1994 Toyota Camry

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT REACHED OUT TO STEVENS CREEK TOYOTA (4202 STEVENS CREEK BLVD, SAN JOSE, CA 95129, (408) 984-1234) TO INQUIRE ABOUT AN OWNER'S MANUAL CONCERNING NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 98V188000 (AIR BAGS). THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE IF THE CORRECTED OWNER'S MANUAL WAS STILL IN PRODUCTION. THE MANUFACTURER INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE CORRECTED OWNER'S MANUAL, BUT THEN CALLED BACK TO INDICATE THAT AN OWNER'S MANUAL WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED NO ALTERNATIVE OPTION FOR HOW TO ACCESS THE INFORMATION, WHEN NEEDED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

"TAKATA RECALL" MY BRAKES WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET, SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN INTO A DIRT ROAD TO GET HOME. INSTEAD I LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL AND ENDED UP CRASHING INTO A DITCH. MY AIRBAGS INFLATED. NOW MY MUFFLER SOUNDS LIKE ITS RATTLED AND A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE ALWAYS OCCUR WHEN DRIVING. I HAVE NO EXTERIOR DAMAGE DUE TO THE CRASH. ONLY INTERNAL AND PRIOR TO THIS, MY BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS WOULD COME OFF AND ON. I WAS TOLD THAT IT JUST MEANT THAT MY BRAKE SENSOR HAD A GLITCH. OTHER THAN THAT MY BREAKS WORKED JUST FINE WITH NO WARNING SIGNS OF THEM GOING OUT SOONER.

I WAS SLOWLY TURNING TO THE RIGHT INTO A PARKING SPACE AND HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS A TREE THERE TO STOP THE CAR. IN THE PREVIOUS MONTHS, SEVERAL OF THE PANEL WARNING LIGHTS HAD BEEN COMING ON AND OFF. I HAD TOYOTA CHECK THEM. THEY REPLACED THE EGR VALVE BUT IT KEPT HAPPENING SO I TOOK IT BACK. THEY SAID THEY CHECKED EVERYTHING AND COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I'M NOT SURE IF THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATING, BUT IT MIGHT HAVE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1994 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE SLID ON BLACK ICE. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL AND FLIPPED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A HEAD, SHOULDER, AND SPINAL INJURY THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

AT NOON ON 6/11/12, I WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT MY CAR'S GEARSHIFT OUT OF PARK. I REMOVED THE TAB THAT COVERS THE GEARSHIFT RELEASE BUTTON ON THE SHIFT PANEL AND UNLOCKED THE SHIFTER. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE VEHICLE TO MECHANICSVILLE TOYOTA (MECHANICSVILLE, VA) AND HAD THE PROBLEM ASSESSED BY THE SERVICE PERSON, [XXX]. SHE SAID SHE HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AND THE CHANCES WERE PRETTY HIGH THAT THE BRAKE SWITCH (ABOVE THE BRAKE PEDAL) WAS DEFECTIVE. SHE SAID THAT CAUSES THE GEARSHIFT TO LOCK UP AND FOR THE BRAKE LIGHTS NOT TO WORK. INDEED MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING AT THAT TIME. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT COULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT THAT TIME BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PART (BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH). I PAID FOR, AND ORDERED, THE SWITCH AND ARRANGED FOR THE REPAIR TO BE DONE ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2012 AT 10AM. [XXX] WARNED ME TO BE CAREFUL AS I DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME SINCE THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT WORKING. MY HOUSE IS APRX. 7 MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP SO I CAREFULLY DROVE TOWARDS HOME. AS I TURNED OFF OF THE MAJOR HIGHWAY ONTO THE SECONDARY ROAD THAT GOES TO MY HOUSE, MY RIGHT ANKLE WAS ACHING SO I USED THE CRUISE CONTROL TO TAKE ME TOWARDS MY HOUSE AT 45MPH. AS I APPROACHED MY TURNOFF, I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE, BUT THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN AT ALL! QUICKLY THINKING ABOUT WHAT [XXX] HAD SAID ABOUT THE BRAKE SWITCH, I THOUGHT TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL. THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE THUD SOUND FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR AND THE BRAKE IMMEDIATELY ENGAGED AND STOPPED THE CAR. HAD I NOT DISENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL, I AM CERTAIN I WOULD HAVE EVENTUALLY LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AS IT APPROACHED TRAFFIC, AHEAD. I HAVE MORE COMMENTS BUT THE SYSTEM WON'T ACCEPT THEM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 TOYOTA CAMRY EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE TIRES, SIZE: P205/65/R15, DOT NUMBER: HYURLTA4304. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRE FAILURE WAS LOCATED ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH. THE CONTACT CALLED AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO COME AND INSTALL THE SPARE TIRE. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO HER RESIDENCE AND HAD THE TIRE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 161,000.

EXPERIENCED TWO TIMES WITH UNWANTED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WITH TOYOTA CAMRY '94(MADE IN US MODEL) IN MAY 2011: WHILE DRIVING 30MPH, ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE SPEEDOMETER WAS UP LIKE CRAZY (6000-7000RPM) AND WHILE APPLYING BRAKE ON IT WHICH DIDN'T SEEM TO RESPONSE AND I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKE VERY HARD TO MAKE THE CAR STOP AND HAD TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE. *TR