2011 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID Complaints

ON APPROXIMATELY JULY 19, 2016, I WAS DRIVING WESTBOUND AT 60 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON I-85 DURING THE EARLY EVENING IN DURHAM, NC. THE SUN WAS LOW IN THE SKY AND I PULLED THE DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR DOWN TO SHIELD MY EYES FROM THE SUN'S GLARE. THE NEXT THING I KNEW WAS THAT THE SUN VISOR WAS IN MY HAND AND I WAS STRUGGLING TO SEE THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME SO THAT I WOULD NOT HIT IT. I WAS TOTALLY STARTLED NOT ONLY BY THE GLARE OF THE SUN AFTER THE VISOR FAILED, BUT ALSO BY THE FAILURE OF THE VISOR ITSELF. THE VISOR HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM ITS SUPPORT ARM. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND ORDERED A REPLACEMENT SUN VISOR. WHILE THERE, A SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT TOYOTA HAD A RECALL AND EXTENDED WARRANTY ON SOME 2011 CAMRY SUN VISORS. HE OFFERED TO LOOK UP MY CAR TO SEE IF IT WAS ON THE LIST. IT WASN'T, BUT HE SAID THAT CARS ON THE LIST HAD VISORS THAT FAILED IN THE SAME WAY AS MINE HAD. EVEN THOUGH MY CAR WAS NOT ON THE LIST, THE SERVICE ADVISOR RECOMMENDED THAT I CONTACT TOYOTA, WHICH I DID. THE TOYOTA EXTENDED WARRANTY IS DESIGNATED "ZTT" AND AFFECTS MANY CAMRYS, INCLUDING SOME MANUFACTURED IN 2011, BUT BEFORE MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED. AN INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS PICTURES OF VISORS AMONG THE EXTENDED WARRANTY VEHICLES THAT FAILED IN EXACTLY THE SAME MANNER AS MINE HAD. YESTERDAY, I RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT PAY FOR A REPLACEMENT VISOR SO I 'M WRITING TO INFORM YOU OF THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION WHICH COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH, AS NEARLY HAPPENED TO ME.

DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR BECAME LOOSE AND DID NOT RETAIN ITS POSITION. IT DROPPED DOWN AND BLOCKED MY VISION CAUSING ME TO VEER OFF THE ROAD. SUN VISOR THEN DETACHED COMPLETELY FROM HINGE. CAT NOW HAS NO WAY TO BLOCK SUN AND I HAVE TO DRIVE ONE HANDED TO BLOCK THE SUN LIGHT.

THE BRAKES FAILED ON THIS CAR JANUARY 6, 2016, CAUSING ME TO COLLIDE WITH THE REAR END OF A TRUCK WHILE GOING ABOUT FIVE MILES PER HOUR. I WAS IN NORMAL TRAFFIC, ON A CITY STREET, COMING TO A SLOW STOP, AND AS I APPROACHED THE VEHICLE ABOUT 15 FEET IN FRONT OF ME, WAITING IN LINE FOR THE TURN LANE, I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE, WHICH WAS HARD AS A ROCK. HOWEVER, THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP; CONSEQUENTLY, I HIT THE OTHER VEHICLE. I WAS GOING SO SLOW THAT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT, ALTHOUGH MY VEHICLE SUSTAINED ABOUT $1200 IN DAMAGE. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY EITHER THE ABS BRAKE ACTUATOR OR THE BRAKE PEDAL STROKE SENSOR. HOWEVER, THE CAR WAS SEEN BY A TOYOTA CORPORATION REPRESENTATIVE WHO STATED IN WRITING THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THIS CAR HAS ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED UNDER A SERVICE CAMPAIGN FOR THE FLUID RESERVOIR FILTER. HOWEVER, THERE IS ALSO A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM (ZE-1), NUMBER POL14-04, FOR THE BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY AND SKID CONTROL ECU/BRAKE PEDAL STROKE SENSOR. OUR VIN IS LISTED IN THE GROUP OF AFFECTED VEHICLES.

I HAD PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE, FOOT ON THE BRAKE, AND HAND ON SHIFT TO PUT IN PARK, WHEN SUDDEN ACCELERATION STARTED, AND COULD NOT BE STOPPED BY ME, MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR WAS HEADED TO GO THRU A LABORATORY WINDOW(PEOPLE INSIDE) I PRAYED NOT TO HIT THE BUILDING, THEN MY LEFT HAND TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL FAST TO THE LEFT, MISSED THE LAB, AND HIT THE CORNER OF A WALL.

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE FOG LIGHT HAS BROKEN ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE I BOUGHT IT NEW IN 2011. I BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY COSTLY DESIGN FLAW THAT TOYOTA REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR. REPLACEMENT OF THE FOG LIGHT IS ABOUT $250.00 I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BECOME A RE-CALL ITEM FOR TOYOTA. THANK YOU *TR

CAR LOST BRAKES WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN ON A CITY STREET. ALL THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS CAME (ABS, PARKING BRAKE, BRAKE WARNING) ON ALONG WITH THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL WARNING. HAD TO PRESS BRAKES ALL THE WAY AND EVEN THEN THE BRAKING WAS VERY MINIMAL. IT WAS HARD TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP. INTERMITTENTLY THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO BECAME HARD TO TURN. PULLED TO SIDE, TURNED OFF CAR. STARTED CAR UP AND THE SAME SET OF WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED ON DROVE CAR TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHICH WAS 1 BLOCK AWAY. BRAKING WAS HARD, BUT COULD BRING CAR TO A STOP DEALER SAID BRAKE COMPUTER WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL / WARRANTY COVERAGE FROM TOYOTA ON THIS ISSUE. *TR

VEHICLE 2 WAS STOPPED FOR ON COMING TRAFFIC TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. VEHICLE 1 (THE 2011 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID) DRIVER PRESSED THE BRAKE TO THE FLOOR TO MAKE A SUDDEN STOP. THE CAR DID NOT SEEM TO RESPOND TO THE BRAKING. THE TIRES DID NOT SKID, THE ABS BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE AND THE CAR DID NOT SEEM TO SLOW DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY, BUT SEEMED TO GLIDE INTO THE REAR END OF VEHICLE 2. THE STOPPING DISTANCE OF 3 CAR LENGTHS AT 35 MPH SHOULD NOT HAVE RESULTED IN THIS TYPE OF COLLISION - VEHICLE 1 WAS TOTALED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000.

A POPPING, KNOCKING, SNAPPING NOISE IS LOUD, EVIDENT, PERSISTENT, AND DISCERNING. THE NOISE CAUSES CONCERN OVER THE VEHICLE'S STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY IN AN IMPACT. THE FEELING IS THAT THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH RIGIDITY TO ADEQUATELY PROTECT PASSENGERS IN A CRASH. IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH TOYOTA. TOYOTA UPDATED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN T-SB-0088-12 ON 06/13/2012. IT IS TITLED MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY STRUCTURE NOISE. APPLICABLE TO 2007 - 2011 CAMRY AND CAMRY HYBRIDS. IN THE INTRODUCTION TOYOTA STATES: SOME 2007 -2011 NORTH AMERICAN PRODUCED CAMRY AND CAMRY HV VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A KNOCKING, POPPING, TICKING, OR SNAPPING NOISE FORM THE MOON ROOF AREA WHILE DRIVING. THE SERVICE BULLETIN DESCRIBES THE DIS-ASSEMBLY AND RE-ASSEMBLY OF THE MOON ROOF STRUCTURE AND HEADLINER. TORQUING NUTS AND BOLTS TO SPECIFICATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF REINFORCEMENT IS DESCRIBED. FROM THE TEXT PROCEDURE 2 #5. LOOSEN THE 8 MOON ROOF REINFORCEMENT TO MOON ROOF HOUSING BOLTS. #6. REMOVE THE 8 MOON ROOF REINFORCEMENT TO BODY STRUCTURE BOLTS. #7. REMOVE THE 8 NUTS AND THE MOON ROOF HOUSING SUB-ASSEMBLY. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE TO BE A DESIGN AND/OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT AFFECTING THE VEHICLES STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY. IN FACT, THE TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN DESCRIBES IT AS SUCH. SERVICE BULLETIN T-SB-0088-12 CAN BE DOWNLOADED FROM THE INTERNET. MY GOAL IS FOR THE NHTSA TO ISSUE A RECALL ON 2007 - 2001 TOYOTA CAMRY AND CAMRY HV VEHICLES. TOYOTA HAS REFUSED TO DO THIS AS WARRANTY WORK ON 2 OCCASIONS. *TR

I HAVE A TOYOTA CAMRY 2011 HYBRID MODEL, I HEAR A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ROOF. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT IS THE PROBLEM WITH THE MOON ROOF. IT IS MOST PERSISTENT WHEN DRIVING ON THE UNEVEN STREET PAVEMENT. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, THE HEADLINER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND IT WILL COST ABOUT $600. THIS CAR WAS NEVER INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENTS AND I HARDLY USED THE MOON ROOF. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SHOULD BE REPORTED. *TR