1996 Toyota Camry

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED AND THE GEAR WAS PLACED IN NEUTRAL BUT THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED TO 5000. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DID NOT RETURN TO IDLE POSITION AND REMAINS STUCK IN OPEN THROTTLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 185,257.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY XLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 15 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE REAR, SIMILAR TO A THUMP. THE STEERING THEN BECAME DIFFICULT AND THE CONTACT BEGAN HAVING DIFFICULTIES STEERING THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE SWAY BAR AND FRONT END SUSPENSION FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE SPRINGS AND STRUTS WERE FRACTURED, AN OIL LEAK WAS DISCOVERED AND THE DEALER RECOMMENDED A FRONT END ALIGNMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,510 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,555.

WE HAD A SITUATION DESCRIBED BELOW. I SHALL BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD SHED SOME LIGHT ON IT. THIS INCIDENT INVOLVES TOYOTA CAMRY 1996. IT IS A CRITICAL SITUATION. YOUR ASSISTANCE WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. [XXX] DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCIDENT: MONDAY (4/25/2011) WAS THE TRASH COLLECTION DAY AT OUR DEVELOPMENT. WE HAVE TWO CARS: CAMRY AND LEXUS. WE HAD TO PULL ONE CAR OUT TO BRING THE TRASH CAN IN. IT WAS APPROXIMATELY AROUND 6 P.M. MY WIFE VOLUNTEERED TO PULL THE CAR OUT, SO THAT I COULD BRING THE TRASH CAN IN. MY WIFE PULLED THE CAR OUT ON THE DRIVEWAY AND PARKED, STILL HER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. AS SHE WAS BRINGING THE GEAR TO DRIVE, AS SOON AS IT REACHED THE REVERSE GEAR, THE CAR SPEEDED BACKWARD IN AN UNCONTROLLABLE SPEED AND WITH IN SECONDS IT HIT AND SHATTERED OUR NEIGHBOR?S MAIL BOX AND ITS METAL POST. THE CAR STOPPED. I WAS STANDING AND WAS SHOCKED TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. SHE THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS IN OUR NEIGHBOR?S LAWN, AND WANTED TO BRING THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AS SOON AS SHE BROUGHT THE GEAR TO THE DRIVE, IT AGAIN RACED FORWARD IN HIGH UNCONTROLLABLE SPEED AND HIT OUR BRICK WALL OF OUR HOUSE AND WAS PINNED DOWN AND STOPPED. THE CAR WAS TOTALED, WRECKING THE FRONT AND THE BACK WITH TWO IMPACTS. BOTH AIRBAGS WERE DEPLOYED. SHE HAD HER SEAT BELT ON. THESE TWO DEVICES PROBABLY SAVED HER LIFE. SHE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE. POLICE ARRIVED AND ACCOMPANIED US TO THE HOSPITAL. WE SPENT FOUR TO FIVE HOURS IN THE HOSPITAL. REPORT ENCLOSED. SHE HAS SEEN HER PERSONAL PHYSICIAN. SHE HAS SEEN ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON. SHE IS ALSO GOING TO PHYSICAL THERAPY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY DIM, FORTUNATELY I HAVE NOT CRASHED AT THIS POINT BUT I HAVE SWERVED AND AT NEAR ACCIDENT SITUATIONS. I CANNOT SEE IN THE DARK AND I AM FORCED TO USE MY HIGH BEAMS. AROUND SUMMER OF 2010, I CRASHED M Y CAR ON A CURVE GOING TO SAN FRANCISCO, CA ON HIGHWAY 85. AS I WAS ABOUT TO CURVE I SLOWLY WENT FROM 65 MPH TO 25 MPH OR A BIT LOWER TO CURVE CORRECTLY. MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO CURVE APPROPRIATELY SO MY CAR CONTINUED STRAIGHT AND HIT THE SIDE OF THE CURVE (LUCKILY IT WAS BLOCKED BY A STEEL HIGHWAY FENCE). I REPLACED THE DRIVERS DOOR AND FRONT BUMPER WITH AN AWFUL OFF COLOR PAINT JOB. I DID NOT MAKE A POLICE REPORT AND I DID NOT CONTACT MY INSURANCE. I FIXED MY CAR AND NOW I AM AFRAID IT MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN. PROPERTY DAMAGE OF MY CAR WAS DONE. MY WINDOW NO LONGER WORKS AND MY KEY ENTRY IS NO LONGER FUNCTIONING AS WELL DUE TO THE CRASH. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN RADIAL TIRES. THE DRIVER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN ONE OF THE REAR TIRES BLEW OUT. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER AND PUT THE SPARE ON. TWO DAYS LATER, THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON THE SECOND REAR TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE TIRES WERE MANUFACTURED 17 YEARS AGO. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 133,664. UPDATED 1/25/11 *CN UPDATED 04/18/11

I JUST RECENTLY BOUGHT A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY, THE CAR RUNS GREAT BESIDES THE FACT THAT IT SOMETIMES STARTS TO SELF ACCELERATE. THE PEDAL GETS STUCK IN PRESS MODE AND THE CAR JUST PICKS UP INCREDIBLE SUDDEN SPEED. IN PRIOR OCCASIONS I HAVE SUDDENLY JUST PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND THEN THE ENGINE REVS UP TO 6500 RPM. I'VE ALSO NOTICED THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES ARE REALLY HOT. ON CERTAIN OCCASIONS I HAVE CAME VERY CLOSE IN BECOMING INVOLVED WITH AN ACCIDENT. IN THESE SCENARIOS I HAVE EVEN PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND SHUTTING IT DOWN. I HAVE EVEN OPENED THE HOOD MANY OF TIMES AND HAVE SEEN THAT THE CARS ACCELERATOR WIRE IS FULLY CLINCHED TO THE MAX. THIS HAS BEEN A VERY BIG SAFETY CONCERN FOR ME AND HAS ENDANGERED MY LIFE MANY OF TIMES. I HAVE CONTACTED A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, THEY SAID THEY REALLY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING REGARDING A 1996 CAMRY AND ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS. THIS IS INDEED A VERY BIG ISSUE AND IT IS VERY APPARENT THAT THIS PROBLEM OF ACCELERATORS DO EXIST FROM LONG TIME BEFORE AND NOT JUST IN THE RECENT CAMRY'S. I DO NOT WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN ANY SORT OF ACCIDENT AS I'VE COME VERY VERY CLOSE. *TR

MY 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO CONTROL ON APRIL 12, 2010. WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK (A DISTANCE OF 26 MILES) I ENTERED THE FREEWAY AND GAVE MY CAR GAS TO MOVE INTO THE SECOND FROM THE LEFT HAND LANE. AFTER GETTING INTO THE PROPER LANE, THE CAR BEHAVED IN THE SAME WAY AS A CAR AFTER PRESSING THE RESUME BUTTON, AFTER DISABLING CRUISE CONTROL. THIS HAPPENED AT 4:30P DURING THE START OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. THE ONLY WAY I COULD KEEP FROM HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS TO FLOOR THE BRAKE. AT ONE POINT THE CAR RACED TO SPEEDS OF 65-75 MPH. I COULD TELL THAT AT THE 75 MPH RANGE THAT I WAS VERY LIKELY TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. TO PREVENT THIS I BRIEFLY PLACED THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, THEN SWITCHED IT INTO REVERSE TWICE IN QUICK SUCCESSION. THE CAMRY MADE A HORRIBLE NOISE, BUT DID SLOW DOWN AFTER THAT. THE BRAKES SEEMED TO BE UNABLE TO ENGAGE PROPERLY FROM THAT POINT, POSSIBLY DUE TO EXCESSIVE USE. I WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER THAT. THE DEALER EXAMINED THE CAR, TEST DROVE IT AND STATED THAT THEY COULD FIND NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. STATEMENT FROM SPOUSE: AS A RECENTLY RETIRED ENGINEER FROM A LARGE RESEARCH LABORATORY, I'D LIKE TO ADD MY COMMENTS: I SPENT 33 YEARS DESIGNING LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS TO RUN SAFELY AND RELIABLY. OVER THOSE YEARS, I FORMED THE OPINION THAT LAB EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE DESIGNED SO THAT MALFUNCTIONS CAUSE ONLY MINOR PROBLEMS, NOT MAJOR ONES. SINCE TOYOTA'S PROBLEMS WITH UNINTENDED ACCELERATION SEEM TO AFFECT VEHICLES OF VARIOUS AGES AND DESIGNS, I SUSPECT THE ROOT CAUSE IS NOT A SPECIFIC PIECE OF HARDWARE, BUT RATHER A FAILURE TO DESIGN THEIR EQUIPMENT SO THAT MALFUNCTIONS CAUSE ONLY MINOR PROBLEMS, NOT MAJOR ONES. PERHAPS THERE ARE COMPONENTS OF THEIR VEHICLES THAT FAIL IN A WAY THAT GIVES THE VEHICLE FULL POWER, WHEREAS A SAFER FAILURE MODE WOULD BE HAVE NO POWER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE FAILURE STOPPED AFTER DRIVING 5 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 63,000.

RE: INSPECTION OF 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY INVOLVED IN 2006 FATAL CRASH, 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY 4 DOOR, MODEL LXS (MINNESOTA VEHICLE LICENSE KJL 696) STATE OF MINNESOTA V. KOUA FANG LEE(CRIMINAL VEHICULAR HOMICIDE). *TWX UPDATED 9/29/11*CW THE DRIVER OF THE TOYOTA WAS CONVICTED IN 2007 OF CRIMINAL VEHICULAR HOMICIDE-GROSS NEGLIGENCE WHICH KILLED THREE PEOPLE AND SEVERELY INJURED TWO OTHERS. THE DEFENDANTS ATTORNEY HAS RAISED CONCERNS THAT A SUDDEN ACCELERATION DEFECT IN THE TOYOTA CAMRY MAY HAVE CAUSED THE CRASH. UPDATED 03/30/10. (COUNTY ATTORNEY REQUESTED THAT NHTSA PARTICIPATE IN THE INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE) UPDATED 04/07/10 RECEIVED FOLLOW-UP LETTER. UPDATED 04/07/10.*JB