2010 Toyota Camry

I am reporting a serious safety hazard involving a 2010 Toyota Camry purchased from GA Carz 4 Less, LLC through the GovDeals.com platform. The seller provided no disclosures of mechanical issues. Immediately upon receiving the vehicle, it exhibited violent engine knocking, shaking, heavy oil leakage, and repeated engine shutdowns. Two certified mechanics inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the engine has catastrophic internal damage involving camshaft timing system failure and severe internal wear. Both mechanics stated that attempting to operate the vehicle at highway speeds could have caused the engine to explode due to internal failure and pressure spikes. This was an alarming and dangerous finding, especially since the vehicle was advertised without any safety warnings or disclosures. Additionally, the Carfax mileage in March 2025 was 193,653 miles, but the vehicle delivered to me showed over 208,000 miles—an undisclosed increase of more than 18,000 miles. This raises potential concerns regarding sustained driving after the auction despite severe mechanical issues. The seller listed the vehicle twice before selling it, suggesting possible prior knowledge of the engine condition. I later found numerous online complaints reporting similar instances of this dealership selling vehicles with severe undisclosed defects, indicating a broader safety problem affecting multiple consumers. The condition of this engine creates a risk of sudden shutdown, engine seizure, explosion, fire, and loss of vehicle control, which could cause serious injury or death. I am requesting that NHTSA review this matter, investigate the safety risks associated with these undisclosed engine defects, and determine whether this dealership’s practices pose a danger to the public. This complaint is being filed to prevent potential harm to future buyers and to document a serious safety hazard that I experienced firsthand.

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST STEERING WITH NO ABILITY FOR THE DRIVER TO CONTROL DIRECTION OF THE CAR. CAR DEPARTED FROM ITS LANE AND THEN CROSSED TWO LANES INVOLUNTARILY BUT LANES WERE FREE OF TRAFFIC SO AN ACCIDENT WAS AVOIDED. AT THE SAME TIME THE CAR SHOOK AND VIBRATED. THE DRIVER IMMEDIATELY BRAKED AND THE BRAKES DID REDUCE THE SPEED OF THE CAR. THE ABILITY TO STEER WAS RECOVERED AFTER APPROXIMATELY 1 MINUTE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE STATION. A REVIEW OF THE COMPUTER DATA (TROUBLE CODES) INDICATED A FAILURE OF THE ABS ACTUATOR AND STEERING ANGLE SENSOR. MAURICE AT THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER AID THE TOYOTA COMPANY WILL NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAILURE AND HE ALSO SAID THAT, "NO ASSISTANCE WOULD BE GIVEN" AS THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY.WE HAVE A CASE NUMBER FILED WITH TOYOTA. TOYOTA SAYS THIS HAZARDOUS AND TERRIFYING INCIDENT IS NOT THE RESULT OF A DESIGN FLAW OR A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. WE HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE SAFETY OF THIS TOYOTA VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY ROUGH AND ABNORMAL FORCE HAD TO BE USED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL IN ANY DIRECTION. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD AN INTERMITTENT ACCELERATION AND BRAKE FAILURE THAT CONTINUED TO OCCUR EACH TIME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS LATER DRIVING AND APPLIED THE BRAKES WHILE APPROACHING A TRAFFIC STOP. THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE ANKLE AND BACK, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW 2010 CAMRY LE (4 CYLINDER), AND IT HAS ALREADY BEEN THROUGH THE SET OF FACTORY-INSTALLED TIRES, ANOTHER SET OF FOUR MICHELIN TIRES, A THIRD SET OF FOUR, AND 2 MORE TIRES AS OF 10/27/2013, ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE ONLY NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 74,000 MILES ON IT. THE TIRES CURIOUSLY GO UNIFORMLY BALD ON THE FRONT IN LESS THAN 1/3RD OF THE LIFE OF THE TIRE. EACH COMPANY FROM WHICH I HAVE PURCHASED NEW MICHELIN OR BFGOODRICH TIRES FOR THIS CAMRY SAID THIS IS HIGHLY UNUSUAL. THEY STATED THAT THE TIRES SHOULD NOT ORDINARILY BE UNIFORMLY BALD OR BE WORN OUT SO QUICKLY. THEY HAVE ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE MUST HAVE COME OUT OF THE FACTORY ALIGNED THIS WAY, SINCE THE FIRST PAIR WAS USELESS AFTER SO FEW MILES AND THE NEW TIRES ARE WEARING OUT SO QUICKLY. MOREOVER, THERE ARE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AC SYSTEM CONTROLS AND THE SENSOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE POWER WINDOW. THE AC MYSTERIOUSLY TURNS ITS RECYCLED AIR SWITCH FROM RECYCLED TO VENT (WITHOUT BEING PRESSED TO MAKE THE SWITCH) WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, THE DRIVER'S SIDE POWER WINDOW WILL GO NEARLY ALL THE WAY UP (WHEN PRESSED), BUT IT STOPS SHORT OF THE TOP AND THEN ROLLS ITSELF BACK DOWN. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT ROBBIN'S TOYOTA SAID HIS MECHANICS COULD NOT GET THESE PROBLEMS TO RE-OCCUR WHEN DRIVEN, AND THEREFORE, HE COULD NOT AND WOULD NOT FIX THE TWO ISSUES, ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY AT THE TIME. FINALLY, I CANNOT REMOVE THE OIL FILTER CANISTER FOR A HOME-OIL CHANGE. I'VE USED THE OEM FILTER CAP WRENCH, BUT I AM UNABLE TO GET THE CANISTER HOUSING TO TURN, WHICH MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CHANGE THE OIL FILTER AT HOME. THIS WAS THE FIRST TOYOTA I'VE OWNED, AND IT WILL BE THE LAST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT WAS MAKING A CLICKING SOUND. THE FAILURE MADE IT VERY HARD TO TURN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT THAT CONNECTED TO THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.