1999 Toyota Camry

I HAVE A "1999" TOYOTA CAMRY THAT ON THE WAY TO WORK YESTERDAY HAD THE ENGINE BEGIN RACING AND THE BRAKES WERE BARELY ABLE TO STOP IT. I HAD TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK WHILE THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE. I GOT OUT AND CHECKED FLOOR MATS AND WORKED THE GAS PEDAL BY HAND AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE. I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND TRIED RESTARTING IT AND THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN RACING AGAIN. I MANAGED TO MOVE IT OFF THE ROAD AND INTO A GAS STATION AND HAD SOMEONE FROM INSIDE COME OUT JUST TO WITNESS IT AS I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT WAS HAPPENING. I OPENED THE HOOD AND MANUALLY WORKED WHAT I CALL THE THROTTLE CONTROL AND WAS ABLE TO ROTATE IN BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE. ONLY TURNING THE ENGINE OFF WOULD STOP THE RACING. I REPEATED THESE STEPS AT LEAST 3 TIMES AND UPON THE LAST ENGINE START UP THE ENGINE IDLED NORMALLY. I HAD DRIVEN FOR A SHORT TIME BEFORE AND I FEEL CERTAIN THAT THE SPEED CONTROL WAS CONTROLLING THE SPEED UNTIL I TOOK IT OFF. AT FIRST THOUGHT MY BRAKES WERE BAD AS THEY WEREN'T STOPPING THE CAR WELL. THEN I NOTICED IT WAS ACTUALLY ACCELERATING ON IT'S ON. I UNDERSTAND THIS WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN ON THIS YEAR OF VEHICLE AND THAT IS WHAT THE LOCAL SERVICE PEOPLE TOLD ME WHEN I CALLED THEM. HOWEVER, I AM VERY WARY THAT THERE IS AN ELECTRONIC ASPECT TO THE PROBLEM AND EVEN IF IT IS SOME OTHER PROBLEM KNOWN OR NOT KNOWN TO TOYOTA IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM TO HAVE AND NEVER TO HAVE KNOWN ABOUT MYSELF. *TR

I REPORTED THIS TO COMPLAINTS.COM ON 11/12/2005 BUT WANTED TO ALSO SUBMIT IT TO YOU DUE TO ALL OF THE NEWS LATELY. IN NOVEMBER 2005, MY PARENTS WERE DRIVING THEIR 1999 CAMRY AND PULLING SLOWING INTO A PARKING SPOT. JUST AS THEY WERE ABOUT TO COMPLETE PARKING AND ONLY GOING LESS THAN A MILE PER HOUR, THEIR CAR ACCELERATED VERY FAST, LEFT THE CURB AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. WE ASKED ABOUT IF SUDDEN ACCELERATION COULD BE INVESTIGATED AT THIS TIME BUT WERE TOLD IT COULDN'T. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. MY MOM WAS INJURED (BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA TO HER CHEST) BUT RECOVERED FAIRLY SOON AFTER. SHE DID GO TO THE ER. MY DAD, WHO WAS DRIVING, WAS OK BUT FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT WAS STRESSED DUE TO WORRY ABOUT MY MOM'S INJURY AND HAVING THEIR CAR TOTALED SINCE HE WAS SURE HE HADN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG.. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. MY DAD IS SURE HE DID NOT HIT THE GAS BY MISTAKE AND MY MOM AGREES THAT HE DIDN'T HIT THE GAS EITHER. *TR

DESPITE BEING REGULARLY MAINTAINED, VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF, NOT ABUSED, AND LESS THAN AVERAGE USE (AVERAGE 6700 MI/YR), THIS TOYOTA CAMRY (PURCHASED NEW FROM A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA) HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY FOR LONG. THE FACTORY-INSTALLED CD/CASSETTE/RADIO SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES, AND NOW THE CD PLAYER PART YET AGAIN DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. AT ONLY ABOUT 10000 MILES, THE AIR FLOW RATIO SENSOR AND MANIFOLD HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEN THERE IS THE FACT THAT ABOUT 95% OF THE TIME, THE CAR WILL NOT START WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR BEING DEPRESSED AND HELD FOR 1 MIN, AND EVEN THEN THE ENGINE ALWAYS SOUNDS WEAK AND ONLY REACHES ABOUT 500 RPM UNTIL PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE ODOMETER READ 16603 MILES. THAT WAS WHEN THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE WAS FIRST REPLACED. THE SITUATION SEEMED TO IMPROVE, UNTIL 34800 MILES, WHEN THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH IT NOT STARTING AND BEING VERY WEAK RESUMED. AT 35394 MILES THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE WAS REPLACED FOR A 2ND TIME. AT 47000 MILES THE SAME PROBLEMS RESUMED. AT 49180 MILES, THE CAR WOULD (AS USUAL) NOT START UNLESS THE ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED FOR 1 MIN. THEN IT RAN AT ONLY 500 RPM. AS IT WAS THEN BEING DRIVEN OUT OF AN ALLEY, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SPONTANEOUSLY BOOSTED TO 1200 RPM, NEARLY CAUSING A COLLISION. THIS TYPE OF IMPETUOUS ACCELERATION STARTED FREQUENTLY OCCURRING. TOYOTA REFUSED TO HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM, ONLY SAYING TO USE PREMIUM GASOLINE, WHICH PROVED TO NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. NOW THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF THE CAR HAS COLLAPSED THREE TIMES AT 72173 MI, 75009 MI, AND TODAY (2010-03-11) AT 75024 MI. THE DISHONESTY OF TOYOTA PERSONNEL IS SEEN IN ITS REFUSING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AND EARLIER IN FRAUDULENTLY CANCELING THE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM THAT WAS PART OF THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE AFTER THE CAR WAS PAID FOR AND ITS REFUSAL TO RESPOND TO WRITTEN COMMUNICATION. *TR

NOT SEVERE - BUT THIS IS AN OLDER TOYOTA AND I WANT THE PROBLEM LOGGED. MY CAR DOES "LURCH" IN SUDDEN ACCELERATIONS, BUT IT HAS NEVER BEEN SEVERE. I HAVE ONLY NOTICED WHEN I AM STOPPED AT A LIGHT, AND IN REVERSE. WHEN I AM STOPPED WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR ENGINE SUDDENLY REVS. BUT I'M ALWAYS CLAMPED DOWN HARD ON THE BRAKE, SO THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM THERE. WHILE IN REVERSE, I HAVE ALSO HAD SUDDEN ACCELERATION, BUT MINOR AND IT ONLY LASTS FOR A SECOND. BUT IT DOES HAPPEN. SINCE IT WASN'T HAPPENING ALL THE TIME, THE DEALERSHIP COULD NEVER FIND A PROBLEM WITH IT. *TR

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, MY 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY (4 CYLINDER) HAS EXPERIENCED SUDDEN UNINTENDED ENGINE ACCELERATION. I DETECTED THAT THIS SEEMS TO OCCUR WHEN I AM COASTING TOWARDS A LIGHT BEFORE A HILL, THAT THE ENGINE WILL SPEED UP ON ITS OWN AND BEGIN ACCELERATING THE CAR. APPLYING PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE STOPPED THE CAR IN MOST CASES, BUT ONCE I ENDED UP ACCELERATING AND COULD NOT STOP THE CAR UNTIL I HIT SOME BUSHES ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT ALSO HAPPENS WHEN I WAS MAKING A TURN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT THE ACCELERATION INCREASED ON ITS OWN. I AM REPORTING THIS NOW AS WITH THE NEWS ABOUT TOYOTA CAMRY'S, I BELIEVE THE 1999 MODELS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THE LAST DATE THAT THIS OCCURRED TO ME WAS FEB 28, 2010, BUT IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING A FEW TIMES PER YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING TOWARD A RED LIGHT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, SHE PUT HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AND ACCELERATED. THE DRIVER PRESSED HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MUCH FORCE IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER THOUGHT THE DRIVER HAD ENGAGED THE ACCELERATED PEDAL SINCE THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE; HOWEVER, SHE WAS ENGAGING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 109,890.

PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THE TWO ACCIDENTS THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED. I PURCHASED MY TOYOTA CAMRY IN 2003 AND LOVED IT. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR 57 YEARS AND NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT. ON OCTOBER 11, 2007, I DROVE UP MY DAUGHTER'S DRIVEWAY, CAME TO A STOP (MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE) AND WAS PUTTING MY CAR IN PARK WHEN IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INTO AND CRASHED THRU THE CLOSED GARAGE DOOR! I FINALLY CAME TO A STOP AFTER CRASHING INTO THE HOT WATER HEATER AND A WORK TABLE, PUTTING A BIG HOLE IN THE WALL BEHIND IT. A CABINET FELL ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND THE BROKEN GARAGE DOOR CLOSED ONTO THE REAR OF MY CAR. LUCKILY I WAS NOT INJURED BEYOND BRUISING AND STIFFNESS. MORE IMPORTANTLY, I AM RELIEVED MY GRANDSON WAS NOT IN THE CAR WITH ME, OR WORSE, HAD NOT COME INTO THE GARAGE WHEN I HONKED FOR HIM. THIS HAPPENED IN SECONDS AND WAS TERRIFYING. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE THE ENTIRE TIME! TWO YEARS LATER, ON JUNE 16, 2009, I DROVE INTO A JEWELRY STORE IN A STRIP MALL. I PULLED SLOWLY INTO A PARKING SPACE. AGAIN, MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AS I WAS STOPPING. I ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CAR INTO PARK. IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INTO A LARGE CONCRETE PILLAR, JUMPING THE CURB. AGAIN, MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. THIS HAPPENED IN A SPLIT SECOND; MY SEAT BELT TIGHTENED AND LOCKED AROUND MY CHEST AND THROAT. I JAMMED MY THUMB, HIT MY LEFT KNEE ON THE STEERING COLUMN AND WAS IN IMMEDIATE CHEST PAIN FROM THE SEAT BELT. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. I WENT TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND ALSO SAW MY DOCTOR. I SUFFERED MANY DEEP CONTUSIONS AND IT TOOK SIX WEEKS FOR MY CHEST AND BACK TO HEAL. I AM STILL HAVING NECK AND KNEE PROBLEMS. THIS WAS A HORRIBLY FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE. WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD THAT CONCRETE PILLAR NOT STOPPED THE CAR??!! WHAT IF PEOPLE HAD BEEN ON THE SIDEWALK OR JUST A COUPLE OF MORE FEET AND THE CAR WOULD HAVE CRASHED THROUGH THE GLASS FRONT OF THE JEWELRY STORE. TWO CRASHES--$11,000 DAMAGES I STILL FEEL VERY UNSAFE ABOUT MY CAR. WHEN WILL IT HAPPEN AGAIN? *TR

I OWN A 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY XL. MY CAR IS NOT ON ANY OF THE RECALL LISTS, HOWEVER, I DO OCCASIONALLY EXPERIENCE A STICKY ACCELERATOR PEDAL. SINCE ALL THE MEDIA COVERAGE I'VE CHECKED THE FLOOR MATS, WHICH DON'T SEEM TO BE RELATED TO THE ISSUE. I BELIEVE ALL TOYOTA PRODUCTS NEED TO HAVE A RECALL TO BE SURE ALL YEARS ARE COVERED. *TR

ON AUG 10, 2004 MY SISTER WAS DRIVING HER 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY WHEN IT INEXPLICABLY DROVE OFF THE W. BOUND LANES OF IL I '74' AT MI MARKER 115. IT TRAVELED 921 FT CROSSING THE MEDIAN, I '74' E. BOUND LANES, UP A HILL, EVENTUALLY STRIKING A TREE WHERE THE CAR BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES, BURNING MY SISTER TO DEATH. A WITNESS STATEMENT BY A SEMI TRUCK DRIVER STATED THAT HE SAW SPARKS COMING FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE. I ATTENDED THE CORONER'S INQUEST WHERE THE FACTUAL MATTERS WERE PRESENTED INCLUDING A TOXICOLOGY REPORT. HER DEATH WAS RULED AN "ACCIDENT". *TR

THE GAS PEDAL STICKS, AS IF IT IS RUBBING AGAINST SOMETHING ABOUT 1/3 THE WAY DOWN PRESSED. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENT AND CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHEN OR WHY AND IT IS NOT THE FLOORMAT. THE VEHICLE HAS OVER 100,000 MILES ON IT. IF YOU TAP IT, WHEN IT STICKS, IT WILL COME UNSTUCK. I BELIEVED THE CAR WAS GETTING OLD, MY CAR, BUT NOW MY WIFE COMPLAINS IT HAPPENS TO HER WHEN SHE DRIVES IT. *TR