NHTSA Complaint #10425602 — 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY

MY 2005 CAMRY HAS 53000 ON IT, VERY WELL MAINTAINED. WAS DRIVING 25 MPH ON A TRAVERSE WHEN THE ENGINE SUDDENLY DIED. I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR WITHOUT SUCCESS. CALLED A TOWING SERVICE, HOWEVER, 10 MINUTES LATER I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR AND DROVE HOME. THE "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT REMAINED ON. AT FIRST CHANCE I DROVE MY CAR TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY, BUT SUGGESTED TO BRING MY CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER BECAUSE HE HAD SEEN SO MANY OF CAMRY THROTTLE MALFUNCTIONS THAT HE THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE A RECALL. I TOOK HIS ADVICE, BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER WHO CONFIRMED THAT MY THROTTLE BODY WAS BAD AND NEEDED REPLACING. HOWEVER HE TOLD ME THAT HE COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OFF UNLESS I HAD AN ENGINE FLUSH AND A FULL TUNE-UP. THIS DID NOT SIT WELL WITH ME, SO I DECLINED THE SERVICES. I PAID HIM $100 AS A DIAGNOSTIC FEE. WHEN HE WENT TO GET MY CAR, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN ON AT ALL. I CALLED A TOWING COMPANY WHO TOOK IT BACK TO MY MECHANIC. HE REPLACED THE THROTTLE AND RESET THE SERVICE LIGHT. THE CAR IS NOW RUNNING, BUT BECAUSE OF MY MECHANIC'S STATEMENT AND MANY SIMILAR THROTTLE COMPLAINTS RECORDED ON THE INTERNET, I STRONGLY FEEL THAT THE THROTTLE ISSUE SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. *KB