NHTSA Complaint #10380193 — 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY

TOYOTA CAMRY 2009 ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO SLUDGING. MY LEASED 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY (JUST TWO YEAR OLD CAR) RECENTLY HAD DIED RIGHT ONA ROAD WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT TO MY MECHANIC. FEW DAYS BEFORE THAT I NOTICED A CLANKING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. CALL MY MECHANIC AND GOT AN APPOINTMENT. ON THE DAY OF THE APPOINTMENT NOTICED CLANKING NOISE INCREASE WHEN I STARTED ENGINE. NOT EVEN 2 MILES LATER MY ENGINE -BOOM!- HAD THROWN ROD THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE CASE, MAKING A LARGE HOLE, SPILLING OIL ALL OVER THE ROAD. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO DRIFT AND PULL TO THE SIDE WITHOUT CAUSING ACCIDENT. TOWED CAR TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA CENTER, WHERE THEY OPENED TOP COVER OF THE ENGINE AND RIGHT AWAY ANNOUNCED THAT ENGINE IS GELLED AND TOYOTA WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE TO THEM THE SLUDGE THEY SAW LOOKED LIKE CLEAR CASE OF POOR MAINTENANCE. EVEN THOUGH I CAREFULLY KEPT AND PRODUCED ALL RECEIPTS SHOWING THAT I WAS CHANGING OIL, FILTER AND ROTATED TIRES EVERY 5000 MILES. MY INTERNET RESEARCH SHOWED THAT THERE COULD BE A LOT MORE REASONS TO SLUDGE BUILD-UP THAN JUST POOR OIL CHANGE HABIT, BUT AS FAR AS I AM AWARE, TOYOTA DID NOT PERFORM ANY TESTS OR CHECKS ON MY CAR. JUST ONE LOOK AND-VOILA- THEY ALREADY KNOW THAT IT IS MY FAULT. FACT THAT THIS IS MY 3-RD BACK-TO-BACK TOYOTA LEASE AND THAT I ALWAYS KEEP RECEIPTS OF SERVICE DOES NOT MEAN ANYTHING TO THEM. $7000-$8000 REPAIR OUT OF MY POCKET IS OUT OF QUESTION. I WILL SPEAK WITH TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS IN CALIFORNIA. IF THIS WILL NOT RESOLVE MY PROBLEM, I WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO ENGAGE MY ATTORNEY AND LITIGATE. I ALSO WANT TO OPEN A CASE AND REPORT DANGEROUS SITUATION I WAS PUT THROUGH DUE TO CAMRY ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON A ROAD AT 50 MI/H. I COULD EASILY BE LESS LUCKY. *TR