1999 Toyota Camry

THE CAR WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW. THIS IS THE HISTORY OF THE 1999 CAMRY (PROBLEM: ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON EACH TIME): 1/24/2007 GOODYEAR AUTO--REPLACED CHARCOAL CANISTER AND CONTROL VALVE $549.19 7/12/2007 GOODYEAR AUTO--REPLACED PURGE VALVE $134.24; CHARCOAL CANISTER REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY 11/8/2008 TOYOTA DEALERSHIP--REPLACED CHARCOAL CANISTER AND PURGE VALVE (TOYOTA SAYS THEY STILL HAVE TO CHARGE FOR THIS REPAIR, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS REPLACED EARLIER) $656.75 2/9/09 TOYOTA DEALERSHIP--REPLACED CONTROL VALVE--$142.34 IN SUMMARY, CHARCOAL CANISTER WAS REPLACED 3 TIMES, PURGE VALVE REPLACED 2 TIMES, CONTROL VALVE REPLACED 2 TIMES--ALL IN A SPAN OF 2 YEARS. TOYOTA SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE JUSTIFIES IT BY SAYING IT IS A "REVISED" PART. *TR

ON MARCH 9, 2007 THE TOYOTA CAMRY ERUPTED INTO A FIRE DURING MY NORMAL DRIVING. ON NOV 28, 2006, I REPAIRED MY VEHICLE AT TOYOTA AUTHORIZED SERVICE STATIN, FITZGERALD TOYOTA, M FOR CHANGING WATER PUMP AND TIMING BELT. *AK MY ODO METER READING WAS AROUND 93.213 MILES AND WITHIN 800 MILES (CLOSE TO 94100) THE VEHICLE MET WITH FIRE ACCIDENT. REPEATED LETTER TOYOTA CORPORATION IS BEING IGNORED AND TOYOTA SERVICE STATION IS YET TO REPLY BACK MY LETTER.

THE RADIATOR WAS EMPTY, AND HERE WERE TRACES OF ANTIFREEZE ON THE INSPECTION PLUG ON THE TIMING OVER. AS I EXPLAINED UPON OUR INTIAL MEETING, THIS INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A DEFINITE LOSS OF ANTIFREEZE, WITH A DEFINITE POSSIBILITY OF WATER PUMP FAILURE AND CORRESPONDING TIMING BELT FAILURE. HOWEVER, WHEN I DID THE INITIAL TEAR-DOWN OF THE TIMING AREA, I FOUND A RATHER SURPRISING SCENARIO. THE TIMING BELT WAS INTACT. THERE WERE NONE OF HE USUAL OIL LEAKS FROM THE CAM/CRANK SEALS. THE BELT WAS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE. THE WATER PUMP HAD SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC BEARING FAILURE. IN FACT, I FOUND PIECES OF METAL IN THE TIMING AREA, AS WELL AS A FEW OF THE BALL BEARINGS FROM THE WATER PUMP SHAFT BEARING. THE TIMING AREA ALSO HAD TRACES OF ANTIFREEZE (OEM ANTIFREEZE) FROM WHERE THE WATER PUMP HAD BEEN LEAKING PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. AS PER OUR DISCUSSION, I PROCEEDED TO TEAR THE ENGINE DOWN FURTHER TO INSPECT FOR OTHER POSSIBLE DAMAGE. AT THIS TIME, WE WERE SIMPLY EXPECTING TO FIND A WARPED/POSSIBLY CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD. UPON REMOVING THE NECESSARY COMPONENTS REQUIRED TO REMOVE THE HEAD, AND REMOVING THE HEAD ITSELF, I INSPECTED THE BLOCK, CYLINDERS, AND PISTONS. THE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE PISTONS HAD SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE. THERE IS OVER THIRTY THOUSANDTHS OF CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE TOP EDGE OF THE PISTON AND THE CYLINDER WALL. THE TOP PISTON RING IS CLEARLY VISIBLE. THEREFORE, I MUST DECLARE THE ENGINE A LOSS. IN FACT, I HAVE MADE THE OBSERVATION THAT TOYOTA VEHICLES USING THE OEM ANTIFREEZE USUALLY HAD FAR FEWER COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEMS OF ANY KIND. IN THEIR VEHICLES. I HAVE TWO TOYOTA PICKUPS. ONE HAS A REMAN ENGINE. IT HAS OEM ANTIFREEZE AND AN OEM OIL FILTER. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, I FEEL IN MY OPINION, AND MY EXPERIENCE, THAT THIS PROBLEM IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. WHAT THE MANUFACTURER CAN AND WILL DO FOR YOU I DO NOT KNOW. *AK

THERE IS A SQEAK COMING FROM THE FRONT END WHEN I GO OVER SMALL BUMPS/DIPS IN THE ROAD. TOYOTA RECOMMENDED THE REPLACEMENT OF TIE RODS, WHICH DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. THE NOISE CONTINUES AND HAS INCREASED IN SEVERITY. THE AIR CONDITIONER SMELLS WHEN USING IT. IT SMELLS LIKE MOLD. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER, BUT ALL THEY DO IS SPRAY IT WITH FRIGI-FRESH, WHICH ONLY MASKS THE SMELL FOR A SHORT WHILE.*AK

THIS CAR IS A LEMON. I HAVE HAD FIVE INTEGRATED RELAY'S REPLACED AND NOW IT IS OUT AGAIN. THE HEADLIGHT OR THE DASH LIGHTS WILL WORK, BUT NOT BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. TOYOTA SAID IT WAS BECAUSE I HAD A NON-FACTORY ALARM INSTALLED. THEY REPLACED THE ALARM WITH A TOYOTA ALARM AND REPLACED THE RELAY AND IT BURNED OUT THE FOLLOWING DAY. THEY CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. THE AIR CONDITIONER HAS HAD A MUSTY SMELL SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW. THEY SPRAY THE VENTS WITH "FRIGI FRESH" AND IT'S FINE FOR A FEW DAYS AND THE SMELL RETURNS. THEY TOLD ME TO SPRAY SIMPLE GREEN IN THE AIR INTAKE ONCE A WEEK. THAT'S A PRETTY POOR REMEDY. THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT HOLD ON ANY INCLINE. SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL PULL INTO THE GARAGE BY IT SELF AND OTHER TIMES IT WILL ROLL INTO THE STREET. IT DEPENDS ON IT'S MOOD. THE CAR LACK POWER. SOME DAYS THE CAR IS PEPPY BUT MOST DAYS IT'S A OLD MULE. I WENT THROUGH ARBITRATION AND TOYOTA JUST KEEPS REPLACING PARTS INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE CAR. IT'S SITS IN THE GARAGE NOW BECAUSE IS NOT DEPENDABLE. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE AN IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATION AND RECALL OF THE 1999 CAMRY.*AK

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, THE INITIAL INSPECTION INDICATED A FIRE OCCURING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE, THE FIRE ORIGINATED AT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD HEAT SHIELD, THE FIRE TRANSFERRED FROM THIS AREA TO THE FRONT AND TO THE INTERIOR PORTION OF THE VEHICLE, IT WAS FINALLY DETERMINED THAT THE LOSS RESULTED FROM THE SEPARATION OF THE AIR CONDITIONING SUCTION LINE AT THE EVAPORATOR, ALLOWING REFRIGERANT AND PAG OIL TO BE EXPELLED ON TO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, IGNITING AND RESULTING IN THE DAMAGES OBSERVED.*JB

BRAKES SQUEAK/ PULL TO LEFT AND WARP. ALSO, CD PLAYER DOESN'T WORK, HAD 4 CDS REPLACED/ SPRINGS IN SIDE OF SUN ROOF ARE BROKEN AND MAKE NOISES, AND REGULATOR REPLACED INSIDE OF WINDOWS. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEMS. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT BRAKE ROTORS HAVE BEEN TURNED AT 9000 AND 27000 MILES, EACH TIME ROTORS ARE TURNED THE BRAKE PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, HOWEVER PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. WINDSHILED HAS A FILM LIKE COVERING WHICH MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE OUT OF. GOODYEAR TIRE P205/65R15, DOT M6URREDR228 WORE OUT PREMATURELY. *SLC