NHTSA Complaint #10537423 — 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY

REF: TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN "T-SB-0094-11" DATED AUG 11, 2011 BACKGROUND: CAR PURCHASED IN 2011 AS A CERTIFIED USED TOYOTA, APPROX 34K MILES, CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 72K MILES ISSUE: PARTS IN THE ENGINE ARE KNOWN TO CREATE PROBLEMS BY TOYOTA, CUSTOMERS NOT NOTIFIED AND MOST OF THE COMPLAINTS I'VE READ ARE OF CUSTOMERS WITH MILEAGE UPWARDS OF 60K WHO HAVE NOW BEEN ADVISED BY TOYOTA THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COSTLY ENGINE REPAIRS. TOYOTA ANALYSTS/ADJUSTERS INFORMED ME THAT SINCE ONLY ABOUT 4% OF THE TOYOTA ENGINES ARE AFFECTED BY THIS BAD ENGINE PART THEY ARE NOT DOING A RECALL. I ASKED THEM WHY I HADN'T BEEN INFORMED IN WRITING OF THIS KNOWN DEFECT AND THEIR ANSWER WAS THAT THEY ONLY ADVISE THEIR TECHNICIANS. THIS INFORMATION COULD HAVE HELPED ME BE MORE ALERT AND UNDERSTAND WHY I WAS HAVING TO PERFORM SO MANY OIL CHANGES AND TO ALSO PROMPT ME TO GET MY CAR TESTED AT A TOYOTA FACILITY. MY CAR WAS STILL RUNNING, THE ENGINE DIDN'T SEIZE UP. THE PISTON PARTS THAT WERE BAD FINALLY BROKE BUT SINCE TOYOTA CLAIMS IT WAS A "FAILURE TO MAINTAIN LUBRICATION" ISSUE THEY FEEL THEY ARE NOT LIABLE. THEY ALSO SAID I SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHECKING MY OIL EVERY SINGLE TIME I TURNED ON MY CAR!!! WELL I'M GATHERING ALL OF MY DOCUMENTATION OF MY SERVICE MAINTENANCE RECORDS AND WILL BE RETAINING A LAWYER. I TRULY BELIEVE IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE MORE CUSTOMERS COME FORWARD AND THIS BECOMES THE NEXT CIVIL ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST TOYOTA. *TR