NHTSA Complaint #10491442 — 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY

IT WAS AN UNUSUALLY COLD DAY FOR OCTOBER AND I WAS DRIVING MY SON TO SCHOOL WITH MY THREE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN HER CAR SEAT WHEN THE HEAT WOULD NOT WORK. ONLY COLD AIR CAME OUT OF THE VENTS. THE WINDOWS WERE FOGGED UP AND WOULD NOT DEFROST. I THEN NOTICED THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAGE WAS IN THE RED ZONE. IT KEPT CLIMBING UP AND DOWN. I COULD NOT SEE OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD AT ALL AND HAD TO PULL OVER FOR SAFETY REASONS. THANK GOD I WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY AS USUAL, BUT ON A LOCAL ROAD. I STOPPED AND I WIPED OFF THE WINDSHIELD AND WINDOWS MANUALLY. THIS WAS A TERRIFYING ORDEAL. THE NEXT MORNING I TOOK THE CAMRY TO THE COOPER TIRE GARAGE HERE IN FINDLAY. AFTER INSPECTION I WAS TOLD THAT THE HEAD GASKET PULLED OUT OF THE BLOCK AND THAT IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS AN ALUMINUM BLOCK. THEY ARE NOT MADE OUT OF STEEL ANYMORE. PREVIOUS TO THIS INCIDENT, I EXPERIENCED ABSOLUTELY NO SYMPTOMS THAT MY TOYOTA'S ENGINE WAS GOING TO MALFUNCTION. MY CAMRY'S ENGINE IS SHOT. I CONTACTED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER AND WAS TOLD THERE IS NOTHING THEY COULD HELP ME WITH. I WAS ACTUALLY CRYING WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE REPRESENTATIVE. I HAVE BEEN A PROUD OWNER OF TWO CAMRYS. MY DAUGHTER DRIVES A 1995 CAMRY THAT IS STILL RUNNING VERY WELL AND MY MOTHER IS DRIVING A 1999 CAMRY THAT SHE HAS HAD NO ENGINE ISSUES WITH. APPARENTLY, THIS IS A NEWER MODEL DEFECT. MY CAMRY HAS BEEN PAID OFF SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2011. I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING ANOTHER 100,000 MILES OF USE OUT OF IT. THE REPUTATION THAT TOYOTA CAMRY'S HAVE STATES THAT IF I REGULARLY MAINTAIN MY CAMRY I SHOULD HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. I NOW HAVE THE URGE TO WARN ALL CAMRY DRIVERS TO BE AWARE THAT THEY COULD VERY WELL EXPERIENCE ENGINE FAILURE WITH NO SYMPTOMS AT ALL AND EVEN IF THEY REGULARLY MAINTAIN THEIR CAMRY. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ISSUE. MY CAMRY STILL LOOKS AND DID RUN LIKE NEW. *TR