1998 TOYOTA CAMRY Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PLASTIC RADIATOR HAD BECOME OVERHEATED AND FRACTURED. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT OBSERVED STEAM COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO NOTICED THERE WAS A CRACKED IN THE RADIATOR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,740.

IT JUST STALLS FOR NO REASON. SOMETIMES IT STALLS AT A LIGHT SOMETIMES IT STALLS WHILE DRIVING AND SOMETIMES IT WONT STALL FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS. *TR

ON 10/19/10 MY 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY WAS ON FILE UNDER THE HOOD. WHEN I PARK THE CAR AT STATER BROS AND WENT INSIDE TO BUY GROCERIES . I HEAD THE CASHIER SAY SOMEONE CAR IS ON FIRE. I RAN OUT FROM THE PARKING LOTS AND I SAW MY CAR IN SMOKE UNDER THE HOOD. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND TRY TO SAVE MY CAR. NOW MY CAR IS TOTAL GONE. EVERYTHING BURN UNDER THE HOOD. I WOULD NEVER BUY TOYOTA CAMRY AGAIN. DUE TO COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS CAR. *TR

TOYOTA CUSTOMER AND OWNER WITH UNFORTUNATE PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR DRIVEN NORMALLY IN THE ORDINARY COURSE OF THE DAY AS AN ELDER. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS FAILED, THE OIL LEAKS, THE FLOORMAT INTERFERES WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND STICKS, INTERFERING WITH BRAKING EXPERIENCED RECENTLY ON THE NY-CT HIGHWAY. I PAID TO REPAIR THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND OIL LEAKS AND STILL THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AS INDICATED FOR EXAMPLE BY THE DASHBOARD WHICH IS CONTINUOUSLY LIT UP, I.E. IS STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I WROTE TO TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, U.S.A., INC. 19001 SOUTH WESTERN AVE. DEPT. WC11 TORRANCE, CA 90501 CC: NANCY FEIN, VP CUSTOMER SERVICE TOYOTA MOTOR SALES USA INC., PO BOX 10054 TOLDEO OHIO 43682-4419. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THERE WAS AN UNINTENDED INCREASE IN ACCELERATION OF 110 MPH. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE REDUCED SPEED. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN. THE FAILURE OCCURRENCES WERE INTERMITTENT DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING. THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED AND THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS PLACED INTO THE "PARK" POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN. THERE WAS SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE HOOD AREA. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IGNITED INTO MASSIVE FLAMES. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION FACILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. UPDATED 03/19/10. *LJ UPDATED 09/21/10

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH ON NORMAL CONDITIONS THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHT INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DRIVER STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND OBSERVED FLAMES FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED DAMAGES WITH HEAVY SMOKE AND FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND POLICE WERE NOTIFIED. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND TOWED TO THE CONTACTS RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT IS AWARE OF THE SAFETY RISK. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 150,000. UPDATED 09/18/09. *LJ UPDATED 09/18/09.*JB

ON 2/21/2008 I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND MY AUTO BURST INTO FLAMES. MY AUTO IS A 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY 4CYL. I RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO STATING THAT TOYOTA HAS AN ENGINE OIL SLUDGE DEFECT ON CERTAIN MODELS. MY AUTO IS ONE OF THEM. ADDITIONALLY THE NOTIFICATION I RECEIVED STATED THAT I CAN TAKE MY AUTO INTO TOYOTA TO BE REPAIRED. OVER ABOUT TWO YEARS I TOOK MY AUTO IN WITH ALL THE PAPER WORK/DOCUMENTS AND EACH TIME TOYOTA STONEWALLED ME. ALSO I JUST WENT INTO TOYOTA FOR THE SAME REASON AND WITH ALL THE PAPER WORK ON 2/14/2008 AND AGAIN TOYOTA TOLD ME THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THIS AND THEY WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING. I AM VERY MUCH LUCKY TO HAVE SURVIVED THIS INCIDENT ON 2/21/2008. *TR

1998 CAMRY, 4 CYLINDER, 62650 MILES. WHILE DRIVING AT AROUND 50 MPH SPEED, HEARD AN UNUSUAL SOUND AND SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND FOUND THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE LOWER HALF OF THE ENGINE AND THE OIL DIP STICK WAS SHEARED IN TO 2 PIECES. MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINE THREW A ROD AND PUT A HOLE. HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A REFURBISHED ONE AT A PRIVATE SHOP. CONTACTED THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS TOLD THAT SINCE THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, TOYOTA WILL NOT BE REPLACING THE ENGINE AND THE LEAST QUOTE FOR REPAIR WAS $4500.00 I BOUGHT THE CAR USED FROM A DEALER IN JAN 2001 AND HAVE HAD REGULAR SERVICE OIL CHANGE AND MAINTENANCE DONE ON IT. IN FEB 2006 HAD THE 60K MILE SERVICE DONE. IN MAY 2002 HAD RECEIVED A LETTER FROM...

MY 1998 TOYOTA CAMERY ALWAYS BURNED SOME OIL.THEN AT ABOUT 108000 MILES IT STARTED BURNING OIL AT A RAPID PACE. I BROUGHT IT IN TO TOYOTA TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT FOR THE OIL SLUDGING PROBLEM ,WHICH THEY KNOW OF.THEY SAID MY ENGINE IS SHOT AND I DID NOT HAVE THE OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM, SO THEY WOULD NOT COVER REPAIRS.THEY SAID ONE REASON I DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM IS BECAUSE I CHANGED OIL EVERY 3000 MILES.*AK

ENGINE SLUDGE. NOT YET FAILED BUT INEVITABLE IF NOT REPAIRED.*AK

I EXPERIENCED A TEXT BOOK CASE OF WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IS THE TOYOTA SLUDGE PROBLEM. I WANTED TO BRING IT IN TO MY CLOSEST TOYOTA DEALER BUT WAS TOLD THAT IF I DID NOT HAVE PROOF OF OIL CHANGE EVERY 3000 MILES (MANUAL SUGGESTS 7500) NOT TO BOTHER BECAUSE HAD NO LEG TO STAND ON AND WAS BASICALLY SCREWED.

ENGINE FAILED DUE TO OIL GELLING OR SLUDGE.

CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM. MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP HAS NOT COMMITTED TO TAKING CARE OF THE PROBLEM. WE ARE CURRENTLY STILL WORKING WITH THEM TO SEE IF THEY WILL TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM.

ENGINE BLOW UP AND BLEW RODS, ROD BARS, CRANK, OIL PUMP, RINGS, PISTONS, THRUST WASHERS, SHIMS.

ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO OIL GELLING.

MY CAMRY STARTED ACTING FUNNY. WHILE LEAVING WORK TO TAKE MY CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER, THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING NOISES SO I PULLED OVER, SHUT THE CAR OFF AND WAITED FOR THE TOW TRUCK. THIS WAS WEDNESDAY JUNE 25, 2003. ON FRIDAY MORNING, MY HUSBAND WAS NOTIFIED THAT WE NEEDED A NEW ENGINE BECAUSE OF "OIL GELLING" OR "OIL SLUDGING" AND IT WOULD BE $3,500. I TOOK ALL OF THE PAPERWORK WITH A COPY OF THE JUNE 2002 TOYOTA LETTER TO MY DEALER TO SEE IF I WOULD "QUALIFY" FOR THEIR SUPPORT PROGRAM. WHEN I ASKED THE SERVICE TECH WHY THE CARS HAD NOT BEEN RECALLED DUE TO THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE THAT COULD BE CAUSED AND HE TOLD ME IT WAS ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF CONSUMERS. I HAVE FOUND THAT TO BE UNTRUE. I WOULD EXPECT FOR TOYOTA TO PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE PLUS A COMPORABLE...

ENGINE FAILED DUE TO OIL SLUDGING.DEALER TOLD ME IT IS MY FAULT DO TO INFREQUENT OIL CHANGES.THEY SAY I NEED NEW ENGINE.I REPAIRED MYSELF SO IT IS DRIVABLE,BUT STILL HAS PROBLEMS.SOME KIND OF KNOCK AND OIL LEAK.I RECEIVED LETTER STATING TOYOTA WILL BACK THERE PRODUCT, BUT DEALER STILL WILL NOT HELP. DEALER IS TOYOTA ON NICHOLASVILLE.

DRIVING THE CAMRY DOWN THE INTERSTATE WHEN OIL LIGHT CAME ON. WITHIN 2-3 MILES I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF AND AS I ROLLED INTO A GAS STATION THE ENGINE BEGAN KNOCKING. WHEN TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER THEY SAID THE ENGINE WAS RUINED BUT CLAIMED IT WASN\\'T RELATED TO THE WELL-KNOWN OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM. THE OIL HAD BEEN CHANGED EVERY 3000-5000 MILES AND NEITHER LEAKED NOR USED OIL. THE DEALER HAD NO EXPLANATION WHY THE ENGINE WOULD SO SUDDENLY BE ROBBED ON OIL THAT IT WOULD THROW A ROD AND BE RUINED. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THE ENGINE HAS GIVEN SO MANY PROBLEMS THAT TOYOTA DISCONTINUED IT (THE 2.2 4LITER). SINCE I HAD TO HAVE A USED ENGINE PUT IN (TOYOTA WANTED $5300!!) I HAVE NO ASSURANCE THAT THIS ENGINE WON\\'T DO EXACTLY THE SAME THING!!

I CHANGED MY OIL AND THE ATTENDENT SAID THE OIL WAS GELLING UP. SINCE THAT DAY FOWARD MY CAR BURNS 4QUARTS OF OIL IN LESS THAN 200 MILES I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM THE DEALER LESS THAN A YEAR IN A HALF AGO.(DEC 22,2002). NOT ONE GARAGE WANTS TO REPAIR MY VECHILE THEY TOLD ME IT WAS OIL RINGS OR VALVES BUT ITS DUE TO THE OIL SLUDGE. I CALLED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME TOO BAD THAT I HAD TO PAY FOR THE DEALER TO TAKE THE HEAD OFF AND THAN LET THEM DETERMINE IF IT INDEED IT IS OIL GELLING. THAN TOYOTA USA WOULD LOOK OVER MY FILE TO SEE IF IT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM VERY RUDE AND UNIVITING.

THE ENGINE IN MY CAMRY BLEW. THE CAR WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND RUNNING FINE. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANY OIL SLUDGING/GELLING. HOWEVER, THEY COULDN'T EXPLAIN WHY THE ENGINE BLEW. ALL THEY COULD TELL ME IS THAT A PISTON BLEW THROUGH THE ENGINE. SINCE THEY CLAIMED THERE WAS NO OIL SLUDGING/GELLING THEY REFUSED TO COVER COSTS OF REPAIR.

HAVE NOTICED FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT A LOT OF BLUE-BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHUAUST UPON STARTUP. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT A LOT OF TOYOTAS HAVE HAD ENGINE FAILURE CAUSED BY OIL SLUDGE BUILD-UP. NOW I'M CONCERNED THAT THE ENGINE MAY FAIL SOON. I HAVE HAD REGULAR OIL CHANGES (SOME DONE BY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND SOME BY MYSELF). THE TOYOTA DEALER IN COOS BAY ASSURED ME THAT THIS WAS NOT A PROBLEM AND ONLY HAPPENS ONCE IN ABOUT 25,000 CARS. THE FACTS SEEM TO BE QUITE DIFFERENT.

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT VEHICLE NEEDED AN AIR FUEL RESERVOIR SENSOR TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. POTENTIAL OF PROBLEM NOT YET IDENTIFIED. ALSO, DEALERSHIP INDICATED " THIS IS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD NOISE WHICH CAME FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD AND SMOKE BEGAN TO COME INSIDE THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE VENTS. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER BEFORE THE VEHICLE EXPLODED. THE DRIVER DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES DURING THIS INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *NM

THE VEHICLE STARTED SMOKING UNDER THE HOOD AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *NLM

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEM WITH INTERMITTENTLY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. (MODULE SENSOR) DEALER HAS INSPECTED SINCE 1998 AND PROBLEM COULD NO DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS