1996 Toyota Camry

UPON STARTING VEHICLE AT IDLE SPEED, THE CONTROL VALVE STICKS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXAMINED BY DEALERSHIP, AND CONSUMER HAS BEEN TOLD THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. *AK BRAKES EXPERIENCE GRINDING, SQUEAKING, AND VIBRATION, ROTORS WERE WARPED AND BRAKE PADS WERE GLAZED, BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, HOWEVER PROBLEM CONTINUES. CONSUMER STATES THERE IS A SUSPENSION PROBLEM THAT IS CAUSING UNEVEN TIRE WEAR. VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SEVERAL ENGINE RELATED PROBLEMS, MOTOR MOUNTS WERE WEAK CAUSING STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION, 16 VALVE SEALS CAME APART DUE TO BEING INSTALLED INCORRECTLY, WATER PUMP LEAKED, TIMING BELT FAILED, VALVE COVER LEAKED, AND CAM SEAL WAS REPLACED. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION RELATED PROBLEMS, RIGHT OUTER AXLE BOOT WAS SPLIT AND LEAKING GREASE, CV BOOTS FAILED TWICE, SHIFTER WAS HARD AND WAS MAKING NOISES, DEALER FOUND THE SHIFTER LEVER PLATE WAS BROKEN, TRANSMISSION PAN GASKET WAS REPLACED, THERE WAS A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE REAR WHEN GOING IN REVERSE. THE CAR JACK WAS MISSING FROM THE TRUNK AND THE ANTENNA WAS INOPERABLE. DEALER FOUND AN OPEN CIRCUIT IN THE BATTERY. CONSUMER NOTICED A RATTLING NOISE UNDER THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT, DEALER SECURED SEAT SLIDE ADJUSTER HOOK, TEMPERATURE GAUGE DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. OVERDRIVE LIGHT WAS INOPERABLE. VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL FUEL RELATED PROBLEMS, THE EGR VALVE ASSEMBLY, EGR MODULATOR, IDLER CONTROL VALVE, IDLE AIR SPEED CONTROL, DISTRIBUTOR O-RING, IDLER BEARING, ISC VALVE, AND VACUUM SWITCHING VALVE HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED, BLUE SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST, DEALER CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY, FUEL INJECTION, AND RECALIBRATED THE FUEL SENSOR, VEHICLE WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND STALLING DUE TO FAULTY EGR VACUUM MODULATOR, DEALER STATED THAT THE VALVE WOULD DEFAULT IF THERE WAS TOO MUCH OIL ADDED, THE VALVE IS TOO SMALL SO IT WILL STICK OR BECOME CLOGGED UP WITH CARBON BUILD UP. *SLC

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO QUICKLY STOP AT HIGH SPEEDS (50+ MPH), THE FRONT BRAKES GROAN/GRIND AND VIBRATE. THIS INCREASES STOPPING DISTANCE BY A FACTOR OF 2 AND IS UNSAFE. PADS AND ROTORS WHERE REPLACED BY DEALER AT MY COST BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. TSBBR002-96 DESCRIBES THE PROBLEM BUT DID NOT HELP. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW WITH POTENTIAL OF SERIOUS INJURY. *AK

ON THE DATE OF FAILURE, DURING A ROUTINE VISIT TO A TOYOTA SHOP, MY FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE MEASURED TO BE 8MM. SINCE THAT TIME, AND WITH TOYOTA TECHS TAKING THE MEASUREMENTS, THEIR SIZE HAS NOT REDUCED MORE THAN 0.5 MM. SINCE THE REAR PADS SEEM TO BE WEARING AT A QUICKER-THAN-EXPECTED RATE (THEY WERE 10MM NEW, 6MM ON THE ABOVE DATE AND 3.5MM CURRENTLY), I AM CONCLUDING THAT THE FRONT BRAKES ARE NOT BEING EMPLOYED PROPERLY, AND THIS CONDITION IS PUTTING ME AND MY PASSENGERS AT A GREAT SAFETY RISK. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO TWO TOYOTA SHOPS, AND HAVE HAD THEIR DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER INVOLVED, BUT TOYOTA CLAIMS THAT THE BRAKES ARE GOOD BECAUSE THE LINE PRESSURE READINGS ARE WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS. I HAVE NOT WITNESSED THESE TESTS NOR HAVE THEY TOLD ME WHAT THE READINGS SHOULD BE, SO I CAN'T BE SURE THAT THE TESTS WERE PERFORMED. THEY HAVE NOT ATTEMPTED A REPAIR, AND WON'T DO SO, BECAUSE "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG" AND IF THERE WAS, IT'S NOT RELATED TO THE WARRANTY. THEY TELL ME THAT I JUST HAVE VERY GOOD BRAKES. THEY WILL NOT ADDRESS HOW THE BRAKES CAN BE WORKING, BUT NOT WEARING. SINCE I HAVE HAD THEM INSPECT THE BRAKES AT LEAST THREE TIMES, I HAVE PAID FOR AT LEAST ONE INSPECTION, THEY HAVE TOLD ME TO TAKE MY COMPLAINT TO ARBITRATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WARRANTY. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW THE TOYOTA PEOPLE CAN TELL ME THAT THE FRONT BRAKES ARE FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY WITHOUT SHOWING ANY WEAR. THEY WORK BY WEARING. I BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPAIR OR REPLACE BRAKE SYSTEM COMPONENTS, UNDER WARRANTY, UNTIL MY BRAKES ARE WORKING PROPERLY, THAT IS, THE FRONT BRAKES ARE DOING MOST OF THE STOPPIN, AS THEY SHOULD. *AK