NHTSA Complaint #10319001 — 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY

DESPITE BEING REGULARLY MAINTAINED, VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF, NOT ABUSED, AND LESS THAN AVERAGE USE (AVERAGE 6700 MI/YR), THIS TOYOTA CAMRY (PURCHASED NEW FROM A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA) HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY FOR LONG. THE FACTORY-INSTALLED CD/CASSETTE/RADIO SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES, AND NOW THE CD PLAYER PART YET AGAIN DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. AT ONLY ABOUT 10000 MILES, THE AIR FLOW RATIO SENSOR AND MANIFOLD HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEN THERE IS THE FACT THAT ABOUT 95% OF THE TIME, THE CAR WILL NOT START WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR BEING DEPRESSED AND HELD FOR 1 MIN, AND EVEN THEN THE ENGINE ALWAYS SOUNDS WEAK AND ONLY REACHES ABOUT 500 RPM UNTIL PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE ODOMETER READ 16603 MILES. THAT WAS WHEN THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE WAS FIRST REPLACED. THE SITUATION SEEMED TO IMPROVE, UNTIL 34800 MILES, WHEN THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH IT NOT STARTING AND BEING VERY WEAK RESUMED. AT 35394 MILES THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE WAS REPLACED FOR A 2ND TIME. AT 47000 MILES THE SAME PROBLEMS RESUMED. AT 49180 MILES, THE CAR WOULD (AS USUAL) NOT START UNLESS THE ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED FOR 1 MIN. THEN IT RAN AT ONLY 500 RPM. AS IT WAS THEN BEING DRIVEN OUT OF AN ALLEY, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SPONTANEOUSLY BOOSTED TO 1200 RPM, NEARLY CAUSING A COLLISION. THIS TYPE OF IMPETUOUS ACCELERATION STARTED FREQUENTLY OCCURRING. TOYOTA REFUSED TO HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM, ONLY SAYING TO USE PREMIUM GASOLINE, WHICH PROVED TO NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. NOW THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF THE CAR HAS COLLAPSED THREE TIMES AT 72173 MI, 75009 MI, AND TODAY (2010-03-11) AT 75024 MI. THE DISHONESTY OF TOYOTA PERSONNEL IS SEEN IN ITS REFUSING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AND EARLIER IN FRAUDULENTLY CANCELING THE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM THAT WAS PART OF THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE AFTER THE CAR WAS PAID FOR AND ITS REFUSAL TO RESPOND TO WRITTEN COMMUNICATION. *TR