1999 Toyota Camry

THE OUTER BELT OF THE FRONT TIRE SEPARATED WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 15 NEAR BAKER, CA , TOWARDS LAS VEGAS, AT 7:30 PM. WITH GREAT DIFFICULTY, I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR AND AVOID A MAJOR ACCIDENT IN THAT BUSY HIGHWAY. I RECEIVED A CITATION FROM THE HIGHWAY PATROL BECAUSE I HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. I HAD TO PAY FOR A TOW TRUCK TO REMOVE THE CAR. THE CAR WAS DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS BY THE LIBERTY MUTUAL'S APPRAISER. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THESE TIRES HAD BEEN RECALLED ON NOV '06, BUT NEITHER PEP BOYS (THE SELLER) NOR THE TIRE MANUFACTURER, COOPER TIRES, HAD EVER CONTACTED ME ABOUT THE RECALL. MOREOVER, PEP BOYS HAD FAILED TO INFORM ME OF THE SERIOUS CRASH RISK OF THESE TIRES, EVEN WHEN I TOOK MY CAR ON MAR 30TH, 2008 FOR TIRE ROTATION !!! BOTH COMPANIES PEP BOYS AND COPPER TIRES HAVE BEEN UNRESPONSIVE TO MY COMPLAINTS AND CLAIMING THE OTHER AS THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY IN THIS CASE. BY THE WAY, I'M STILL WITHOUT A CAR. *TR

ON SIX OCCASIONS IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA I HAVE EXPERIENCED TIRE FAILURE DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION. ON TWO OF THESE OCCASIONS I HAVE BEEN ON THE FREEWAY AND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF ROAD ON FOUR OTHERS I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE COMPANY WHERE I PURCHASED THE TIRES. THE TIRES INVOLVED WITH THESE FAILURES HAVE BEEN ON TWO SEPARATE CARS BOTH OF THEM ARE 99 TOYOTA CAMRY'S. THE TIRES ARE THE SAME MANUFACTURE AND MODEL BUT DIFFERENT SIZES. THE COMPANY WHERE I PURCHASED THESE TIRES FROM HAS WORKED WITH ME AND HAS REPLACED THESE TIRES ON ALL OCCASIONS. I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT NOW BECAUSE I HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH TWO TIRES ON ONE OF MY CAMRY'S AND ONE TIRE ON THE OTHER CAMRY AND I FEEL THAT THESE TIRES ARE NOT SAFE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE FRONT END OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. HE SUSTAINED MODERATE INJURIES TO HIS NECK AND SHOULDERS FROM THE CRASH. THE CONTACT HAS A COPY OF THE POLICE REPORT AND PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 100,000.

MY CAMRY SHOWED THE EXACT 3 SIGNS OF OIL GEL LIST IN SETTLED CLASS ACTION SUIT: EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION, BLUE SMOKE, & ENGINE LIGHT ON. SETTLED CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT SAYS TOYOTA SHOULD FIX/PAY. TOYOTA INC. DENIED CLAIM. CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT CLEARLY INCLUDES MY 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY 4CYL. TOYOTA SHOULD AUTHORIZE THE $3000 OF REPAIRS NEEDED ON MY CAMRY AND SHOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIRS AS THEY WERE DIRECTED TO BY A COURT OF LAW. I'M JUST GLAD I NOTICED THE 3 SIGNS OF OIL GET & BROUGHT IT TO A NEARBY DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT BEFORE SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY. IN MINNESOTA LAST WEEK, ONE CAMRY-OWNING FAMILY WAS NOT AS FORTUNATE: DURING RUSH-HOUR ON ONE OF MINNESOTA'S BUSIEST HIGHWAYS, A TOYOTA CAMRY CAME TO A FULL STOP AND WAS REAR-ENDED BY A SEMI. AS A RESULT OF INJURIES SUSTAINED WHEN THE FAMILY'S CAMRY WAS REAR-ENDED, A 4 YEAR OLD GIRL DIED. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT CAMRY WAS ONE OF THE CAMRYS COVERED IN THE OIL GEL LAWSUIT. I DO KNOW THAT IF IT'S ONE OF THE TOYOTA CAMRYS THAT HAS ENGINE DAMAGE THAT, IF UNDETECTED BY OWNER, WILL CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SEIZE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THESE CAMRYS DO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON FREEWAYS. *TR

RE: TOYOTA CAMRY ENGINE FAILURE ON 12/21/07 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY LE DECEMBER 31, 2007 DEAR SIR, ON DECEMBER 21, 2007 AT 11:30AM PT, MY WIFE KIM LY NGUYEN DROVE OUR 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY LE ON THE 405 SOUTH FREEWAY. AS SHE WAS ABOUT TO PASS THE BRISTOL ST. EXIT IN COSTA MESA, MY WIFE SUDDENLY HEARD AN UNUSUAL NOISY SOUND AND DETECTED THE STRONG SCENT OF OIL AND GASOLINE LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. IMMEDIATELY, MY WIFE MANEUVERED OUR CAR TO THE RIGHT-HAND SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY. ONCE MY WIFE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE CAR ENGINE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED COMPLETE FAILURE AND WOULD NOT RE-START. OUR CAR WAS TOWED BY 21ST CENTURY INSURANCE TO ACCU AUTO SERVICE (23253 MADERO #A-104, MISSION VIEJO, CA 92691) FOR REPAIR. SINCE WE ARE HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON OUR CAR TO COMMUTE TO WORK EVERY DAY, IT WAS CRUCIAL THAT WE RECEIVED IMMEDIATE SERVICE ON OUR CAR. AFTER A DIAGNOSTIC EXAM, ACCU AUTO SERVICE DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN AND TOTAL FAILURE (PLEASE SEE ATTACHED PICTURES) AND WAS COMPLETELY REPLACED AND SERVICED. SINCE WE BOUGHT OUR TOYOTA CAMRY LE ON 4/10/99, IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY THROUGH THE ?GOLD SEAL MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN SERVICES CONTRACT LIMITED, AND WE ARE HOPING THAT YOU CAN HELP US WITH A REIMBURSEMENT OF OUR REPAIR COSTS. DUE TO THE DEPENDENCY ON OUR CAR FOR SURVIVAL, WE HAD TO AUTHORIZE AN IMMEDIATE REPAIR. THROUGH THE LIFE OF OUR TOYOTA CAMRY LE, WE HAVE MAINTAINED A GOOD MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE AND UPKEEP, WHICH CAN BE VERIFIED THROUGH LEW WEBB'S IRVINE TOYOTA, INC. (30 AUTO CENTER DR., IRVINE, CA 92618) AT 949-768-0688 OR ACCU AUTO SERVICES AT 949-859-9637. WE HOPE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND OUR SITUATION AND ARE ABLE TO HONOR OUR WARRANTY BY GRANTING US A REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIR OF THE DEFECTIVE CAR ENGINE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP AND TIME. SINCERELY, LIEM NGO & KIM LY NGUYEN *TR