2001 Toyota Camry

LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN GOODLATTE ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT, RE PROBLEMS SHE EXPERIENCED WITH HER VEHICLE AFTER THE USE OF GASOLINE CONTAINING ETHANOL. *NJ THE CONSUMER OWNS A 2001 AND 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. ONE OF THE VEHICLES NEEDED A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND THE OTHER NEEDED A NEW OXYGEN SENSOR. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY THE USE OF GASOLINE CONTAINING ETHANOL. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT A REPRESENTATIVE OF A STATE AGENCY THAT INSPECTED GASOLINE STATIONS INFORMED HER THAT MECHANICS HAD TOLD HIM THAT EVEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF ETHANOL COULD CAUSED THE OXYGEN SENSOR TO MALFUNCTION. A MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT HER VEHICLES CONTAINED BAD GAS. *JB UPDATED 05/25/10.*JB

I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 TOYOTA CAMRY AT NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN WITHOUT WARNING, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE. MY ENGINE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED OPERATING AND FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. AFTER HAVING MY CAR TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP, THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT AN ENGINE ROD WAS THROWN THROUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK. MY CAR REQUIRES A NEW ENGINE AT AN APPROXIMATE COST OF $ 3,000.00. *TR

2001-TOYOTA CAMRY: THERE IS A BURNING ODOR WHEN CAR IS OPERATING. THE IGNITION DOES NOT ALWAYS START THE CAR UPON INSERTING AND TURNING THE KEY. MANY TIMES WHEN TURNING THE KEY, THERE IS A HIGH SCREECHING LOUD NOISE AND THE CAR REMAINS NON-OPERATIONAL FOR A FEW MINUTES WHICH OCCURS EVERYDAY. AFTER THE CAR IS RUNNING FOR APPROXIMATELY 20-MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD, THERE IS A BURNING SMELL SIMILAR TO BURNING RUBBER. THE INSIDE OF THE CAR NEAR THE FLOOR ON DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE WILL BECOME WARM. IT APPEARS HEAT IS GENERATED FROM THE ENGINE INTO THE INSIDE OF THE CAR THUS RESULTING IN BURNING ODOR. UPON ACCELERATION, THE CAR HAS A JERKY, PROPELLING MOTION FORWARD. STEERING COLUMN HAS SOME STIFFNESS AND AT OTHER TIMES IT HAS LOT OF PLAY WITH TURNS. THE POWER/ELECTRIC WINDOWS, CLOCK, AND CD/RADIO PLAYER DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. THESE DEFECTS/FAULTS OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS AFTER USED VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. AS VEHICLE WAS SOLD AS IS, I DID NOT RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. CAR WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DAILY IGNITION/START PROBLEM, OTHER PROBLEMS DESCRIBED ABOVE, HAPPEN APPROXIMATELY FIVE TIMES A MONTH. REGULAR SCHEDULED SERVICE MAINTENANCE ARE PERFORMED HOWEVER ALL ABOVE PROBLEMS CONTINUE TO CONCERN ME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE DRIVER SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY AND THE VEHICLE ERUPTED INTO FLAMES. THE POLICE, AMBULANCE, AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE AND REPORTS WERE FILED. THE DRIVER WAS FATALLY INJURED IN THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER. THE INFORMATION WAS PROVIDED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY REPORT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 30,000. UPDATED 12/30/08 *CN UPDATED 01/02/09. *JB

AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE ON MY HOME DRIVE WAY, SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER HOOD,THEN THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. AFTER 911 CALL, THE FIRE FIGHTERS CAME AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. ALL OF THE PARTS UNDER THE HOOD WERE ALL MELTED, ESPECIALLY ENGINE SIDE WERE BURNT OUT SIGNIFICANTLY. THE FRONT WINDOW PANEL WAS ALSO DAMAGED. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS WHICH CAME ON, NO STRANGE SMELLS, NOTHING. *TR

WE PURCHASED A USED (ABOUT 43,000 MILES) 2001 TOYOTA CAMRY LE ) AT THE END OF JUNE 2006. EVERY THING WORKS FINE SINCE WE PURCHASED IT. THE PREVIOUS OWNER IS A FRIEND OF MINE, WHO ALWAYS DID REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGES IN TOYOTA DEALER AND LEFT ALL MAINTENANCE RECORDS TO ME. AFTER WE GOT THE CAR, WE HAD CHANGED BRAND NEW TIRES, NEW BRAKES, REPLACED DRIVER SIDE AUTO WINDOW MOTOR, AND ALSO DONE OIL CHANGES REGULARLY. ON JUNE 11, 2007, I TOOK MY CAMRY TO MECHANIC TO DO OIL AND BRAKE CHANGES. NO PROBLEM WAS REPORTED. THE TOTAL MILEAGE ON THAT CAR WAS LESS THAN 49,600 MILES AT THAT TIME. ON FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2007, AT 11:00 AM, MY WIFE DROVE KIDS FROM HOME TO LOCAL LIBRARY FOR ABOUT 7 MINUTES. AFTER PARKING IN THE LIBRARY PARKING LOT, WALKING INTO LIBRARY, A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE LIBRARIAN ANNOUNCED AND ASKED THE OWNER OF CAMRY WITH THE SPECIFIC PLATE NUMBER TO GO TO FRONT LOBBY. HOWEVER, THE LIBRARIAN DID NOT STATE THE REASON. MY WIFE THOUGHT SHE PARKED WELL WITHOUT ANY VIOLATION, SO SHE DID NOT PAY TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO THE FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT. AFTER LIBRARIAN'S SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT, MY WIFE FELT THAT THE PLATE NUMBER SOUNDED FAMILIAR, SO SHE WENT TO FRONT LOBBY TO CHECK OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING. WHEN MY WIFE GOT OUT TO THE PARKING LOT, SHE SAW POLICE CAR AND FIRE TRUCK, AND HER CAR WAS BURNED OUT. ALL OF THE PARTS INSIDE THE ENGINE COVER WERE ALL MELTED. THE FIRE ALSO DAMAGED THE RIGHT FRONT PANEL OF THE CAR PARKED NEXT TO MY CAMRY. I ASKED MY MECHANIC TO TOW MY CAR TO HIS REPAIR SHOP AND CHECKED MY CAR. HE TOLD ME THAT THIS CAR IS NOT REPAIRABLE AND IS TOTALED. I HAD CONTACTED TOYOTA CORPORATE OFFICE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER REGARDING MY CAMRY ENGINE FIRE SINCE JULY 23, 2007. THE CASE MANAGER - SANDRA TOLD ME THAT SHE WOULD SEND MY CASE TO TOYOTA'S CLAIM DEPARTMENT AND SOMEONE WILL CONTACT ME TO INVESTIGATE MY CAR. HOWEVER, IT HAD BEEN TWO WEEKS SINCE MY FIRST CONTACT WITH TOYOTA, I HAD NOT RECEIVED PHONE CALL FROM TOYOTA CLAIM DEPARTMENT. *TR

IN AUGUST, MY WIFE AND I NOTICED OUR 2001 TOYOTA CAMRY LE MADE A NOISE LIKE IT WAS MISSING ON ONE CYLINDER. WE WATCHED TO SEE IF THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. WE WERE STILL UNDER OUR EXTENDED WARRANTY AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WE TRUST. HE DISCOVERED THE MIDDLE VALVES WERE STUCK OR STICKING IN THE VALVE SLEEVE, CAUSING THE "MIS-FIRING" SOUND WE HEARD. FURTHER, WE WERE TOLD THE REMEDY WAS TO HAVE THE HEAD MACHINED, REPLACE THE DAMAGED SLEEVES AND THIS WOULD RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. IN ASKING ANOTHER MECHANIC ABOUT THE ISSUE, WE LEARNED THIS IS A COMMON FLAW IN THE 4 CYLINDER CAMRY ENGINE. IN FACT, OUR MECHANIC HAD 3 SEPARATE CARS OF THE SAME AGE IN FOR THE SAME EXACT REPAIR IN A 2 WEEK PERIOD. THIS SEEMS A LITTLE DECEPTIVE, ESPECIALLY AS YOU SEARCH THE INTERNET TO DISCOVER THERE ARE SEVERAL CUSTOMERS WHO FOUND THIS FLAW LONG AFTER THEIR WARRANTY EXPIRED. WE BUY VEHICLES WITH THE INTENT TO KEEP THEM; WE FOCUS ON WHAT WE BELIEVE TO BE QUALITY MANUFACTURERS WITH A QUALITY PRODUCT. THIS LACK OF FOLLOW-THROUGH AND CARE FOR THE CUSTOMER IS A BLATANT DISREGARD OF THE TRUST PLACED IN THEIR HANDS. TECHNICALLY, WE ARE ONLY OUT VERY MINOR FEES AND THE TIME IT TOOK TO DEAL WITH THE MATTER. THIS WAS NOT A CONSUMER PRODUCT, WHERE THE RESULT IS ANNOYANCE AND FRUSTRATION, BUT IT WAS A MODE OF TRANSPORT, CARRYING OUR LIVES ON A DAILY BASIS. HOW CAN A COMPANY CARELESSLY DISREGARD THE IMPACT OF ITS' PRODUCTS CONSTRUCTION WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE EVERYTIME IT IS USED? I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN TOYOTA, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT NEWS ABOUT DROPS IN PRODUCT QUALITY. AS THEY FOCUS ON THE BOTTOM LINE, LITTLE CONCERN IS SHOWN TO THE CONSUMER WHO RISKS A LOT. *NM