2008 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE SLOWLY ENTERING A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO MULTIPLE BUSHES, SIDE SWEPT A TREE AND THEN LANDED ON A SIDE ROAD. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000. UPDATED 09/05/14*LJ THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE EVENT DATA RECORDER WAS REMOVED BY TOYOTA AND THE RESULTS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MADE AVAILABLE WITHIN 30 DAYS. UPDATED 12/3/2014 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE, HE WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS AND TRANSMISSION WERE FRACTURED. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT BOTH THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION MOUNTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

THIS IS THE SECOND OR THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. THIS AM I STARTED THE CAR, PUT IN REVERSE, STARTED TO BACK OUT AND AS I STRAIGHTENED THE CAR IT LURCHED FORWARD BEFORE I PUT IN FORWARD GEAR..... I'VE HAD THE CAR "JUMP IN TRAFFIC A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT SO QUICKLY I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT. NOW I'M SEEING A PATTERN THAT IS WORSENING. I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2011 FROM CARMAX IN TN. THE CAR ORIGINATED IN IL. WITH 16,000 MILES. I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT TURNING THE ENGINE ON AND IT BEING LOUDER THAN NORMAL. BY THE TIME I DRIVE TO THE BEAMANS OR CARMAX FOR SERVICE NO ONE CAN HEAR IT. SO NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. I WOULD LIKE SOMEONE QUALIFIED TO LOOK AT AND KNOW IF THIS IS SAFE TO DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED INSIDE A GARAGE WHEN IT SUDDENLY CAUGHT ON FIRE, COMPLETELY DESTROYING BOTH THE VEHICLE AND THE RESIDENCE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT TWO WITNESSES SAW FLAMES COMING FROM THE SEATING AREA OF THE VEHICLE DURING THE INCIDENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED SMOKE INHALATION DURING THE INCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

DECEMBER 21, 2013. I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING PLACE FROM A LARGE PARKING LOT, FOOT ON THE BRAKE ALMOST STOPPED; ENGINE ROARED AND I CATAPULTED OVER THE PARKING CURB INTO AND THROUGH SOME BUSHES AND OUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUSHES ANGLING RIGHT AND INTO THE STREET. I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP AND PARK AT THE CURB APPROXIMATELY 20-30 FEET DOWN THE STREET. NO INJURY TO MYSELF OR ANY OTHER PERSON. OVER $5,000 DAMAGE TO CAR EXTERIOR EXTENSIVE SCRATCHES, BACK BUMPER CAME OFF; SOME UNDERCARRIAGE DAMAGE, DETAILS UNKNOWN TO ME. STILL IN BODY SHOP AS OF THE AFTERNOON OF JANUARY 8, 2014. *TR

OUR 2008 SOLARA CONVERTIBLE HAS HAD 2 A/C CONDENSER REPLACEMENTS IN LESS THAN 3 YEARS AND 32,000 MILES. IN JULY 2010 ( UNDER WARRANTY ) AND AGAIN IN JULY 2013. WE HAD NO COLD AIR BLOWING FROM A/C UNIT,( VERY IMPORTANT IN THE SOUTHWEST DESERT DURING THE SUMMER WHERE THE TEMP CAN REACH 110 AND OVER ). BOTH TIMES THE CONDENSER WAS REPLACED, AND BOTH TIMES BY THE SAME TOYOTA DEALER IN INDIO CA. *TR

2008 TOYOTA SOLARA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE WATER PUMP LEAK. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS, SO SHE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND CALLED ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE. THE NEXT THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. A DAY LATER, THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE ENGINE OVERHEATED, BECAUSE THERE WAS A LEAK COMING FROM THE WATER PUMP.

THIS 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA, ~37K MILES, USES THE SAME HEADLIGHT BULB TYPES AS THE 2008 TOYOTA AVALON, 9011 FOR HIGH BEAMS AND I HAD BOTH HIGH BEAMS GO OUT ON A WINDING ROAD IN BACK COUNTRY OF WISCONSIN WITH MANY DEER AND OTHER MOVING NIGHT CREATURES. BOTH HIGH BEAM BULBS SHATTERED DURING THIS TRIP, LEAVING GLASS FRAGMENTS INSIDE THE LENS ASSEMBLY AND IT ALSO LEFT A WHITE DISCOLORATION (TUNGSTEN DEPOSITION?) ON THE INSIDE PLASTIC LENSES OF ONE HEADLIGHT, WHICH SEEMS TO REDUCE THE LOW BEAM VISIBILITY. NHTSA REFERENCE # 10037591 TSB REFERENCE # SB-0044-10 REV 1 DESCRIPTION: TOYOTA: ON SOME 2008-2010 AVALON VEHICLES, THE HIGH BEAM LIGHT BULBS MAY NOT WORK OR SHATTER. THIS 2008 SOLARA WAS PUT INTO SERVICE IN APRIL OF 2008 AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE 72K MILE, 5 YEAR WARRANTY EXTENSION, JUST LIKE THE 2008 AVALON RECALL. HOW COME ONLY THE AVALON WAS COVERED? I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD ALSO APPLY TO THE 2008 SOLARA MODEL ALSO AS IT USES A VERY SIMILAR HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND SUFFERS FROM THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH OVER A ROAD BUMP, THE WHEEL ABNORMALLY STRUCK THE WHEEL WELL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FRONT END STRUTS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE THE STRUTS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,124. UPDATED 11/14/12*LJ THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THERE WAS AN INTERNAL FAILURE OF THE STRUT. THE TWO REAR STRUTS HAVE SINCE FAILED.

WAS REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE IN MY 2008 SOLARA AND WHEN I WENT TO SHIFT INTO DRIVE, THE CAR LURCHED SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN ACCELERATED. WHEN THE CAR TOOK OFF, I WAS UNABLE TO STOP IT ACCELERATING USING THE BRAKES. A PASSENGER PULLED UP ON THE PARKING BRAKE, LAUNCHING US INTO A SERIES OF TIGHT SPINS AND COLLIDING WITH CONCRETE BUMPERS IN THE LOT. WE WERE ABOUT TO HEAD OUT INTO A MAJOR ROADWAY WHEN THEY DID SO. ONCE OUT OF THE SPINS, THE CAR HAD COME TO ENOUGH OF A HALT THAT I COULD SHIFT INTO PARK AND TURN THE CAR OFF. IT WAS ONLY WHEN THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF THAT THE FRONT WHEELS (FWD) STOPPED TRYING TO TURN. WHEN WE EXAMINED THE CAR, THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK IN A DEPRESSED POSITION. THE WEATHER HAS BEEN FINE AND DRY FOR SEVERAL DAYS PREVIOUSLY, SO THE PAVEMENT WAS NOT WET. AS THE INCIDENT HAPPENED OVER ~15 SECONDS, WE CANNOT GIVE AN APPROXIMATE MPH THAT THE CAR SPED UP TO, BUT IT WAS AT LEAST 30MPH. AMAZINGLY, MY PASSENGERS AND I WALKED AWAY WITHOUT A SCRATCH AND SO DID EVERYONE ELSE IN THE PARKING LOT. HOWEVER, THE SOLARA NEEDS EXTENSIVE BODY WORK BEYOND THE OBVIOUS ACCELERATOR ISSUE DUE TO THE COLLUSIONS. TOYOTA HAS SENT AN ENGINEER OUT TO LOOK AT THE CAR, BUT HAS NOT GIVEN ANY SUPPORT OTHERWISE. THE ENGINEER INFORMED ME THAT HE FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, BUT HE DID NOT EXAMINE THE POWERTRAIN IN DETAIL. TOYOTA HAS INFORMED ME THAT IT WILL BE 30 DAYS BEFORE THEY GIVE ME AN OFFICIAL REPORT. WHILE THE SOLARAS WERE NOT INITIALLY INCLUDED IN THE RECALLS FOR THE ACCELERATOR ISSUE, 2008 CAMRYS WERE AND A SOLARA IS BASICALLY A 2-DOOR CAMRY. THE RECALL SHOULD BE LOOKED AT FOR THE SOLARAS AS WELL. I DO NOT WANT TO BE DRIVING A CAR THAT CAN ENDANGER ME OR ANYONE ELSE ON THE ROAD. THIS INCIDENT, AS FRIGHTENING AS IT WAS, LUCKILY TOOK PLACE WHEN I WAS NOT ALREADY AT A HIGHER SPEED AND WAS IN A PARKING LOT. IT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO BE MUCH WORSE. *TR