NHTSA Complaint #10884062 — 2006 TOYOTA CAMRY

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2006 SOLARA THAT CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 56,000 MILES. LAST YEAR, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED TURNING ON, BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL THIS YEAR THAT I FOUND OUT THE PROBLEM. MY CAR IS BURNING EXCESSIVE OIL, ABOUT 1.75 QUARTS EVERY 1,200 MILES (ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP'S OIL CONSUMPTION TEST.) TOYOTA ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN IN 2011 STATING THAT IT WILL ONLY FIX THE 2007 AND 2008 SOLARAS. ALTHOUGH MY CAR IS A 2006, IT HAS THE EXACT SAME ENGINE AS THE 2007 AND 2008. I ALREADY CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE TWICE AND THEY REFUSE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR, ARGUING THAT IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I AM AWARE OF THAT, BUT IT IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURNG PROBLEM. MY CAR IS LOW ON MILEAGE, IT'S NEVER BEEN CRASHED, AND I'VE DONE ALL THE MAINTENANCE AT THE DEALERSHIP IN A TIMELY MANNER SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. TOYOTA IS WELL AWARE THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE ENGINES AND THEY REFUSE TO FIX IT. I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY ABOUT $3,000 TO FIX IT, IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT MY FAULT. I'M ALSO NOT GOING TO SELL IT TO SOMEONE WITHOUT TELLING THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BECAUSE THAT'S JUST WRONG. SO MY ONLY OPTIONS ARE PAYING FOR THE REPAIR MYSELF OR SELLING IT AND TAKING A SIGNIFICANT LOSS DUE TO THE PROBLEM. YESTERDAY MY CAR STARTED SHAKING WHEN I WAS STOPPED AT RED LIGHTS, MAKING LOUD UNUSUAL NOISES, LOSING POWER, AND THEN THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT TURNED ON. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR BECAUSE I'VE READ THAT THE ENGINE CAN EVENTUALLY JUST DIE DUE TO EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. I'VE BEEN READING ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. TOYOTA SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND BE FORCED TO ADMIT THE PROBLEM AND PAY FOR THE REPAIRS OF THE CUSTOMERS INVOLVED.