NHTSA Complaint #10218125 — 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY

ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON DURING A TRIP TO LEXINGTON, KY ON A SATURDAY. I EXPERIENCED A BAD SHIFT ON ONE OCCASION DURING THAT TRIP. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. WAS TOLD THAT MY CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS GOING BAD. COST TO REPAIR WAS APPROX $800. ELECTED NOT TO REPAIR CAR AT THAT TIME. I HAVE APPROX 127000 MILES ON CAR AND JUST PAID IT OFF LAST DECEMBER. WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF THIS VISIT TO THE DEALER, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO JERK WHEN SHIFTING BETWEEN 25 AND 40 MPH. I PARKED CAR AND BEGAN TO DRIVE MY OLDER VEHICLE UNTIL I COULD GET IT BACK INTO DEALER. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER ON FEB 14 AND WAS TOLD THAT MY TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACED. I HAD ALL OF COMPLETED TRANSMISSION SERVICES DURING THE LIFE OF THE CAR. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AS THE TRANSMISSION HESITATED DURING DRIVING AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN ME BEING REAR-ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. I AM CONCERNED WITH THE QUALITY OF TOYOTA VEHICLES AS I HAVE READ ABOUT THEIR ENGINE SLUDGE PROBLEMS AND OTHER PEOPLE WITH TRANSMISSION FAILURES. *TR