1997 Toyota Camry

1997 CAMRY XLE..OIL GEL PROBLEM. TOYOTA BLAMED PROBLEM ON US/LACK OF OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS. IN 1999. CERT.USED CAR. NEEDED NEW ENGINE AFTER ONE YEAR. PROBLEM UNDETECTED AGAIN. IN FEB 2002 CAR BLEW ENGINE AFTER BEING CHECKED @TOYOTA. GOT LETTER IN JULY 2002 STATING THEIR WAS A GELLING PROBLEM. I SENT INFORMATION THEY NEEDED. NEVER A RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA. I SENT ALL INFO AGAIN CERTIFIED MAIL. NO RESPONSE.*AK

I HAVE A 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY WITH 85,000 MILES ON IT, I HAVE REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON IT KEEP IT IN GOOD SHAPE, AND THE ENGINE JUST CRACKED I HAD GOT A LETTER FROM TOYOTA THAT TALKED ABOUT OIL GELLING BUT I DIDN'T HAVE THE PROBLEM THEN. I TOOK IT TO PHILLIPS TOYOTA IN LEESBURG FL AND THEY COULD NOT TELL ME WHY MY ENGINE WENT. I KNOW WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE MY ENGINE WOULD LAST WELL OVER 120,000 MILES. *JB

POOR DESIGN AND BUILD - 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY LE (4 CYLINDER). I OWN A 1997 4-CYLINDER CAMRY LE. IT IS WELL MAINTAINED AND HAS LESS THAN 80,000 MILES. A FEW MONTHS AGO, ITS STARTER WENT BAD AND WAS REPLACED. THIS MORNING, THE DEALER FOUND THAT ITS ENGINE VALVE SEALS WORN OUT AND MUST BE REPLACED (OVER $1000 REPAIR). I CHECKED THE INTERNET CAR FORUMS AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1997 MODEL YEAR 4-CYLINDER TOYOTA CAMRY. I BELIEVE THAT IT IS A POOR DESIGN AND BUILD PROBLEM. CUSTOMERS SHOULD NOT BE PAYING A PROBLEM CAUSED BY THE MANUFACTURER'S POOR DESIGN AND BUILD. ALL 1997 4-CYLINDER CAMRY SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED BY TOYOTA. *NLM

DEFECTIVE ENGINE IN VEHICLE(1997 TOYOTA CAMRY LE) LEADING TO CONSTANT OPERATIVE PROBLEMS. THE STATED VEHICLE WAS REQUESTED FOR RECALL FOR ENGINE MALFUNCTION LAST YEAR AND I HAD VEHICLE DELIVERED BACK TO BOURNE TOYOTA OF3069 WASHINGTON RD AUGUSTA, GA 30907 (706-868-5454) FOR TECHNICAL SERVICE UNDER RECALL. ONE DAY AFTER RECALL WORK WAS DONE STATED VEHICLE HAD TO BE RETURNED NOW IM FACED WITH AN ENGINE REPLACMENT DUE TO ENGINE SLUDGE BUILD UP. AN PROBLEM THAT HAS NOT ONLY BEEN PROBLEMATIC IN THE CAMRY LINE BUT WITH THE SIENNA, SOLARA, AVALON, & LEXUS MODELS AS WELL. HOWEVER BOURNE TOYOTA SAYS THAT ENGINE SLUDGE BUILD-UP IS MY PROBLEM DUE TO ME NOT GETTING THE OIL CHANGED ENOUGH. THE OIL WAS CHANGE ON PERIODIC INTERVALS SINCE RECALL WORK WAS DONE AND THIS IS JUST AN ATTEMPT BY BOURNE TOYOTA TO DENY MY CLAIM AND BILL FOR REPAIRS. IT WELL DOCUMENTED HOW TOYOTA OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO OIL SLUGE BUILD-UP ARE BEING DENIED WARRANTY CLAIMS, AN ACT THAT I FEEL AS AN LOYAL CUSTOMER IS UTTERLY IRREPONSIBLE ON THE PART OF THE TOYOTA AND THERE DEALERSHIPS AS WELL. IM AN SCHOOL TEACHER ON AN LIMITED INCOME AND I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM BOURNE TOYOTA IN GOOD FAITH AND THIS WHOLE SITUATION HAS CAUSED ME FINANCIAL BURDEN IN CAR RENTAL BILLS SO I CAN GET TO WORK. I ASK FOR ANY ASSISTANCE OR DIRECTION IN INVESTIGATING THIS MATTER FULLY.

THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE RACK AND PINION. WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE, VIEWED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AREA, AND IMMEDIATELY THE ENGINE DIED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT A ROD HAD BLOWN A HOLE THROUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK. ALSO, THE TURN SIGNAL MALFUNCTIONED. SCC DEALER RECOMMENDED ENGINE BLOCK BE REPLACED. TIMING AND DRIVE BELTS REPLACED. *TT