NHTSA Complaint #11110766 — 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME ONE DAY AND TOLD ME THAT THE CAR WAS SHAKING VIOLENTLY. WHEN I DROVE IT, IT SHOOK BUT WAS NOT TOO BAD. I THOUGHT IT WAS A TIRE BALANCING ISSUE. THEN IT HAPPENED. I WAS DRIVING ONE DAY ON THE FREEWAY, THE CAR STARTED SHAKING AND THE ABS WAS ACTIVATED! I STOPPED THE CAR ON THE ROAD AND I COULD SMELL THE BRAKE SMOKE. THE THE LAST STRAW, I'M DRIVING HOME ONE DAY AND THE BRAKES SEIZED I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHO TOLD ME THE BRAKE ACTUATOR WAS THE CAUSE AND IT WAS COMMON FOR THE YEAR/MAKE/MODEL BUT THERE WAS NO RECALL AND THE COST OF REPAIR WAS $3K. THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR SOMETHING THAT IS "COMMON". AFTER HAVING MY CAR FOR 3 DAYS, TOYOTA AGREED TO PAY HALF OF THE COSTS, SO IT STILL COST $1500 TO REPAIR, PLUS $100 FOR A BRAKE JOB, THOUGH I HAD A BRAKE JOB 6 MONTHS OLD! LIKE MANY MANY OTHERS, OUR 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY HAS AND CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE MAJOR ISSUES AFFECTING THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO BRAKES ABS ACTIVATING ON ITS OWN, BRAKES SEIZING, PREMATURE BRAKE PAD/ROTOR WEAR, DASHBOARD LIGHTS NOT WORKING, CAR MATS, BRAKE PEDAL, SUN VISORS, DASH BOARD MELTING, MOTOR MOUNT BREAKING FOR NO REASON, DASHBOARD GAUGES NOT WORKING (SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER/FUEL/TEMPERATURE ETC), CRUISE CONTROL WORKING INTERMITTENTLY WHERE IT TURNS OFF BY ITSELF, DOOR PANELS COMING LOOSE, SPEAKERS STOP WORKING PROPERLY. I COULD GO ON, BUT I THINK YOU GET THE PICTURE. THOUGH WE'VE ENJOYED OWNING TOYOTAS IN THE PAST, WE'VE OWNED THIS ONE FOR ALMOST THIS ONE FOR ALMOST 11 YEARS. AND THOUGH WE'RE LOOKING TO GET A NEW CAR SOON, I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT BECAUSE OF THE ISSUES AND MORE IMPORTANTLY THE CORPORATE TREATMENT BY TOYOTA REGARDING ISSUES WITH THEIR PRODUCT, THIS MAY OUR LAST ONE. THE NHTSA SHOULD ENCOURAGE TOYOTA TO DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO FIX THESE ISSUES BEFORE THEY BECOME FATAL.