT ALL SYSTEMS WERE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY WHEN THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND ENDED UP INSIDE A TRAVEL AGENCY. *NM SEVERAL MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THE BATTERY WENT COMPLETELY DEAD. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE BATTERY WOULD NOT HOLD A CHARGE AND A NEW BATTERY WAS NEEDED. UPDATED 02/23/10

I OWN A 2002 CAMRY, THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM THE DEALER. IN JULY 2005, THE INSIDE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE AT THE POINT OF CONNECTION TO THE DOOR. I HAD HANDLE REPLACED BY THE DEALER. NOVEMBER 24, 2004, WE WERE DRIVING CAMRY, AND REAR DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HANDLE BROKE IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE PREVIOUS FRONT DOOR HANDLE. I QUESTIONED THE DEALER'S SERVICE COORDINATOR AS WHY, ANSWER "THEY GOT A BAD BATCH OF HANDLES, THEY ARE MADE IN USA AND THE JUST FALL OFF" TOYOTA HAS NOT RECALLED NOR CAN I FIND ANY INFORMATION ON FAILED HANDLES, BUT SEVERAL CUSTOMERS OF SAME DEALER AND CAR HAVE TOLD ME THEY ALSO HAVE HAD TO REPLACE FAULTY DOOR HANDLES, EACH HANDLE COSTS ABOUT $85 TO REPLACE. *NM

ATTEMPTED TO REPLACE LEFT FRONT PARKING LIGHT BULB. SOCKET WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO REMOVE AND NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO INSTALL. LOCATION ADJACENT TO VERY SHARP SHEET METAL CAUSED SEVERAL CUTS. MY WIFE'S HANDS ARE SMALLER, SO SHE WAS ABLE TO REINSTALL THE SOCKET, BUT NOT WITHOUT ALSO BEING CUT. *NM

3 INCIDENTS OF SUDDEN ACCELERATIONS, THE LAST ONE CAUSING PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE DEALER SAID NOTHING WRONG WITH CAR. I FOUND MANY OTHER PEOPLE ON-LINE THAT HAD SAME PROBLEM. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED IN A CROSSWALK OR PARKING LOT. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE IT OR SELL IT TO ANOTHER WITH THIS PROBLEM. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAS LURCHED FORWARD SIX TIMES SINCE PURCHASE. THIS HAPPENS WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED AND WITH THE VEHICLE AT A STOP OR WHILE TRAVELING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.

ON 12/31/05, DURING A RAINSTORM, THE HAZARD LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE STARTED FLASHING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT OUR HOME AND NOT RUNNING. THE ONLY WAY TO TURN OFF THE HAZARD LIGHTS WAS BY REMOVING THE FUSE. THE NEXT DAY, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, WE FOUND THAT WE HAD NO TURN SIGNALS AS THE FUSE REMOVED ALSO CONTROLLED THEM, AND WE DISCOVERED THERE WAS ABOUT AN INCH OF WATER ON THE FLOOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. WE REPLACED THE FUSE, AND ALTHOUGH THE HAZARD LIGHTS WERE NO LONGER CONSTANTLY FLASHING, WHEN A TURN SIGNAL IS ACTIVATED BOTH LIGHTS GO ON CAUSING A DRIVING HAZARD. AT OUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE (ON 1/17/06), I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE CLOSEST TOYOTA SERVICE AND DEALER (MODESTO TOYOTA, AND HOUR AND A HALF DRIVE FROM OUR HOME). AFTER CHECKING THE VEHICLE I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE FIREWALL NEAR THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND THAT WATER DAMAGE HAD CAUSED THE ELECTRICAL DAMAGE. FURTHERMORE, THEY (MODESTO TOYOTA) COULD NOT REPAIR THE DAMAGE; WE WOULD NEED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP. WE NEXT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED, MERCED TOYOTA, ON 1/25/06. THE RESULTS WERE THE SAME, AND WE WERE ALSO INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING THIS PROBLEM (ALTHOUGH NO ONE EVER OFFERED TO GIVE US A COPY, OR EVEN ALLOW US TO READ IT). WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH THEY KNOW ABOUT IT, BECAUSE WE WERE PAST THE 3 YEAR/36,000 MILE WARRANTY. THE POSSIBILITY OF A WATER LEAK THAT CAN CAUSE MAJOR ELECTRICAL DAMAGE IS A HAZARD. BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, WE HAVE BEEN DRIVING OUR CAR, WITH OUR 5 YEAR OLD AND 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTERS IN THE BACK, WITH NO WORKING TURN SIGNALS FOR ALMOST TWO MONTHS. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AS EVIDENCED BY THE TSB (I BELIEVE IT IS #B001503, NHTSA# 1000348), YET THEY HAVE NOT MADE CONSUMERS AWARE OF THIS POTENTIAL HAZARD AND THE NEED TO HAVE THIS SEAM REPAIRED BEFORE IT LEAKS. *JB