NHTSA Complaint #10995254 — 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY

WE ARE VERY FAITHFUL ABOUT GETTING OUT CAR'S OIL CHANGED REGULARLY. GOOD THING! WHEN WE RECEIVED A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT NOTIFICATION THAT OUR CAR WAS COVERED FOR EXCESSIVE ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION, WE STARTED WATCHING OUR OIL CONSUMPTION CLOSELY. WE WERE DEFINITELY GOING THROUGH A QUART OF OIL EVERY 1,000 MILES. WE TOOK THE CAR IN TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR THE OIL CONSUMPTION TEST IN MARCH 2016 AND WERE TOLD OUR CAR DIDN'T CONSUME ENOUGH OIL TO QUALIFY FOR THE REPAIR. WE KEPT AN EYE ON THE OIL CONSUMPTION AND TOOK IT BACK FOR ANOTHER TEST IN OCTOBER 2016--CONVINCED IT WOULD QUALIFY. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT THE CAR AGAIN DID NOT QUALIFY. WE WERE FRUSTRATED BUT HAD LITTLE RECOURSE ON 10/24/16 WITH THE WARRANTY EXPIRING ON 10/31/16. OUR CAR IS NOW GOING THROUGH A QUART OF OIL EVERY 400-500 MILES. NO KIDDING. WE RESET THE TRIP ODOMETER EACH TIME WE ADD OIL AND ARE FAITHFUL ABOUT CHECKING IT ONCE IT GETS IN THAT 400-500 MILE RANGE. AT OUR MECHANIC'S SUGGESTION (HE ONLY WORKS ON TOYOTA'S BUT ISN'T AT A DEALERSHIP), WE CALLED TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS EARLIER THIS YEAR. (OUR MECHANIC HAS HIS OWN REASONS FOR NOT BEING IMPRESSED WITH THE DEALERSHIP WE HAD TAKEN OUR CAR TO FOR THE OIL CONSUMPTION TESTING.) MY HUSBAND WAS PUT ON HOLD FOR OVER AN HOUR AND THEN WAS DISCONNECTED. WE HAVEN'T TRIED PHONING TOYOTA AGAIN. WE HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL TOYOTA FANS AND OWNERS FOR DECADES BUT, AS A RESULT OF TOYOTA'S POOR HANDLING OF THIS PROBLEM, WE WILL LIKELY NOT BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA. IS THIS A SAFETY CONCERN? ABSOLUTELY! IT'S ALSO AN BUSINESS ETHICS CONCERN. WILL OUR OIL CONSUMPTION CONTINUE TO INCREASE AS RAPIDLY AS IT HAS IN THESE LAST 7-8 MONTHS. I HOPE NOT. WE'RE ALREADY ADDING A QUART OF OIL NEARLY EVERY WEEK. UNCONSCIONABLE!