NHTSA Complaint #10579699 — 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, HEAT GAUGE SPIKED SUDDENLY. WHILE TRYING TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO STOP AND PULL TO THE SHOULDER , ENGINE IS LOST. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT ENGINE WAS LOST DUE TO WATER PUMP FAILURE. THEY ESTIMATED $ 6,000 COST FOR A REPLACEMENT ENGINE. SIX MONTHS AND LESS TAN 5,000 MILES BEFORE THE INCIDENT, TOYOTA DEALER OFFERED $11,000 FOR THE VEHICLE DURING THE OIL CHANGE SERVICE. VEHICLE WAS ALWAYS SERVICED AT THE TOYOTA DEALER. SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE INCIDENT, I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT (WHEN DEALER OFFERED $11,000), THERE MIGHT BE A SLIGHT WATER LEAK, BUT, IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE, AND THEREFORE, KEEP WATCHING THE COOLANT LEVEL. I KEPT WATCHING THE COOLANT LEVEL AS THEY TOLD ME. COOLANT LEVEL WAS NORMAL BEFORE I STARTED TO DRIVE RIGHT BEFORE THE INCIDENT AND WITHIN 50 MILES OF DRIVING ENGINE WAS LOST. IT WAS WITHIN AN HOUR OF CHECKING THE COOLANT LEVEL. *JS