2001 Toyota Camry

THE BRAKES ON TOYOTA CAMRY LE MODELS ARE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. IN EACH OF THREE DIFFERENT CAMRY CARS THAT I HAVE OWNED (1996,2000, AND 2001) THE BRAKES MAKE A RUMBLING SOUND WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM A SPEED OVER 50 MILES AN HOUR. FURTHERMORE, ON MY 2001 CAMRY THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON DURING USE ON ICY ROADS, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO SAID THAT THIS HAPPENS AND THAT HE HAD FIVE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE VERY SAME THING THAT DAY. HE ATTRIBUTED THIS TO ONE OF THE SENSORS "STICKING", AND THAT ALL I HAD TO DO IS TURN THE CAR OFF AND LET IT "COOL " DOWN AND THE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF. THIS IS TRUE, THIS DID HAPPEN, BUT WHAT GOOD ARE ABS BRAKES IF THEY MALFUNCTION ON THE VERY ICY ROADS THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT YOU FROM? IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF A SENSOR IS "STICKING" THE SENSOR SHOULD BE REPLACED AND THAT THE CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE ALLOWED TO "COOL DOWN" ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARKWAY ON ICY ROAD CONDITIONS. ALSO, DURING THE TIME THE ABS LIGHT WAS ON ONE OF THE WHEELS BRAKES LOCKED PREVENTING THE WHEEL FROM SPINNING FURTHER CAUSING A MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION.

I HAVE A SAFETY CONCERN WITH MY 2001 TOYOTA CAMRY PURCHASED THROUGH IRA TOYOTA IN DANVERS MASS. THE TIRES PULLED TO RHE LEFT AND SQUEALED GOING AROUND CORNERS. I KEPT CHECKING TIRE PRESSURE TO SEE IF THAT WAS THE CAUSE, NO. IN OCTOBER I TOOK THE CAR IN TO HAVE THE TIRES ROTATED AT DUBE TOYOTA IN DOVER, NH. THE CAR HAD A LITTLE OVER 19,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS ASKED INTO THE SERVICE AREA TO LOOK AT THE TIRES BECAUSE THEY WERE VERY WORN. THE FRONT TIRES WERE VERY WORN ON BOTH THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE EDGES, THE CORDING WAS VISIBLE. THE REAR TIRES WERE WORN EVENLY. STARTED THE COMPLAINT PROCESS WITH IRA TOYOTA. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT BILL DUBE TALKED WITH THE DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE ABOUT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN REPLACING THE TIRES. I REPLACED THE FRONT TIRES IMMEDIATELY. HAD ALIGNMENT CHECKED. CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SPOKE WITH CHRISTINA WOODS WHO INITIATED MY CLAIM/COMPLAINT I CALLED AGAIN AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND SPOKE TO ANOTHER PERSON, WAS TOLD TO SEND IN ALL MY WORK ORDERS/PAID RECEIPTS AND THEY WOULD REIMBURSE US FOR FOUR NEW TIRES AND THE WHEEL ALIGNMENT. I HAD THE REAR TIRES REPLACED. DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE SAID HE COULD REIMBURSE US FOR TWO TIRES. WHEN HE WAS INFORMED THAT TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THEY WOULD PAY FOR ALL FOUR HE APPARENTLY BECAME LIVID, CALLED TOYOTA TO COMPLAIN BECAUSE THEY HAD USURPED HIS AUTHORITY. NEITHER PARTY WILL NOW REIMBURSE US FOR ANY TIRES. MY CONCERN AT THIS TIME IS THE SAFETY ISSUE. DURING MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH TOYOTA AND THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH CAMRYS. THE TIRES ARE MANUFACTURED WITH VERY SOFT SIDEWALLS (REASON FOR THE SQUEALING) TO IMPROVE RIDE. THE SIDEWALLS COLLAPSE ON CORNERS CAUSING EXCESSIVE WEAR, ESPECIALLY ON THE EDGES. IF THEY ARE NOW USING INFERIOR TIRES WHERE ELSE HAVE THEY CUT CORNERS OR USED INFERIOR MATERIAL THAT MIGHT WELL AFFECT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. TRYING TO WARN EVERYONE I CAN ABOUT THE POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEMS.

THE RESPONSE TIME FOR THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS SEVERLY LACKING. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM NUMEROUS TIMES, INCLUDING ONCE ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE AT ALL. I HAVE NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR INSPECTION NUMEROUS TIMES AND EACH TIME HAVE BEEN TOLD THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. HOWEVER I CONTIINUE TO EXPERIENCE DEFICIENCIES IN BRAKING RESPONSE TIME. MR

CONSUMERS CONCERN WITH THE VEHICLE REGARDS EXCESSIVE COLD IDLE SPEED WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE. WHEN CONSUMER DRIVES OUT OF HIS ALLEY, THERE IS A DOWNHILL SLOPE WHICH TAKES A LOT OF BRAKE PRESSURE TO STOP AND HOLD THE VEHICLE ON THE SLOPE. THE VEHICLE IS ALSO DIFFICULT TO STOP ON ICY CONDITIONS BECAUSE THE ENGINE IS TRYING TO RACE. CONSUMER BELIEVES THAT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT ACHIEVING THE SPECIFIED FUEL MILEAGE PER GALLON. THE MPG FOR THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE ARE 27 HIGHWAY 22 CITY. THIS VEHICLE, A COMBINATION OF 19 MPG. *JG