Toyota Camry transmission problems

ON WEDNESDAY, 2/16/11, AT 4:50 P.M. I WAS TRAVELING DOWN SUDBURY STREET IN BOSTON, MA TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN ONTO CONGRESS STREET IN BOSTON. I CAME DOWN THE HILL AND STOPPED AT A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT. MY CAR, FOR NO APPARENT REASON, BEGAN TO RACE AND WOULD NOT STOP. I APPLIED MORE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE AND SHIFTED THE CAR INTO PARK. IT CONTINUED TO RACE FOR 5-10 SECONDS AFTER I DID THIS. THIS WAS A VERY FRIGHTENING INCIDENT, GIVEN THERE WAS A STOPPED VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME, A VEHICLE BEHIND ME AND MANY PEDESTRIANS AT THAT HOUR. I NO LONGER FEEL SECURE WITH THE CAR AND AM ANTICIPATING THAT THIS MAY RE-OCCUR AT ANY TIME. *TR UPDATED 1/13/2012 *LN *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION IN JANUARY OF 2009, BUT THEY WERE NOT TOLD WHY. A REBUILT TRANSMISSION WAS INSTALLED AND NOW THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE TRANS AXLE FAILED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED BECAUSE OF THE GEAR SHIFT BOX, WHICH CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO SLIP AND MAKE A BANGING NOISE WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH. THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 70,000 MILES. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE WARRANTY EXPIRED; HOWEVER, THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS VALID UP TO 75,000 MILES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 03/15/11*LJ UPDATED 1/3/11 *CN

MY 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY BEGAN LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID FROM THE REAR PART OF THE TRANSMISSION WHERE THE TWO HALVES OF THE HOUSING ARE BOLTED TOGETHER. TWO MECHANICS, INCLUDING ONE WHOSE EXPERTISE IS IN TRANSMISSION REPAIR, INSPECTED THE TRANSMISSION AND SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION'S SEAL APPARENTLY FAILED. THE VEHICLE HAS 45,000 MILES ON IT, AND STAYS INDOORS EXCEPT FOR A 12-MILE ROUND-TRIP COMMUTE BETWEEN MY HOME AND THE LOCAL INDOOR PUBLIC PARKING GARAGE. BOTH ESTIMATES FOR REPAIR WERE AT LEAST $1,500 BECAUSE THE DESIGN OF THE CAMRY DOES NOT ALLOW EASY ACCESS TO THE TRANSMISSION, REQUIRING THE MECHANIC TO DROP THE ENTIRE FRAME TO ACCESS THE TRANSMISSION. THE FLUID LEAK IS SMALL, LIKELY NO MORE THAN A HALF MILLILITER EVERY 10 DAYS, SO THE REPAIR HAS NOT BEEN DONE. BOTH MECHANICS STATED THAT IT IS VERY UNUSUAL FOR A VEHICLE LIKE THIS TO BEGIN LEAKING FROM BETWEEN THE HALVES OF THE HOUSING AND, BASED ON THERE BEING NO OTHER PHYSICAL DAMAGE OR WEAR TO THE AREA, IT WAS THEIR OPINIONS THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID COLOR IS STILL TINGED WITH PINK AND DIFFUSES WELL ON BLOTTER PAPER, AND THE MECHANICAL FUNCTION OF THE TRANSMISSION APPEARS FINE. *TR

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON THE FREEWAY. INITIALLY HARD-SHIFTING, THEN LOSS OF POWER WHEN ACCELERATING TO PASS. MILES LATER WHILE CRUISING ON LEVEL GROUND ON THE FREEWAY, THE TRANSMISSION DISCONNECTED (FELT LIKE IT WENT TO NEUTRAL) AND I NEEDED TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY. TURNED OFF ENGINE, WAITED AND RE-STARTED CAR. USED A MERGING RAMP TO SAFELY MERGE BACK INTO TRAFFIC. TOYOTA DEALER TELLS ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LIKE "CHOCOLATE" AND THERE WERE CHUNKS OF METAL IN THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN. NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION ($3300-$4800). CAR WAS LAST SERVICED AT ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALER (WONDRIES IN ALHAMBRA, CA) 14,000 MILES AGO AND HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED AT THAT TIME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE TO HIGHER SPEEDS. APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK LATER THE VEHICLE JUST COMPLETELY STALLED. NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT SHE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 11,400.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA CAMRY LE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ON AN INCLINE, SOMETIMES IT WOULD ROLL BACKWARDS RAPIDLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS AS IF IT HAD A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER TESTED THE VEHICLE AS WELL AS AN ADDITIONAL VEHICLE AND SINCE THE FAILURE WAS IDENTICAL THE DEALER THEY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS NORMAL. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED SINCE THAT WAS UNSAFE AND CAUSED HER TO APPLY THE BRAKE AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AT THE SAME TIME. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,400. UPDATED 04/28/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE SHIFTED GEARS BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND UNTIL HE APPLIED EXTREME PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE FAILURE BEGAN TO RECUR INTERMITTENTLY SO THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ERRATICALLY SHIFT GEARS WHILE ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.