NHTSA Complaint #10706467 — 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY

THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. ABOUT 2 MINUTES LATER, A RATTLING SOUND COULD BE HEARD UNDER THE HOOD. WHILE CHANGING LANES TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND A LOUD POUNDING SOUND COULD BE HEARD WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. JUST AFTER TURNING ONTO THE SIDE STREET FROM EXITING THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR DIED. ALL OF THIS OCCURRED WITHIN A 5 MINUTE PERIOD. UPON OPENING THE HOOD, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AREA OF THE VEHICLE AND THE RESERVOIR FOR THE RADIATOR FLUID WAS BONE DRY. THE RADIATOR HAD BEEN FLUSHED AND REFILLED ONLY 2 MONTHS EARLIER. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC. UPON THEIR INSPECTION, I WAS TOLD THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. THERE HAD BEEN NO WARNING LIGHTS OR INDICATION THAT THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING HOT PREVIOUS TO THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMING ON MINUTES BEFORE THE HEAD GASKET BLEW. IN AUGUST, 2012, A RUSHING FLUID SOUND COULD BE HEARD IN THE DASH AREA. I HAD THE CAR INSPECTED AND THE WATER PUMP, THERMOSTAT, ALL HOSES AND A RADIATOR FLUSH WERE DONE TO THE VEHICLE. IN FEBRUARY 2013, THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE RUSHING FLUID SOUND COULD STILL BE HEARD OFTEN. IF THE RADIATOR FLUID RESERVOIR WAS TOPPED OFF, GENERALLY THE SOUND WOULD STOP. THE FLUID SOUND BEGAN AGAIN IN JANUARY 2015. THAT WAS THE MAIN REASON FOR GETTING THE RADIATOR FLUSHED. A NEW RADIATOR CAP WAS ALSO INSTALLED AT THAT TIME. I NEVER HEARD THE RUSHING FLUID SOUND AFTER THAT FLUSH. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. I AM FORCED TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE. THE COST OF A USED MOTOR AND ALL LABOR IS ALMOST $5,000. THAT'S APPROXIMATELY WHAT THE CAR IS WORTH. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS OF ALMOST IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS LISTED ON THE INTERNET. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE AND TOYOTA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO CORRECT IT. *TR