1990 Toyota Camry

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ENTER THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR, THE DOOR FAILED TO UNLOCK WITH THE KEY AND THE CONTACT HAD TO ENTER THROUGH THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A BENT LOCK MECHANISM. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,310.

1990 TOYOTA CAMRY. CONSUMER STATES AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCK FAILURE. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS COMPLETELY FAILED AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO UNLOCK ANY OF THE DOORS MANUALLY OR WITH THE KEY. THIS OCCURRED DURING FREEZING TEMPERATURES, SO AT FIRST SHE THOUGHT THE LOCKS WERE FROZEN. SHE USED DE-ICER TO NO AVAIL. FORTUNATELY, HER SON WAS ABLE TO PERFORM A MANEUVER TO OPEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR TO GET IN THE CAR. HOWEVER, THE NEXT DAY, THE CONSUMER BECAME TRAPPED INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE TO UNLOCK/OPEN ANY OF THE DOORS. THE CONSUMER HAD TO OPEN THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW AND INSERT THE KEY IN THE LOCK, TURN IT SLIGHTLY AND THEN PULL ON THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE AT THE SAME TIME. THEN ON THE WAY HOME, THE DOOR WOULD NOT STAY CLOSED AND SHE HAD TO HOLD THE DOOR HANDLE WHILE DRIVING WITH ONE HAND. THE CONSUMER DID SOME RESEARCH AND DISCOVERED A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR OVER A HALF OF MILLION CAMRY'S FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED HER LOCAL DEALER AND SHE WAS INFORMED, HER VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. *JB

DEAR SIR, I HAVE A 1990 TOYOTA CAMRY AND THE DRIVER SIDE LOCK DOESN'T LOCK OR UNLOCK. I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS SINCE MARCH OF 2005. THE LOCK DOESN'T WORK MANUALLY ALSO I.E. INSERTING A KEY FROM OUTSIDE TRYING TO OPEN THE DOOR DOESN'T OPEN IT. THIS HAS BEEN A LOT OF DISCOMFORT COMING IN AND OUT OF THE CAR AS I NEED TO USE THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. I HAVE SEEN ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE SAME DEFECT THAT I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING FOR THE PAST ONE YEAR WITH MY CAR. WHEN I MENTIONED THE ISSUE TO TOYOTA THEY SAID THAT MY VIN NUMBER DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL. I WANTED TO COMPLAIN THIS ISSUE AND IF THERE ARE MORE NUMBER OF CASES LIKE MINE THEN MAY BE TOYOTA CAN CONSIDER OUR CASE. WITH BEST REGARDS, -RAJA. *NM

WAS LOCKED INSIDE 1990 TOYOTA CAMRY, ABOUT 250 DEGREES OR MORE. ALL DOOR HANDLES FAILED. MOONROOF WOULD NOT OPEN. HAD TO KICK OUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW TO ESCAPE. TOYOTA, IF YOU DON'T THINK THESE ARE DEFECTIVE CARS, YOU MUST BE FROM AN ALIEN PLANET. PLEASE, POLICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME I SURVIVED A DEATH TRAP...SEEMS LIKE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT IS THE ONLY ANSWER.

RIGHT/PASSENGER SIDE DOOR IS STUCK IN A LOCKED POSITION. NOT ABLE TO OPEN LOCK MANUALLY EITHER. ALL OTHER DOORS WORKING PROPERLY WITH AUTOMATIC OR MAUAL DOOR LOCK USE. ALL POWER WINDOWS WORK PROPERLY. THERE WAS A PREVIOUS RECALL #92V135000 , BUT TOYOTA STATES IT'S NOT MY VEHICLE. THE SAME PROBLEM IS OCCURING, AND IS A SAFETY ISSUE IF EVER I WAS TRAPPED AND ME OR MY CHILDREN NEEDED TO GET OUT THAT DOOR.

DOOR LOCK MECHANISM STUCK WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN DOOR USING HANDLE FROM INSIDE WHILE LOCK BUTTON WAS DOWN. AFTER STICKING, LOCK BUTTON COULD NOT BE MOVED MANUALLY, WITH THE POWER LOCK SWITCH, OR WITH THE KEY FROM THE OUTSIDE. DRIVER WAS LOCKED IN. CAUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE STICKING LINKAGE THAT OVERPOWERED THE RETURN SPRING. LUBRICATION SOLVED THE PROBLEM (FOR THE TIME BEING), BUT NOT UNTIL AFTER THE DOOR WAS DISMANTLED. POOR DESIGN LEAVES A SMALL SPRING TO OVERCOME ANY LINKAGE FRICTION CAUSED BY WEAR, DIRT BUILDUP, CORROSION, LACK OF LUBRICATION, ETC. AFTER PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED, STICKING SITUATION COULD BE CREATED ON DEMAND BY SIMPLY PULLING THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE WHEN THE LOCK KNOB WAS DOWN. STICKING LINKAGE WAS VERY CONSISTANT. IN MY OPINION, THIS REPRESENTS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, AS THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS FOR THE DRIVER TO TRY TO OPEN THE DOOR WITHOUT FIRST UNLOCKING IT IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION AND BEING LOCKED IN THE CAR WITH NO RECOURSE. THIS PROBLEM IS WORSENED BY THE FACT THAT THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED INDEPENDENTLY IN THE PASSENGER SIDE LOCKING MECHANISM LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER IT OCCURRED ON THE DRIVER SIDE. BOTH LINKAGES STUCK IN THE SAME SPOT AND BOTH WERE REPEATABLE. THIS INDICATES TO ME THAT THERE'S A DESIGN PROBLEM THAT REVEALS ITSELF AS THE MECHANISM AGES AND WEARS, AND IT SEEMS TO ME TO BE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO FOR THE SAFETY OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE INVOLVING LOSS OF POWER WHICH WOULD PROHIBIT EXIT THROUGH THE POWER WINDOWS.