2002 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

THE 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY, PURCHASED USED FROM RAY BRANDT TOYOTA IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR, COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WHILE MY MOTHER WAS DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THIS PAST MONDAY. SHE BARELY MISSED A HEAD-ON COLLISION, BECAUSE SHE WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR WITHOUT POWER STEERING. I ADVISED HER TO BRING THE CAMRY IMMEDIATELY TO RAY BRANDT TOYOTA?? S SERVICE DEPARTMENT. SHE TURNED IT OVER TO THEM THAT SAME AFTERNOON. THE NEXT DAY A SERVICE TECHNICIAN WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM IN THE SHOP. EVEN WITH THE PROBLEM OCCURRING AT THE SHOP, THE TECHNICIANS WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE CAUSE THAT DAY. YESTERDAY, SHEILA, A RAY BRANDT TOYOTA SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, ASSURED ME THAT THEY HAD SOLVED THIS TYPE OF INTERMITTENT PROBLEM BEFORE. I ASKED IF THE DIAGNOSTIC COST WOULD RUN INTO THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. SHE SAID $300 WOULD MOST LIKELY BE ENOUGH TO PAY FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC TIME TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. SHE ADDED THAT SHE WOULD BE CALLING ME WITH THE RESOLUTION TODAY. TODAY, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:45 PM I WENT IN PERSON TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. I SPOKE TO ANOTHER RAY BRANDT TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE NAMED MIKE. I ASKED HIM HAD RAY BRANDT TOYOTA SOLVED THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM BEFORE. MIKE STATED THAT YES THEY HAD ALTHOUGH IT TOOK 2 WEEKS AND COST $850. MIKE TOLD ME TO BE PATIENT; GIVE RAY BRANDT TOYOTA TIME TO FIX IT. LATER THIS AFTERNOON SHEILA TOLD MY MOTHER THAT THERE WAS NOTHING RAY BRANDT TOYOTA??S SERVICE COULD DO TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THIS WAS, OF COURSE A DIRECT CONTRADICTION TO WHAT SHE STATED TO ME YESTERDAY. MY MOTHER THEN AGAIN EXPRESSED HER CONCERN THAT THE CAR WAS A DEATH TRAP. SHEILA AGREED THAT THE CAR WAS, IN FACT, NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. SHE NEVERTHELESS TOLD MY MOTHER TO COME PICK THE CAR UP. DOING THAT TO MY MOTHER WAS DESPICABLE. *NM

CAR ACCELERATED WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS . THE LAST EVENT RESULTED IN SMASHING THROUGH A PLATE GLASS WINDOW OF A TRAVEL AGENCY, INJURING ONE EMPLOYEE. THE CAR ENDED UP TOTALLY IN THE AGENCY, HALTED BY AN INTERIOR WALL. THE POLICE REPORTED SKID MARKS ON THE SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF THE AGENCY, AS WELL AS WITHIN THE AGENCY AS I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE THE CAR. THERE IS ALSO EVIDENCE THAT THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS ROTATING VERY RAPIDLY, SO MUCH SO THAT WHEN THE CAR STOPPED THE TIRE BURNED A HOLE IN THE CARPET. CARPET THREADS ARE EMBEDDED IN THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL TIRE. ON THE ONE HAND, THE MARKS ON THE CARPET AND SIDEWALK INDICATE THAT SKID MARKS WERE MADE BY ALL THREE WHEELS, WHILE THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL OBVIOUSLY WAS BURNING RUBBER. *JB UPDATED 03/01/06

WITH NO WARNING OR PREVIOUS PROBLEMS, WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE 4 CYLINDER ENGINE IN MY 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. I AM A 78 YEAR OLD WOMAN AND I WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR WITH NO POWER. I JUST BARELY AVOIDED A HEAD-ON COLLISION. THIS HAPPENED 5 MORE TIMES IN QUICK SUCCESSION BEFORE I COULD DRIVE IMMEDIATELY BACK TO MY HOME. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO RAY BRANDT TOYOTA OF METAIRIE 504-464-4500. TOLD THEM OF THE PROBLEM AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, DUE TO THE CAR SHUTTING DOWN WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALERS SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS HAD THE CAR FOR A DAY, DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM, BUT CLAIM THEY CAN FIND NO REASON FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. I DO NOT WANT TO DIE IN A FATAL ACCIDENT CAUSED BY THE ENGINE SHUTTING DOWN AND IF THEY CANNOT LOCATE THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, I WILL GET RID OF THE CAR AND NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER TOYOTA. PLEASE HELP. *JB

DURING A 60,000 MILE CHECK-UP AT MY SERVICE STATION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT I NEEDED A NEW "FLEX PIPE ASSEMBLY" (MANIFOLD EXHAUST PIPE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER COMBINED). THE MECHANIC SAID THAT HE HAS SEEN THE SAME PROBLEM ON MANY 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY LE'S. THE PART ALONE COST ME $900 AND $100 IN LABOR TO INSTALL. TOYOTA TOLD ME THAT THIS PART IS NOT ON RECALL LIST. I APPROVED THE REPLACEMENT BY MY MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD FILE A COMPLAINT. *NM

I HAD NEW CAR BATTERY INSTALLED BY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP LATE ON 12/2/05. THE CAR SEEMED TO SHIFT AND SOUND MARKEDLY DIFFERENTLY AFTER DRIVING THE CAR OFF THE LOT WITH THE NEW BATTERY. THREE DAYS LATER MY 4 CYLINDER, AUTOMATIC 2002 4D-S TOYOTA CAMRY WAS LEFT IN "D" WITH THE OVERDRIVE BUTTON REMAINED ENGAGED. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I DID NOT DRIFT. I'D BEEN STOPPED FOR A WHILE AT A "T" INTERSECTION FOR A WHILE AND NOT MOVING; NOR WERE ANY OTHER VEHICLES MOVING. THIS PARTICULAR INTERSECTION IS CONTROLLED BY A LONG SIGNAL LIGHT. I WAS AIMED STRAIGHT AHEAD, BUT WAS THE THIRD CAR BACK FROM THE STOP LINE, SIGNALING TO TURN LEFT. ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE AN AIRPLANE ENGINE ROARING, GETTING EVER LOUDER. MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE. THE ENGINE RACED, SURGED ABRUPTLY CAUSED MY CAR TO ACCELERATE FORCEFULLY INTO THE STOPPED CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WAS PUSHED INTO AN SUV IN FRONT OF IT. THE FORCE OF IMPACT CAUSED MY ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN. THE DRIVER IN FRONT OF ME APPEARED TO HAVE A WHIPLASH INJURY. ALL TOLD, THERE WAS ABOUT $1500.00 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND IT WAS ESTIMATED THE SMALLER AND OLDER CAR IN FRONT OF ME SUSTAINED ABOUT $2500.00 WORTH OF DAMAGE. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER INFORMED ME THEY "FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR." THE CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO A SHOP FOR BODY REPAIRS. UPON THE RETURN OF MY CAMRY, IT STILL HAD A BIT OF A VIBRATORY AND AUDITORY DISTORTION THAT WAS ATYPICAL FOR THE 3 PREVIOUS YEARS. I ALSO REALIZED THAT THE BRAKES WERE BARELY WORKING. AT A RETURN VISIT TO THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD MY BRAKES WERE ALMOST "COMPLETELY GONE" AND THAT I NEEDED NEW BRAKES. HOWEVER, I AM CERTAIN THAT THE MARKED AND SUDDEN DECLINE IN MY BRAKE FUNCTION WAS A RESULT OF THE BRAKES ATTEMPTING TO HOLD MY CAR BACK AS THE ENGINE SURGED FORWARD. *JB

THIS CAR IS BARELY 3 YEARS OLD AND HAS ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON IT: BOTH FRONT INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES BROKE WITHIN ONE WEEK OF EACH OTHER. THIS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO EXIT THE FRONT SEAT WITHOUT ROLLING DOWN THE WINDOW TO USE THE EXTERIOR HANDLE TO OPEN THE DOORS. AS THEY ARE POWER WINDOWS, HAD THE POWER BEEN OUT- THE ONLY WAY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE BEEN FROM THE BACK SEAT (WHICH HAD CHILD LOCKS ENGAGED SO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE AT THAT TIME...). *NM

WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN, MY 2002 CAMRY XLE HYDROPLANED ON THE INTERSTATE AND FIRST SMASHED HEAD-FIRST INTO A GUARDRAIL BEFORE BEING JOLTED BACK ON TO THE HIGHWAY WHERE IT WAS THEN HIT BROADSIDE BY AN ONCOMING CAR. SERIOUS DAMAGE WAS DONE TO BOTH THE FRONT END, SIDE AND REAR OF THE VEHICLE (FROM IMPACT). THE CAR IS SUPPOSEDLY EQUIPPED WITH SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS AS WELL AS FRONT AIRBAGS. NONE OF THEM DEPLOYED. THE CAR THAT HIT MY CAR, A 1995 SUBURU, HAD DEPLOYED BOTH OF ITS FRONT SEAT AIR BAGS. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE AND WHY DID IT HAPPEN? *NM

MY 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY IS THE WORST CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVEN IN SNOWY CONDITIONS. IT HAS NO TRACTION, FISHTAILS, CAN BARELY MAKE IT UP HILLS, ETC. A MECHANIC (NOT AT TOYOTA) ALSO POINTED OUT THE TIRES WERE WEARING UNEVENLY AND VERY QUICKLY (I HAVE PUT FEWER THAN 20,000 TOTAL MILES ON THIS CAR). LAST WEEK I WAS COMING AROUND A CORNER IN THE SNOW (AT ABOUT 10 MPH) HIT A SLIPPERY PATCH AND THE CAR SEIZED UP COMPLETELY. I SLID ACROSS THE ROAD AND INTO ANOTHER CAR. NOW LOOKING AT THE NHTSA SITE, I SEE THAT I AM NOT ALONE, AND THAT THE TIRES THAT COME WITH THE CAR FROM THE FACTORY ARE NOT MEANT FOR ALL WEATHER DRIVING. I AM OUTRAGED. LIKE OTHERS I BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE OF ITS REPUTATION AS A "SAFE" FAMILY CAR. I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY DEALER WHO BASICALLY SAID "TOO BAD. TOYOTA IS NOT DOING ANYTHING WITH TIRES AT THIS TIME." HE DID ADMIT, HOWEVER, THAT THE TIRES ON THE CAR ARE CONSIDERED 'HIGH PERFORMANCE' AND ARE NOT MEANT TO BE USED IN THE SNOW. GREAT. I TOO HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TO BUY $500 WORTH OF NEW TIRES TOMORROW. I FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD PAY FOR SOME IF NOT ALL OF THIS. NOT LIKELY. IT IS ALSO NOT LIKELY THAT I WILL EVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA. PEOPLE NEED TO BE INFORMED OF THIS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. IT COULD EASILY BE LIFE-THREATENING.

DT: THE CONTACT STATED DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALTHEY WERE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A CEMENT BIRD BATH. THE POLICE WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THIS INCIDENT. *AK UPDATED 01/05/06. *JB

PROBLEMS WITH 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. AUGUST 2003 - DRIVING ALONG. HUSBAND BEGAN TO STOP SLOWLY TO PULL UP TO A LIGHT AND IT FELT LIKE IT WAS NOT BREAKING BUT CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE SO HUSBAND LET OFF BRAKE AND REAPPLIED THE BRAKE AND IT FINALLY STOPPED THE SURGING. 2. WHILE GETTING GAS WE WERE DRIVING AROUND IT TO FIND AN PUMP, WE WERE PRESSING THE BRAKE AND CAR WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE AGAINST THE BRAKE AS IT WAS APPLIED. LET OFF BRAKE AND REAPPLIED QUICKLY AND CAR STOPPED NORMALLY. JANUARY 2004 HUSBAND BEGAN TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE AND AS HE STARTED TO BRAKE AGAIN THE CAR WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE AND SO HE LET OFF THE BRAKE, REAPPLIED IT (ALL VERY QUICKLY) AND WAS ABLE TO PARK BARELY MISSING HITTING VEHICLE BESIDE HIM. MARCH 27, 2004, WE TOOK OUR VEHICLE ONCE AGAIN TO DEALERSHIP STATING THE VEHICLE WAS SURGING WHILE DRIVING. OCTOBER 2004 ON A TRIP TO GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE- HUSBAND APPLIED THE BRAKES, CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE-REAPPLIED THE BRAKES- SURGING/ACCELERATION STOPPED. OCTOBER 3, 2005 TRIP TO NORTH CAROLINA ON 7 SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE CAR ENGINE STARTED RACING AND THE CAR HAD TO BE PUT IN NEUTRAL AND THE BRAKE HELD TIGHTLY. ON ONE OCCASION AS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP BEHIND A SCHOOL BUS FULL OF CHILDREN, ALMOST HIT THE BUS FROM BEHIND BECAUSE ACCELERATOR WENT TO FULL ACCELERATION AS WE APPLIED THE BRAKES. FORTUNATELY, MY HUSBAND PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND IT WAS REVVING AT FULL THROTTLE. HE HIT ACCELERATOR PEDAL AS WE WAS IN NEUTRAL, AND ACCELERATION WENT BACK TO IDLE SPEED. DECEMBER 5, 2005 WHILE IN WE WERE STOPPED IN A LINE OF TRAFFIC WAITING AT A LIGHT THE ENGINE ONCE AGAIN STARTED RACING HAD TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL, AND AGAIN IT REVVED AT FULL THROTTLE WHILE HOLDING BRAKE PEDAL DOWN TIGHTLY'' OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE REAR ENDED CARS IN FRONT OF US. PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL, RELEASED BRAKE PEDAL AND THEN PRESSED DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR- ENGINE SPEED WENT TO IDLE SPEED. *JB