Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 030503 | 03/05/2003 | 10001383 | Power door lock control system - repair manual correction vol ii. *tt | 05/02/2003 | |
| EL00700 | 04/14/2000 | 614963 | This bulletin provides instructions development to supplement the repair manual to assure correct cable routing of the heater control assembly during a service repair. *tt | 12/18/2000 | |
| EL00700 | 04/14/2000 | 612533 | Subject regarding the instructions that have been developed to supplement the repair manual to assure correct cable routing of the heater control assembly during a service repair, heater control assembly instructions. *mjs | 06/08/2000 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 03/28/2012 | 162247 | ||
| 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 nuteral 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 engin 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 the vehicle. i arrived at my daughters location and with the help of others pushed the car several hundered feet into a residental drive way. i have now towed the car back to my home and need help to determine what the root cause for this failure was. i am very reluctant to make repairs to this vehical knowing that this could happen again. as i review other vehicle acceleration complants for the same make and model, i want other 1999 camry owners to be aware that this type of acceleration problem can and does occur. we are very lucky our daughter did not suffer any injuries or cause any deaths with this vehicle. the final mileage is at around 162,000. | |||
| 10/28/2010 | 145000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 08/12/2010 | 150000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 03/11/2010 | 75024 | 1 | |
| 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 miles, when the same problems with it not starting and being very weak resumed. at 35394 miles the idle air control valve was replaced for a 2nd time. at 47000 miles the same problems resumed. at 49180 miles, the car would (as usual) not start unless the accelerator was pressed for 1 min. then it ran at only 500 rpm. as it was then being driven out of an alley, the engine suddenly spontaneously boosted to 1200 rpm, nearly causing a collision. this type of impetuous acceleration started frequently occurring. toyota refused to help with this problem, only saying to use premium gasoline, which proved to not solve the problem. now the entire electrical system of the car has collapsed three times at 72173 mi, 75009 mi, and today (2010-03-11) at 75024 mi. the dishonesty of toyota personnel is seen in its refusing to address the problem and earlier in fraudulently canceling the maintenance program that was part of the purchase of the vehicle after the car was paid for and its refusal to respond to written communication. *tr | |||
| 08/10/2004 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 01/01/2000 | 2000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 10/15/2008 | 120000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 08/18/2009 | 92600 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 03/09/2007 | 94100 | 3 | 05/20/1999 |
| 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. | |||
| 05/04/2006 | 75000 | 1 | |
| 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 immediately, and even though the incident occurred within 1.5 miles of the local fire station, the vehicle was totally engulfed in flames by the time the fire truck arrived. a pennsylvania state trooper arrived within 10 minutes of the onset of the episode, moments after the fire department arrived. a traffic report was filed with the state trooper. *jb | |||
| 12/30/2004 | 79000 | 1 | 01/01/1999 |
| 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 | |||
| 1 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 5 | |||
| 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 | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 01/27/2003 | |||
| 1999 toyoya camry. *nlm | |||
| 10/01/2002 | |||
| While traveling on the highway the battery exploded and acid spilled all over the engine compartment. the dealership is aware of the problem. mr | |||
| 08/26/2002 | 1 | 08/01/1999 | |
| Consumer was locked inside of vehicle and without prior warning electrical door lock will not open. dealership is aware of problem. consumer was informed that the only problem the dealer could find, was that the battery needed to be replaced.*jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY - CABLES | |||
| 12/07/2005 | 90000 | 1 | 07/10/2003 |
| Dt: the contact's daughter parked vehicle and pulled the key out of the ignition. the engine continued to run and later stopped on its own. a small amount of smoke came from under the hood. afterwards, she inspected under the hood and discovered the battery cables melted between the battery and engine compartment area. the vehicle has not been seen by a dealer. there was no obvious evidence of a fire. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 1 | 11/12/1999 | ||
| While driving the consumer began to hear a crackling sound. the consumer pulled over and popped the hood and saw that the vehicle was on fire. the vehicle was totaled. the fire department said the fire occurred because of a faulty ignition. please provide any further details. *nlm | |||
| 11/28/2000 | 01/01/1999 | ||
| When ignition is turned on, engine fails to start and engine light comes on. manual says when this happens take it to dealer immediately. this happens without any pattern and may not happen again for a week or two. i took it to stevens creek toyota, 4202 stevens creek blvd, san jose, ca 95129. they could not reproduce the problem and could find nothing wrong. warranty not complied with because they can't diagnose the problem. sometimes it takes 3 -5 tries before the engine starts. *ak | |||
| 10/27/2000 | 09/01/1999 | ||
| On three occasions 10/27/00,01/15/01, and 3/19/01 the same problem has occured with my vehicle. my car is currently in the dealer for the 3rd time. on the first occasion the dealer stated that there was no problem found and that they cleared the code. on the second occasion the dealer declared on paper that the vehicle was unsafe to drive and provided a rental car. on this occasion they replaced the coil pack. i have not heard from the dealer yet regarding the issues currently at hand. on all 3 occasions the car has died. this is an extreme safety issue. i have been driving on the freeway at 65 mph and the car has died. i have gone to turn a corner and the car has died. i have gone through an intersection and the car has died. when i go to start the car there is no power and the maximum speed i can drive is approximately 15mph. both times i have almost got into a major accident do to this problem. i am extremely concerned for my safety and the safety of my family and other drivers on the rode.*ak | |||
| 01/01/2000 | 999 | 12/01/1998 | |
| No summary | |||
| 03/01/1999 | |||
| We have several problems with this car. the car hesitates when you take off. the dealership has had it (this will make) 5 times since march 31,1999. they have had it for weeks at a time. the brakes make noises when they are applied. they said they replaced the vents but we still have a problem with them. we still, after all those times in the shop, have the same orginal problems as before we ever went to the shop. we have found out that they have even lied to us when we were buying the car. they told us it was a limited edition and it isn't. they were the orginal owners, they were not. they won't give us the name of the orginal owner. (found this out during arbitration) there are several things wrong with this car. and can't find any help on the situtation. please advise. | |||
| 09/09/2000 | 30 | 12/01/1999 | |
| Multiple times car will not start. the only time fialed at dealer suspect part was the alarm system. replaced alarm but problem can back 9 months later. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | |||
| 07/08/2000 | 2 | 09/01/1998 | |
| Pushed the accelerator, no response from the engine. engine would spontaneously rev- without accelerator being touched. after a 2 hour rest period the car was again driven the same problem occurred. the rpm would rev without the accelerator being pushed, after about 50 feet the engine check light came on. the gas pedal would sometimes engage the engine so we were able to travel a short distance. it was unpredictable as to when the accelerator would work. it would sometimes kick in while the rpm's were reving and the car would jerk forward. i felt it was unsafe to drive. as we were shutting the car off to load it on the tow truck when thecar was shut off, and the keys were still in the ignition, the automatic door locks repeatedly went off- in a rapid motion about 20 times until the keys were removed. the car has been towed to a local dealer. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||
| 04/22/2003 | 42655 | 1 | 03/24/1999 |
| Electrical system wiring malfunctioned. this resulted in all electrical operated components failing and being inoperative, while driving. *ak there was breakage of the wires that occurred in the wire pack which crossed between the side of the trunk and the hinge of the trunk cover at the point where the wires were flexed due to the opening/closing of the trunk cover. the problem was not immediately found due to no visible deterioration or damage to the wire pack covering at or near the point of breakage. the broken wires were ultimately found by using a faulty locator device. the problem occurred after the items were placed in the trunk, the cover closed and the vehicle was in motion. both the front and rear side windows(which were closed at the time)could not be lowered, the sunroof (opened at the time)could not be closed, the speedometer, tachometer, and engine temperature indicators were all inoperative. *scc *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD | |||
| 02/13/2007 | 65000 | 1 | 08/17/2002 |
| On the afternoon of february 13, 2007 my wife drove our 1999 toyota camry le 20 miles from our house to a government facility where she volunteers as an income tax preparer for the irs through the city of phoenix. as she was waiting to make a left hand turn into the parking lot of the building the car stalled but she managed to get it started again with the gear shift in neutral and proceeded into the parking lot where the car stalled twice again. she was able to park the vehicle in a parking slot and she went into work. after about 30 minutes my wife was called out to the parking lot where she witnessed the city fire department extinguishing a fire coming from the engine of the camry. the fire completely destroyed and melted the entire engine. a phoenix police officer was parked in the lot prior to the fire and took a statement from my wife after the fire was extinguished. we had the vehicle towed to our residence. the camry had about 65000 miles on the odometer and was running in good condition before the fire. i had routine maintenance performed on the vehicle. there were a few minor problems with the car; the driver door push button lock, the stereo and the parking brake indicator were intermittent. no other indicator lights came on. the camry was purchased from a toyota dealer in august of 2002 as a toyota certified used vehicle. this dealer did not disclose any information about engine gel, the secure key lock and wiring harness defects in the vehicle. we researched the internet and found similar cases of engine fires in 1999 camrys that started after the vehicle was parked and some while they were driving. we only had liability coverage on our camry. we are down to one vehicle and we have suffered a total loss. *nm | |||
| 10/06/2004 | 1 | ||
| A 1999 green toyota campry caught fire while its owner was driving it. the owner saw smoke coming from the hood of the vehicle at the left rear corner closest to the windshield. the car died in place a caught fire. *ak | |||
| 04/17/2004 | 1 | 02/15/2003 | |
| After returning from a road trip consumer heard a loud crank noise coming from the rear. consumer saw flames coming from under the hood, and smoke was pouring out of the vents. vehicle was totaled. dealer has been contacted. the fire department was called. *ak | |||
| 05/06/2000 | 1 | ||
| Claim number 52-2382-276 - while traveling northbound, consumer noticed smoke was coming from underneath the hood, the wiring harness was cause of fire. *tt | |||
| While driving at state speed limit and without warning vehicle caught on fire.*ak | |||
| 07/18/1999 | |||
| While the vehicle was parked it caught on fire under the hood on the left side. the fire was put out by a other family member. the vehicle has been totalled. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 02/02/2005 | 90000 | 1 | 04/01/2000 |
| Signal lights and emergency flashers defected (won't flash). replace fuses and under the brake pedal part (don't know the correct name) several times and it work for maybe two weeks, then stop. mechanic stated its an electrical problem; also hear like a frying noise when using signals and sometimes when just driving. inside car light works when it wants too. replace with recommended fuse and works for a day and stops. *nm | |||
| 05/01/1999 | 4 | 02/01/1999 | |
| The check engine light came on in may of 1999 they then replaced the transmission and the entired computer system. now the check engine light is on again. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - REAR COMPARTMENT/TRUNK | |||
| 01/05/2006 | 39450 | 1 | 06/05/2003 |
| The wiring harness powering several rear mounted lights severed completely from its master cable. this harness runs along the left hinge of the trunk lid. the result is that i lost my tail lights, rear side marker lights, backup lights and license plate light. i consider this a safety issue inasmuch as i am subject to a citation for violation of safety requirements. i don't mind replacing consumable items, but a wiring harness should not fail in normal use, especially if it affects safety lights on the vehicle. reference # for my complaint to toyota: 200601100356. *nm | |||
| 08/03/2005 | 74318 | 1 | 03/26/1999 |
| Shifted (automatic transmission) into reverse. fuse blew. power windows and all dashboard gauges stopped functioning. wiring harness, at the hinge, in the trunk had to be repaired. *jb | |||