1997 Toyota Camry

I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THEY ORDERED A LEFT-SIDE BACK SEAT BELT RATHER THAN THE CENTER BELT. THEY RE-ORDERED AND TOLD ME THE BELT SHOULD BE IN TODAY (9/13/00). I CALLED TODAY AND AM NOW TOLD THAT IT WILL NOT BE HERE UNTIL AT LEAST NEXT THURSDAY OR FRIDAY. I ASKED IF IT WAS COMING FROM JAPAN AND WAS TOLD THAT IT PROBABLY WAS. THIS IS A VERY BIG SAFEFY ISSUE AS I HAVE THREE CHILDREN - AGES 4, 9 & 10. ALL ARE TOO SMALL FOR THE FRONT SEAT. I AM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO NEXT.*AK

I WAS ACCELERATING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THE CAR SHUDDERED AND I SAW SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER QUICKLY, RELEASED THE HOOD AND STEPPED OUT OF THE CAR THRU THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR. I OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW THE FUEL INJECTOR WAS ON FIRE SO I IMMEDIATELY SLAMMED SHUT THE HOOD AND CALLED FOR HELP. FORTUNATELY A MOTORCYCLE COP FROM THE SAN DIEGO POLICE WAS AT THE SCENE JUST MOMENTS AFTER IT HAPPENED. HE RADIOED FOR A FIRE TRUCK WHICH ARRIVED ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER AS THIS HAPPENED DURING THE RUSH HOUR (5:45 PM). THE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES BY THEN. AAA HAS NOT DETERMINED YET IF THE CAR WILL BE TOTALLED BUT I'M PRETTY SURE IT WILL BASED ON THE EXTENT OF THE VISIBLE DAMAGE. I HAD THIS CAR SERVICED BY KEARNY MESA TOYOTA ABOUT TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT FOR A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THEY REPLACED THE VACUUM SWITCH VALVE.

MY 1997 CAMRY IS HAVING ENGINE PROBLEMS THE DEALER INFORMERD ME THAT THE ENGINE NEED A NEW SHORT BLOCK AND OVERHAUL, AND COST AND LABOR WILL BE $5952.56 PLUS TAX , AND THAT THE WORK WAS NOT GOING TO BE COVERED UNDER WARRENTY BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE RECIEPTS FOR THE OIL CHANGES AND IN WHICH PAID THE COST OF $2011.52 JUST FOR THEM TO TEAR APART THE ENGINE AND FIND WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT PUT IT BACK TOGETHER. THE DEALER ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE HAD ENGINGEERS FROM TOYOTA COME OUT TAKE PICTURES OF THE ENGINE AND TAKE A OIL SAMPLE AND AT THAT TIME THEY MADE THE DECISION THAT THE COMPANY WAS NOT GOING TO COVER THE CAR UNDER THE 60,000 MILE WARRENTY. THE EXPLANATION TO ME WAS THE PISTON RINGS WAS BURNT AND THE CYCLINDER WAS DEAPLY SCARED AND THERE WAS METAL FRAGMENT IN THEOIL PAN AND OIL PUMP AND THAT IT ALL NEEDED REPLACING. I DISAGREED WITH THEM WHEN THEY STATED TO ME THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF BAD OIL IN THE ENGINE ALSO I DID GIVE THEM THE LAST OIL CHANGE RECIEPT I DID WHICH WAS ONLY THE MONTH BEFORE AND ALSO TOLD THEM THAT MY CAR USELY SET IN STOREAGE DUE TO THE FACT THAT I AM THE ONLY DRIVER TO THE VEHICLE AND I WAS DEPLOYED AT SEA EVERY THREE MONTHS. ALSO ON THE $2011.52 PAYMENT THEY QUOTED ME A COST OF 2506.00 PLUS TAX , ALSO THE REASON I'M WRITING THIS IS BECAUSE A FRIEND GAVE ME A COPY OF THE OCTOBER 1999 CONSUMER REPORTS AD ON HIDDEN WARRANTIES AND THAT DID SOUNDED LIKE ONE OF THOSE CASES.

PHONE AFTER 7/26 IS 847-836-1632. TOYOTA NOR DEALER WILL TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY AS THEIR 36 MONTH WARANTY EXPIRED. SINCE I HAVE NOT HAD MY MINOR SERVICE DONE AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, THEY SAY THAT I SHOW NO LOYALTY AND THEREFORE THEY HAVE NO LOYALTY TO ME. I ASKED HOW MANY ABS SENSORS HAVE FAILED AND THEY GIVE ME NO REPLY. VERY STRONGLY THEY HAVE WRITTEN THAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY IS 36 MONTHS AND THAT IS IT -- PERIOD! NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONE DIN SUMMARY. *AK