NHTSA Complaint #10480041 — 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY

I NOTICED THAT WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM MY EXHAUST PIPE, THEREFORE, I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC TO GET IT CHECKED OUT. THE MECHANIC SIMPLY TOLD ME IT WAS DUE TO A BAD HEAD GASKET. LATER ON, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIX, HE TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE WAS UNREPAIRABLE, THAT I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. I ASKED HIM, "WHY?" HE TOLD ME THAT THE BOLTS THAT KEEPS THE ENGINE IN PLACE CAN NO LONGER BE TIGHTEN. THE ENGINE CAN NO LONGER BE HELD IN PLACE. HE CALLED IT, "STRIPPED HEAD BOLTS." ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC AND HIS COLLEAGUES, IT IS A DESIGN FLAW BY TOYOTA. THE MECHANICS WENT ON STATING THAT, "EVEN UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, THESE BOLTS WILL COME LOOSE CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK IN. WHICH CAUSED THE WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM TAIL PIPE. SO, I CALLED UP TOYOTA TO SEE IF THEY CAN CORRECT THEIR PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. IF TOYOTA CAN'T FIX IT, HOW WOULD A MECHANIC FIX IT? I ASKED TOYOTA IF THERE WERE A RECALL FOR THIS, THEY SIMPLY SAID, "NO." THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO STEP IN AND TAKE CARE OF THIS AWFUL PROBLEM. IT TURNS OUT THAT EVERY 2003-200? CAMRY OWNERS HAVE OR WILL HAVE THIS AWFUL PROBLEM. IS NOT JUST A RELIABILITY PROBLEM, BUT IS ALSO POLLUTING OUR HOME PLANET. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CAMRYS ON THE ROAD RANGING FROM THESE YEARS AND ALL OF THEM ARE OR SOON WILL BE SPEWING OUT FOREIGN SMOKE. NO MECHANIC OUT THERE CAN FIX THE PROBLEM. ALL THEY CAN DO IS REPLACE IT WITH THE SAME ENGINE THAT WILL SOON HAVE THE SAME EXACT ISSUE. PLEASE STEP IN AND MAKE TOYOTA FIX THIS AWFUL ISSUES WITH THE "STRIPPED HEAD BOLT." [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR