2016 Toyota Camry

I parked my Toyota Camry Hybrid on my sloped driveway, and it wouldn't turn off, change gears, no response when gas pedal pressed. I called my insurance to tow it and while I was waiting, I tried to open the trunk to remove items. It wouldn't open, but somehow, I was able to get it into neutral thinking perhaps I could open the trunk. Not so. The car started rolling down the drive, bottomed out at the end, rolled across the street into a ditch. Fortunately, the ditch stopped it form hitting the 2 cars across the street and their house. It was still running. The neighbors all arrived to see me sobbing. The men tried to turn it off, but no luck. The insurance company totaled it because the frame was bent. I hadn't had my car very long and I was devastated. It was still drivable and I had to keep driving it even though the mechanic I took it to told me not to. The mechanic looked it over and could find no reason for the issue. I eventually found a used Toyota Avalon in silver, but not the beautiful sparkly red of the Camry. It made it onto America's Funniest Videos, but it's not funny. I tried to attach the video my Ring took, but I can't get it to attach. If you'd like to see me running down the driveway chasing it I can send you the video another way. It's on TikTok. Fortunately, I wasn't able to get into the car or the door would have flattened me. Sorry the pics are sideways. That's the way they loaded.

This 2016 Toyota Camry LE developed a steering problem. Initially, the steering pulled mildly to the left when the car was cold. This resolved after 5 minutes of driving. My mechanic could find no problem with the steering. Eventually (2 weeks) the steering would additionally intermittently pull moderately to the right. This was not reproducible. If I did not hold the wheel firmly, the car would turn off the road or across the lane to the right. Within one week the car would became difficult to start. Two days later the battery failed completely. Replacing the battery totally corrected the steering problems. I conclude that the failing battery could not adequately power the electric motors in the power steering. This was the first sign of a failing battery. I had never heard of this before. There was no warning light. I believe that such an unusual sign of a failing battery should be publicized as an important warning for all cars with electrically controlled power steering.

My car would not turn off, change gears out of park into drive or reverse, no reaction when the gas pedal was pushed. It was part way into the garage on an inclined driveway. I called my insurance company to have a tow truck help. I got out of the car to try and open the trunk and get my shopping out of it, but the trunk would not open either. I thought perhaps if I put the car in neutral it might open, but instead it rolled down the driveway, bottomed out at the end of the driveway, rolled across the street and crashed into the ditch. Thank goodness it hit the ditch because it was headed toward the neighbor's cars and house. It was still running when it stopped in the ditch! The neighbors all came out and tried to turn it off without success. The frame was bent, the rear end of the car was smashed and the insurance company said it was totaled. My car had been in perfect condition. I have since spoken with others who know of friends who have had the same issue. One person left their car running all night until it ran out of gas.

Just at 70,000 miles a service light came on. After checking I found the oil was very low, about 2 quarts. I took it to the dealer for the oil change on 10/17/2022 and the service tech said that the hybrids use (burn) a little oil. That seems excessive to me. I just check my oil and it is a quart low with 3800 miles after the last oil change. Could have been burning oil for some time and didn't know it due to the fact I always took it to the dealer for the oil changes. They never said anything about the car burning or using oil, There is no leak as no oil in my driveway and on the engine. I'm afraid it might lock up on me when I on the road and could cause me to wreak.