1998 Toyota Camry

I BROUGHT MY 98 CAMRY INTO TOYOTA CITY IN MAMARONECK, NY ON 11/6/03 BECAUSE OF BLUE SMOKE THAT WAS COMING OUT OF THE TAIL PIPE. SEALS WERE REPLACED BUT THERE WAS STILL LEAKING OF OIL. ON 6/2/04 THE CAMRY HAS MORE REPAIRS DONE WITH GASKETS AND SEALS REPLACED BUT STILL THERE WAS OIL LEAKING . I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO HAVE THE LEAK CHECKED AND I AM ALWAYS TOLD THERE IS NO LEAK. I HAVE SMOKE COMING INTO THE CAR FROM THE ENGINE AREA AND PUT A QUART OF OIL IN EVERY WEEK. *NM

MY 1998 TOYOTA CAMERY ALWAYS BURNED SOME OIL.THEN AT ABOUT 108000 MILES IT STARTED BURNING OIL AT A RAPID PACE. I BROUGHT IT IN TO TOYOTA TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT FOR THE OIL SLUDGING PROBLEM ,WHICH THEY KNOW OF.THEY SAID MY ENGINE IS SHOT AND I DID NOT HAVE THE OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM, SO THEY WOULD NOT COVER REPAIRS.THEY SAID ONE REASON I DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM IS BECAUSE I CHANGED OIL EVERY 3000 MILES.*AK

WE OWN A 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY VIN [XXX], AND WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS OF THIS CAR. ABOUT A ONE AND A HALF YEARS AGO, WE REPLACED THE IDLE SPEED CONTROL UNIT FOR APPROXIMATELY $400.00. THE CAMRY HAD PROBLEMS STARTING WHEN IT IS COLD, AND THE HAYWARD CALIFORNIA TOYOTA DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE US ANOTHER $400.00 TO REPLACE THE SAME PART THAT THEY REPLACED ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO. THE PART IS A TOYOTA MANUFACTURING PART, AND IT COST ABOUT $250.00. TOYOTA HAS NOT RECALLED THIS PART, AND IT SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 18 MONTHS. I HAVE TALKED WITH A NUMBER OF AUTO REPAIR SHOPS, AND THEY KNOW THAT THIS PART FAILS ON THE TOYOTA CAMRY. I HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA CORPORATION REFERENCE NUMBER [XXX], BUT I DO NOT FEEL TOYOTA WILL ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THEM, AND I FILED THE COMPLAINT ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO. I AM HOPING THAT YOU WILL INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU DISCOVER. YOUR ASSISTANCE IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.*AK UPDATED 07/24/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

OWNER DRIVING VEHICLE, CAME TO A STOP, BEGAN TO ACCELERATE, ENGINE BLEW A ROD THROUGH THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNT BEYOND RECOGNITION WITHIN 15 MINUTES. VEHICLE INVESTIGATION FOLLOWED BECAUSE THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY, BUILD UP OF SLUDGE FROM ENGINE OIL. COMPANY DECLINED TO FULFILL WARRANTY OBLIGATION BECAUSE OF THE AGE AND MILEAGE ON THE CAR.*AK

WITHOUT WARNING ENGINE DIED AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING ON A DUAL LANE HIGHWAY. PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY BEFORE CAR MOMENTUM DIED. WOULD NOT RESTART AND THE "ENGINE CHECK" LIGHT WAS LIT.*AK CAR WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE REPAIR STATION THAT EVENING. SERVICE STATION FOUND THE WATER PUMP FAILED RESULTING IN THE TIMING BELT FAILURE. BELT AND WATER PUMP REPLACED, TIMING RESET, BUT FAILED TO START. INVESTIGATION REVEALED TIMING HAD SLIPPED AND CAUSE WAS THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY KEY HAD SHEARED. THAT WAS REPLACED, TIMED AGAIN, AND ENGINE WAS BACK TO NORMAL. OLDMOBILE PARTS NOT AVAILIABLE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR, IT TURNED OFF WITH NO WARNING. I COULD NOT TURN THE CAR BACK ON AS I TRIED, THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON. I NOTIFIED THE DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT MY ENGINE HAD SEIZED. MY CAR IS A 98 CAMARY WITH 75000 MILES WHICH WAS PURCHASED FROM THE DEALER AND HAS HAD ALL SERVICE CHECKUPS FROM THE DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT IT WOULD COST ME 4700 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AND MY WARRANTY WAS UP IN JULY OF 2003. I AM WONDERING WHAT IS GOING ON WITH TOYOTA. MY FAMILY HAS HAD SIX TOYOTAS SINCE 1988. THIS CAR AND OUR LAST TOYOTA CAMARY HAVE BEEN HORRIBLE. THE 2000 NEEDED A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION AND NOW THIS. IN ADDITION TO THIS WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME TO PURCHASE ANOTHER CAR AS IF IT WAS JUST THAT EASY. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER WHO BROUGHT A TOYOTA BECAUSE OF THE SUPPOSED DEPENDABLITY. I GUESS I WAS WRONG. *JB

HAVE NOTICED FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT A LOT OF BLUE-BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHUAUST UPON STARTUP. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT A LOT OF TOYOTAS HAVE HAD ENGINE FAILURE CAUSED BY OIL SLUDGE BUILD-UP. NOW I'M CONCERNED THAT THE ENGINE MAY FAIL SOON. I HAVE HAD REGULAR OIL CHANGES (SOME DONE BY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND SOME BY MYSELF). THE TOYOTA DEALER IN COOS BAY ASSURED ME THAT THIS WAS NOT A PROBLEM AND ONLY HAPPENS ONCE IN ABOUT 25,000 CARS. THE FACTS SEEM TO BE QUITE DIFFERENT.

THE ENGINE IN MY CAMRY BLEW. THE CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND RUNNING FINE. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY OIL SLUDGING/GELLING. HOWEVER, THEY COULDN'T EXPLAIN WHY THE ENGINE BLEW. ALL THEY COULD TELL ME IS THAT A PISTON BLEW THROUGH THE ENGINE. SINCE THEY CLAIMED THERE WAS NO OIL SLUDGING/GELLING THEY REFUSED TO COVER COSTS OF REPAIR.