NHTSA Complaint #10548197 — 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY

AFTER TAKING MY CAR TO A LOCAL MECHANIC BECAUSE OF OVERHEATING, A COOLANT LEAK, AND MISFIRING, I BROUGHT MY CAMRY TO A CERTIFIED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. I EXPLAINED TO THE TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FORE MENTIONED ISSUES. AFTER CONDUCTING AN INSPECTION, THE TOYOTA REP. TOLD ME I HAD A BAD COIL IN CYLINDER #2, AND FOUND PRESSURE LEAKING INTO #2 AND #3 CYLINDERS. AFTER A FURTHER TEAR DOWN OF THE ENGINE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE HAD LOOSE HEAD BOLTS IN THESE CYLINDERS, AND THAT THE THREADS ON THE ENGINE FOR THESE BOLTS WAS STRIPPED. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO FIX TO THIS PROBLEM AND QUOTED ME A NEW ENGINE WITH 90,000 MILES WITH AN ESTIMATE COST BETWEEN $5000-$6000. FURTHERMORE, I WAS TOLD REPLACING THE COIL AT $227, WOULD FIX THE MISFIRING. HOWEVER THIS DID NOT FIX THE MISFIRING PROBLEM, AS THE MISFIRE WAS DUE BECAUSE OF THE LOOSE HEAD BOLTS WHICH WAS EXPLAINED TO ME BY THE DEALERSHIP AS WELL. THIS CONFLICTING INFORMATION LED ME TO BELIEVE IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS LONG AS COOLANT WAS PLENTIFUL IN THE RADIATOR AND OVER FLOW RESERVOIR. HOWEVER, THE OVERHEATING, LEAKING OF COOLANT AND MISFIRING CONTINUES. THE MISFIRING CREATES DANGEROUS RANDOM STALLS. *TR