2009 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID Complaints

DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE WATER PUMP ON THE 2009 CAMRY HYBRID WAS LEAKING. THIS IS NOT NORMAL FOR A VEHICLE WITH 45,000. OTHER TOYOTA VEHICLES HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR DEFECTIVE WATER PUMPS. I BELIEVE THE INVESTIGATION INTO DEFECTIVE WATER PUMPS NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED AS THIS IS NOT A NORMAL FAILURE. *TR

STARTED VEHICLE IN PARKING LOT. WARNING LIGHTS INDICATED VSC (VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL) PROBLEM, ALONG WITH ABS PROBLEM. PUT VEHICLE IN REVERSE, SLOWLY MOVED BACKWARDS. BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE NORMALLY, ONLY IF THE PEDAL WAS FULLY DEPRESSED. TOOK VEHICLE (SLOWLY) TO A NEARBY TOYOTA DEALER. PART THAT FAILED IS THE STROKE SENSOR, WHICH CONTROLS THE OPERATION OF THE BRAKES. HAD THIS FAILED AT FREEWAY SPEEDS I AM UNSURE THAT I COULD HAVE SAFELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE OR AVOIDED A COLLISION. THIS SENSOR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY BUT I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE AS ITS FAILURE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THIS PART (ACCORDING TO THE DEALER) DID NOT FAIL DUE TO ABUSE, NEGLECT OR LACK OF MAINTENANCE. *JB

2009 TOYOTA CAMRY WHILE ON THE STATE HIGHWAY I SET THE CRUISE CONTROL TO 70 MPH, DURING THE EXIT OF THE HIGHWAY ON MY WAY HOME I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN IN BACK OF OTHERS CARS, SWITCH THE CAR ON NEUTRAL WHILE LOOKING FOR SOME DOCUMENTS ON MY BRIEFCASE, WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED TO GREEN ONCE AGAIN THE TRANSMISSION WAS SWITCH TO THE DRIVE POSITION AND WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THERE WAS UNCONTROLLED SUDDEN ACCELERATION INCIDENT OF THE CAR, AND THE TIRES START SQUEALING, BRAKE WERE DEPRESSED HARD BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN, IMMEDIATELY WAS SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL ONCE AGAIN, AND TURN OFF, BECAUSE THE CAR ENGINE WAS IN ACCELERATION MODE. LUCKY THAT IT DID NOT CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF A BRAND NEW MERCEDES BENZ. I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS SITUATION BEFORE. THE CAR HAD BEEN USED BUT THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS NOT BEEN SET UP. THIS CAR WAS ALREADY MODIFIED WITH THE RECALL OF THE MAT AND ACCELERATOR GAS PEDAL MODIFICATION. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WERE APPROXIMATELY 36,500. THERE ARE ABOUT 150 SIMILAR CASES ALL IN 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY ON INTERNET SITE: HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2009/TOYOTA/CAMRY/VEHICLE+SPEED+CONTROL I FEEL THAT WHATEVER MECHANICAL FIX THAT TOYOTA MODIFIED, DID NOT WORKED, AND THEY SHOULD BE LOOKING AT AN ELECTRONIC ISSUE WITH THE ACCELERATION OR CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM BLACK BOX. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS A BUZZER AND SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASH - MASTER WARNING LIGHT, BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT, BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT, AND THERE WAS A WARNING MESSAGE THAT SAID "CHECK VSC SYSTEM". THEN WHEN I TRIED TO APPLY MY BRAKES, THEY STARTED PUMPING AND I HAD A HARD TIME STOPPING. I MANAGED TO MAKE IT THE FEW BLOCKS TO MY HOUSE AND I CALLED THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY SAID IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND I HAD IT TOWED TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE CAR HAD BEEN THERE 8 DAYS PRIOR FOR A NORMAL SERVICE APPOINTMENT. THEY SAID THAT THE STROKE SENSOR HAD GONE OUT AND WHEN I ASKED HOW IT HAPPENED THEY SAID IT JUST MALFUNCTIONED FOR NO REASON. THE COST TO REPLACE WAS $433.14. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT DRIVING A CAR THAT CAN SUDDENLY MALFUNCTION AND LOSE BRAKING FUNCTION WITHOUT WARNING. THE CAR HAD RECEIVED ITS REGULAR SERVICE/MAINTENANCE JUST A WEEK BEFORE, SO THERE IS NO REASON THAT THE BRAKES SHOULD HAVE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY HV. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 15 MPH WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO HER VEHICLE FROM THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NEITHER THE FRONTAL OR SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MODERATE BODY DAMAGE. THE CONTACT AND A PASSENGER WERE INJURED AND TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH NECK AND BACK INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHO ADVISED THAT THE SIDE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND A CLAIM NUMBER WAS FILED BUT NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,300.

HAVING PARKED THE CAR OVERNIGHT IN THE GARAGE, GOT IN CAR WITH PASSENGER AND ATTEMPTED TO BACK OUT OF GARAGE. CAR LUNGED FORWARD, THEN CORRECTING ITSELF AND STARTED BACKWARD. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BOTH IN THE GARAGE AND IN PARKING LOTS. MENTIONED PROBLEM TO FRIEND WITH SAME CAR AND HE SAID HE HADN'T NOTICED A PROBLEM BUT CAME TO WORK SEVERAL MONTHS LATER AND SAID IT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM WHILE HIS WIFE WAS A PASSENGER.

FAILURE OF COMBO METER ASSEMBLY (GAUGE CLUSTER) IN 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID, RESULTING IN VEHICLE NOT TRANSITIONING TO GAS ENGINE POWER. ALL ALERT LIGHTS DISPLAY, AND VEHICLE ONLY OPERATES ON BATTERY POWER. VEHICLE WILL OPERATE AT MIN. POWER UNTIL BATTERY EMPTY. NO WARNING OF IMPENDING FAILURE. VEHICLE WILL NOT COMMUNICATE WITH DEALERSHIP SERVICE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTERS, REQUIRING EXTENSIVE COMMUNICATION WITH CALIFORNIA TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER. VEHICLE ROUTINELY SERVICED USING TOYOTA RECOMMENDED SERVICE SCHEDULES AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THIS FAILURE HAS OCCURRED THREE (3) TIMES, THE FIRST TWO (2) EVENTS WITHIN 11 MONTHS, THE 3RD EVENT WITHIN 14 DAYS OF LAST DEALERSHIP REPAIR. *TR

CAR AIR SYSTEM SMELLS MOLDY AND HAS FROM DAY ONE WHEN NEW. COMPLAINED TO DEALER WHO CHANGED THE HEPA FILTER AND CHECKED DRAIN PLUG (IT WAS CLEAR). SAME RESULT. SPRAYING AIR INTAKE WITH LYSOL SEEMS TO HELP FOR A SHORT WHILE. PRETTY DISGUSTING. *TR

2009 TOYOTA CAMRY ACCELERATION PROBLEM HAPPENED AFTER RECALL FIXES. WAS PULLING INTO PARKING SPACE SLOWLY WHEN ACC. PEDAL DROPPED AND ENGINE ZOOMED. I WAS ABLE TO STOMP HARD ON BRAKES AND NOT HIT THE BUILDING SINCE HYBRID GAS PART OF ENGINE DISENGAGES WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS USED. *TR

RODENTS CREWING ON BIODEGRADABLE WIRE HARNESS IN 2009 CAMRY 4 DOOR SEDAN HYBRID. COMPLAINT GIVEN TO CUSTOMER SERVICE MGR WAS INOPERATIVE GAS GAUGE. NO EXPLANATION GIVEN FOR ENTRY POINTS OR SOLUTION OTHER THAN REPLACEMENT OF WIRING HARNESS. TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER REPRESENTATIVE EMANUAL PUT CUSTOMER ON HOLD TO REVIEW INTERNAL TOYOTA DOCUMENTS REGARDING ISSUE, BUT REFUSED TO GIVE DOCUMENT NAME, PAGE NUMBER OR FILE NAME. IN REGARDS TO THIS ISSUE OF SECRECY, ACCORDING TO [XXX] MEDIA CONTACT TOYOTA ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY AND QUALITY COMMUNICATIONS, TOYOTA ALSO SAYS THAT A SERVICE BULLETIN SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A "SECRET INTERNAL DOCUMENT," SEE REUTERS NEWS ARTICLE TOYOTA WARNED DEALERS OF CRASH RISK IN 2007 BY BERNIE WOODALL. MAR. 25, 2010. TOYOTA ASSIGNED CASE MANAGER [XXX] X 73855 FOR CLAIM #[XXX] AND CLAIM #[XXX] . DETERMINED NOT A WARRANTY OR TOYOTA SAFETY ISSUE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR