1999 TOYOTA CAMRY Electrical System Problems

I TURNED ON REAR DEFROST AND WITHIN FEW SECONDS BACK SEAT WAS ON FIRE. WINDOW BURNT SEAT AND SEAT BELT ALSO BURNED HAND. IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL CAUSE. I FIGURED A FUSE WOULD BLOW PRIOR TO A FIRE INSIDE CAR. HAD I BEEN ON FWY I WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN LUCKY GAS TANK IS INCHES BELOW FIRE .

FOR SEVERAL YEARS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON AND WE HAVE BEEN TOLD IT WAS THE GAS CAP. OUR MECHANIC HAS TRIED MANY SOLUTIONS TO REPAIR THIS AND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS LATER, WE ARE NOW BEING TOLD IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM TO THIS VEHICLE - THE EVAPORATION VAPOR CANISTER. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, THIS PIECE WAS PART OF A LAWSUIT AGAINST TOYOTA THAT TOYOTA LOST. WE CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY OVER $400 FOR A PART SO THAT IT PASSES INSPECTION. ESPECIALLY WHEN TOYOTA KNEW THIS PART WAS A PROBLEM. TOYOTA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR OF THIS PART.

FOR SEVERAL YEARS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON AND WE HAVE BEEN TOLD IT WAS THE GAS CAP. OUR MECHANIC HAS TRIED MANY SOLUTIONS TO REPAIR THIS AND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS LATER, WE ARE NOW BEING TOLD IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM TO THIS VEHICLE - THE EVAPORATION VAPOR CANISTER. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, THIS PIECE WAS PART OF A LAWSUIT AGAINST TOYOTA THAT TOYOTA LOST. WE CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY OVER $400 FOR A PART SO THAT IT PASSES INSPECTION. ESPECIALLY WHEN TOYOTA KNEW THIS PART WAS A PROBLEM. TOYOTA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR OF THIS PART.

1999 TOYOTA CAMRY LE 4CYL STARTER FAILED TO DISENGAGE FROM FLYWHEEL CAUSING FIRE. THE STARTER KEPT RUNNING BURNING IT OUT AND ALSO BURNING THE POSITIVE CABLE TO THE BATTERY. DAMAGE TO THE BATTERY IS UNDER INVESTIGATION. I WAS SITTING PARKED IN A PARKING LOT WITH THE RADIO AND THE AIR ON WHEN I OBSERVED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE THEN STARTED TO COME INTO THE CAR THRU THE AIR CONDITIONING. I TURNED THE CAR OFF BUT THE SMOKE CONTINUED AND THE FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED. AFTER LOOKING AT THE INTERNET THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDELY KNOWN ISSUE WITH MULTIPLE POSTINGS. I HAVE NOT SEEN A RECALL ON THIS. IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. MY INSURER SAID THAT MY CLAIM WILL BE DENIED DUE TO MECHANICAL FAILURE. TOYOTA NEEDS TO HE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. *TR

THIS CAR IS DEFINETLY A LEMON IVE PUT MORE MONEY INTO THAN THE CAR IS WORTH AND STILL DOESNT WORK THE DEALER ROCK CHEVROLET KNEW OF ISSUES WITH THIS CAR BUT STILL SOLD IT TRIED TO HAVE IT FIXED THRU THEM BUT THEY WERE RUDE AND WOULDNT DO IT. *TR

MY DAUGHTER WAS ON HER WAY TO SCHOOL ON THE MORNING OF 3/28/2012, WHEN OUR 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY STARTED TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. MY DAUGHTER TRIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY PRESSING THE BRAKE AS HARD AS SHE COULD BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. SHE PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE'S RPM'S WENT TO THE MAXIMUM. THE CAR AT THAT POINT MUST HAVE BLOWN A PISTON ROD OR VALVE, OIL WAS SPRAYING INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SHE MADE AN ATTEMPT TO BUMP THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES TO SEE IF IT WOULD RELEASE. THE CAR WAS STALLED ON A MAIN STREET WITH EMERGENCY FLASHERS ON. SHE AGAIN TRIED TO START THE CAR AND RPM'S WENT TO THE MAX AND THE AT THAT POINT SMOKE STARTED RISING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SEVERAL PEOPLE CAME TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND TRIED TO HELP TRAFFIC MOVE AROUND...

WHILE DRIVING HOME, THE RADIO BEGAN SKIPPING SIMILAR TO A SCRATCHED CD WHEN HITTING A BUMP IN THE ROAD. THE RADIO WAS TUNED TO FM, NOT PLAYING A CD. THE SAME SOUND WAS HEARD FOUR MONTHS EARLIER, BUT NOT SINCE THEN. SUDDENLY THE DOORS AUTOMATICALLY LOCKED AND THE ENGINE CUT OFF. THE CAR WAS RESTARTED AND PULLED ONTO A SIDE STREET, WHERE SMOKE WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE HOOD ON THE DRIVER SIDE. UPON EXITING THE VEHICLE, NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE ESCALATED AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED. THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT OUT THE FIRE, BUT THE FRONT HALF OF THE CAR WAS CONSUMED. CAR WAS TOTALED. *TR

OUR SON WAS DRIVING OUR 1999 CAMRY ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF THE LIGHTS CAME ON AT ONCE-CHECK ENGINE, CHECK OIL, CHECK TIRES. THEN THERE WAS A DING SOUND AND A LOUD POP. THE CAR SHUT OFF. HE WAS ABLE TO MOVE TO THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY AND EXITED THE CAR. AS HE WENT TO OPEN THE HOOD HE REALIZED IT WAS ON FIRE. HE CALLED 911. THE RESPONDING STATE TROOPER TRIED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE BUT COULDN'T. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED THE CAR WAS FULLY ENGULFED. WE HAVE PROPERLY MAINTAINED OUR CAMRY AT OUR LOCAL GARAGE, WHO HAS THE RECORDS ON FILE. LUCKILY ONLY OBJECTS WERE LOST, OUR SON IS FINE. *TR

DESPITE BEING REGULARLY MAINTAINED, VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF, NOT ABUSED, AND LESS THAN AVERAGE USE (AVERAGE 6700 MI/YR), THIS TOYOTA CAMRY (PURCHASED NEW FROM A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA) HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY FOR LONG. THE FACTORY-INSTALLED CD/CASSETTE/RADIO SYSTEM HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES, AND NOW THE CD PLAYER PART YET AGAIN DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. AT ONLY ABOUT 10000 MILES, THE AIR FLOW RATIO SENSOR AND MANIFOLD HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEN THERE IS THE FACT THAT ABOUT 95% OF THE TIME, THE CAR WILL NOT START WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR BEING DEPRESSED AND HELD FOR 1 MIN, AND EVEN THEN THE ENGINE ALWAYS SOUNDS WEAK AND ONLY REACHES ABOUT 500 RPM UNTIL PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE ODOMETER READ 16603 MILES. THAT WAS WHEN THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE WAS FIRST REPLACED. THE SITUATION SEEMED TO IMPROVE, UNTIL 34800...

ON AUG 10, 2004 MY SISTER WAS DRIVING HER 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY WHEN IT INEXPLICABLY DROVE OFF THE W. BOUND LANES OF IL I '74' AT MI MARKER 115. IT TRAVELED 921 FT CROSSING THE MEDIAN, I '74' E. BOUND LANES, UP A HILL, EVENTUALLY STRIKING A TREE WHERE THE CAR BECAME ENGULFED IN FLAMES, BURNING MY SISTER TO DEATH. A WITNESS STATEMENT BY A SEMI TRUCK DRIVER STATED THAT HE SAW SPARKS COMING FROM THE UNDERCARRIAGE. I ATTENDED THE CORONER'S INQUEST WHERE THE FACTUAL MATTERS WERE PRESENTED INCLUDING A TOXICOLOGY REPORT. HER DEATH WAS RULED AN "ACCIDENT". *TR

TOYOTA HAS LONG IGNORED SAFETY IN FAVOR OF SHOW. OUR 1999 CAMRY HAS A KEY FOB WITH THREE BUTTONS, ONLY ONE WORKING. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE 'SECURITY' SYSTEM (1) KEEPS THE ENGINE FROM STARTING AND, (2) MORE OMINOUSLY, LOCKS US OUT OF THE CAR. MY DAUGHTER, WITH HER BABY, STARTED THE CAR, STEPPED OUT TO LET IT COOL IN THE PHOENIX SUMMER, AND WAS LOCKED OUT. FORTUNATELY, I WAS CLOSE AND, FORTUNATELY, SHE TOOK HER BABY OUT WITH HER. OVER THE YEARS, I'VE ASKED TOYOTA TO FIX ITS SECURITY MESS. NOTHING BUT MILD APOLOGIES. THIS ENDANGERMENT HAS PLAGUED ME AND MY FAMILY FOR 10 YEARS. TOYOTA'S RECKLESSNESS AND ALOOFNESS SHOULD BE PUNISHED SEVERELY AND THE COMPANY MUST BEGIN TO PRODUCE NOTHING BUT RELIABLE CARS THAT DON'T ENDANGER ITS CUSTOMERS. *JB

1999 CAMRY BATTERY KEPT DYING. THEN ONE DAY, THE CAR STOPPED WORKING DURING DRIVING, AND SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE HOOD. WHEN THE HOOD WAS OPENED, I SAW THAT THE CABLES AND BATTERY HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE BATTERY CABLES AND BATTERY HAD TO BE REPLACED. OLD PARTS WERE DISCARDED. *TR

MY FIRST COMPLAINT IS THE CRUISE CONTROL ON MY VEHICLE. WHEN I SET IT TO OVER 50MPH AND THEN TRY TO TURN IT OFF, MY PEDAL STICKS A LITTLE AND ACTS LIKE IT DOESN'T WANT TO RELEASE. THE SECOND COMPLAINT IS THE BURNING OF OIL SMELL THAT COMES WITH THE PEDAL STICKING. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THE ONLY THINGS THEY FOUND WAS A LOOSE HOSE. IT WAS RETIGHTEND. I AM ALSO HAVING ISSUES WITH THE ELECTRICAL PARTS ON MY REAR VIEW MIRRORS. THEY ARE ALL OPPOSITES. UP IS DOWN RIGHT IS LEFT ETC. I HAD GOTTEN A VEHICLE CAR FACTS ON THE CAR AND ONLY ONE OWNER AND REAR ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED. ALSO I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED MY FRONT TWO TIRES WITHIN A WEEK OF PURCHASE AND IT MAKES A SCRAPING NOISE WHENEVER THE CAR IS IN MOTION. *TR

ON MARCH 9, 2007 THE TOYOTA CAMRY ERUPTED INTO A FIRE DURING MY NORMAL DRIVING. ON NOV 28, 2006, I REPAIRED MY VEHICLE AT TOYOTA AUTHORIZED SERVICE STATIN, FITZGERALD TOYOTA, M FOR CHANGING WATER PUMP AND TIMING BELT. *AK MY ODO METER READING WAS AROUND 93.213 MILES AND WITHIN 800 MILES (CLOSE TO 94100) THE VEHICLE MET WITH FIRE ACCIDENT. REPEATED LETTER TOYOTA CORPORATION IS BEING IGNORED AND TOYOTA SERVICE STATION IS YET TO REPLY BACK MY LETTER.

AS I WAS DRIVING MY 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY TO WORK, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE, AND WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. THE FIRE WAS PRECEDED BY A LOUD POPPING SOUND, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY THE LOSS OF BRAKES/POWER STEERING, ETC. I STRUGGLED TO STEER THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD, COASTING TO A STOP. MEANWHILE, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE FIRECRACKER-LIKE "POP," SMOKE BEGAN TO POUR INTO THE VEHICLE FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD, AS WELL AS THROUGH THE VENTS ON THE TOP OF THE DASH. HEAVY SMOKE ALSO BEGAN TO POUR OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR. AS I FINALLY BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, A MOTORIST STOPPED AND HOLLERED TO ME TO GET OUT OF THE CAR IMMEDIATELY AS, HE SAID, THERE WERE FLAMES VISIBLE UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I EXITED THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY, AND WITHIN 3-5 MINUTES IT WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I DIALED 911...

VEHICLE DID NOT TURN OFF WHEN THE KEY WAS PULLED OUT THE IGNITION SWITCH. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE SWITCH BEFORE THE VEHICLE FINALLY TURNED OFF. CONSUMER WILL NOTIFY MANUFACTURER.*AK *JB

THE POWER WINDOWS WOULD NOT RAISE OR LOWER WHEN THE POWER WINDOW BUTTON WAS PUSHED FROM EITHER CONSOLES. THE VEHICLE ALSO EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE SUN ROOF. *NLM

SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE DID NOT START. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS ON 5/3/2003 AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM. *JB