1999 Toyota Camry

THE RADIATOR WAS EMPTY, AND HERE WERE TRACES OF ANTIFREEZE ON THE INSPECTION PLUG ON THE TIMING OVER. AS I EXPLAINED UPON OUR INTIAL MEETING, THIS INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A DEFINITE LOSS OF ANTIFREEZE, WITH A DEFINITE POSSIBILITY OF WATER PUMP FAILURE AND CORRESPONDING TIMING BELT FAILURE. HOWEVER, WHEN I DID THE INITIAL TEAR-DOWN OF THE TIMING AREA, I FOUND A RATHER SURPRISING SCENARIO. THE TIMING BELT WAS INTACT. THERE WERE NONE OF HE USUAL OIL LEAKS FROM THE CAM/CRANK SEALS. THE BELT WAS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE. THE WATER PUMP HAD SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC BEARING FAILURE. IN FACT, I FOUND PIECES OF METAL IN THE TIMING AREA, AS WELL AS A FEW OF THE BALL BEARINGS FROM THE WATER PUMP SHAFT BEARING. THE TIMING AREA ALSO HAD TRACES OF ANTIFREEZE (OEM ANTIFREEZE) FROM WHERE THE WATER PUMP HAD BEEN LEAKING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. AS PER OUR DISCUSSION, I PROCEEDED TO TEAR THE ENGINE DOWN FURTHER TO INSPECT FOR OTHER POSSIBLE DAMAGE. AT THIS TIME, WE WERE SIMPLY EXPECTING TO FIND A WARPED/POSSIBLY CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD. UPON REMOVING THE NECESSARY COMPONENTS REQUIRED TO REMOVE THE HEAD, AND REMOVING THE HEAD ITSELF, I INSPECTED THE BLOCK, CYLINDERS, AND PISTONS. THE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE PISTONS HAD SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE. THERE IS OVER THIRTY THOUSANDTHS OF CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TOP EDGE OF THE PISTON AND THE CYLINDER WALL. THE TOP PISTON RING IS CLEARLY VISIBLE. THEREFORE, I MUST DECLARE THE ENGINE A LOSS. IN FACT, I HAVE MADE THE OBSERVATION THAT TOYOTA VEHICLES USING THE OEM ANTIFREEZE USUALLY HAD FAR FEWER COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEMS OF ANY KIND. IN THEIR VEHICLES. I HAVE TWO TOYOTA PICKUPS. ONE HAS A REMAN ENGINE. IT HAS OEM ANTIFREEZE AND AN OEM OIL FILTER. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, I FEEL IN MY OPINION, AND MY EXPERIENCE, THAT THIS PROBLEM IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. WHAT THE MANUFACTURER CAN AND WILL DO FOR YOU I DO NOT KNOW. *AK

WHILE DRIVING A LOUD BANG NOISE WAS HEARD AND A CLANGING SOUND WAS MADE FROM THE CAR. CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD AND IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. VEC. WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION ON 4/15/04. CONSUMER WAS 400 MILES OVER FORD WARRANTY. WARRANTY COMPANY HAS AN ADJUSTER COME OUT AND LOOK AT THE VEC. 6 OR 7 TIMES. FORD KNEW IN THE MIDDLE OF MAY THAT THE VEC. WAS OVER MILEAGE AND THEY CONTINUED TO LEAD THE CONSUMER AND THE DEALERSHIP THAT THEY WOULD FIX IT. FORD DEALERSHIP AND THE FORD WARRANTY COMPANY ADJUSTER BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED. 2 BOLTS THAT HELD THE PISTON IN PLACE BUSTED AND THREW A ROD THROUGH THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE. THE SAME DEALERSHIP HAD ANOTHER CAMRY WITH 61,000 MILES COME IN WHILE THIS CAR WAS THERE AND HAD DONE THE EXACT SAME THING HAD HAPPENED WITH IT. THE VEC. NEEDS A NEW ENGINE AND NOT TOYOTA NOR FORD WILL HELP US. I HAVE DONE SEVERAL SEARCHES OVER THIS VEC. AND HAVE FOUND THAT THERE HAS BEEN OVER 5,000 CAMRYS THAT HAVE DONE THIS EXACT SAME THING....1999. THEY HAVE ALL BEEN AROUND THE SAME MILEAGE ALSO. *AK

WHILE DRIVING A LOUD BANKING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT. CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THEN, VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER RESTARTED VEHICLE, AND PULLED OVER. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT DUE TO A BLOWN GASKET. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD AND HEARD LOUD CLANGING SOUND AND THEN SAW LOTS OF SMOKE. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I PULLED OVER. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND OPENED THE HOOD. THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE AND OIL WAS ALL OVER. CAR HAD 66,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS 400 MILES OVER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. TOOK TO TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO SLUDGE OR GEL IN THE ENGINE. CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD HAVE DONE TO CAUSE THIS. WARRANTY COMPANY IS FIGHTING US ON FIXING THE VEC. AND TOYOTA WILL NOT DO ANYTHING EITHER. THIS HAPPENED ON APRIL 15, 2004 AND IT IS NOW JULY 7, 2004. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP STILL HAS MY CAR. *AK

WHILE PULLING INSIDE OF A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT WAS ONLY ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE BY APPLYING THE ACCELERATED AND BRAKE. THEN THE VEHICLE STARTED. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT HOME. THE DRIVER CONTACTED THE DEALER FOR AN APPOINTMENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM