1997 Toyota Camry

DT: WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THREW A ROD THROUGH THE ENGINE AND DESTROYED IT. THIS OCCURRED ON AUGUST 31, 2005. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A MECHANIC, WHO TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS THE PISTON ROD THAT CAME LOOSE. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THEY WERE NOT HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. WHEN THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, THEY TOLD HIM THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE DAMAGE. *AK 11/02/05. *JB

MY CHEK ENIGNE LIGHT CAME ON WHEN I WAS HEADED OUT FOR A 250 MILE TRIP. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND GOT THEIS LIST OF PROBLEMS. TIMING BELT REPLACMENT,WATER PUMP, RESEAL OIL PAN, REPLACE ENGINE PIPE, TRANSMISSION GASKET AND FILTER REPLACEMENT OXYGEN SENSOR, A/F SENSOR, EFI SERVICE, CAM SEAL, CRANK SEAL, OIL PUMP SEAL . BLUE SMOKE COMING FROM EXHAUST. I WENT ON LINE AND REALIZED THAT I HAD OIL SLUDGE. CALLED TOYAOTA, THEY TOLD ME TO GET IT EVALUATED FOR OIL SLUDGE

IN JULY, 2003 (PLEASE REFER TO ODI ID NUMBER: 10030262) OUR 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY CE (MANUAL TRANSMISSION) BEGAN LEAKING LARGE AMOUNTS OF GASOLINE. IT WAS DETERMINED INTERNAL PRESSURE HAD CAUSED THE TANK TO BULGE OUT AND RIP AT THE SEAMS. AFTER TWO SOLDERING ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO PATCH THE TANK, THE ENTIRE TANK WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE. A PRESSURE TEST WAS CONDUCTED BUT NO PROBLEMS WERE FOUND. IN FEBRUARY 2005 THE GAS TANK STARTED LEAKING AGAIN. THE SAME BULGE FROM INSIDE OUT WAS FOUND AS HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SEEN WITH THE OLD AND SINCE REPLACED TANK. THE TANK WAS REMOVED & SENT OUT FOR WELDING, RETURNED AND TESTS WERE CONDUCTED ON THE CHARCOAL FILTER & VACUUM SWITCH. BOTH TESTED FINE. THE VACUUM SWITCH WAS REPLACED AS THE COST OF REPLACING THE CHARCOAL FILTER WAS TOO EXPENSIVE AND SINCE IT DIDN'T SHOW FAILURE, IT DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE NECESSARY. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED PERIODIC TESTS IN CASE THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. ALSO, THE HEAT DISTRIBUTOR (I BELIEVE THAT'S THE NAME FOR THE METAL BETWEEN THE EXHAUST PIPE & THE GAS TANK TO KEEP THE TANK FROM OVERHEATING & EXPLODING) WAS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN "WRINKLED" BUT FROM THE PRESSURE OF THE IN-OUT EXPANSION OF THE TANK, NOT FROM AN OUT-IN PUSH THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED FROM DRIVING OVER SOMETHING. *AK LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LATER, THE GAS LEAK RETURNED. TOYOTA WAS CONTACTED AND WE WERE REFERRED TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER. THE CSM COORDINATED WITH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE THE CAR PUT UP ON THE RACK AND LOOKED AT. THREE INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING THE CSM DECLARED IT WAS AN "EXTERNAL LEAK FROM THE PATCH" AND FELT IT WAS NOTHING THEY WERE WILLING TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER. THEY DID SUGGEST REPLACING THE TANK AND DOING FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS TO ATTEMPT TO DUPLICATE THE PROCESS, HOWEVER, THE EXPENSES ARE SO EXTRAORDINARY, WE HAVE OPTED TO REPLACE THE TANK WITH A USED ONE AND LOOK AT OTHER REPLACEMENT VEHICLE OPTIONS, POSSIBLY SELLING PARTS OR TOWING TO A JUNK YARD.

THE FOLLOWING IS A COMPLANT THAT WAS SENT TO TOYOTA MOTOR CO. IT IS NOT MY WISH TO HAVE TO WRITE UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. HOWEVER I MUST, BECAUSE OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE COME TO PASS. MY FAMILY HAS SUPPORTED TOYOTA, AND OFCOURSE ALL OWN TOYOTA DUE TO THE BEAUTIFUL WORK AND CRAFTSMANSHIP OF TOYOTA. HOWEVER MY TOYOTA CAMRY HAS MADE ME TO DOUBT THE STRONG FEELING I ONCE HAD FOR MY CAR. I TURNED MY CAR OVER TO TOYOTA OF LOUISVILLE FOR SERVICE AND THE REPAIR OF OIL SLEDGING. I ASSUME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. HOWEVER AT THE TIME I WITNESSED NO SYMPTOMS. I SIMPLY DID NOT WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. SO I HAD IT SERVICED TO AVOID ANY PROBLEM. LATER AFTER HAVING MY TIMING BELT REPLACED I STARTED TO WITNESS A SLUGGISH ACCELERATION, AND WORSENING GAS MILEAGE, THE PROBLEM WORSENED. EVENTUALLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED. AND THE OIL LIGHT ALSO. HOWEVER IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE THE ENGINE THREW A ROD ON THE INTERSTATE ON THE WAY HOME FROM COLLEGE FOR THANKSGIVING BREAK. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MY CAR RESTORED TO THE STATE IT WAS IN BEFORE THE SPECIAL SERVICING. I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOUR COMPANY; I PLAN ON PURCHASING FROM TOYOTA IN THE FUTURE. HOWEVER THIS MATTER HAS PLACED ME IN SALTY WATERS, AND AS U CAN IMAGINE THAT IS NOT A VERY PLEASANT TASTE. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR SOMETHING BACK FROM YOUR OFFICE REGARDING THIS MATTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. SINCERELY A FAITHFUL CUSTOMER JOHN R. CUMMINGS JR.*AK

AT ABOUT 70K MILES, MY 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY STARTING EXHIBITING PROBLEMS OF HUGE AMOUNTS OF SMOKE FROM TAIL PIPE AT COLD STARTUP. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS RELATED TO THE ENGINE SLUGE OR GELLING PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS RELATED TO THE TSB-628696 AS NOTED IN THE NHTSA. HOWEVER, TOYOTA HAS DECLINED TO COVER THE REPAIR, BUT IS WILLING TO COVER ONLY THE PARTS, BUT THE LABOR IS BEING CHARGED TO ME. THEY ARE NOT HONORING THE EXTENDED COVERAGE THAT THEY HAVE ANNOUNCED FOR THIS TSB TC02002 AND NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: 628696. THIS IS TOTALLY RIDICULOUS