NHTSA Complaint #10258176 — 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON 1/29/09 AFTER CAR HAD BEEN PARKED FOR ABOUT 5 HOURS. UPON STARTING THE CAR, I PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR DOWN, BUT DID NOT GET ANY RESPONSE FROM THE VEHICLE. IT WARMED UP. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED. ACCELERATOR WAS NOW WORKING. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO CHECK THE DIAGNOSTIC CODE. THE CODE READ THAT THE THROTTLE BODY COULD BE FAILING. I STARTED DRIVING TOWARDS TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF. A FEW DAYS WENT BY WITH NO PROBLEMS. THE NEXT TIME IT FAILED, I WAS DRIVING DOWN A MAIN ROAD AND HAD TO COAST TO A SIDE STREET. CAR DID NOT STALL, BUT WOULD ONLY IDLE. AGAIN NO RESPONSE WHEN PUSHING ACCELERATOR. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY FOR OVER $1000 FOR A NEW PART. THEY GAVE ME THE OPTION TO REPLACE THE PART USED FOR $150. I DON'T WANT THIS PROBLEM TO HAPPEN AGAIN A YEAR FROM NOW, SO I OPTED TO GO WITH THE NEW PART. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE, THIS PROBLEM IS MUCH MORE WIDESPREAD THAN TOYOTA WILL ADMIT. IT IS A CLEAR DESIGN FLAW THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED BEFORE THERE IS A SERIOUS ACCIDENT CAUSING MAJOR INJURY OR EVEN DEATH. THERE ARE AT LEAST 50 ACCOUNTS OF THIS OCCURRING THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, AND THE RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA APPEARS TO BE THE SAME IN ALL INSTANCES. *TR