1997 TOYOTA CAMRY Engine And Engine Coolingenginegasoline Problems

WITHOUT ANY LIGHTS OR INDICATION OF A PROBLEM, WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN CALIFORNIA, SMOKE BEGAN BILLOWING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WITHIN SECONDS, FLAMES WERE SEEN, BY THE TIME HE REACHED THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE ENGINE WAS FULLY ENGULFED IN FIRE. BY THE TIME HE GOT OUT OF THE CAR, MINUTES, THE DASH WAS ENGULFED. IT TOOK 15 MINUTES FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO PUT IT OUT. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD REGULAR SERVICES PER MANUFACTURERS REQUIREMENTS, PLUS A SAFETY AND ENGINE EXAMINATION APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS AGO. NO EVIDENCE OF A PROBLEM OF ANY KIND WAS FOUND AT THAT TIME. *JB

AT ABOUT 70K MILES, MY 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY STARTING EXHIBITING PROBLEMS OF HUGE AMOUNTS OF SMOKE FROM TAIL PIPE AT COLD STARTUP. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS RELATED TO THE ENGINE SLUGE OR GELLING PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS RELATED TO THE TSB-628696 AS NOTED IN THE NHTSA. HOWEVER, TOYOTA HAS DECLINED TO COVER THE REPAIR, BUT IS WILLING TO COVER ONLY THE PARTS, BUT THE LABOR IS BEING CHARGED TO ME. THEY ARE NOT HONORING THE EXTENDED COVERAGE THAT THEY HAVE ANNOUNCED FOR THIS TSB TC02002 AND NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: 628696. THIS IS TOTALLY RIDICULOUS

DEFECTIVE ENGINE IN VEHICLE(1997 TOYOTA CAMRY LE) LEADING TO CONSTANT OPERATIVE PROBLEMS. THE STATED VEHICLE WAS REQUESTED FOR RECALL FOR ENGINE MALFUNCTION LAST YEAR AND I HAD VEHICLE DELIVERED BACK TO BOURNE TOYOTA OF3069 WASHINGTON RD AUGUSTA, GA 30907 (706-868-5454) FOR TECHNICAL SERVICE UNDER RECALL. ONE DAY AFTER RECALL WORK WAS DONE STATED VEHICLE HAD TO BE RETURNED NOW IM FACED WITH AN ENGINE REPLACMENT DUE TO ENGINE SLUDGE BUILD UP. AN PROBLEM THAT HAS NOT ONLY BEEN PROBLEMATIC IN THE CAMRY LINE BUT WITH THE SIENNA, SOLARA, AVALON, & LEXUS MODELS AS WELL. HOWEVER BOURNE TOYOTA SAYS THAT ENGINE SLUDGE BUILD-UP IS MY PROBLEM DUE TO ME NOT GETTING THE OIL CHANGED ENOUGH. THE OIL WAS CHANGE ON PERIODIC INTERVALS SINCE RECALL WORK WAS DONE AND THIS IS JUST AN ATTEMPT BY BOURNE TOYOTA TO DENY MY CLAIM AND BILL FOR REPAIRS. IT WELL DOCUMENTED HOW TOYOTA OWNERS ARE...

WHILE IN MOTION, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY MADE A SCREECHING SOUND AND STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER OF A HOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK ABOUT 4 INCHES IN DIAMETER. THE NUMBER 2 AND NUMBER 4 CONNECTING RODS HAD COME OUT AND THE PISTON ROD WAS BROKEN. CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE. *JG

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER NOTICE D A LOUD NOISE. SOON VEHICLE STALLED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, TECHNICIAN NOTICED ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

MIDAS IN FORESTVILLE, MD DID NOT PUT ANY OIL IN MY CAR AND NOW THE ENGINE IS GONE. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 60 MPH, ENGINECHECK LIGHT CAME ON. OWNER EVENTUALLY PULLED OVER TO FIND THAT ENGINE HAD SEVERE OIL LEAKAGE AND BEGAN TO SMOKE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.*AK

THE ENGINE FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, THE FAILURE RESULTED IN AN EXPLOSION AND A HOLE IN THE ENGINE, THE WARRANTY ON THE CAR WAS FOR 60000 MILES, THE DEALER REFUSED TO ABIDE BY THE WARRANTY STATING THAT THE OIL WAS NOT CHANGED PROPERLY RESULTING IN SLUDGE, THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE VEHICLES SLANTED ENGINE COULD POSSIBLE IMPEDE THE FLOW OF OIL AS IT RETURNES TO THE OIL CHAMBER THUS RESULTING IN SLUDGE. NLM

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING DOWN THE EXPRESSWAY AT A NORMAL SPEED, WHEN ALL OF SUDDEN THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING NOISES. IT WAS DRIVEN TO THE NEAREST SAFE PLACE TO STOP, AT WHICH THE ENGINE CEASED FUNCTIONING. I'M TOLD THAT THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REBUILT FOR A COST OF $4500. I PRESENTLY OWE $12,000 ON THIS CAR. THIS IS DUE TO THE SO-CALLED "OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM" AND I DEMAND IMMEDIATE COMPENSATION IN THIS MATTER. EVIDENTLY THOUSANDS OF OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. FOR MORE INFORMATION: FEATURES/2001OVERVIEW/TOYOTA/CAMRY.TMPL. *AK

ENGINE HAS EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF SMOKE THAT IS COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. *AK

THE ENGINE FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, THE FAILURE RESULTED IN AN EXPLOSION AND A HOLE IN THE ENGINE, THE WARRANTY ON THE CAR WAS FOR 60000 MILES, THE DEALER REFUSED TO ABIDE BY THE WARRANTY STATING THAT THE OIL WAS NOT CHANGED PROPERLY RESULTING IN SLUDGE, THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE VEHICLES SLANTED ENGINE COULD POSSIBLE IMPEDE THE FLOW OF OIL AS IT RETURNES TO THE OIL CHAMBER THUS RESULTING IN SLUDGE. NLM

DEALER SAYS CAR NOT SERVICED PROPERLY....I HAVE CHANGED OIL AS REQUIRED AND CONTACTED PREVIOUS OWNER WHO SAYS THAT HE HAS DONE THE SAME. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

ENGINE OIL CHANGED EVERY 3000-4000 MILES. I PREVIOUSLY HAD HONDA ACCORD WITH 186000 MILES AND NO PROBLEMS. THERE IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT WITH THIS ENGINE!*AK

TRANSMISSION MAKES A NOISE WHEN CAR IS PLACED IN REVERSE OR PLACED IN DRIVE AND THE ENGINE DIES LEADING TO BRAKE FAILURE.

THE BRAKES ARE CONSTANTLY SQUEALING, I WAS TOLD THIS IS NORMAL....THE CAR KEEPS DYING WHEN I AM COMING TO SLOW DOWN TO TAKE RIGHT HAND TURN. HAS BEEN DANGEROUS PROBLEM, I DRIVE THROUGH TWO ROTARYS, IT HAS STAULED AROUND THEM. I AM VERY CONCERNED. *AK

ENGINES STALLS APPROX. 15 MIN. AFTER WARMED UP UPON ACCELERATION AND WILL DOES NOT RESTART FOR AT LEAST 1 MIN.*ET

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

MY 1997 CAMRY IS HAVING ENGINE PROBLEMS THE DEALER INFORMERD ME THAT THE ENGINE NEED A NEW SHORT BLOCK AND OVERHAUL, AND COST AND LABOR WILL BE $5952.56 PLUS TAX , AND THAT THE WORK WAS NOT GOING TO BE COVERED UNDER WARRENTY BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE RECIEPTS FOR THE OIL CHANGES AND IN WHICH PAID THE COST OF $2011.52 JUST FOR THEM TO TEAR APART THE ENGINE AND FIND WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT PUT IT BACK TOGETHER. THE DEALER ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE HAD ENGINGEERS FROM TOYOTA COME OUT TAKE PICTURES OF THE ENGINE AND TAKE A OIL SAMPLE AND AT THAT TIME THEY MADE THE DECISION THAT THE COMPANY WAS NOT GOING TO COVER THE CAR UNDER THE 60,000 MILE WARRENTY. THE EXPLANATION TO ME WAS THE PISTON RINGS WAS BURNT AND THE CYCLINDER WAS DEAPLY SCARED AND THERE WAS METAL FRAGMENT IN THEOIL PAN AND...

THIS VEHICLE NEVER HAD REPAIRS OTHER THAN A SHOCK REPLACEMENT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND NORMAL MAINTENENCE. THE VEHICLE LEFT HOME IN THE MORNING AND WITH IN 4 MILES SMKE CAME OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ALL THE GUAGES SHOWED NORMAL RIGHT BEFORE THE ENGINE QUIT. IT THEN BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND ACTUALLY MELTED THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THIS APPEARS TO BE A SERIOUS DEFECT AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. TOYOTA WILL NOT RELEASE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. *AK

WHEELS LOCKED UP ON TWO OCCASIONS; ONE ON A STOP, AND THE OTHER ON A WET PAVEMENT. ALSO NOTICED GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM FRONT WHEELS. VEHICLE HESITATEING WHILE STOPPING. DEALER / MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK

POSSIBLE ENGINE FAILURE RESULTED IN FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. NLM

AFTER A HEADGASKET REPAIR @ GRESHAM TOYOTA WHEN THE VEHICLE AC IS TURNED ON ENGINE SPEED INCREASES 500 RPMS EACH TIME THE AC PUMP CYCLES ON , MOSTLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, INTERMITENTLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED. WHEN THIS HAPPENS AT A STOP THE VEHICLE CAN LURCH FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING POSING A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS CONDITION. ALSO BECAUSE OF THE CONSTANTLY FLUCTUATING ENGINE SPEED (EVERY 30 SECONDS AT STOP & EVERY 10 SECONDS WHILE IN MOTION ) IT IS CAUSING UN-NECESSARY WEAR & TEAR ON OTHER VEHICEL COMPONANTS IE. BRAKES,TRANSMISION AC COMPRESSOR COOLING FANS (RADIATOR) ETC.

TIMING BELT,ALL ENGINE BELTS, HEAD GASKET REPLACED (LEAKAGE), MOTOR MOUNTS REPLACED (CAUSING EXCESSIVE VIBRATION). MJS

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, THE LOCATION OF WHERE THE FIRE STARTED HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED, CAUSE IS ALSO UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

ENGINE MAKING KNOCKING NOISE. NM

THERE IS A NOTICEABLE RUMBLING SOUND COMING FROM THE FLOOR OF MY 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY. THIS IS MOST NOTICEABLE DURING ACCELERATION, BUT CAN BE DETECTED WHILE TRAVELING AT CONSTANT SPEED. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE INTERMITTENT IN NATURE.

THE ENGINE SIEZED AT 21,000 MILE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION AND VIN #. *AK

WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE BRAKES WENT OUT AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOTALLED. *AK