NHTSA Complaint #10522312 — 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY

DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF A HOSE, A LEAK DEVELOPED IN THIS HOSE AND ALMOST ALL OF THE OIL LEAKED OUT OF THE ENGINE. NO WARNING LIGHT WENT ON. WE NOTICED ABNORMAL NOISES COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE AND BROUGHT THE CAR TO OUR LOCAL MECHANIC. WE SPENT $400 WITH THEM AS THEY DIAGNOSED AND TRIED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY AFTER SPENDING THIS MONEY THEY ARE UNABLE TO GET THE CAR TO START. IT IS VERY LIKELY THE CAR HAS SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL ENGINE DAMAGE AND ANY FUTURE DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIRS COULD RESULT IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OR REPAIRS. THIS DEFECT HAS RESULTED IN CATASTROPHIC FAILURE TO THE ENGINE OF OUR CAR. PRESENTLY OUR CAR IS INOPERABLE AND SITTING IN OUR PARKING LOT. WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO SPEND MONEY TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT IS CLEARLY DUE TO BAD DESIGN AND INFERIOR PARTS BY TOYOTA. IN DOING EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, WE FOUND OUT THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH THIS OIL HOSE. THIS IS CLEARLY THE FAULT OF TOYOTA AND NOT US AND MANY OTHER TOYOTA CUSTOMERS. WE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING UNLESS WE PAID TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THEM AND PAY THEM TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM, HAVING AN ENGINE FAIL ON A HIGHWAY AT HIGH SPEEDS OR LOCALLY COULD CAUSE SIGNIFICANT INJURY. IN SPITE OF OUR CONTACT WITH TOYOTA, THEY ARE REFUSING TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND FIX OUR CAR. OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS ARE CURRENTLY AT RISK AS IF THEIR ENGINE FAILS IN TRANSIT SIGNIFICANT INJURY OR DEATH CAN OCCUR TO A CAR WHEN THE ENGINE FAILS. *TR