1997 Toyota Camry

ON MARCH 13, 2007 AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 P.M. AS I WAS EXITING A PARKING LOT AND TURNED LEFT ON PAGE STREET IN STOUGHTON, MASS. MY 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY STARTED TO ACCELERATE. THERE WAS A CAR WITH TWO OCCUPANTS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT APPROXIMATELY 1/5 OF A MILE IN FRONT OF ME. AS I ACCELERATED FASTER AND FASTER WITH MY 9 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER IN THE BACK SEAT I TRIED TO STOP. THE CAR STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND MY GRANDDAUGHTER STARTED TO SCREAM "GRAMS, WHATS WRONG WHAT'S WRONG" I KNEW I DIDN'T WANT TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AS THEY HAD NO IDEA I WAS SPEEDING TOWARDS THEM, AND I KNEW I WOULD SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILL THEM IF I HIT THEM AT MY ACCELERATED SPEED , SO AS I APPROCHED THE INTERSECTION I VEERED TO THE LEFT AS IT WAS AN INDUSTRIAL PARK AND MOST OF THE BUILDINGS WERE CLOSED., BUT, I DIDN'T MAKE THE COMPLETE TURN AND HIT THE GUARD RAIL AND SMASHED THRU IT AND MY CAR GOT CAUGHT ON TOP OF AN FIRE HYDRANT AND STOPPED.I REMEMBER HITTING AND THEN EVERY THING WENT QUIET MY GRANDDAUGHTER WAS SCREAMING AND I ASKED HER IF SHE WAS ALRIGHT. SHE WAS COHERANT AND THE TWO PEOPLE THAT WERE IN THE CAR AT THE LIGHT KNOCKED ON MY WINDOW AND CALLED THE POLICE. I WAS REMOVED FROM MY CAMRY BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE I STAYED FOR TWO DAYS, MY GRANDDAUGHTER WAS ALSO TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BUT RELEASED. NO ONE BELIEVED ME THAT I DID NOT ACCELERATE THE CAR MYSELF. THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR STATED THE GAS PEDAL WAS NOT STUCK AND THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THEY LOOKED FOR IN THE CAR, I WAS OUT OF WORK FOR THREE MONTHS. I ALMOST LOST MY HOME.. ALL OF MY INSURANCE FORMS STATE THE ACCELERATION I EXPERIENCED INCLUDING THE POLICE REPORT MY CAR WAS DEEMED TOTALED. . WHEN I WENT BACK TO THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT I REALIZED HOW LUCKY WE WERE THAT MY CAR WAS CAUGHT UNDERNEATH BY THE HYDRANT AS IT WAS HEADED INTO A VERY DEEP DROP OFF AND SURELY WOULD HAVE FLIPPED OVER AND DROPPED APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET .NOW WITH THE RECALL I AM VINDICATED BUT VERY ANGRY!!

ON 4/16/01 ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM ON 4/19/01 AND REPLACED AIR FUEL RATIO (AFR) SENSOR. ON 6/26/02 THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM ON 6/29/02 AND AGAIN REPLACED AFR SENSOR. IT COST OVER $700.00 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ARE THERE PROBLEMS WITH AFR SENSORS? --- ABOUT MAY, 1999, THE VEHICLE STARTED PRODUCING VISIBLE EXHAUST SMOKE AT START UP. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TODAY. THE PROBLEM ONLY OCCURS WHEN STARTING A COLD ENGINE (WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS NOT RUN FOR FEW HOURS). VEHICLE RECENTLY PASSED A SMOG CHECK. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. ARE THERE KNOW PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE PRODUCING EXHAUST SMOKE WHEN STARTING A COLD ENGINE? IS THE EXHAUST SMOKE RELATED TO AFR SENSOR FAILURE?*AK

TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND ALSO REPORTED THAT CAR MAKES "CREAKING NOISES" WHENEVER GOING OVER BUMPS, INTERSECTIONS, DRIVEWAYS, ETC. WAS INFORMED VERBALLY BY SERVICE ATTENDANT THAT THE "STRUT TOP MOUNTS" ARE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $500.00 THIS OCCURRED ONLY ABOUT 2-3 MONTHS AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED.