2004 Toyota Camry Fuel System Problems

Your car suddenly stops while driving without warning. You initially suspected a dead battery and replaced it with a new one, but the problem happened again two more times. Based on your experience with a previous Toyota, you believe this is a fuel pump failure. The repair will likely require replacing the fuel pump.

You noticed a strong fuel smell while your car was idling, and you heard a grinding noise when applying the brakes. Your dealer found a fuel leak, a faulty ABS sensor, and rust inside the fuel tank. Both the leak and the sensor were repaired, and the fuel tank was replaced.

You noticed a strong fuel smell coming from your parked car. When you took it to a dealer for diagnosis, they found a fuel leak and repaired it. This happened at around 79,000 miles on your 2004 Camry. The repair likely involved replacing or sealing the leaking fuel line, fuel tank, or connection.

A SMELL OF GASOLINE INSIDE THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE WAS NOTICED AND INTENSIFIED OVER THE SPAN OF 2 DAYS. VEHICLE WAS ONLY DRIVEN DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT IS THE ONLY VEHICLE OWNED BY THE FAMILY AND HAVING A CHRONICALLY ILL SON TRANSPORTATION WAS NEEDED TO TAKE HIM TO HIS DOCTORS APPOINTMENT. BEFORE USAGE OF THE VEHICLE A VISUAL INSPECTION WAS DONE BY THE FATHER TRYING TO LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE SMELL WITH NO AVAIL. AFTER THE SONS DOCTORS APPOINTMENT THE CAR WAS INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC WHO HAS OVER 25 YEARS AUTOMOTIVE EXPERIENCE AND AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE IN AUTOMOTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WITH THE ENGINE BEING AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE FROM BEING DRIVEN TO THE LOCATION AND THE ENGINE BAY WAS VISUALY INSPECTED WITH THE ENGINE OFF WITH NO SIGNS OF FUEL LEAKAGE. BEING SAFETY CONSCIOUS, THE MECHANIC OBTAINED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND WATER HOSE INCASE OF A FIRE. THE MECHANIC THEN TURNED ON THE ENGINE AND NOTICED A SMALL LEAK AT THE FUEL DAMPER. HE PROCEEDED TO REMOVE THE TOP PLASTIC COVER OF THE DAMPER WHICH LED TO FUEL SPRAY WITH FORCE ENOUGH TO SPRAY ON THE MECHANIC WHO WAS LOCATED AT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE FUEL OBVIOUSLY SPRAYED OVER THE HOT ENGINE AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD CAUSING IGNITION OF THE GASOLINE. A FRIEND WHO WAS WITH THE MECHANIC QUICKLY TURNED OFF THE ENGINE WHILE THE MECHANIC QUICKLY DOUSED THE FLAMES PREVENTING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. UPON RESEARCH, THIS FUEL DAMPER WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM MOST CAMRYS OF THIS GENERATION. THE DAMPER DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TOYOTA PART NUMBERS AND SEEMED SUSPICIOUS. FURTHER RESEARCH FOUND THAT THIS UNBRANDED FUEL DAMPER WAS FOR CA EMMISIONS STANDARDS WHILE ANOTHER STYLE WAS FOR FEDERAL STANDARDS. OTHER CAMRYS THAT WERE MADE FOR CA DID NOT USE THE STYLE FUEL DAMPER AS MY CAMRYS. IT SEEMS LIKE TOYOTA BOUGHT AFTERMARKET DAMPERS AND INSTALLED THEM ON AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF VEHICLES.I THINK THEY RAN OUT OF OEM DAMPERS

AT A STOP SIGN, A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. FROM THAT POINT, THE VEHICLE AT SPEEDS UNDER CA. 40 MPH SURGED FASTER THEN SLOWER IN A JERKY SORT OF FASHION. AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50 IT SEEMED TO DRIVE NORMALLY. THE DEALER SAID THE VEHICLE WAS UNDRIVEABLE UNTIL THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. IT WAS REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE. TOYOTA HAS REPEATEDLY REFUSED REIMBURSEMENT. *TR

WHILE PULLING LEFT INTO A PARKING PLACE THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND VIOLENTLY SLAMMED INTO A PARKED CAR OPPOSITE ME. THE POLICE SAID MY FOOT PROBABLY SLIPPED OFF THE BRAKE AND HIT THE GAS PEDAL. IT WAS A VERY VIOLENT HIT AND I WAS VERY SHAKEN. NOT HAVING A RECALL ON MY CAR, I WENT ALONG WITH THE POLICE UNTIL THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN ON FEBRUARY 7, 2014. LUCKILY, THIS SECOND INCIDENT ONLY THREW THE CAR INTO A PLOWED SNOW BANK. *TR

ON I-5, IN THE FAST LANE OUTSIDE PORTLAND, OREGON WITHOUT WARNING THE CAR LOST ALL POWER. I WAS ABLE TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BUT WAS STILL IN TRAFFIC. WHEN I REACHED A REPAIR SHOP THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A CHIP FAILURE IN THE GAS PEDAL. THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED ANYWHERE, WITHOUT GAS THE CAR JUST STOPS, AND THE RESULT COULD BE FAR MORE SERIOUS. *TR

PURCHASED CAR FROM LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WITH JUST OVER 100K MILES. GAS PEDAL STOPPED WORKING. CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. FOUND OUT IT WAS A FAILURE OF THE THROTTLE BODY. IT COSTS OVER $1000 TO FIX. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FOR THIS EXACT PART ON TOYOTA CAMRY'S. WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE RECALLED! OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW! *TR

ON 8/0/10 VEHICLE IN PARKING LOT. BACKED UP VEHICLE. PUT VEHICLE IN DRIVE. VEHICLE ENGINE REVVED UP AND CRASHED INTO TWO VEHICLES. ATTEMPTED TO HIT BRAKE. DISTANCE BETWEEN BRAKE AND GAS PEDAL IS 3 1/2 INCHES. VEHICLE INVOLVED WAS A TOYOTA. ENGINEER IS INSPECTING VEHICLE ON 8/27/10. *TR

TOYOTA CAMRY 2004. I PURCHASE TOYOTA CAMRY 2004 NEW AND I HAVE EXPERIENCE ACCELERATION OF CAR FOR TWO OCCASIONS. WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AROUND MARCH 2005 IN THE MORNING AND GAS PADDLE WENT DOWN BY ITSELF FOR A 30 SEC OR SO. I DID NOT HAD THE CONTROL OF THE GAS PADDLE. THIS HAPPENED TWICE AROUND 2005. THIS HAPPENED FOR FEW SECONDS ONLY (30-45 SEC). I EXPERIENCE LITTLE INCREASE IN THE SPEED FOR THAT BRIEF PERIOD. I HAVEN'T SHOWN THE PROBLEM TO DEALER. THIS HAPPENED FOR A BRIEF PERIOD SO I THOUGHT SOMETHING IS MY FAULT BUT NOW IT SEEMS LIKE SOME OTHER ISSUE. *TR

MY 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY XLE (6 CYLINDER) HAS A STICKING GAS PEDAL PROBLEM. WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STATIONARY POSITION, THE GAS PEDAL IS DIFFICULT TO DEPRESS FROM THE "UP" POSITION. IT TAKES A FAIR AMOUNT OF PRESSURE WHEN PRESSING DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL TO GET IT TO RELEASE FROM THE STUCK POSITION AND ALLOW THE PEDAL TO FURTHER DEPRESS FOR PROPER ACCELERATION. WHEN THE GAS PEDAL FINALLY DOES RELEASE AFTER APPLYING PRESSURE, THE MOTOR HAS REVVED UP CAUSING THE CAR TO, IN ESSENCE, POP A WHEELIE, SPIN ITS WHEELS, AND ACCELERATES IN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS MANNER. THIS TOYOTA MODEL HAS NOT YET BEEN INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT RECALL, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT IT SHOULD BE RECALLED SINCE IT IS EXHIBITING SIMILAR SYMPTOMS AS THOSE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. I AM BECOMING INCREASINGLY CONCERNED THAT THIS CAR POSES A RISK PROFILE AND SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN WITHOUT BEING FIXED. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY AND IT CUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING WITHOUT WARNING DUE TO FAULTY THROTTLE BODY. *TR

THROTTLE BODY FAILURE ON A 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY, FOUR CYLINDER AUTOMATIC WITH ABOUT 62,000 MILES. ENGINE SHUTSDOWN WHEN FOOT LIFTED FROM ACCELERATOR, POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES DID NOT WORK. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE STEERING AND BRAKING BOTH BECAME VERY DIFFICULT IN TRAFFIC. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT FAILURE WAS IMMINENT. HAD TO HAVE CAR TOWED TO DEALER. VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. REPORTEDLY (ON INTERNET WEB SITES) THIS IS HAPPENING WITH MANY TOYOTA CAMRY'S ,MANUFACTURED FROM 2002 TO 2006. DEALER SAID THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THE LAST THROTTLE BODY AVAILABLE IN HOUSTON WHICH MIGHT INDICATE THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD. *TR

THE CONSUMER STATED ON OCTOBER 17, 2004, AFTER BEING OUT OF THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 HOURS, THE VEHICLE BURNED TO ASHES. THE FIREMEN SEEMED TO THINK THE PROBLEM WAS THE AIR FUEL FLOW AND OR ELECTRICAL. CONSUMER JUST GOT THE VEHICLE. IT WAS LOCKED SO NO ONE COULD HAVE DONE THIS. *AK THE CONSUMER HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND A PEDESTRIAN YELLED ABOUT THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE BURNT TO ASHES, TOTALING THE VEHICLE. *SC