2000 Toyota Camry

THE BRAKE LIGHT STAYED ON REPEATEDLY BEFORE I HAD DRIVEN 10,000 MILES. THE FIRST TIME, TOYOTA REPLACED THE PADS AND TURNED THE ROTORS AT NO CHARGE. 7,000 MILES LATER, THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, AND TOYOTA TOLD ME THAT IT WAS DUE TO "REGULAR WEAR AND TEAR." I HAD TO REPLACE THE PADS AND ROTORS TO THE TUNE OF $278.00. IN VISITING YOUR SITE, I SEE THAT OTHER DRIVERS OF THE 2000 CAMRY'S ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR BRAKES. I HAVE OWNED APPROXIMATELY SEVEN TOYOTAS IN MY LIFETIME AND NEVER ONCE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES THAT SEEMED UNUSUAL. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR 30 YEARS, AND TO BE TOLD THAT THIS IS "REGULAR WEAR AND TEAR" STRIKES ME AS ODD. DUE TO THIS ONE PROBLEM, I HAVE DECIDED TO NEVER OWN ANOTHER TOYOTA. IF TOYOTA DOESN'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS, WHY SHOULD I?*AK

WHEN DRIVING THROUGH HEAVY RAIN WITH WATER STANDING ON ROAD, A/C FAILS. DEALER INDICATED THAT SUCH FAILURE WAS NORMAL WHEN WATER GETS ON BELT AND BELT SLIPS. NO REPAIR MADE. APPARENTLY THEY HAVE SEEN THIS FAILURE MANY TIMES BEFORE. FAILURE RESULTS IN RAPID AND UNEXPECTED CONDENSATION ON WINDSHIELD AND OTHER WINDOWS WITH LOSS OF VISIBILITY DURING BAD (HEAVY RAIN) DRIVING CONDITIONS. DEALER STATES THAT THERE ARE NO SERVICE BULLETINS CONCERNING THIS POROBLEM. DEALER DID NOT ADVISE CUSTOMER AS TO HOW TO RESET/RESTART A/C SYSTEM AFTER SUCH A FAILURE. PROBLEM REPORTED TO TOYOTA NATIONAL OFFICES ON 10/25/01 WITH TOYOTA FILE #2001 1024 0861. NO RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA AS OF 11/5/01. CUSTOMER ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT DEALER DID NOT PROPERLY DIAGNOSE PROBLEM. WET BELT WAS NOT SLIPPING. A/C COMPRESSER CLUTCH WAS SLIPPING AT FRICTION SURFACE WHEN WET AND THIS CAUSED SYSTEM SHUT DOWN. CUSTOMER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS AN INSUFFICIENT MAGNETIC FORCE ENGAGING CLUTCH (DESIGN PROBLEM) AND/OR CONTAMINATION ON CLUTCH FRICTION SURFACE CAUSING SLIPAGE WHEN WET.*AK

AT 32,000 MILES, THE WARNING LIGHT INDICATING LOW OIL PRESSURE CAME ON. THE OWNER TOOK IT IMMEDIATELY TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER FOR REPAIR, AS IT WAS SUPPOSEDLY UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALERSHIP AND TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION REFUSES TO HONOR ANY WARRANTY WORK BECAUSE OF 'ENGINE SLUDGE'. AFTER ONLY CHECKING THE OIL LEVEL AND PULLING THE VALVE COVERS OFF OF THE ENGINE, THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS 'OWNER NEGLECT'. AND WILL ONLY LOOK INTO POSSIBLE CAUSES AT THE OWNERS'S COST. AFTER RESEARCHING THE INTERNET THE OWNER HAS FOUND SEVERAL CASES OF 'ENGINE SLUDGE' NOT ONLY IN THE TOYOTA CAMRY'S PRODUCED IN 1999 THROUGH 2001 BUT IN THE TOYOTA TRUCK'S SIENNA MODEL, AS WELL.*AK

AS THE TIME APPROACHED FOR OUR SECOND ROUTINE OIL CHANGE (ROUGHLY 6000 MILES), OUR BRAKE WARNING LIGHT STARTED TO COME ON AND OFF. MY HUSBAND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER (KEITH MURRAY) AND REPORTED IT. THEY SAID THAT IT NEEDED BRAKE FLUID, AND REPLACE THE BRAKE FLUID AS THEY DID THE OIL CHANGE. THIS HAPPENED NEAR THE 9000 MILE MARK AS WELL, AND THEY AGAIN ONLY REPLACED THE BRAKE FLUID., THIS TIME, WE INSISTED THAT THEY CHECK THE BRAKES BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT A NEW VEHICLE SHOULD NOT REQUIRE BRAKE FLUID REPLACEMENT SO OFTEN. THE MILEAGE ON OUR CAMRY IS NOW 13, 836. THE DEALER REPORTED THAT OUR CAR WAS INDEED LEAKING BRAKE FLUID, AND THAT THE BRAKE CALIPER NEED REPLACING. ACCORDING TO THE WORK ORDER DATED 10/9/01, THE FOLLOWING WORK WAS DONE: "REPLACED FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE BRAKE CALIPER." IT IS MY CONCERN THAT THERE MAY BE OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME MAKE/MODEL WITH DEFECTIVE BRAKES. IF WE HAD NOT PERSISTED, OUR BRAKES MAY HAVE FAILED. AGAIN, THE ONLY WARNING WE HAD WAS THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT COMING ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING, ALWAYS OCCURING NEAR TIME FOR THE NEXT OIL CHANGE (EVERY 3000 MILES). *AK

WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 35 TO 40 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL CRASH AND BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVER SUSTAINED MUSCULAR AND SKELETAL INJURIES. ALSO, STEERING COLUMN WAS BENT DUE TO CRASH FORCES. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN EXAMINED TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF FAILURE OF AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS.*AK