1999 Toyota Camry

I REPORTED THIS TO COMPLAINTS.COM ON 11/12/2005 BUT WANTED TO ALSO SUBMIT IT TO YOU DUE TO ALL OF THE NEWS LATELY. IN NOVEMBER 2005, MY PARENTS WERE DRIVING THEIR 1999 CAMRY AND PULLING SLOWING INTO A PARKING SPOT. JUST AS THEY WERE ABOUT TO COMPLETE PARKING AND ONLY GOING LESS THAN A MILE PER HOUR, THEIR CAR ACCELERATED VERY FAST, LEFT THE CURB AND CRASHED INTO A BUILDING. WE ASKED ABOUT IF SUDDEN ACCELERATION COULD BE INVESTIGATED AT THIS TIME BUT WERE TOLD IT COULDN'T. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. MY MOM WAS INJURED (BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA TO HER CHEST) BUT RECOVERED FAIRLY SOON AFTER. SHE DID GO TO THE ER. MY DAD, WHO WAS DRIVING, WAS OK BUT FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT WAS STRESSED DUE TO WORRY ABOUT MY MOM'S INJURY AND HAVING THEIR CAR TOTALED SINCE HE WAS SURE HE HADN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG.. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. MY DAD IS SURE HE DID NOT HIT THE GAS BY MISTAKE AND MY MOM AGREES THAT HE DIDN'T HIT THE GAS EITHER. *TR

THE BRAKES DO NOT SEEM TO WORK PROPERLY WHEN THE CAR IS ON A DECLINE; THIS IS PARTICULARLY A PROBLEM WHEN THE ROAD IS WET. SOMETIMES IT SEEMS AS IF THE BRAKES DO NOT WANT TO WORK. MY MECHANIC HAS TWICE THOROUGHLY CHECKED THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND REPLACED WORN PARTS, BUT HE IS UNABLE TO LOCATE ANY PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM. *TR

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: THIS IS NOT A FORMAL COMPLAINT. IT IS A MATTER OF CONCERN THAT MIGHT BE SHARED BY OTHER1999 TOYOTA OWNERS. WHILE THE NEWS IS EXTENSIVE IN REPORTING THE ISSUES INVOLVED IN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION OF SELECT LATER MODEL TOYOTA AUTOMOBILES, I BELIEVE AN ASPECT OF AN EARLIER CAMRY HAS THE POTENTIAL OF CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE A 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY FOR WHICH I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN THE ACCELERATOR (GAS PEDAL) WILL NOT DEPRESS AS INTENDED. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS ARE NECESSARY TO HAVE THE CAR RESPOND TO MY DESIRE TO INCREASE SPEED. THIS SITUATION IS THE OPPOSITE OF THAT NOW BEING PUBLICIZED; HOWEVER, IT IS EQUALLY DANGEROUS. FOR EXAMPLE, SHOULD I FIND MYSELF IN A SITUATION WHERE I NEED TO ACCELERATE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT, I HAVE DOUBTS AS TO THE RESPONSE OF THE CAR, THAT IS, WILL IT INCREASE IN SPEED SUFFICIENTLY IN TIME TO AVOID A POTENTIAL COLLISION. IT IS MY INTENT TO HAVE MY SERVICE STATION INSPECT THE CAR FOR ANY OBVIOUS DEFICIENCIES. YET, I FEEL THIS SITUATION, IN LIGHT OF THE UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION PROBLEM NOW GARNERING THE HEADLINES, MIGHT BE BEING NEGLECTED BY TOYOTA. IF IT IS A DESIGN FLAW, IT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO ADDRESS AND FIX IT. *TR

DT: THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE BRAKE PROBLEM THE PROBLEM CONCERNED ABS PUMP. WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES FAILED. EVERY TWO-THREE MONTHS THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED, AT LEAST TWENTY TIMES. THIS PROBLEM FIRST STARTED IN SEPTEMBER 2001. THE FIRST DOCUMENTATION WAS FOR MAY OF 2002. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS, BUT NONE AS OF YET. THE DEALER WAS UNSURE OF THE EXACT PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND IT. THEY HAVE TOLD THE CONSUMER NUMBERS POSSIBILITIES, BUT STILL HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. ALSO, THERE WAS ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. THEY CHANGED THE TIMING BELT BECAUSE OF ENGINE NOISE. THEY TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE WATER PUMP AND IT WAS CHANGED. THE CONSUMER HAD A REPORT FROM THE DEALERSHIP. BUT, NOT ALL OF THE TIMES THAT VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WAS INCLUDED IN THE REPORT. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT ENGINE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE VALVE AND THE LIFTERS. *AK

THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET JUST OVER 70 MPH AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN. THE VEHICLE REACHED 90 MPH. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT DISENGAGE. THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF AND THE ENGINE FINALLY QUIT. 20 MINUTES LATER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED AND REDLINED. THE CRUISE CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED. (DENSO CRUISE CONTROL ACTUATOR, TOYOTA 88002-06020, SERIAL#MX100300-6040 12V, MADE IN MEXICO) *AK THE CONSUMER HAD THE BRAKES REPLACED MONTHS BEFORE THE INCIDENT, HOWEVER THE HEAT PRODUCED CAUSED THE ROTORS TO WARPED. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING TRACTION CONTROL AT 65000 MILES FAILED. THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC, AND HE RESET IT. THEN, IT HAPPENED AGAIN, LIGHT CAME ON WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING. CONSUMER BOUGHT THE PART; HAD IT PUT ON. WITHIN A MONTH THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE MECHANIC THEY FOUND THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE. AIR BAG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS COMPLETELY INOPERABLE.*AK

THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD AT LEAST 2 BRAKE REPAIRS PER YEAR SINCE THE INITIAL REPAIR DONE PRIOR TO 20000 MILES .ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE, AND THIS IS THE MOST BRAKE REPAIRS I HAVE EVER HAD ON ANY VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED. THE LAST MECHANIC WHO WORKED ON THE CAR RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE CALIPERS BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO BE A PROBLEM IN THESE CARS. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA AND THEY SAY THEY HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANY PROBLEMS IN THIS YEAR VEHICLE. I FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE WHEN MECHANICS ARE TELLING ME OTHERWISE. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A TOYOTA ENTHUSIAST, BUT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE APATHETIC RESPONSE I HAVE GOTTEN FROM THEM. *CB

APRIL 30, 2003 ON SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2003 - MY 1999 TOYOTA 2.2L 4CYL CAMRY LE VIN NUMBER [XXX] CEASED TO OPERATE AT JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE ENGINE WITH A VERY LOUD NOISE (SUCH HAS GEARS UNDER PRESSURE THAT JUST GAVE WAY) STOPPED ABRUPTLY WHILE SMOKE CAME OUT AND THE OIL SPILLED ALL OVER THE PLACE. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED BACK TO ROCKLAND TOYOTA THE NEXT DAY I LATER WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT SIZED HOLE ON THE ENGINE AND WAS SHOWN BROKEN THE PIECES. THE CAR WAS ALWAYS SERVICED AT ROCKLAND TOYOTA SINCE ITS PURCHASE FROM TOYOTA NORTH (ALL BASED IN NEW YORK). MY CAMRY HAS HAD SYMPTOMS RELATING TO OIL SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. PERSISTENT DRIFTING/PULLING TO THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT, UNEVEN WEAR OF TIRES WITH NEED FOR EARLY REPLACEMENT, PREMATURE BRAKE COMPONENT WEAR, INCLUDING REAR BRAKE DRUMS, AND VIBRATIONS, ESP. AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50 MPH SINCE ITS PURCHASE IN 1999. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR