2009 Toyota Camry Lights Problems

I OWN A 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY WHICH I PURCHASED NEW. I NOTICED THAT MY HEADLIGHTS IN THE LOW BEAM FUNCTION ARE VERY DIM, TO THE POINT OF BEING DANGEROUSLY DIM. THE TOYOTA DEALER STATED THAT THE LENS IN THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING HAS CLOUDED DUE TO UV DAMAGE AND USE. THE LIGHT BULB ITSELF FUNCTIONS PERFECTLY FINE, BUT THE LENS ENGINEERED TO MAGNIFY THE LOW-BEAM LIGHT IS WHAT IS CAUSING THE DECREASE OF VISIBLE LIGHT. I STATED THAT I ALSO OWN A 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY THAT HAS NO PROBLEMS WITH THE HEADLIGHTS AND IT PROVIDES ENOUGH LIGHT. THE SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE BOTH LIGHT HOUSINGS TO THE TUNE OF $400.00 EACH. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THIS IS A REGULAR OPERATING EXPENSE, LIKE REPLACING THE ALTERNATOR. WITH LABOR, THIS EXPENSE WILL BE CLOSER TO $1000.00 INSTEAD OF CHANGING TWO HEADLAMPS FOR $30.00 EACH. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS TECHNOLOGY DOESN'T WORK, AND IS DANGEROUS. THESE HEADLIGHTS ARE STILL BEING USED ON NEW TOYOTA MODELS.

MY CAR WAS PARKED AT WORK IN MARCH, 2017. THE VEHICLE NEXT TO ME WAS A BMW SUV. ABOUT ONE HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER THE BMW BURST INTO FLAMES CAUSING FIRE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOR THE BMW HAS CLOSED THE CLAIM SAYING THE FIRE WAS NOT INTENTIONAL THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT PAYING ANYTHING FOR MY CLAIM. MY INSURANCE COMPANY IS PAYING FOR REPAIRS TO MY CAR, HOWEVER, I HAVE TO PAY THE DEDUCTIBLE AND COST OF A RENTAL CAR. AFTER THIS HAPPENED I SAW SEVERAL NEWS REPORTS OF BMW'S BURSTING INTO FLAMES AFTER BEING TURNED OFF FOR A WHILE. THEY SAID I WAS 0% AT FAULT (OBVIOUSLY), BUT IT DOES NOT SEEM FAIR THAT I HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING FOR THIS INCIDENT. ALL I DID WAS PARK MY CAR; MY CAR DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT. I HOPE YOU WILL CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL SEVERAL INCIDENTS ARE FAR TOO MANY FOR BMW TO IGNORE. THEY CERTAINLY HAVE MORE MONEY THAN I DO. I HAVE PHOTOS, VIDEO, ETC.

MY TRUNK IS LEAKING ON THE RIGHT SIDE DURING HEAVY DOWNPOURS. I WENT TO GET OUR FABRIC SHOPPING BAGS FROM THE TRUNK AND THEY WERE SOAKED. THE CAR IS SMELLING MUSTY, NOT GREAT FOR MY SINUSES AND ASTHMA. HEADLIGHT SEAL IS ALLOWING MOISTURE TO ENTER OR THE PLASTIC HAS BECOME POROUS. DURING A RECENT INSPECTION, THE HEADLIGHTS DID NOT PASS. WE PAID THE GAS STATION $32 TO CLEAN AND POLISH THE HEADLIGHTS TO PASS INSPECTION. THEY LOOKED GREAT AFTERWARDS AND PASSED INSPECTION. THEN MY HUSBAND TOOK THE CAR TO THE CAR WASH. NOW THE HEADLIGHT CASING IS CLOUDED AGAIN. I CAN SEE THE SOAP DRIPPINGS FROM THE CARWASH ON THE INSIDE OF THE PLASTIC. THE CAR IS PARKED ON THE STREET OR IN A DRIVEWAY, SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A GARAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY.

BOTH HEADLIGHTS ON MY CAR ON THE DIM LIGHTS THE MIRROR THAT REFLECTS LIGHT HAS FELL DOWN AND COVERED THE LENS HALF WAY AND MY MECHANIC TOLD ME IF I DON'T REPLACE THE WHOLE HEADLIGHT IT COULD COVER THE WHOLE LIGHT DIM AND BRIGHT LIGHTS IF I PUT THEM ON DIM YOU CAN'T SEE AT ALL I ALMOST WRECKED.

THIS WAS A MULTI CAR PILEUP ON A ROAD WITH 40MPH SPEED LIMIT WHICH RESULTED FROM A VEHICLE AHEAD MAKING AN ABRUPT STOP. THIS RESULTED IN ABOUT 4 CARS BEHIND IT HAVING TO COME TO STOP RESULTING IN A CHAIN REACTION. MY CAR, 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID, COULD NOT COME TO A STOP IN TIME WHEN FULL BREAKING WAS APPLIED AND ENDED UP COLLIDING WITH THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. MINE WAS THE LAST VEHICLE IN THE PILEUP. THIS INCIDENT RESULTED IN FRONT END DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND REAR END DAMAGE TO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, AND TO TWO OTHER CARS IN FRONT OF THAT CAR. MY CAR COULD NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN TIME BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE BREAKS DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. I WASN'T AWARE OF ANY BREAK ISSUES AT THAT TIME AND IT WAS ONLY ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER I WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE THAT INVOLVED BREAK FLUID RESERVOIR ASSEMBLY. I AM REASONABLY CERTAIN THAT THE ACCIDENT ON 3-8-2012 WAS THE RESULT OF BREAKS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND THAT MY CAR COULD NOT STOP IN TIME TO AVOID A FRONTAL COLLISION WHILE TRAVELING AT A RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED OF 40MPH. *TR

GLARE DUE TO MELTED DASHBOARD CAUSE DELAY REACTION DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY RESULTING IN DOUBLE IMPACT. THE DASHBOARD ISSUE LOOKS TO BE A COSMETIC ISSUE BUT IT REALLY SHOULD BE A RECALL AS IT IS CLEARLY A POOR MANUFACTURING PRODUCT THAT WHEN IN CONTACT WITH THE SUN TURNS INTO A SHINNY STICKY RESIDUE THAT REFLECTS THE DIRECT LIGHT RIGHT INTO DE DRIVER AND PASSENGER'S FACE. TOYOTA SHOULD STAND BY THEIR PRODUCT AND REPLACE THE POORLY DESIGNED DASHBOARDS BEFORE A FATALITY OCCURS. *TR

BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC DURING RUSH HOUR; DODGE TRUCK W/TRAILER HITCH STOPPED ON A DIME; I RAN INTO BACK OF TRUCK; BUT THEN MY CAR LUNGED FORWARD ON ITS OWN ACCORD AND I HIT THE TRUCK A SECOND TIME. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND IT LUNGED! CAR IS IN THE SHOP BUT I STILL HAVE NOT FOUND OUT WHAT THE COST OF DAMAGE WILL BE OR THE TIME FRAME FOR REPAIRS. IT HAS LUNGED BEFORE; BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BEFORE THIS BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *TR

PAINT IS FADING IN AREAS, SOME AREAS LOOKS LIKE THERE IS NO PAINT COLOR LEFT AT ALL. HEADLAMPS HAVE HAD TO BE RESTORED TWICE IN LESS THAN 4 YEARS. DASHBOARD IS STICKY, SMALL PIECES/CHUNKS ARE COMING OFF, AT TIMES THE SUN SHADE STICKS TO THE DASHBOARD. *TR

CONTACT STOP LAMP SWITCH IN BRAKE PEDAL ASSEMBLY FAILED CAUSING SHIFT LEVER TO BECOME LOCKED IN "PARK" POSITION AND VEHICLE BRAKE LIGHTS TO BECOME INOPERATIVE. APPEARS TO BE AN IDENTICAL PROBLEM TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 12V091000. *TR

2009 TOYOTA CAMRY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS REPLACEMENT ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE HEADLIGHT LENS COVERS FADED AND TURNED YELLOW. *JB

2009 TOYOTA CAMRY. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEMS WITH HEADLIGHTS AND UNRESOLVED MATTERS REGARDING VEHICLE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED IT APPEARED THAT THE HEADLIGHT LENSES WERE NOT CAPABLE OF ACCEPTING HEAT FROM THE BULBS OF THE HEADLIGHTS WHICH CAUSED THE HEADLIGHT LENSES TO MELT.*JB UPDATED 09/29/11.*JB

THE DESIGN OF THE HEADLIGHTS ON THE CAMRY IS AWFUL. YOU CANNOT SEE THE OVERHEAD SIGNS ON THE HIGHWAYS AT NIGHT WITHOUT TURNING ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS WHICH WILL BLIND OTHER ONCOMING CARS. YOU CANNOT EVEN SEE THE STREET SIGNS WITHOUT TURNING ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS. IT'S LIKE THE TOP OF THE LIGHTS ARE CUT OFF. THE DEALER SAID THE LIGHTS ARE CORRECT; THEY CHECKED THE AIM AND SAID THAT IS THE WAY THEY ARE MADE. THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH AT NIGHT, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS DID NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH LIGHT. HE WAS UNABLE TO SEE A GROUP OF PEOPLE STANDING IN THE ROAD, BUT MANAGED TO AVOID A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 16,000. UPDATED 09/11/09 *BF UPDATED 09/15/09.*JB