2003 Toyota Camry Fuel System Problems

ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 31, 2014, AT ABOUT 1:00 PM, I WAS LEAVING THE CHURCH PARKING LOT AFTER THE SERVICE AT SAN MARTIN DE PORRES CATHOLIC CHURCH. I WAS IN MY 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY WITH MY FRIEND (NAME PROVIDED ON REQUEST). I DROVE FROM THE LOWER LEVEL PARKING TO THE UPPER LEVEL PARKING LOT WHERE THE EXIT IS LOCATED. I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MILES PER HOUR. WE WERE COASTING TOWARD THE EXIT WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR REVVED UP REALLY LOUD AND ACCELERATED/SPED THROUGH A SHORT STREET THAT FEEDS THE PARKING LOT. A WITNESS TOLD ME HE THOUGHT THE CAR WAS GOING ABOUT 40 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR CONTINUED ON AT A HIGH SPEED ON THE DIRT PARKING LOT ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE CHURCH. IT WAS BURROWING THROUGH THE DIRT AND SPEWING OUT DIRT LIKE WE WERE IN A TORNADO. I STEERED THE CAR ALONG THE CHURCH FENCE TO PREVENT IT FROM GOING INTO THE STREET. AFTER A WHILE IT CRASHED INTO THE CHURCH'S FENCE AND SLOWED FOR A FEW SECONDS. (A WITNESS REPORTED HE RAN AFTER THE CAR TO GET THE LICENSE PLATE.) THEN THE CAR REVVED UP AGAIN AND SPUN TO THE LEFT AND PROCEEDED FORWARD A SHORT DISTANCE AND THEN PLOWED INTO THE BLOCK WALL GOING DOWN TO THE LOWER PARKING LOT. AT THIS POINT, THE CAR GOT STUCK ON THE BLOCK WALL AND DIED OUT. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN THE CRASH. SOMEONE HAD CALLED 911 AND THE AMBULANCE, PARAMEDICS, AND POLICE ARRIVED. THEY ADVISED US TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR CARE. WE DID GO TO THE ER AND WERE EVALUATED. MY FRIEND HAD MUSCLE SORENESS FOR SEVERAL DAYS. I CONTINUE TO HAVE MUSCLE SORENESS, AND MY WRIST AND RIGHT ELBOW WERE BRUISED AND HURT. I WAS VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE SOMEONE COULD HAVE BEEN STRUCK AND KILLED IN THE PARKING LOT IF I HAD LEFT RIGHT AFTER THE SERVICE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS CONSIDERED MY CAR A COMPLETE LOSS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AT THE FUEL FILLER NECK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,175 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,275.

THE CAR STALLS WHEN IN MOTION. NO WARNING AT ALL. COULD BE GOING 10MPH OR 65MPH, AND IT SUDDENLY GOES TO IDLE SPEED. DEALER SAID IT IS THROTTLE BODY (ELECTRONIC SENSOR?) ISSUE AND MUST BE REPLACED FOR $1200. WARRANTY IS 36 MONTHS OR 36,000 MILES. MY CAR HAS 77,000 MILES. ACCORDING TO THE INTERNET, THIS IS APPARENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA. OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!! NOT ONLY IS THIS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE EVER HEARD OF, BUT TOYOTA AND NHTSA SEEM TO BE IGNORING THE PROBLEM. MY CONGRESSMAN AND CT CONSUMER PROTECTION WILL HEAR ABOUT THIS AND I URGE YOU TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP-------SAVE (LIVES) TOYOTA DRIVERS. *TR

ON JUNE 20 SHORTLY BEFORE 6:00 PM I BACKED OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE OF OUR CONDO BUILDING, AND I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE CAR WITH ABOUT 10 MLS/HOUR TOWARD A STREET CCA 50 YARDS AWAY. BEFORE ENTERING THE STREET THE CAR HAS TO BE STOPPED, HOWEVER, WITHOUT PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL, THE CAR ON ITS OWN ACCELERATED. IMMEDIATELY I APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND. THE CAR SPEEDED INTO A GRASSY AREA, AND FROM THERE TO OUR OVERFLOW PARKING LOT, AND FROM THERE TO A SECOND PARKING LOT. THE TIRES BURNED THE GRASS DUE TO THE APPLIED BRAKES. PICTURE OF THE BURNED GRASS CAN BE SUPPLIED IF REQUESTED. THE UNSTOPPABLE CAR TRAVELED ABOUT 170 YARDS. DUE TO THE FORCE BY WHICH THE CAR HIT FOUR CURVES, THE FRONT TIRES WERE FLATTENED AND THE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE FRONT END COLLAPSED TO THE GROUND AND THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED. MY WIFE AND MYSELF WERE WEARING THE SAFETY BELTS, WHICH PREVENTED TO BE THROWN INTO THE FRONT WINDSHIELD..MY WIFE WAS SITTING NEXT TO ME, THERE WERE NO OTHER PASSENGERS IN THE CAR. IN ADDITION THE FORCE CAUSED BOTH OF THE FRONT AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY. MINIMIZING THE HUMAN DAMAGE. THE AIRBAGS CAUSED A SECOND DEGREE BURN ON MY LEFT ARM AS DETERMINED IN THE ER. THE AIRBAG ALSO HIT THE FRONT OF MY FACE. AND SLIGHTLY BURNED THE FINGER ON HER LEFT HAND. NEEDLESS TO STAY THAT WE WERE EXTREMELY SHAKEN AND FRIGHTENED. UPON EXITING THE CAR I CALLED 911 AND REPORTED WHAT HAPPENED. AN UNKNOWN NEIGHBOR CALLED AN AMBULANCE, WHICH CAME VERY SOON WITH A LARGE FIRE TRUCK. WE WERE TAKEN TO THE ER OF A LOCAL HOSPITAL. WE SPENT AT 4-5 HOURS IN THE ER OF THE HOSPITAL WHERE WE WERE X-RAYED. EVEN AS OF THE DATE OF THIS REPORT, SOME 2 MONTHS AFTER THE ACCIDENT BOTH MY WIFE AND I REMAIN EXTREMELY SHAKEN BY THIS TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE. MY WIFE'S SPINAL PROBLEMS WERE ENHANCED BY THE CRASH, AND HER CONDITION IS BEING MONITORED BY SPECIALISTS. THE CAR WAS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST.. I SUSPECT THE ORIGINAL MICRO CHIP TO CAUSE THE MALFUNCTION OF THE GAS FLOW. *TR

SUDDEN INCREASE IN RPMS AS I WAS BACKING UP MY CAR UP TO MY WOOD PILE..IT RAMMED INTO MY WOOD PILE AND THE WHEELS WERE STILL SPINNING WHEN I FINALLY TURNED OFF THE CAR. SAME THING HAPPEN WHEN I WAS COASTING UP TO A STOP SIGN FEB 2010.. BOTH TIMES I PUT ALL THE STRENGTH I COULD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE CAR. IT NEVER STOPPED IN 2009 BUT I DID GET IT STOPPED ON THE 2010 INCIDENT BECAUSE I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. SOME MINOR DAMAGE TO THE BACK END OF THE CAR ON THE 2009 INCIDENT FROM THE CAR HITTING THE STACK OF WOOD.. WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID IT WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT.. *TR

THE GAS FILLING TUBE IS CORRODED, THE RESULT IS THE 'ENGINE' TROUBLE INDICATOR IS ALWAYS ON. MY MECHANIC TELLS ME THAT THIS OCCURS WITH ALL TOYOTA CAMRY'S THAT ARE OLDER THAN 5 YEARS. MINE IS A 2003 WITH 80,000 MILES. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TUBE LEADING TO THE FUEL TANK. IT SEEMS THAT THE METAL CORRODES AND THE GAS CAP CANNOT BE SEALED, THE RESULT IS THE ENGINE INDICATOR COMES ON THE DASH BOARD. *TR

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND I SCANNED FOR CODES WHICH INDICATED CODE NUMBER 0456 LEAK IN THE FUEL SYSTEM. I HAVE TWICE BEFORE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND EACH TIME HAD TO CLEAN A LARGE AMOUNT OF RUST FROM THE FUEL FILLER NECK TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I HAD PREVIOUSLY TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND ADVISED THEM OF THE PROBLEM. THEY ADVISED IF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN TO BRING IT IN FOR SERVICE. WHEN THE LIGHT CAME ON THIS TIME THE DEALER SCANNED THE SAME CODE AND DIAGNOSED THE FUEL FILLER NECK AND GAS CAP MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $300. I CONTACTED TOYOTA CORPORATION BUT THEY INDICATED THE CAR WAS NOT COVERED. THE CAR CAN NOT PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE OF THE POOR QUALITY MATERIALS USED IN THE FUEL FILLER NECK. REFER TO COMPLAINT ODI ID NUMBER 10223726 DATED SEPTEMBER 10, 2007 WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

SEPTEMBER OF 2007- I NOTICED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY LE CAR AND I WAS DUE FOR A CAR INSPECTION FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER. THE DEALERSHIP AND OTHER REPAIR SHOPS STATED THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT PASS THE CAR INSPECTION WITH THAT LIGHT ON. ON SEPTEMBER 10TH,2007, I TOOK THE CAR TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND A MECHANIC FOUND A LEAK AT THE FUEL FILLER NECK. THEY REPLACED THE FUEL FILLER NECK AND CAP. THE COSTS WERE $225 FOR LABOR, $143.60 FOR PARTS, AND $25.80 FOR SALES TAX FOR A TOTAL REPAIR JOB OF $394.40! THE CAR WAS OVER 3 YEARS OLD. THAT SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING IN A YOUNG CAR. I BOUGHT THE CAR IN OCTOBER OF 2005 FROM A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THE COMPLAINT IS WHY SHOULD THE CUSTOMERS BE PAYING FOR " POOR QUALITY" BY THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER WHEN I COULDN'T HAVE PASSED A CAR INSPECTION FOR THEIR "POOR QUALITY " PARTS? IF I CAN'T PASS AN INSPECTION THEN WE HAVE AN EMISSIONS AND SAFETY ISSUE BY THE FAULT OF TOYOTA. *TR

WITH ONLY 17000 MILE ON THE CAR I HAD TO HAVE ALL THE FUEL INJECTORS REPLACED AND HAVE THE ENGINE DE-CARBONIZE. EALER REPLACED THE INJECTORS, CHARGED ME FOR THE DE-CARBONIZE AND SUGGESTED TO SWITCH OFTEN TO DIFFERENT FUEL MANUFACTURES AND A REMENDY, BUT COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, CONSUMER DEPRESS BRAKES TO MAKE A STOP. WITHOUT ANY INDICATION, THE VEHICLE SURGED. THE DRIVER TRIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE BUT AT AN EXTENDED DISTANCE. IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE THE CONSUMER SHIFT GEAR INTO NEUTRAL. *AK

THE FUEL LINE UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE CAR HAD A CRACK IN IT THAT WAS LEAKING GAS. *NLM