1997 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

I WAS DRIVING MY 97 CAMRY I WENT TO MAKE A TURN AND THE ENTIRE STEER WHEEL SPINNED AROUND LIKE A SPINNING TOP. I HAD NO CONTROL THE CAR RAN UP ON THE CURVE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE DID QUALIFY UNDER THIS RECALL BUT RECORDS INDICATE THAT THEY HAD TIGHTEN THE STEERING WHEEL. I EXPLAIN THAT I HAVE NO RECORDS OF ANY REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE FOR RECALL. I THEN CALLED THE CORP OFFICE FOR TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE DID VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL AND THEY HAVE NO INFO ON THE DEALERSHIP MAKING ANY REPAIRS FOR THIS RECALL. I EXPLAINED THAT I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT MY VEHICLE WAS UNDER THE RECALL AND THAT I WAS TRYING TO SEE WHY THEY WOULD HAVE DIFFERING INFORMATION. I COULD HAVE BEEN IN A VERY BAD ACCIDENT TOYOTA CLEARLY HAS A RECALL MY VEHICLE FITS THE CRITERIA IT A 1997 AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE WOULD NOT TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE. *TR

WAS PARKING THE CAR, WHEN IT SURGED WITH UNEXPECTED BURST OF ACCELERATION. FOOT WAS ON BRAKE, NOT ACCELERATOR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY. ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK; SUBSEQUENTLY CAUSING UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED WHILE REVERSING OUT OF THE DRIVE-WAY. ON THE THIRD INCIDENT SHE SWIPED A FENCE. THE VEHICLE RECEIVED $1,600.00 WORTH OF DAMAGES. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, AND SHE WAS ADVISED THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,125. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10,000. UPDATED 03/01/10 *BF THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. UPDATED 07/09/10.*JB

ON SEPT. 15, 2009 I WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BY A LARGE TRUCK WHILE SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT. THE BACK OF THE SEAT FELL DOWN AND I WAS THROWN BACKWARDS TO THE BACK SEAT ABOUT 3 OR 4 INCHES . THE BACK OF THE SEAT LAID FLAT DOWN IN THE BACK SEAT. *TR

MY 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY CE HAS HAD, SINCE IT'S VERY FIRST YEAR, AN OCCASIONAL BUT PERSISTENT AND RECURRING ISSUE WHERE THE DRIVER'S SEAT WILL SPONTANEOUSLY SHIFT AND RELATCH WHILE I AM DRIVING. THIS OCCURS EVEN IF THE SEAT HAS NOT RECENTLY BEEN REPOSITIONED MANUALLY. IT FEELS AS IF IT IS RELATCHING ON ONE SIDE. THE RESULT IS A SUDDEN REPOSITIONING OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT OF UP TO A FEW INCHES, AND RUNS THE POTENTIAL HAZARD OF LOSS-OF-CONTROL IF IT WERE TO OCCUR AT AN INOPPORTUNE TIME. NO POST-MARKET MODIFICATIONS TO MY DRIVER'S SEAT HAVE BEEN MADE AND THIS IS ALL IN REFERENCE TO ORIGINAL MANUFACTURERS EQUIPMENT. THIS VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN NOVEMBER 1996 (1997 MODEL YEAR). I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER, ALTHOUGH IT HAS BEEN RETITLED. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY TOYOTA, BUT WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THIS INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE FOR SAFETY REVIEW. I WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY AWARE OF THIS SITE, AND THUS THE DELAYED REPORT. *TR

HI , I HAVE A 1997 CAMRY THAT'S GOT ROUGHLY 150,000 MILES ON IT.. RECENTLY MY ENGINE BLEW UP/FROZE ...AND IS A TOTAL LOSS-WITH LITTLE TO NO WARNING. I HAVE BEEN TAKING MY CAR TO JIFFY LUBE FOR 3-4 YEARS FAITHFULLY EVERY 3,000.00 MILES. ACTUALLY PAYING THEM FOR THEIR "SPECIAL" HIGH-MILEAGE OIL EVERY TIME. IN LATE OCTOBER I TOOK MY CAMRY TO A INDEPENDENT DEALER THAT DID A $ 800.00 TUNE-UP , REPLACED MY PCV VALVE, AND DID A OIL CHANGE.-I ALSO PAID THIS DEALER TO DO A SPECIAL "COMPREHENSIVE-DIAGNOSTIC" TEST TO FIND ANY THING ELSE THEY COULD FIND WRONG WITH MY CAR-SUPPOSEDLY A STEM TO STERN INSPECTION OF MY CAR. 3,000 MILES LATER, JAN 6TH 2009, I GOT MY REGULAR SCHEDULED JIFFY LUBE OIL CHANGE AND ACTUALLY ASKED THEM TO CHECK FOR ANY OIL LEAKS..AS I WAS ADDING 1-2 EXTRA QUARTS BETWEEN OIL CHANGES. THEY TOLD ME "NO LEAKS".. AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. 250 MILES AND 21 DAYS LATER MY CAR DIED ON JAN 27TH, .STRANDING ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH NO WARNING. JIFFY LUBE SENT OUT "INVESTIGATORS"- ...WHO LOOKED AT MY ENGINE, AND SAID "SLUDGE BUILD-UP" WAS SO MASSIVE THAT THE PRESSURE BLEW OUT THE PCV VALVE, CAUSING A SUDDEN MASSIVE LOSS OF OIL..AND THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE..AS THEY SAID IT WAS A MAINTENANCE ISSUE. I CHANGED MY OIL RELIGIOUSLY EVERY 3,000 MILES WITH "JIFFY LUBE'S OIL" NO LESS...AND JUST HAD A STEM TO STERN TUNE-UP AND A NEW PCV VALVE PUT IN.. HELP!!!!...I CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHO'S RESPONSIBLE...TOYOTA DEFECT? TUNE-UP SHOP OR BAD JIFFY LUBE OIL? PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AT 25 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY LOCKED IN PLACE. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A TREE, BUT WAS UNHARMED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 110,000.

ON 3/21/07, I PURCHASED 4 NEW TIRES FROM MERCHANTS TIRE IN WILLIAMSBURG VA WHICH INCLUDED NEW VALVE STEMS. IMMEDIATELY AFTER I DROVE AWAY FROM THE SERVICE FACILITY, MY RF TIRE WAS FLAT. AFTER FURTHER EXAMINATION BY THE SERVICE WRITER AT MERCHANTS, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A LEAK HAD DEVELOPED FROM A CUT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE VALVE STEM. IT WAS THE SERVICE WRITERS THEORY THAT THE VALVE STEM WAS NOT REPLACED DURING THE TIRE SERVICE. THE VALVE STEM WAS REPLACED AND NO PROBLEMS OCCURRED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING YEAR. ON 3/11/08, I COMPLAINED TO THE SAME FACILITY ABOUT ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH A CUT VALVE STEM BUT NO LEAKAGE OCCURRED. PROMPT REPLACEMENT WAS EFFECTED ON REQUEST AND AS OF THIS DATE, I HAVE NOT NOTICED ANY FURTHER PROBLEMS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON ROUTE 93 SOUTH IN MASSACHUSETTS BEHIND A SEDAN. THERE DRIVING CONDITIONS WERE NOT GOOD; IT WAS RAINING HEAVILY. THERE WAS A TRUCK IN FRONT OF THE SEDAN AND IT HAD JUST PASSED ITS EXIT. THE TRUCK THEN WENT IN REVERSE TO GO BACK TO THE EXIT. THE SEDAN WAS UNABLE TO STOP IN TIME AND REAR ENDED THE TRUCK. BY THE TIME I HAD REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO STOP. I SLID ON THE WET ROAD STRAIGHT INTO THE BACK OF THE SEDAN. I WOULD ASSUME THAT BECAUSE I CRASHED INTO A CAR GOING OVER 40 MPH, STRAIGHT ON, THAT MY AIRBAGS WOULD DEPLOY BUT THEY DID NOT. SINCE MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, MY NECK WAS THROWN FORWARD AND ALTHOUGH IT DID NOT BREAK IT HAS CAUSED SEVERE DISCOMFORT. EVERYONE WHO SAW MY CAR AFTER THE INCIDENT WERE AMAZED THAT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING 32 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED, THE BRAKES FAILED, AND ALL THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE LOST COMPLETE POWER. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE ENGINE FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS AND THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED THREE TIMES. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 74,000.