NHTSA Complaint #10482528 — 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY

ON OCT 18, 2012, MY CAR STARTED TO OVERHEAT. WE HAD IT TOWED TO OUR MECHANIC. ON FRIDAY, OCT 19, 2012 OUR MECHANIC STATED HE COULD NOT FIX IT AND LOOKS LIKE IT IS AN ENGINE COOLANT LEAK. HE FURTHER STATED WE NEEDED TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT WE BOUGHT IT FROM TO CONFIRM THE ENGINE WAS NONE REPAIRABLE. ON MONDAY, OCT 22, 2012, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED US AND CONFIRMED THE BAD NEWS. OUR 2004 CAMRY 2.4L ENGINE IS LEAKING COOLANT INSIDE THE ENGINE AND THE ENGINE BOLTS ARE STRIPPED. THEY GAVE US SOME OPTIONS. THE DEALER COULD TRY TO REPAIR THE BOLTS BY RETREADING THEM (NO GUARANTEE IT WORLD WORK). REPLACE THE ENGINE (REBUILT AND NOT GUARANTEE IT WOULDN?T HAPPEN AGAIN). AND FINALLY, TRADE IN THE CAR (NOT ENOUGH TO PAY OFF MY LOAN). AFTER FURTHER RESEARCH, THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO CAMRY SINCE 2002. ONE POST STATED IT WAS FIXED WITH THE 2004 MODELS, BUT IN 2004 THE SAME ENGINE IS IN THE HIGHLANDER AND THE CAMRY. THE HIGHLANDER ALSO HAS SEVERAL POSTS TO THE SAME ISSUE. WHEN WILL TOYOTA TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM AND FIX IT WITHOUT COMING AFTER THE CONSUMER! I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA AT 800-331-4331 AND FILED A COMPLAINT AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING THE DEALER TOLD ME, NOT THEIR FAULT. I AM REALLY HOPING THE GOVERNMENT TAKES THESE COMPLAINTS AND FORCES TOYOTA TO RECALL THESE CARS AND FIX THE ISSUES. *TR