2002 Toyota Camry Fuel System Problems

Your brakes failed to stop the car when you applied them, causing it to continue forward and hit a fire hydrant. This has happened at least twice, with the first incident lasting only a few seconds but this time resulting in a crash. You're concerned this defect could happen again while driving.

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY LE 4 CYLINDER. AFTER THE VEHICLE SITS FOR 3 DAYS IN A STATIONARY POSITION ON THE STREET, AT STARTUP I SEE WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE TAILPIPE. THE WHITE SMOKE WILL LAST FOR ABOUT 60 SECONDS AND GO AWAY. I HAVE READ OTHER PEOPLE WITH CAMRYS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE. MY VEHICLE HAS ONLY 78,000 MILES AND THE OIL LEVEL IS ALWAYS FULL. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL TOYOTA NEEDS TO CHECK IN ABOUT.

FIRST TIME. (SECOND TIME DEC. 12,2014) HOLE CHEWED IN TOP OF GAS FILLER HOSE. GAS LEAKED FROM TOP OF HOSE WHEN REFUELING. *TR

ON DECEMBER 14, 2012, AT ABOUT 7:20 AM, MY SPOUSE, [XXX] GOT INTO THE DRIVER'S SEAT OF THE ABOVE DESCRIBED 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY, WHICH WAS PARKED ON OUR DRIVEWAY. AFTER FASTENING HER SEAT BELT AND THEN CHECKING BEHIND TO MAKE SURE OUR STREET WAS FREE OF PEDESTRIANS AND BIKE RIDERS, MY SPOUSE PLACED HER RIGHT FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE AND SHIFTED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION LEVER FROM "PARK" TO "REVERSE" THE TOYOTA CAMRY INSTANTLY ACCELERATED BACKWARDS AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. AND HIT A TREE ON MY ACROSS THE STREET NEIGHBOR'S LAWN, FORTUNATELY, THE CAR STOPPED BEFORE HITTING MY NEIGHBOR'S GARAGE DOOR BECAUSE THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL DUG ITSELF INTO THE LAWN AND THE FRONT WHEEL DRIVE LOST TRACTION IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO WHAT ONE EXPECT WHEN ONE DRIVES INTO HEAVY SNOW. THE TOTAL TIME ELAPSED DURING THE SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WAS LESS THAN TWO SECONDS. THE DISTANCE TRAVELED DURING THE SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WAS EXTREMELY SHORT. THE TREE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 57 FEET FROM THE REAR END OF THE CAR AND THE TOTAL DISTANCE THAT THE CAR TRAVELED WAS ONLY 72 FEET.. MY SPOUSE WAS TERRIFIED BY THE EXPERIENCE BUT, FORTUNATELY, SHE WAS NOT PHYSICALLY INJURED. I HAD TO CALL AAA TO COME WITH A TOW TRUCK. AAA EXTRACTED THE CAR FROM THE LAWN'S SOFT EARTH BY THE USE OF A CHAIN ATTACHED TO THE BACK OF THE TRUCK. THE TRUNK LID WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED AND THE PARKING PAW WITHIN THE TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY WAS BROKEN.. I AM A RETIRED NYS PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER. I CAN PROVE THAT THE SUA INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECT IN THE FIRMWARE (SOFTWARE) IN THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE WITHIN THE CAMRY. I FILED A 48 PAGE BRIEF OBJECTING TO THE US COURT RECENT TOYOTA ECONOMIC LOSS LAWSUIT. IT IS AVAILABLE ON THE PACER SYSTEM. I SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED THAT ALL 2002 THROUGH 2006 TOYOTA CAMRY CARS BE RECALLED BY TOYOTA AND EQUIPPED WITH APPLICABLE BRAKE OVERRIDE SYSTEMS. . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS ADVISED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE AIR FUEL RATION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATED FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000. *TR

THE FUEL FILLER LINE WELD AT WHERE THE EGR LINE TIES IN (JUST BENEATH THE FUEL FILLER CAP) FAILED. THE FAILURE OF THE WELD CAUSED AIR TO LEAK INTO THE FUEL SYSTEM AND TRIP THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT. THE WELD FAILURE WAS THE RESULT OF A POOR WELD AND POOR ANTI RUST COATING APPLIED AT THE LOCATION OF THE WELD.

ATLANTA, GA, REQUIRES AN EMISSION INSPECTION EACH YEAR. MY 2002 CAMRY XLE HAS PASSED WITH NO PROBLEM IN PAST YEARS. WHEN THE INSPECTION TESTER WAS HOOKED TO THE CAR IT REPORTED "NOT READY" CODES IN ALL TEST CATEGORIES AND THE INSPECTION COULD NOT BE COMPLETED. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND HE COULD CLEAR THE COMPUTER AND GET IT TO RESET BUT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE CODES WOULD START TO DROP OFF TO "NOT READY" AGAIN. HE WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO SET LONG ENOUGH TO COMPLETE THE INSPECTION THAT PASSED PROPERLY AND THEN THE CODES BEGAN TO DROP OFF AGAIN. CALLS TO TOYOTA HAVE RECEIVED NO INFORMATION ON WHAT TO DO TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

1. THE WAS NO PRIOR NOTICE OF DEFECT. 2. THE FUEL PEDAL ASSEMBLY FAILED GENERATING A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, AND THE CAR BECAME UNABLE TO DRIVE SAFELY. THE CAR BECAME VERY ERRATIC AND WOULD NOT OPERATE UNLESS RUNNING OVER 20 MPH. *TR 3. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FUEL PEDAL ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED. UPDATED 01/06/11 *BF

I DID NOT NOTICE ANY MALFUNCTIONS OF MY CAR PRIOR TO THE EVENT THAT I AM REPORTING. IN JUNE OF 2009 I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN A PARKING LOT. MY FOOT WAS LIGHTLY ON THE BRAKE AND I NEARLY AT A COMPLETE STOP WHEN MY CAR LURCHED FORWARD LIKE A ROCKET. MY CAR JUMPED THE CURB OF THE PARKING SPOT, SIDESWIPED A ROW OF MAILBOXES ON MY LEFT WHILE TRAVELING ACROSS AN SMALL ISLAND OF LAWN AND SHOOTING OVER ANOTHER CURB ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND. MY VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PARKING LOT APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET SHORT OF RAMMING THE SIDE OF A PARKED CAR. BOTH OF MY FEET WERE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, BOTH OF MY LEGS WERE FULLY EXTENDED WITH MY KNEES LOCKED AND MY ENTIRE BODY WAS FULLY EXTENDED WITH ALL OF MY WEIGHT APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. I IMMEDIATELY PLACED THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. THE LEFT FRONT QUARTER PANEL OF MY CAR RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE FROM HITTING THE MAIL BOXES. THERE WAS A WITNESS FROM THE VETERINARY CLINIC WHERE THE EVENT OCCURRED WHO SAW THE ACCIDENT. BECAUSE MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND NOT ON THE GAS PEDAL I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS EVENT OCCURRED BECAUSE OF A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL OR FLOOR MAT. *TR

MY 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY V-6 HAS HAD SPEED CONTROL ISSUES STARTING ABOUT THREE YEARS AFTER WE BROUGHT IT. IT SURGES OCCASSIONALLY AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. I HAVE HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER TWICE AND THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. *TW

MY CAMRY SOLARA 2004 SUDDENLY STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY DUE TO A THROTTLE BODY FAILURE, THANKS GOD I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE EMERGENCY LANE ON TIME AND BE ABLE TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT, AFTER AN EXTENSIVE RESEARCH I FIND OUT THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND TOYOTA MOTORS SO FAR HAS IGNORED THIS PROBLEM. *TR

WHEN IT IS BELOW 32 DEGREES F. OUTSIDE THE CARS THROTTLE BODY WILL FREEZE SHUT. THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO NOT OPERATE AND THE CAR NEEDS TO BE PLACED IN A WARM ENVIRONMENT TO WARM IT TO ABOVE FREEZING, AND THE CAR WILL OPERATE WELL. THIS HAS BEEN ADDRESSED IN A SERVICE BULLETIN PUT OUT BY TOYOTA AND TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM IT WILL COST APPROX $1200. THIS IS A DEFECT ON THE PART OF TOYOTA. IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF AGE, AND IT IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. SHE NOTICED GAS FUMES AND A GAS LEAK COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONTACT THIS OCCURRED WHEN THE GAS TANK WAS OVERFILLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC FOR REPAIR. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE CHARCOAL CANISTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY OTHER OCCURRENCES SINCE THE REPLACEMENT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70000. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED SHE ALWAYS TOPPED OF THE TANK AND THERE WAS NO WHERE IN THE MANUAL WHERE IT SAID IT COULDN'T BE DONE. UPDATED 04//12/07. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE FUEL FILTER NEEDED TO BE CLEANED AND THE FUEL FILLER CAP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, IT WAS DETERMINED THE FUEL FILTER WAS CORRODED DUE TO OXIDIZATION OF THE FUEL FILTER MATERIAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED.

I NOTICED GASOLINE DRIPPING FROM THE REAR OF MY 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY LE AT THE RATE OF ABOUT A DROP PER SECOND WHILE IT WAS PARKED WITH THE ENGINE OFF. THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN RUN FOR A DAY AND A HALF AND HAD ABOUT 3/4 OF A TANK OF GAS IN IT. THE GASOLINE WAS DRIPPING NEAR THE MIDDLE OF THE REAR AXLE, ABOUT 2 INCHES FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. I WAS AFRAID TO START THE CAR AND AFTER CLEARANCE BY THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT, HAD IT TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER FOR REPAIRS. THE TOYOTA DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE VACUUM VALVE ASSEMBLY HAD FAILED AND THAT THE CHARCOAL CANISTER ASSEMBLY WAS FILLED WITH FUEL. THEY REPLACED BOTH THE VACUUM VALVE ASSEMBLY AND THE CHARCOAL CANISTER ASSEMBLY. I DO NOT HAVE THE OLD PARTS. I HAD TO PAY FOR THE FULL COST OF THE REPAIRS AS TOYOTA SAID THAT MY CAR WAS BEYOND THE WARRANTY PERIOD. *NM

JANUARY 31,2005 DEAR TOYOTA CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE: I HAVE BEEN A TOYOTA OWNER AND BUYER SINCE 1976. I PURCHASE A NEW TOYOTA ABOUT EVERY TWO OR THREE YEARS. I PRESENTLY HAVE A 2002 CAMRY XLE THAT A PURCHASED NEW FROM STEVENS TOYOTA, HUNTING STATION,NY 11746, TEL # 631-423-5013 IN 2002. THE VEHICLE HAS REFORMED VERY GREAT WITH LITTLE OR NO PROBLEMS AS ALL MY PAST TOYOTAS. THE OTHER MORNING I WENT IS OPEN MY GAS FILLER CAP AND THE CAP BROKE IN THREE PIECES LEAVING ONE PIECE STILL IN THE FILLER LINE AND THE OTHER TWO PIECES IN MY HAND. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE PIECE OFF AND FILL THE CAR WITH GAS AFTER A PERIOD TIME. I HAVE NOT REPLACED THE GAS CAP HAS OF THIS TIME. I BELIEVE THAT TOTOTA HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE MANUFACTURING OF THE GAS FILLER GAS FILLER CAP. DID TOYOTA RECALL THEIR GAS CAPS OR REPLACING THEM UNDER A GOOD CUSTOMER RELATIONS POLICY?*AK VEHICLE ID # [XXX] #[XXX] CAMRY HOPING TO HEAR FROM YOU BEFORE I PURCHASE MY NEXT TOYOTA. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS INOPERATIVE, THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO READ THE VARIOUS FEATURES THAT WERE DISPLAYED ON THE UNIT. THE BATTERY HAD GONE DEAD, AND THE POWER WINDOWS FAILED. THE FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS ABNORMAL AND THE AIR HANDLING SYSTEM DID NOT PERMIT OUTSIDE AIR. *SCC *JB

SMELLED GAS FUMES, DEALER BASICALLY TOLD US NOT TO WORRY. WHEN DRIVING ALONG TO TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALER IT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND THEN EXPLODED. VEHICLE ONLY 1 MONTH OLD AND I HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE A WEEK AFTER PURCHASE. MR