1998 Toyota Camry

THIS DESCRIPTION IS IN REFERENCE TO A CONTINUING MECHANICAL ERROR THAT HAS AFFECTED MY 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY LE AND THE TERRIBLE WAY MY SITUATION HAS BEEN DEALT WITH BY TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE. TO SUMMARIZE, AFTER A ROUTINE CHECK OF MY ENGINE OIL LEVEL ON OCTOBER 28TH, 2004, I DISCOVERED THAT THE BOTTOM 1- INCHES OF THE ENGINE OIL DIP STICK HAD BROKEN OFF. THE PIECE WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND AND I IMMEDIATELY BECAME CONCERNED AS TO ITS WHEREABOUTS. AT THAT TIME, I VISITED MY LOCAL TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER AND CONTACTED THE SERVICE MANAGER AFTER EXPLAINING TO THEM THE SITUATION, THEY SAID THERE WAS NO WAY TO DETERMINE HOW THE BREAK ORIGINATED. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE DIP STICK UNDER A MICROSCOPE IT WAS OBVIOUS THERE WAS A CLEAN BREAK ON THE METAL. THIS RULED OUT A BENDING OF THE DIP STICK, AND COULD ONLY MEAN THE METAL BROKE OFF BY RUBBING AGAINST ANOTHER PART OF THE ENGINE, WHICH WAS MY IMMEDIATE CONCERN. ON SEPTEMBER 15TH, I CONTACTED THE CUSTOMER CENTER TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF MY CONTINUED CONCERN. WE AGREED THAT OBVIOUSLY IF THE DIP STICK WOULD BE FOUND, THE CUSTOMER (MYSELF), WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OF THE LABOR, AS I WAS TAKING A PRO-ACTIVE APPROACH BY LOOKING INTO THE MATTER. ON THE 27TH OF SEPTEMBER, I VISITED TOYOTA TO GET THE WORK DONE. ONCE THE PAN WAS PULLED, THE 1- INCH PIECE OF THE DIP STICK WAS FOUND IN THE OIL PAN. UPON RE-INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE WITH THE DIP STICK MOUNTED NORMALLY, THE TECHNICIAN AND MYSELF WERE ABLE TO SEE NO INTERFERENCE. HOWEVER, ONCE WE MOUNTED THE DIP STICK BACKWARDS, IT CAME INTO CONTACT WITH PART OF THE ENGINE. ALTHOUGH THE DIP STICK IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE INSERTED THAT WAY, IT STILL SHOULD NOT COME INTO CONTACT WITH ANY PART OF THE MOTOR AND WE CONCLUDED THIS WAS THE REASON FOR THE BREAK. I WAS GIVEN ZERO ASSISTANCE FROM TOYOTA AFTER THIS, AND WAS NOT REIMBURSED FOR THE $270 THAT WAS PAID IN GOOD FAITH. THIS IS WHY I AM CONTACTING YOU TODAY. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER WAS ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE WHEN HE REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS OBSTRUCTING THE PEDAL. HE MANAGED TO RELEASE THE OBSTRUCTION AND PULLED OVER TO SEE WHAT IT WAS . IT APPEARED TO BE A PIECE OF THE AIR DUCT WHICH SOMEHOW CAME LOOSE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE PART TO THE DEALER SO THEY COULD DETERMINE WHAT IT WAS AND WHERE IT CAME FROM. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE PART WASN'T VITAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE THEREFORE THE CONSUMER DIDN'T HAVE IT REPLACED/FIXED. THE CONSUMER HAS THE PART IN HIS POSSESSION. *AK *NM