NHTSA Complaint #10167240 — 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY

THROTTLE RESPONSE DELAY IN 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY (4 CYL. AUTO) CAMRY - BOUGHT NEW 4/06 FROM TOYOTA OF NASHUA (NH). DEFECT IS A DELAY OF 1 1/2 SECONDS IN THROTTLE RESPONSE. DELAY WAS MOST NOTICEABLE AT NORMAL URBAN TRAFFIC SPEEDS OF 35 TO 45 MPH. A LIGHT INCREASE IN THROTTLE AT CONSTANT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN THE 35 TO 45 MPH RANGE RESULTED IN THE ENGINE 1) USUALLY NOT REMAINING IN HIGH GEAR 2) HAVING NO RESPONSE FOR 1 1/2 SECONDS, AND 3) THEN ROUGHLY DOWN-SHIFTING, AS IF THE DRIVER HAD CALLED FOR STRONG ACCELERATION. THE CAR'S SPEED "SAGGED", AND THEN THE CAR'S ENGINE OVERSPED. THE DRIVER THEN HAD TO DECREASE THROTTLE TO PREVENT OVERSPEED IN TRAFFIC. PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC BECOMES UNPREDICTABLE AND DANGEROUS. DELAY AND/OR OVER-RESPONSE IN THE THROTTLE CONTROL'S ACTION MAY CREATE SKIDS ON WET AND ICY ROADS. LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVERS MAY BECOME UN-NERVED BY THIS KIND OF THROTTLE RESPONSE. TOYOTA'S RESPONSE TO COMPLAINTS CONSISTED OF THESE REPLIES: (LISTED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY WERE GIVEN OVER MULTIPLE SERVICE VISITS) 1. "WE KNOW WHAT IT IS. IT IS THE FLY-BY-WIRE CONTROL. THEY ALL DO IT AND THE OWNER HAS TO LIVE WITH IT" (SPOKEN OVER THE PHONE PRIOR TO THE FIRST SERVICE VISIT) 2. "OPERATING AS DESIGNED".. "THIS ISN'T A SAFETY ISSUE". 3. "THE CAMRYS HAVE A DRIVER HABIT IMPRINT FEATURE WHICH ADAPTS TO THE DRIVER'S STYLE". 4. "THE CAR IS PRETTY MUCH NORMAL". 5. "HE HAS SEEN A FEW OF THESE". (GARAGE TECH REP.) DURING SERVICE APPOINTMENTS, THE DEALERSHIP SUPPLIED THREE 4 CYLINDER, AUTOMATIC 2007 CAMRYS AS "LOANERS". NONE OF THESE CARS DEMONSTRATED THE SAME DRIVE-TRAIN BEHAVIOR. THE WRITER HAS BEEN TOLD OF TWO OTHER CAMRYS WHICH EXHIBIT THE PROBLEM: HEY ARE SERIAL #S: 4T1BE46K27UXXXXXX AND 4T1BE46K87UXXXXXX A SIMILAR COMPLAINT IS DOCUMENTED ON-LINE IN THE "CAR AND DRIVER" MAGAZINE'S USER REVIEW. *NM