NHTSA Complaint #10953685 — 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY

THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT HAD COME ON INDICATING MY OIL WAS LOW. I HAD A SCHEDULED OIL CHANGE APPT. AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN A FEW WEEKS SO I CHECKED THE DIPSTICK, WHICH INDICATED THE OIL WAS LOW, AND ADDED TWO QUARTS. AT MY APPOINTMENT ON 11/19/16, I STATED THE OIL ISSUE AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR STARTED THE OIL CONSUMPTION TEST. WHEN I RETURNED TO GET THE RESULTS FROM THE TEST ON 1/2/17, IT WAS REVEALED MY CAR HAD FAILED AND THE OIL WAS EXTREMELY LOW. I AM TOLD BY A FORMER CERTIFIED TOYOTA MECHANIC, THAT THEIR STANDARDS FOR FAILING OIL CONSUMPTION TESTS ARE VERY HIGH, SO TO FAIL A TEST IS A HUGE CONCERN. THE TEST WAS RAN WHEN MY MILEAGE WAS AT 151,499. THE OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE HAD OBVIOUSLY STARTED WELL BEFORE THE TEST WAS RAN. HOWEVER, SINCE MY CAR WAS OUT OF THE 10 YR/150K MILE WARRANTY, TOYOTA WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF REPAIR. I CALLED THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE LINE TWICE AND THEY TOLD ME LEGALLY THEY COULD NOT COVER THE COST. THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE PROBLEM STARTED BEFORE 151,499 MILES. I CALLED THE TOYOTA REGION TO SEE IF THEY WILL FIX IT IN GOOD WILL SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN GOOD FAITH AND ALWAYS HAD IT REGULARLY MAINTENANCED AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. I WAS STILL TOLD NO, THEY LEGALLY COULDN'T HELP ME. I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED THAT MY CAR HAD A POTENTIAL FOR EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. THE ONLY RECALL NOTICE I HAVE EVER RECEIVED FROM THEM WAS TO GET EXTRA GREASE PUT ON A SWITCH FOR MY WINDOW MOTOR. IF THEY HAD ALERTED ME SOONER THAT MY ENGINE NEEDED TO BE TESTED OR IF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAD TOLD ME ABOUT THE RECALL FOR SIMILAR CARS, THEN I WOULD NOT BE STUCK DRIVING A DANGEROUS VEHICLE. I HAVE TO PUT A QUART OF OIL IN EVERY WEEK JUST TO MAKE SURE IT IS DRIVABLE. I AM PAYING FOR THE REPAIR OUT OF POCKET HOPING THAT THERE IS NO DAMAGE TO MY ENGINE BLOCK. I DO NOT WANT TO SELL THIS CAR SINCE IT IS A POTENTIAL DANGER AND PUT SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE AT RISK.