1999 Toyota Camry

THIS CAR IS A LEMON. I HAVE HAD FIVE INTEGRATED RELAY'S REPLACED AND NOW IT IS OUT AGAIN. THE HEADLIGHT OR THE DASH LIGHTS WILL WORK, BUT NOT BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. TOYOTA SAID IT WAS BECAUSE I HAD A NON-FACTORY ALARM INSTALLED. THEY REPLACED THE ALARM WITH A TOYOTA ALARM AND REPLACED THE RELAY AND IT BURNED OUT THE FOLLOWING DAY. THEY CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. THE AIR CONDITIONER HAS HAD A MUSTY SMELL SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW. THEY SPRAY THE VENTS WITH "FRIGI FRESH" AND IT'S FINE FOR A FEW DAYS AND THE SMELL RETURNS. THEY TOLD ME TO SPRAY SIMPLE GREEN IN THE AIR INTAKE ONCE A WEEK. THAT'S A PRETTY POOR REMEDY. THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT HOLD ON ANY INCLINE. SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL PULL INTO THE GARAGE BY IT SELF AND OTHER TIMES IT WILL ROLL INTO THE STREET. IT DEPENDS ON IT'S MOOD. THE CAR LACK POWER. SOME DAYS THE CAR IS PEPPY BUT MOST DAYS IT'S A OLD MULE. I WENT THROUGH ARBITRATION AND TOYOTA JUST KEEPS REPLACING PARTS INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE CAR. IT'S SITS IN THE GARAGE NOW BECAUSE IS NOT DEPENDABLE. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE AN IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATION AND RECALL OF THE 1999 CAMRY.*AK

THIS PROBLEM INVOLVES THE BUILDUP OF OIL SLUDGE IN THE 1998-2001 TOYOTA V6 PRODUCTS. APPARETNLY THEY REDESIGNED THE V6 ENGINE SO THAT IT WOULD FIT IN THE SIENNA VAN. IN DOING SO THEY CREATED A DESIGN FLAW THAT CREATES SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. APPARENTLY THE DESIGN FLAW CAUSES THE ENGINE TO RUN TO HOT ALSO CAUSING VALVE SEALS TO LEAK. THE RESULT IS A FAIRLY NEW CAR THAT SMOKES, BURNS 1 QUART OF OIL A WEEK, AND BUILDS UP SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE WHICH I AM TOLD WILL RUIN THE ENGINE IF I KEEP DRIVING WITH SLUDGE BUILD UP BECAUSE THE ENGINE WON'T BE LUBRICATED PROPERLY. MANY OTHERS ARE REPORTING THIS SLUDGE PROBLEM. IN THE 1999 OWNERS MANUEL IT SAYS YOU CAN CHANGE THE OIL EVERY 7500 MILES. WHICH PEOPLE DID. THESE CUSTOMERS THAT FOLLOWED THIS GUIDE LINE INSTEAD OF THE 3000-5000 MILE OIL CHANGES WHICH SHOULD BE RECOMMENDED NOW HAVE OIL SLUDGE. I CALLED MY HONDA SERVICE REP WHO TOLD ME TOYOTA HAS A FIX FOR THE OVERHEATING PROBLEM WHICH THEY DO NOT WANT THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO KNOW ABOUT BECAUSE THAN THEY WILL HAVE TO FIX THOUSANDS OF CARS. HE SAID THE ENGINE DOES NOT BREATH PROPERLY AND THAT THEY HAVE AN UPGRADE TO THE BREATHER - THE POSITIVE CRANK CASE?? HE SAID IF I CAN PROVE TO TOYOTA SUCH AN UPGRADE IS AVAILABLE THEY WILL FIX IT BUT WILL DENY ANY KNOWLEDGE OTHERWISE. I SUBMIT THAT TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLES THAT HAVE GOTTEN SLUDGE FROM THIS DEFECT WHILE UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT TOYOTA SHOULD BE FORCED TO DO A RECALL AND INSTALL THE UPGRADED PART SO THAT THEIR ENGINES BREATHE PROPERLY. TOYOTA REFUSES TO HONOR MY WARRANTY ON REPLACING THE VALVE SEALS AND RINGS WHICH WILL COST ME ABOUT $3200. THE LEAST THEY COULD DO IS INSTALL THE FIX INTO MY ENGINE SO IF I DO GET IT FIXED IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. TOYOTA HAS CHANGED THEIR 2001 OWNERS MANUEL TELLING PEOPLE TO CHANGE THE OIL EVERY 5000 MILES SO THEY KNOW THE DIRECTION TO CHANGE IT EVERY 7500 MILES WILL NOT WORK FOR THEI ESITB BECAUSE I HAVE SLUDGE AND T OF LYD THGIT OTHERWISE. ISIENOICE LKHE HASPD SATOYOTA EVEN HAS.

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 25MPH ON A SIDE STREET TRAVELING ONTO ANOTHER STREET,AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING, VEHICLE TOOK OFF AND HIT TWO VEHICLES. CONSUMER HAD FEET ON BRAKES, AND VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK CONSUMER ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM A YEAR AGO, HOWEVER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND STOP VEHICLE, FOR THIS LAST ACCIDENT, DEALER REPLACED GASKET AND CLEANED THROTTLE BODY. *SLC

ON 6-16-01, I WAS ON MY WAY HOME WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER. I WASN'T ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. IN ORDER TO STOP IT, I HAD TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT FROM. IT HAS BEEN THERE EVER SINCE. I FOUND OUT TODAY THAT THE WATER PUMP FROZE UP ON IT AND BROKE THE TIMING BELT. THE SALESMAN WHO SOLD ME MY CAR TOLD ME THAT HE HAS HEARD OF MANY OWNERS OF THE CAMRY WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I'M EXPERIENCING. HE TOLD ME THAT THE CAR IS PRETTY MUCH UNSAFE, SO I TRADED IT IN AND BOUGHT A COROLLA TODAY. I HAD NO INTENTION OF TRADING IN MY CAR. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF TOYTOA KNEW ABOUT THE FAILED WATER PUMP/TIMING BELT IN THEIR CAMRYS'. AND IF SO, WHY DIDN'T THEY LET THE PUBLIC KNOW ABOUT HOW DANGEROUS THIS COULD BE? I LEASED MY CAMRY AND TOYOTA IS MAKING ME PAY FOR REMAINDER OF THE LEASE. THEREFORE, I AM PAYING TWO CAR NOTES. I WOULD LIKE FOR THEM TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE MONEY I LOST IN THIS DEAL.*AK

CONSUMER HAS TO TAKE VEHICLE INTO DEALERSHIP FOR BRAKES EVERY THREE TO FOUR MONTHS. THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE AT THIS POINT. DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BRAKE PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR, MASTER CYLINDER WAS OUT OF ADJUSTMENT, ROTORS WERE REPLACED. VEHICLE STALLED DUE TO WATER PUMP FAILURE THE WATER PUMP CAME APART AND BROKE THE TIMING BELT. *SLC *AK