NHTSA complaint: 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY — UNKNOWN OR OTHER
FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS OF ITS LIFE, THE CAMRY HAD A STALLING PROBLEM. IT WOULD RIDE OK FOR A FEW WEEKS AND THEN FOR SEVERAL DAYS IT WOULD STALL OUT FREQUENTLY. ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR WOULD SOMETIMES HESITATE. STALLING OCCURRED MOSTLY WHEN STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT AFTER COMING OFF A HIGHWAY. THE CAR WOULD START AGAIN, AND THEN STALL REPEATEDLY AT EVERY RED LIGHT OR OTHER EVENT THAT INVOLVED SLOWING DOWN OR STOPPING. AFTER ENDURING THE STALLING PROBLEM FOR MANY MONTHS, ON 6/19/09 WE TOOK THE CAR TO OUR MECHANIC. THEY SAID THE STALLING MIGHT BE CAUSED BY A STICKING VALVE OR THE IDLE CONTROL MOTOR, BUT THEY COULD NOT FIX IT. WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC AGAIN 8/20/09 AND THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY, WHICH SEEMED TO HELP. BY SPRING 2010 THE PROBLEM WAS BACK. WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC 5/21/10 AND THIS TIME THEY CLEANED OUT EGR ASSEMBLY AND CHECKED ALL VACUUM LINES. CAR STILL STALLED SO 6/26/10 WE TOOK IT TO TOYOTA DEALER. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE STALLING PROBLEM AND SAID THAT NEXT TIME IT HAPPENED, WE SHOULD BRING IT DIRECTLY TO THEIR SERVICE CENTER. ON 7/20/10, OUR SON WAS DRIVING THE CAMRY. AS BEFORE, WHEN HE WAS DRIVING AT A HIGHER, STEADIER SPEED, THE CAR WAS OK. WHEN HE SLOWED DOWN TO PARK IN A PARKING GARAGE, THE STALLING PROBLEM RECURRED. TRYING TO GET THE CAR TO RESTART, HE STEPPED ON THE GAS AND THE ENGINE ENGAGED. THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD AND SLAMMED INTO A WALL INSIDE THE PARKING GARAGE. IT WAS TOTALED. WE BELIEVE THER
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation