Manufacturer: TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, KENTUCKY, INC.
Manufacturer Id: 1088
Model: Camry
Model Year: 2012
Plant Company Name: Toyota Motor Manufacturing
Plant Country: United States (USA)
Plant State: Kentucky
Seat Belts All: Manual
Series: ASV50L/GSV50L/AVV50L
TPMS: Direct
Trim: Hybrid
Vehicle Type: PASSENGER CAR
Model year
COMPONENT
Complaint
2007
SERVICE BRAKES
WHILE DRIVING DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, THE CAR'S BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN 5-10 SECONDS LATER A "CHECK VSC" MESSAGED DISPLAYED ON THE MESSAGE SCREEN ALONG WITH SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS (ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, AND MAIN WARNING). THE BRAKES BECAME VERY SOFT (LIKE A CAR WITH NO POWER BRAKES) BUT WOULD SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN. I SLOWED DOWN AND GAVE MYSELF PLENTY OF BRAKING DISTANCE TO GET IT HOME. AFTER 10 MINUTES, THE WARNING MESSAGE AND LIGHTS DISAPPEARED AND THE BRAKES RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATIONS. THIS APPEARED TO BE A TEMPORARY GLITCH. SINCE THIS FIRST APPEARED, THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED 3 TIMES WHILE DRIVING. THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THAT THE ABS ACTUATOR WAS FAILING AND QUOTED ME $3,100 TO REPAIR IT. ANOTHER SYMPTOM OF THIS FAILURE IS A CONSTANT ON/OFF BUZZING NOISE COMING FROM THE ABS ACTUATOR AND A "CHIRPING" NOISE WHEN YOUR FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE PETAL DURING A STOP. THE SITUATION ALSO APPEARS TO GET WORSE WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPS. I DON'T DRIVE THE VEHICLE ANYMORE. THERE IS NO RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETIN DOCUMENTING THIS PROBLEM. THE REPLACEMENT PART IS THE ORIGINAL DESIGN COSTING $2,750 AND WILL FAIL AGAIN. I ALSO CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND TOLD THEM IT WAS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. THEY OFFERED SOME FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE BUT THE REPAIR IS STILL GOING TO BE EXPENSIVE. ON THIS WEBSITE AND OTHER INTERNET FORUMS, THIS PROBLEM IS A COMMON COMPLAINT FOR THIS VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THE NHTSA NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE A MAJOR ACCIDENT OR FATALITY OCCURS. I FIND THIS PROBLEM TO BE UNACCEPTABLE FOR A TOYOTA ESPECIALLY WITH ONLY 70,500 MILES ON IT. *TR
2012
VISIBILITY/WIPER
WIFE WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY IN SCOTTSDALE WHEN A SMALL ROCK IMPACTED LOWER LEFT OF WINDSHIELD. OVER THE PERIOD OF 2 HOURS A CRACK 3 FEET LONG DEVELOPED ACROSS DRIVERS SIDE OF WINDSHIELD. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS HAPPENING ON THE INTERNET FOR THE CAMRY HYBRID SINCE 2007. THIS APPEARS TO BE MANUFACTURERS DEFECT IN ENGINEERING DESIGN OR MANUFACTURE. TOYOTA IS NOT ADDRESSING THE ISSUE, SINCE THEY MAKE A LOT OF MONEY ON THE WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT (>$1,200 FOR A WINDSHIELD? GIVE ME A BREAK). HAVE NUMEROUS ROCK CHIPS IN WINDSHIELDS OF OTHER VEHICLES THAT DO NOT RESULT IN THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE. *TR
