1999 Toyota Camry

WHILE DRIVING A LOUD BANKING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT. CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THEN, VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER RESTARTED VEHICLE, AND PULLED OVER. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED REPLACEMENT DUE TO A BLOWN GASKET. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ON THE ROAD AND HEARD LOUD CLANGING SOUND AND THEN SAW LOTS OF SMOKE. SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I PULLED OVER. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND OPENED THE HOOD. THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE AND OIL WAS ALL OVER. CAR HAD 66,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS 400 MILES OVER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. TOOK TO TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO SLUDGE OR GEL IN THE ENGINE. CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD HAVE DONE TO CAUSE THIS. WARRANTY COMPANY IS FIGHTING US ON FIXING THE VEC. AND TOYOTA WILL NOT DO ANYTHING EITHER. THIS HAPPENED ON APRIL 15, 2004 AND IT IS NOW JULY 7, 2004. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP STILL HAS MY CAR. *AK

WHILE PULLING INSIDE OF A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT WAS ONLY ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE BY APPLYING THE ACCELERATED AND BRAKE. THEN THE VEHICLE STARTED. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT HOME. THE DRIVER CONTACTED THE DEALER FOR AN APPOINTMENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH SOUTH ON I45 ABOUT 10 MILES N. OF HUNTSVILLE AND STARTING TO FEEL THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKING FROM GENTLY TO VIOLENTLY IN A SHORT TIME. 2) THINK OF HAVING A FLAT I SLOWED DOWN AND BEGAN TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. WHILE THE CAR WAS SLOWING DOWN AND BEFORE GETTING ON THE SHOULDER I SAW RUBBER PIECES FLYING AND HEARD SEVERAL LOUD THUMPS COMING FROM THE LEFT FRONT SIDE OF THE CAR. WHEN THE CAR CAME TO A STOP, I HEARD A LOUD FIZZLE SOUND AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY LEANED TO THE LEFT. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND FOUND THAT ALL OF THE RUBBER COVERING ROAD-CONTACTING SURFACE OF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE WAS GONE EXPOSING METAL WIRES AND THE BASE RUBBER. I ALSO NOTED THAT THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BUMPER, THE LEFT FRONT FENDER AND MUDGUARD OF THE CAR WERE DAMAGED, DISTORTED PUSHED CLOSER TO THE LEFT FRONT DOOR. THE PEELED, FLAPPING AND FLYING APART RUBBER ALSO CAUSED NUMEROUS BLACK STREAKS AND MARKS ON THE FENDER AND THE BUMPER. THE LEFT FRONT DOOR BELOW THE DOOR HANDLE WAS ALSO SCRAPES. 3) I REPLACED THE BLOWN OUT-TIRE WITH A FACTORY PROVIDED NEVER-USED SPARE TIRE AND DROVE TO A DISCOUNT TIRE STORE ON SOUTH SHAVER ROAD ON THE WAY HOME TO HAVE THE SEPARATED TIRE INSPECTED. THE TIRE TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED VERBALLY THAT THE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. HE CALLED GENERAL TIRES AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAVE TO MAKE THE CALL MYSELF SINCE THIS INVOLVES PROPERTY DAMAGE. I DROVE HOME AND CALLED GENERAL TIRES TO REPORT THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD TO WAIT 5-7 DAYS FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS BY MAIL. I WAS TO KEEP THE BLOWN TIRE AND OTHER TIRES THAT CAME WITH THE CAR UNTIL THEIR INVESTIGATION COMPLETES. THE BLOWN OUT TIRE, THE SPARE AND THE OTHER THREE TIRES ALREADY ON THE CAR ARE OF THE SAME SIZE, MODEL, MANUFACTURER AND CAME WITH A 1999 TOYATO CAMRY WHEN PURCHASED. TIRE MANUFACTURER: GENERAL, MODEL HP 400 A/S, SIZE P205/65 R15. THE DOT NUMBER ON THE TIRES ARE ACUR 2V1 178.

AS I WAS DRIVING TO WORK, AT 7:30 AM ON THURSDAY APRIL 22, 2004, I NOTICED A CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM UNDER MY AUTO'S HOOD. THE AUTO WAS A 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY, WITH ABOUT 90,100 MILES ON IT. THE CLICKING NOISE REMINDED ME OF A SPINNING ROULETTE WHEEL. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE NOISE INCREASED IN INTENSITY. AT THAT POINT, I DECIDED THAT I NEEDED TO GO TO A REPAIR FACILITY TO HAVE IT EXAMINED. AS I WAS DOING THAT, THERE WAS A LOUD, EXPLOSION-LIKE NOISE AND THE ENGINE STARTED SMOKING VERY HEAVILY. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD, AT WHICH POINT, I GATHERED UP SOME IMPORTANT ITEMS FROM MY CAR, AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. BY THIS TIME, THERE WERE FLAMES COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I CALLED 911 AND ADVISED THE DISPATCHER OF MY CIRCUMSTANCES AND LOCATION. THE CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE ARRIVED WITHIN THREE MINUTES OF MY CALL. THEY TRIED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WITH AN EXTINGUISHER, BUT WERE UNABLE TO DO SO. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, 10 MINUTES LATER, THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND SMOKE. THEY WERE ABLE TO QUICKLY EXTINGUISH THE FIRE, BUT BY THAT TIME, THE CAR WAS RUINED. A FEW MINUTES LATER, A TOW TRUK REMOVED THE VEHICLE TO A NEARBY GARAGE. I CALLED MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND FILED A CLAIM. THEY HAVE SINCE DECLARED THE VEHICLE A TOTAL LOSS AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REMITTING MY SETTLEMENT.*AK

BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 2003 TO FEBRUARY 2004, THREE OF THE FOUR NEW B.F. GOODRICH TIRES FAILED. *PH IT RESULTED TO DIFFICULTY OF STEERING; VEHICLE SWERVING SLIGHTLY AND DIFFICULTY IN STEERING. IN ADDITION, BRAKING WAS POOR AND RIDE WAS UNSTABLE. ALSO, ALL THREE OCCURRENCES THE FOLLOWING ARE OBSERVED BY THE CONSUMER: NO OBSTRUCTIONS ON THE ROAD, PAVEMENT WAS DRY AND IN GOOD CONDITION, CONSUMER DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING, NO VISIBLE DAMAGE ON TIRE DURING THE TIME OF FAILURE, FOUR INCH CRESCENT SLIT AT THE RADIAL POSITION INSIDE THE SIDEWALL, AND ALL TIRES WERE KEPT PROPERLY INFLATED. CONSUMER DECIDED TO REPLACE THE TIRES WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND. *LA

PURCHASED FOUR NEW DUNLOP SP SPORT A2 P195/70R14 TIRES AT 36,157 MILES ON 05/10/02 FROM TOYOTA DEALER IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. ON APRIL 2, 2004, IN PREPARATION FOR A TRIP TO TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA (APPROXIMATELY 180 MILES), ALL FOUR TIRES WERE CHECKED AND EACH HAD 32 PSI AIR PRESSURE. ON APRIL 3, 2004 (APPROXIMATE ODOMETER READING 55,000) UPON ARRIVAL IN TALLAHASSEE, DISCOVERED ONE OF THE TIRES MOUNTED ON THE LEFT REAR WAS PARTIALLY DEFLATED AND WAS UNDERGOING SEPARATION AT THREE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS ON THE SIDEWALL. WE TOOK THE CAR TO DISCOUNT TIRE COMPANY, 1507 KILLEAN CENTER BOULEVARD, TALLAHASSEE (PHONE 850-894-8473) FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRE. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE PARTIAL DEFLATION WAS CAUSED BY A TIRE DEFECT THAT RESULTED IN THE SIDE WALL SEPARATION. WAS FORTUNATE THAT THE TIRE DID NOT FAIL AT HIGHWAY SPEED (70 MPH). DUNLOP THROUGH THE DUNLOP WEBSITE. *AK