NHTSA Complaint #10615231 — 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY

EARLIER THIS YEAR, MY 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY STARTED PRODUCING SOME WHITISH SMOKE WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE. MORE RECENTLY, THE ENGINE BEGAN SOUNDING NOISY WHEN ACCELERATING - MORE OF A RATTLE OR CLACKING THAN A KNOCKING SOUND. I HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND THE MECHANIC DIDN'T SEE ANY LEAKS, BUT MENTIONED THAT IT COULD BE ENGINE COMPONENTS THAT WERE MACHINED PROPERLY AND STARTED TO SHOW AS THE CAR GOT MORE MILEAGE. WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY A COUPLE WEEKS AGO AT 70MPH, MY CAR STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND THE ENGINE WAS SOUNDING WORSE AND WORSE. I MANAGED TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY JUST BEFORE THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND DIED OUT. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR, THERE WAS A LOUD BANGING AND CLANGING IN THE MOTOR AND THE MOTOR THEN DIED. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT MY CAR HAD THROWN A ROD AND IT SHREDDED THE MOTOR. MY OPTIONS WERE: 1) REBUILD THE MOTOR FROM DEALER PARTS - $8-9K! 2) HAVE A REBUILT MOTOR INSTALLED - $6-7K! 3) HAVE A SALVAGED MOTOR INSTALLED - $5-6K! OPTIONS 1 AND 2 DIDN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE AS THAT WOULD BE VERY CLOSE TO THE CURRENT BLUE BOOK VALUE. I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND MANAGED TO GET OPTION 3 DONE FOR $4500. STILL A LOT MORE THAN I WAS HOPING OR NEEDING TO SPEND. BOTH MECHANICS MENTIONED THAT THEY HAD SEEN A NUMBER OF 07 CAMRYS WITH MOTOR PROBLEMS, INCLUDING ONE VERY RECENTLY THAT WAS THE SAME AS MY DAMAGE. THE SALVAGED MOTOR I HAD INSTALLED WAS AT 59K MILES AND I'M REALLY HOPING THAT I DON'T HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS. THIS MAKES ME VERY CONCERNED FOR THE QUALITY OF TOYOTA CARS. *TR