NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
110 reportsClear category filter107,000 miles · Jan 15, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling
ENGINE OIL SLUDGE BUILDUP AT 107000 MILES. OTHER MANUFACTURERS DON'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM. TOYOTA WANTS MAINTENANCE RECEIPTS/OIL PURCHASE RECEIPTS, PROOF OF OWNERSHIP. TOYOTA WANTS TO REIMBURSE, IF THERE IS AN OIL GELLING RELATED PROBLEM. HOW MANY DO-IT-YOURSELFERS KEEP OIL RECEIPTS? WITH TODAY'S OILS, SLUDGE SHOULD NOT BE A PROB…
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ENGINE OIL SLUDGE BUILDUP AT 107000 MILES. OTHER MANUFACTURERS DON'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM. TOYOTA WANTS MAINTENANCE RECEIPTS/OIL PURCHASE RECEIPTS, PROOF OF OWNERSHIP. TOYOTA WANTS TO REIMBURSE, IF THERE IS AN OIL GELLING RELATED PROBLEM. HOW MANY DO-IT-YOURSELFERS KEEP OIL RECEIPTS? WITH TODAY'S OILS, SLUDGE SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM.
NHTSA ODI #10069725
76 miles · Jan 15, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling
SLUDGE
NHTSA ODI #10069500
Mileage unknown · Jan 15, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling
OIL GEL IN ENGINE AND ENGINE LIGHT CONSTANTLY ON. I HAVE ALL OIL CHANGES MADE ON TIME. TOYOTA DO NOT WANT TO OWN UP TO PROBLEM WITH OIL GEL. I CAN BE REACHED ON (202)708-0614 X2454. I WILL SEND ENTIRE LETTER IN MAIL TO YOU IMMEDIATELY FOR YOUR REVIEW. THANKS. SANDRA EDWARDS
NHTSA ODI #10069469
111,175 miles · Jan 14, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling
WHILE VEHICLE WAS MOVING AT A SPEED OF 60 MPH AND ENGINE INADVERTENTLY LOCKED UP. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10054101
150,000 miles · Jan 5, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling
WHILE AT A STOP CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO CHECK THE PROBLEM, AND SAW THAT THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONED. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, BUT DEALERSHIP DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10053330
Mileage unknown · Nov 25, 2003
Engine And Engine CoolingFire
WHILE TRAVELING ON 287 NORTH AROUND EDISON, NJ, MY 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE FIRE STARTED FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. AT THE TIME THE FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED, 60 PERCENT OF THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN ENGULFED ON FIRE. *LA
NHTSA ODI #10047544
82,000 miles · Nov 19, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH HEARD LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THIS FORCED DRIVER TO PULL OF THE ROAD. THEN, CALLED TRIPLE AAA, AND TOWED VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. TECHNICIAN STATED THE NEED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. CONSUMER HAD NAVIGATED IN DIFFERENT WEBSITES AND FOUND 5000 IDENTICAL PROBLEMS.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10048266
62,500 miles · Nov 7, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
FAILURE OF VALVE SEALS AND ENGINE VARNISH AT ONLY 62,000 MILES. VEHICLE WAS PROPERLY MAINTAINED OIL CHANGES WITHIN MFG. SPECS. THIS ENGINE RUNS TOO HOT! ONLY 2000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY TOYOTA REFUSED HELP, OVERCHARGED FOR REPAIR, AND CHARGED FOR AN OIL CHANGE THAT WAS NEVER DONE!!!! *LA
NHTSA ODI #10045683
Mileage unknown · Oct 19, 2003
Engine And Engine CoolingFire
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH GOING UPHILL ON EXPRESSWAY, WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY SMOKE AND FLAME. BY THE TIME WE GO TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, WE HAD NO BRAKES, NO STEERING, NOTHING WAS WORKING. CAR WAS TOTALLY COVERED IN SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE INTENSE. ANOTHER VEHI…
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WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH GOING UPHILL ON EXPRESSWAY, WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY SMOKE AND FLAME. BY THE TIME WE GO TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, WE HAD NO BRAKES, NO STEERING, NOTHING WAS WORKING. CAR WAS TOTALLY COVERED IN SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE INTENSE. ANOTHER VEHICLE STOPPED WITHIN SECONDS OF OUR PULLING OVER WITH A MEDIUM SIZED FIRE EXTINGUISHER. HE PROCEEDED TO LAY ON HIS BACK AND TOTALLY EMPTY THE EXTINGUISHER FROM UNDER THE CAR, WHICH MADE NO DIFFERENCE. BY THE TIME THE FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVED (WITHIN 10 MINUTES), THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS TOTALLY BURNED. I NOTICE THAT YOU HAVE CLOSED OUT PE02-079, BUT BELIEVE IT TO BE RELATED. THE CAR IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY STATE FARM INSURANCE. THE CAR HAD A MAJOR SERVICE AT 67,000 MILES, INCLUDING A TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT ON JULY 24TH, 2003. THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. *LA
NHTSA ODI #10043203
60,000 miles · Sep 23, 2003
Engine And Engine CoolingFire
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, A CLICKING NOISE WAS HEARD AND THEN SMOKE STARTED TO COME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE CONSUMER VIEWED FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD. *AK *SCC *JB
NHTSA ODI #10032294
NHTSA investigations
2PE02079 · Engine Compartment Fire
Opened Oct 22, 2002 · Closed Mar 18, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
ODI'S DATA ANALYSIS FOUND THE FIRES RATES TO BE CONSISTENTLY LOW AND EVENLY DISTRIBUTED AMONG SIX MODEL YEARS AND SIX DIFFERENT ENGINE CONFIGURATIONS.ODI EXAMINED A VARIETY OF ROOT CAUSES, THOSE BEING DETONATION (RESULTING IN OIL PAN PUNCTURE FROM CONNECTING ROD), STARTER FIRES, VARIOUS FUEL RELATED FIRES, LEAKING OIL FILTERS, WIRING ISSUES, IMPROPER REPAIRS AND BRAKE FLUID LEAKS.NONE OF THE ISSUES EXAMINED HAD REPORTS THAT INDICATED A TREND WHEN NORMALIZED FOR POPULATON AND EXPOSURE.SEE ATTACHED REPORT FOR FULL DETAILS.
DP02004 · Engine Seizure
Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
No summary supplied.
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