1999 Toyota Camry

WAS INCHING INTO A PARKING SPACE, TAPPING THE BRAKES, GOING AT AN INCLINE (UPHILL) TO PARK. SUDDENLY WITH ABOUT 8-10 INCHES TO GO THE CAR LITERALLY LUNGED FORWARD ON ITS OWN. SLAMMING WITH A HUGE BOOM INTO A CONCRETE POLL. THE BRAKES WERE PUMPING AS ALL OF THIS HAPPENED UNTIL FINALLY THE ACCELERATION CEASED. HAD THE POLL NOT BEEN THERE I WOULD HAVE WENT THROUGH THE FRONT WINDOW OF THE RESTAURANT OR FLATTEN ANY PERSON WALKING BY. THE MANAGER OF THE RESTAURANT WITNESSED THE ENTIRE EVENT. HE SAID THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT IN HIS MIND FROM THE CREEPING INTO THE SPACE, WITH ONLY ABOUT 8-10 INCHES TO GO, TO A SONIC LIKE BOOM AND THE HUGE LUNGE FORWARD OF THE VEHICLE, THE THROTTLE HAD TO BE WIDE OPEN, THEN STUCK THERE. IT WAS A POWERFUL ENOUGH CRASH THAT IT BROKE THE FRAME AROUND THE HEADLIGHT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT PREVIOUSLY OWNED A 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN BACKING INTO HIS DRIVEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 2-3 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ACROSS THE STREET AT AN UNCONTROLLABLE RATE. THE VEHICLE CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO HIS NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES BUT A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED NO PRIOR PROBLEMS WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION BEFOREHAND. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND RECEIVED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 25,000. UPDATED 05/13/2010. *LJ

1999 TOYOTA CAMRY SOON AFTER WE PURCHASED OUR 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY MY WIFE AND I NOTICED THAT EVERY TIME WE WENT OVER THE SPEED BUMPS IN OUR APARTMENT COMPLEX AT VERY LOW SPEEDS WE WOULD HEAR A NOISE - A CLICK/CLACK AT THE LEFT FRONT TIRE - NOT LOUD BUT DISTINCT. I CALLED THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER - STEVENS CREEK TOYOTA AND DESCRIBED THE ISSUE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER & REQUESTING AN APPOINTMENT. HE ASSURED ME THAT THIS IS SIMPLY THE BRAKES THAT ARE "BEING SEATED" AND NOT AN ISSUE. THE NOISE CONTINUED AND BECAME LOUDER WITH TIME. AS THIS POINT WE WERE BEYOND THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I TOOK THE CAR INTO MELODY TOYOTA AND ASKED THE MECHANIC TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE AS THE NOISE WAS MUCH LOUDER AND OCCURRED WHENEVER WE GO OVER ANY POTHOLE ETC, NOT ONLY BUMPS.. THE MECHANIC REPORTED THAT THIS WAS A BROKEN STRUT ARM OR STABILIZER ARM. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A WARRANTY AS I HAD COMPLAINED TO STEVENS CREEK TOYOTA WHEN THE CAR ONLY HAD A FEW THOUSAND MILES. THE MECHANIC STATED THERE IS NO WARRANTY OR RECALL ON THIS ITEM. I ASKED IF THE ISSUE WAS COMMON AND THE MILEAGE AND HE RESPONDED I HAVE SEEN THIS ISSUE ON A NUMBER OF CAMRY'S - THE MILEAGE IS IRRESPECTIVE - LOW MILES OR HIGH. I HAVE NOT HAD THE ISSUE RESOLVED AS HE STATED IT WOULD NOT HURT THE CAR. PER THE MECHANIC THERE MUST BE TONS OF CARS THAT HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE REPAIRED. I BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA IS FULLY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE FOR QUITE SOME TIME AS WELL. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW TOYOTA CAMRY IN NOVEMBER 1999. IN 2004 (THE CAR HAS FEWER THAN 45,000 MILES ON IT), WHILE TRAVELING ON A LOCAL HIGHWAY, THE ACCELERATOR BECAME "STUCK". LUCKILY, WE WERE TRAVELING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED, BECAUSE WE HAD JUST ACCELERATED AFTER LEAVING A RED LIGHT. THE DRIVER (A FRIEND) KEPT HER WITS AND PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, THEN STEERED INTO AN EMPTY LOT WHERE SHE SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. AT THIS POINT THE CAR'S RPMS WERE "REDLINING". WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA TO REPORT THE INCIDENT I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS AT FAULT - THAT I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE ACCELERATOR SERVICED. I ASKED IF THERE WERE INSTRUCTIONS IN THE OWNERS MANUAL THAT WARNED OWNERS TO HAVE THE ACCELERATOR SERVICED.DID THE OWNERS MANUAL DISCLOSE THAT THE ACCELERATOR WOULD STICK? THE ANSWER WAS NO. I THEN CONTACTED TOYOTA BY EMAIL AND FULLY DESCRIBED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY ASSIGNED ME A CASE NUMBER AND SENT ME A COUPON FOR $500 OFF MY NEXT TOYOTA. NEEDLESS TO SAY I GOT RID OF THE CAR. UNTIL 2005 I KEPT ALL THE INFORMATION, BUT MY HOME WAS FLOODED IN KATRINA AND I NO LONGER HAVE THE DOCUMENTS. WHEN I HEARD ABOUT THE RECALLS I FELT THAT SOMEONE SHOULD KNOW THAT THIS ACCELERATOR PROBLEM HAS EXISTED FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND TOYOTA WAS VERY AWARE OF IT. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DID REPAIR WORK FOR THE PROBLEM. *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

I DRIVE A 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY. MY CAR'S GAS PEDAL ALSO HAS SIMILAR PROBLEM AS STATED IN THE RECENT RECALLS. THE PROBLEM OCCURS MORE OFTEN WHEN WAITING AT A STOP SIGNAL/SIGN AND WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM ZERO. THE GAS PEDAL GETS STUCK AND REQUIRES ME DEPRESS THE PEDAL HARDER RESULTING IN SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND AFTER CAUSING SOME FRUSTRATION FOR DRIVERS BEHIND ME. I EVEN CALLED UP TOYOTA AND THEY ARE STATING SINCE MY CAR IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT UNDER THE RECALL. HOWEVER, I THINK MY GAS PEDAL PROBLEM IS THE INITIAL PHASE OF THE OVERALL PROBLEM AND IS VERY SIMILAR TO PROBLEMS STATED BY MANY CONSUMERS WITH THIS ISSUE. ALSO, I AM AFRAID THAT DRIVERS BEHIND ME WOULD BEGIN ACCELERATING THE MOMENT THEY SEE THE GREEN SIGNAL AND MAY NOT REALIZE THAT MY CAR IN FRONT OF THEM IS STILL AT A STANDSTILL. THIS PROBLEM COULD RESULT IN AN VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. MY CAR CAN BE HIT BY THE CAR BEHIND ME AND FATALLY AFFECTING MY SPOUSE AND CHILD SITTING IN THE REAR SEAT. CAN YOU PLEASE MAKE TOYOTA TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION AND FIX THE PROBLEM IN MY CAR? *CN

TOYOTA HAS LONG IGNORED SAFETY IN FAVOR OF SHOW. OUR 1999 CAMRY HAS A KEY FOB WITH THREE BUTTONS, ONLY ONE WORKING. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE 'SECURITY' SYSTEM (1) KEEPS THE ENGINE FROM STARTING AND, (2) MORE OMINOUSLY, LOCKS US OUT OF THE CAR. MY DAUGHTER, WITH HER BABY, STARTED THE CAR, STEPPED OUT TO LET IT COOL IN THE PHOENIX SUMMER, AND WAS LOCKED OUT. FORTUNATELY, I WAS CLOSE AND, FORTUNATELY, SHE TOOK HER BABY OUT WITH HER. OVER THE YEARS, I'VE ASKED TOYOTA TO FIX ITS SECURITY MESS. NOTHING BUT MILD APOLOGIES. THIS ENDANGERMENT HAS PLAGUED ME AND MY FAMILY FOR 10 YEARS. TOYOTA'S RECKLESSNESS AND ALOOFNESS SHOULD BE PUNISHED SEVERELY AND THE COMPANY MUST BEGIN TO PRODUCE NOTHING BUT RELIABLE CARS THAT DON'T ENDANGER ITS CUSTOMERS. *JB

ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO, I BEGAN TO NOTICE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS INTERMITTENTLY STICKY WHEN I DEPRESS IT. SOMETIMES I HAVE TO PRACTICALLY PUNCH IT WITH MY FOOT BEFORE IT FINALLY GIVES WAY, CAUSING THE CAR TO LURCH FORWARD. IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN TO THIS DAY. SOME DAYS IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AT ALL, AND SOME DAYS IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME I COME TO A FULL STOP AND THEN TRY TO STEP ON THE GAS AGAIN. I HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING TO CORRECT OR REPAIR IT, BECAUSE UNTIL THIS CURRENT RECALL, I VIEWED IT MORE AS A NUISANCE PROBLEM. THUS FAR IT HAS NEVER GOTTEN STUCK IN THE DEPRESSED POSITION. ACCORDING TO THE CURRENT TERMS OF THE RECALL, MY CAR IS NOT INCLUDED. HOWEVER, THE INFORMATION RELEASED TODAY ABOUT THIS CURRENT RECALL LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT MY STICKY ACCELERATOR MAY BE RELATED TO THE RECALL AND CERTAINLY WARRANTS INVESTIGATION. *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