1999 Toyota Camry

ON THE AFTERNOON OF FEBRUARY 13, 2007 MY WIFE DROVE OUR 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY LE 20 MILES FROM OUR HOUSE TO A GOVERNMENT FACILITY WHERE SHE VOLUNTEERS AS AN INCOME TAX PREPARER FOR THE IRS THROUGH THE CITY OF PHOENIX. AS SHE WAS WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN INTO THE PARKING LOT OF THE BUILDING THE CAR STALLED BUT SHE MANAGED TO GET IT STARTED AGAIN WITH THE GEAR SHIFT IN NEUTRAL AND PROCEEDED INTO THE PARKING LOT WHERE THE CAR STALLED TWICE AGAIN. SHE WAS ABLE TO PARK THE VEHICLE IN A PARKING SLOT AND SHE WENT INTO WORK. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINUTES MY WIFE WAS CALLED OUT TO THE PARKING LOT WHERE SHE WITNESSED THE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHING A FIRE COMING FROM THE ENGINE OF THE CAMRY. THE FIRE COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND MELTED THE ENTIRE ENGINE. A PHOENIX POLICE OFFICER WAS PARKED IN THE LOT PRIOR TO THE FIRE AND TOOK A STATEMENT FROM MY WIFE AFTER THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO OUR RESIDENCE. THE CAMRY HAD ABOUT 65000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND WAS RUNNING IN GOOD CONDITION BEFORE THE FIRE. I HAD ROUTINE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE A FEW MINOR PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR; THE DRIVER DOOR PUSH BUTTON LOCK, THE STEREO AND THE PARKING BRAKE INDICATOR WERE INTERMITTENT. NO OTHER INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON. THE CAMRY WAS PURCHASED FROM A TOYOTA DEALER IN AUGUST OF 2002 AS A TOYOTA CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE. THIS DEALER DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT ENGINE GEL, THE SECURE KEY LOCK AND WIRING HARNESS DEFECTS IN THE VEHICLE. WE RESEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND SIMILAR CASES OF ENGINE FIRES IN 1999 CAMRYS THAT STARTED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND SOME WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING. WE ONLY HAD LIABILITY COVERAGE ON OUR CAMRY. WE ARE DOWN TO ONE VEHICLE AND WE HAVE SUFFERED A TOTAL LOSS. *NM

I HAVE A 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY. I CHANGED MY OIL CONSISTENTLY BEFORE EVERY 2500 MILES OR 3 MONTHS, HOWEVER THE OIL IN MY ENGINE STILL "SLUGGED" OR "GELLED". I VISITED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT FIXED AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS COMMON AMONGST TOYOTA CAMRY'S AND THAT THEY COULD NOT COVER THE ENGINE DAMAGE FOR ME UNLESS I PROVIDED RECEIPTS AS PROOF THAT I CHANGED MY OIL EVERY 2500 MILES OR 3 MONTHS SINCE THE DAY I PURCHASED THE CAR. I HAD NOT BEEN KEEPING MY RECEIPTS AS MY FIANCE WOULD OFTEN CHANGE MY OIL FOR US. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I HAD TO SPEND OVER $2,000 REPLACING MY ENGINE ONLY TO LATER FIND OUT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS MUCH MORE COMMON AND SEVERE THAN I HAD BEEN TOLD AND THAT TOYOTA DOES IN FACT RECOGNIZE THE DEFECT AND OFFERS TO FIX IT COMPLIMENTARY. I LEARNED THIS WHILE I WAS OUT CAR SHOPPING (AT A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP) SINCE I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE ON THE ROAD IN MY UNSUITABLE TOYOTA CAMRY. MY OLD ENGINE HAS BEEN REPLACED BUT THE NEW ONE IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME IT'S BECAUSE THE DEFECTIVE PART THAT CAUSED THE ENGINES TO GEL UP HAS NOW BEEN REMOVED FROM REPLACEMENT ENGINES. THERE IS NOW A NOTICEABLE BANGING NOISE COMING FROM MY ENGINE. I AM COMPLETELY DISGUSTED WITH THE WAY I WAS TREATED BY MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. I WAS SOLD A CAR WITH A KNOWN HISTORY OF DEFECTIVE ENGINES AND THE CAR MANUFACTURERS REFUSES TO FIX IT FOR ME. WHAT TYPE OF SCAM IS THIS? *JB

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM A DEAD STOP OR SLOW ROLL. SOMETIMES IT TAKES A HARD STOMP TO BREAK FREE OR TO HOLD DOWN BRAKE PEDAL AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL AT SAME TIME WHEN STOPPED AT LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. PERSONALLY CHECKED COMPONENTS ASSOCIATED WITH PEDAL BUT CANNOT FIND ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. SEEMS TO STICK WHEN ENGINE IS UP TO OPERATING TEMPERATURE. *NM

OCT. 22, 2006 DEAR DUNLOP TIRE REPRESENTATIVE: ON THE MORNING OF SEPT. 10, AS I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 10 TO THE JACKSONVILLE AIRPORT WITH MY DAUGHTER, THE DUNLOP TIRE ON MY CAR LOST NEARLY ITS ENTIRE TREAD, DAMAGING THE CAR. BESIDES CAUSING $1,800 IN DAMAGE TO MY WIFE''S CAR, THE LOSS OF THE TREAD ALSO COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IM SENDING YOU THIS LETTER, AND CCING COPIES TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ADMINISTRATION, MY INSURANCE COMPANY, AND TO MY CONGRESSMAN AND U.S. SENATORS HERE IN FLORIDA, SO THAT YOU WILL BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND WILL TAKE ACTION TO CORRECT IT, AS I BELIEVE THAT IT CAUSES A THREAT TO LIFE AND PROPERTY. I''D APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD RESPOND WITH DETAILS OF WHAT ACTION YOU INTEND TO TAKE. THE TIRE IS A DUNLOP RADIAL TUBELESS P195/70R14, RATED AT 90S M+S. SINCERELY, DANIEL LINDLEY 564 101ST AVE. N. NAPLES, FL 34108 239-591-8328, LINDLEY555@EARTHLINK.NET CC: AIG INSURANCE NATIONAL HIGHWAY SAFETY TRAFFIC ADMINISTRATION FLORIDA U.S. CONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS

SIGNAL LIGHTS AND EMERGENCY FLASHERS DEFECTED (WON'T FLASH). REPLACE FUSES AND UNDER THE BRAKE PEDAL PART (DON'T KNOW THE CORRECT NAME) SEVERAL TIMES AND IT WORK FOR MAYBE TWO WEEKS, THEN STOP. MECHANIC STATED ITS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM; ALSO HEAR LIKE A FRYING NOISE WHEN USING SIGNALS AND SOMETIMES WHEN JUST DRIVING. INSIDE CAR LIGHT WORKS WHEN IT WANTS TOO. REPLACE WITH RECOMMENDED FUSE AND WORKS FOR A DAY AND STOPS. *NM

MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING ALONG ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE LEFT FRONT TIRE. THE TREAD SEPARATION DESTROYED THE LEFT FRONT QUARTER PANEL AND DRIVER SIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR. THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER DRIVABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED. WE CONTACTED OUR INSURANCE COMPANY TO START A CLAIM FOR THE DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP FOR REPAIR. THE VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED AND SHOULD BE READY SOON. I WENT TO THE TIRE STORE WHERE THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED 1.5 YEARS AGO. THE MANAGER MENTIONED THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE ISSUE AND CONTACT BRIDGESTONE. I CALLED BRIDGESTONE AND THEY MAILED ME A CLAIMS FORM. BRIDGESTONE IS REQUESTING ME TO SHIP THE TIRE TO THEIR FACILITY FOR INSPECTION. I FEEL THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SHIP THE TIRE TO THEM AND THEY STILL MAY NOT HONOR THE CLAIM. I HAVE THE DEFECTIVE TIRE AND PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE THAT WAS DONE TO THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE BEEN WITHOUT THE USE OF THE VEHICLE SINCE AUGUST 11, 2006. THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE ARE BRIDGESTONE B420 IN SIZE P205 70R14. *JB

AS I WAS DRIVING MY 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY TO WORK, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE, AND WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. THE FIRE WAS PRECEDED BY A LOUD POPPING SOUND, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY THE LOSS OF BRAKES/POWER STEERING, ETC. I STRUGGLED TO STEER THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD, COASTING TO A STOP. MEANWHILE, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE FIRECRACKER-LIKE "POP," SMOKE BEGAN TO POUR INTO THE VEHICLE FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD, AS WELL AS THROUGH THE VENTS ON THE TOP OF THE DASH. HEAVY SMOKE ALSO BEGAN TO POUR OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR. AS I FINALLY BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, A MOTORIST STOPPED AND HOLLERED TO ME TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IMMEDIATELY AS, HE SAID, THERE WERE FLAMES VISIBLE UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I EXITED THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY, AND WITHIN 3-5 MINUTES IT WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I DIALED 911 IMMEDIATELY, AND EVEN THOUGH THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WITHIN 1.5 MILES OF THE LOCAL FIRE STATION, THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES BY THE TIME THE FIRE TRUCK ARRIVED. A PENNSYLVANIA STATE TROOPER ARRIVED WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF THE ONSET OF THE EPISODE, MOMENTS AFTER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. A TRAFFIC REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE STATE TROOPER. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING OVER A BUMP THE VEHICLE MAKES A CLANKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE STRUT WAS REPLACED, BUT THIS DID NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED A PERSISTENT CLANKING SOUND WAS NOTED IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION. AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAILED STRUT WHICH WAS REPLACED, BUT THE NOISE CONTINUED. THIS WAS A COMMON COMPLAINT FOR THE CAR AND SUBSEQUENT MODEL YEARS. THE CONTACT CLAIMED THE TOYOTA DEALERS WERE AWARE OF THE DEFECT WHICH WAS THE RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE STRUT MOUNT DESIGN. HOWEVER, REPAIRS WERE AT CONTACT'S EXPENSE, NOT THE DEALERS. THE TOTAL REPAIR COST WAS $400. A CALL TO TOYOTA FAILED TO OBTAIN ANY INFORMATION REGARDING SAFETY IMPLICATIONS. *AK