NHTSA Complaint #762395 — 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY

THE PROBLEM IS WITH BOTH FRRONT AND BACK BRAKES. CHRONOLOGY OF PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES: WHEN THE ODOMETER REACHED ABOUT 400 MILES, THE BRAKES STARTED TO SQUEAK INTERMITTENTLY. ON MAR. 28, 2002, I BROUGHT THE CAR TO HERB CHAMBERS TOYOTA OF BOSTON SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY FOUND THE BRAKES SHOES WERE GLAZED UP AND DID THE REPAIR. ASSURED THAT EVERYTHING WAS OK, I DROVE HOME. TWO BLOCKS DOWN THE STREET, I COULD HEAR THE BRAKES SQUEAKING AGAIN. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED AROUND AND WENT BACK TO THE SERVICE DEPT. THEY FOUND THAT THE FRONT BRAKE PADS NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PARTS AND WOULD CALL ME WHEN THE PARTS WERE DELIVERED. AFTER THEY NOTIFIED ME OF THE DELIVERED PARTS, I BROUGHT THE CAR IN ON APRIL 4, 2002. ONE HOUR LATER, THEY TOLD ME THAT BOTH ROTORS WERE CRACKED! AGAIN, THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PARTS AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THEM THE NEXT DAY. MEANWHILE I HAD TO GET A RENTAL TO GO HOME, WHICH THEY PAID FOR. NEXT MORNING, I CALLED THEM TO CHECK ON THE STATUS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE PARTS WOULD NOT COME IN FOR ANOTHER WEEK. SO THEY PLANNED TO TAKE ROTORS OFF FROM ANOTHER "BRAND NEW" CAMRY AND PUT THEM ON MINE. THE REPAIR WAS FINISHED AROUND NOON TIME. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR, THE SERVICE ADVISOR REASSURED ME THAT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE FINE.AFTER DRIVING FOR A COUPLE WEEKS, I STARTED TO HEAR SQUEAKY BRAKES AGAIN. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THE NOISE CAME FROM OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD. AS THE SQUEAK GOT LOUDER AND MORE FREQUENT, I KNEW THE NOISE WAS FROM MY NEW CAMRY. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE SERVICE DEPT. ON MAY 8, 2002. WITHIN ONE HOUR, THE SERVICE ADVISOR SAID THEY WERE NOT GOING TO FIX IT, PENDING ADVICE FROM TOYOTA.. SHE DID NOT KNOW WHEN THEY WOULD GET IT BUT SAID THAT SQUEAKY BRAKES SHOULD NOT BE A SAFETY ISSUE.I DO NOT THINK THE DEALER IS TAKING THIS MATTER SERIOUSLY. THE BRAKES ARE SQUEAKING BADLY. SOME UNKNOWN REASON HAD CAUSED THE ROTORS TO CRACK BEFORE, CAN ANYONE GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN?*AK