NHTSA Complaint #10150518 — 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY

ON 12/31/05, DURING A RAINSTORM, THE HAZARD LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE STARTED FLASHING WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AT OUR HOME AND NOT RUNNING. THE ONLY WAY TO TURN OFF THE HAZARD LIGHTS WAS BY REMOVING THE FUSE. THE NEXT DAY, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, WE FOUND THAT WE HAD NO TURN SIGNALS AS THE FUSE REMOVED ALSO CONTROLLED THEM, AND WE DISCOVERED THERE WAS ABOUT AN INCH OF WATER ON THE FLOOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. WE REPLACED THE FUSE, AND ALTHOUGH THE HAZARD LIGHTS WERE NO LONGER CONSTANTLY FLASHING, WHEN A TURN SIGNAL IS ACTIVATED BOTH LIGHTS GO ON CAUSING A DRIVING HAZARD. AT OUR EARLIEST CONVENIENCE (ON 1/17/06), I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE CLOSEST TOYOTA SERVICE AND DEALER (MODESTO TOYOTA, AND HOUR AND A HALF DRIVE FROM OUR HOME). AFTER CHECKING THE VEHICLE I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE FIREWALL NEAR THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND THAT WATER DAMAGE HAD CAUSED THE ELECTRICAL DAMAGE. FURTHERMORE, THEY (MODESTO TOYOTA) COULD NOT REPAIR THE DAMAGE; WE WOULD NEED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP. WE NEXT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED, MERCED TOYOTA, ON 1/25/06. THE RESULTS WERE THE SAME, AND WE WERE ALSO INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN REGARDING THIS PROBLEM (ALTHOUGH NO ONE EVER OFFERED TO GIVE US A COPY, OR EVEN ALLOW US TO READ IT). WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH THEY KNOW ABOUT IT, BECAUSE WE WERE PAST THE 3 YEAR/36,000 MILE WARRANTY. THE POSSIBILITY OF A WATER LEAK THAT CAN CAUSE MAJOR ELECTRICAL DAMAGE IS A HAZARD. BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM, WE HAVE BEEN DRIVING OUR CAR, WITH OUR 5 YEAR OLD AND 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTERS IN THE BACK, WITH NO WORKING TURN SIGNALS FOR ALMOST TWO MONTHS. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AS EVIDENCED BY THE TSB (I BELIEVE IT IS #B001503, NHTSA# 1000348), YET THEY HAVE NOT MADE CONSUMERS AWARE OF THIS POTENTIAL HAZARD AND THE NEED TO HAVE THIS SEAM REPAIRED BEFORE IT LEAKS. *JB