NHTSA Complaint #10883651 — 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY

THE CAR MADE A 'DING' SOUND WHEN THE BREAKS WERE APPLIED WHILE IT WAS BEING DRIVEN. UPON CHECKING, I NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE OIL WAS EXTREMELY LOW - THE DIP STICK SHOWED NO OIL ON IT. I WAS ALARMED AND IMMEDIATELY ADDED 3 QUARTS OF OIL - FOR OIL TO SHOW UP ON THE DIP STICK. AT FIRST, I FIGURED THAT, MAYBE AT THE PREVIOUS OIL CHANGE, SUFFICIENT OIL WAS NOT ADDED. SOON THEREAFTER, I GOT AN OIL CHANGE. ABOUT 3 MONTHS LATER I BEGAN TO HEAR THE 'DING' SOUND AGAIN. I CHECKED THE OIL AND FOUND THAT IT WAS LOW AND AGAIN IT DID NOT EVEN REGISTER ON THE DIP STICK. I ADDED 3 QUARTS OF OIL AND PROCEEDED TO GET AN OIL CHANGE; THIS TIME WITH TANSKY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THREE MONTHS LATER, THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THIS TIME I WAS CONCERNED AND CHECKED ALL THE MAIL I HAD RECEIVED FROM TOYOTA AND NOTICED A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT LETTER THAT STATED - 2008 CAMRY'S HAD AN 'OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM'. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO TANSKY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM AND THEY BEGAN AN 'OIL CONSUMPTION TEST'. AFTER THE TEST, THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AND THAT IT WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE. CLEARLY, I WAS NOT CONVINCED WITH THE REPORT AND CHALLENGED THE ADVISER. HE REMAINED ADAMANT THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM AND THAT THE TEST RESULT WAS NORMAL; HE TOLD ME TO CHECK AND ADD OIL AS NEEDED REGULARLY. I CONTACTED THE GENERAL MANAGER OF TANSKY. SHE HAD THE SERVICE MANAGER, CALL BACK A WEEK LATER. HE NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE CAR HAD AN 'OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM'; RATHER THAT THIS IS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE AND ADVISED THAT THE OIL BE REPLENISHED ON A REGULAR BASIS. I RESPONDED THAT, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED ON MY OTHER TOYOTA CARS; BUT MY WORDS FELL ON DEAF EARS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS ISSUE WILL DAMAGE THE ENGINE; IN ADDITION THE PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE, SHOULD THE OIL BE DEPLETED WHILE ON LONG DISTANCE TRIPS.