2000 Toyota Camry

The contact owns a 2000 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to immediately respond after the gear shifter was shifted into reverse(R). The contact stated that there was a hesitation before the vehicle responded. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred after shifting into drive(D). There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys where it was diagnosed that the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) vacuum switching valve needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was not drivable. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 232,000.

I WAS ABOUT TO PULL OUT ONTO ROUTE 23 S. IN WAYNE NJ. I WAS APP 35 FEET IN FRONT OF A STORE. I PLACED THE CAMRY IN PARK FOR A SECOND. I THEN WENT TO PLACE THE CAR IN DRIVE. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STARTED GOING IN REVERSE STRAIGHT TOWARD THE STORE. I COULD NOT STOP IT. YOU NEVER KNOW HOW YOU ARE GOING TO REACT IN A SITUATION THAT COMES ON YOU SUDDENLY. ANYWAY, I OPENED THE CAR DOOR TO GET MY BEARINGS AND WAS MORE THAN HALF-WAY OUT THE CAR. MY LEFT LEG WAS ALSO OUT OF THE CAR. I HAD ONE HAND ON THE STEERING WHEEL. AT THE LAST SECOND, I TURNED THE WHEEL AND MISSED BOTH THE STORE AND PARKED CARS. MY CAR CRASHED INTO A FENCE. I WAS NOT HURT BUT WAS SHAKEN UP. TOYOTA SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THEY WOULD NOT LET EITHER MYSELF OR MY MECHANIC IN WHILE IT WAS INSPECTED. SINCE I WAS MORE THAN HALFWAY OUT THE CAR, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO HAVE MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR BECAUSE OF THE ANGLE I WAS IN. I ALSO HAVE A WITNESS TO THE ABOVE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE GEAR AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THEY REBUILT THE TRANSMISSION AT HIS EXPENSE. HE LATER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE WARRANTY WAS NOT VALID AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. COMPLAINT 1010212163 WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES TO MY WELL-MAINTAINED 2000 CAMRY V6 WITH 88,000 MILES ON IT, THE CAR OFTEN SHUDDERS AND VIBRATES JUST BEFORE IT COMES TO A STOP. I USUALLY HAVE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO ELIMINATE THE VIBRATION, BUT THAT IS A VERY UNSAFE TACTIC. THE DEALER REPLACED A WHEEL BEARING BUT THAT HAD NO EFFECT. NOW THE DEALER THINKS THAT THE SHUDDER/VIBRATION PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY THE TRANSMISSION AND IT HAS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $5000-$6000, WHICH IS ABOUT TWICE WHAT THE CAR IS WORTH. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD FAIL SO EARLY UNLESS IT WAS DEFECTIVE. SINCE THE PROBLEM OCCURS DURING BRAKING, IT CLEARLY IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM. *TR

ON JUNE 12, 2010, MY TOYOTA CAMRY (YR 2000, 4 CYL, CE) MADE A STRANGE SOUND FROM THE ENGINE AT 60-70 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. AFTER ANOTHER 30 MIN OF STRANGE SOUND COMING OUT FROM THE ENGINE, THE ENGINE BELOW STARTED TO MAKE LOUD CRANKING SOUND. I PULLED IN TO THE SERVICE ROAD OF THE HIGHWAY AND AFTER A FEW MORE CRANKING SOUND, THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DISABLED. I CALLED THE POLICE TO GET IT TOWED TO A NEARBY TOWN. ON JUNE 14, I ARRANGED TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED BACK TO MY HOMETOWN 120 MILES AWAY. THE TOYOTA DEALER INSPECTED THE CAR AND SAID THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL PART OF THE TRANSMISSION WAS TOTALLY DAMAGED. THE SERVICE PERSON SAID THAT IT IS OUT OF ORDINARY FOR A CAR OF THIS TYPE AND MILEAGE TO HAVE TRANSMISSION BREAKDOWN. I HAVE KEPT THE CAR UNDER REGULAR MAINTENANCE EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 1999. THIS TRANSMISSION BREAKDOWN OCCURRED AT 72,000 MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS SERVICED FOR A LEAK AT 66,000 MILE AT THE SAME TOYOTA DEALER. I SUSPECT MY TOYOTA CAMRY HAD PRE-EXISTING MANUFACTURING DEFECTS IN THE TRANSMISSION THAT CAUSED THIS CATASTROPHIC TRANSMISSION BREAKDOWN PROBLEM. IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY. CALLED THE TOYOTA COMPANY AND FILED A COMPLAINT. TOYOTA SAID THAT MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

AS I PULLED INTO THE PARKING LOT WHERE I WORK, I STOPPED AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK TO LET ANOTHER CAR PASS ME AND THEN INTO REVERSE TO BACK UP AND STRAIGHTEN OUT IN THE PARKING SPOT. WHEN I DID I COULD FEEL THAT THE SHIFTER WAS NO LONGER CONNECTED TO THE TRANSMISSION, THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. I WAS LUCKY THAT I HAD PUT THE CAR IN PARK FIRST SO IT WOULDN'T ROLL. I HAD A FRIEND WHO IS A LICENSED MECHANIC LOOK AT THE CAR AND HE SHOWED ME THE BROKEN END OF THE SHIFTER CABLE. "THIS NEVER HAPPENS", HE SAID. THE CABLE IS MADE TO LAST FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. IT IS VERY STRONG. IT JUST DOESN'T BREAK. WHEN I ORDERED THE PART FROM THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THE SAME THING AGAIN. HE ALSO SAID THE HE HAS NEVER EVEN HEARD OF ONE BREAKING! I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THERE MUST BE A DEFECT. I DON'T DRIVE ALOT OF MILES, AND I DO NOT DRIVE MY CAR HARD. I LIVE JUST OUTSIDE OF BOSTON, MA. *TR

THE WINDOWS IN MY CAR DO NOT WORK. THE PUMPS NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT UNLOCK WITH MY ALARM PAD. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THIS IS MY SECOND TOYOTA AND THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WENT BAD IN THE LAST ONE I HAD ALSO. MY TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED AND NOW MY CAR SQUEAKS WHEN I AM DRIVING. IT SQUEAKS LOUDLY. I WOULD HAVE SUBMITTED THIS BEFORE BUT I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS WEBSITE. *NM