CarComplaints.com Notes: An increasing number of Toyotas are experiencing excessive oil consumption and the 2007 Camry seems to be leading the charge.
Owners are reporting that their engines are deprived of oil halfway through their maintenance schedules and in some cases the damage is so bad that entirely new engines need to be installed, paid out of pocket. The issue may be a result of defective piston rings.
Toyota has issued a TSB for this problem, but maintains their stance that vehicles equipped with a 2AZ-FE engine are burning through a “normal†amount of oil.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
9 / 30
Injuries / Deaths:
7 / 0
Average Mileage:
70,200 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
I have a 2007 Toyota Camry that has intermittent instrument cluster problems. The speedometer and tachometer will cease to indicate proper readings and drop to zero. The tachometer will then bounce between zero and what I can only assume is a close approximation of the actual engine RPM. At the same time, the ABS and parking brake warning lights illuminate and stay on for the duration of the "episode". these last anywhere from 10 seconds to 10 minutes. In the meantime, the car runs normally from what I can discern. I can be driving down the highway at 70 or sitting in the parking lot idling and these episodes occur. There are no other indications that something is amiss...no rough idling, no engine stalling, just the display.
Today my window on the passer side started acting up not rolling up or down. I parked went in to the bank when I came out started my car and as soon as I backed up I noticed a burning smell then I seen little smoke from the window panel switch then it got heavy and started to burn. I opened my door and started blowing in the switch and the window crack. I went on line and seen that this has happened with my car make and year.
The driver side power window master switch started to smoke, after starting my vehicle and pressing the switch to roll down my windows. I turned the vehicle off and my car filled with smoke. I immediately called the fire department. Once the fire department arrived my car was no longer smoking. The firefighters could not tell me what caused the smoke but stated it was not safe for me to drive the vehicle. They recommended I have my car towed to the dealership because there was a strong smell of melted electrical wires. I had my car towed to a Toyota dealership and they stated my master switch was shorting out and it was not covered under my warranty because my mileage was past 35,000 for electrical problems.
08/15/12, my 2007 Toyota Camry caught fire without warning. While driving on the highway, the radio as well as all the gauges on the dash went completely dead for about 5 seconds then returned to normal. I exited the highway, and arrived at my destination within 2 minutes. I parked and exited the vehicle and 10 minutes later the car was engulfed in flames. The dealership reported that the fire started in the electrical box and appeared to be a mechanical defect. There was no aftermarket equipment added to the vehicle. The vehicle was serviced by the dealer 8 weeks prior to this incident.
On August 24th, 2012, around 4:34pm, I was traveling in my 2007 Toyota Camry on ridge road in dayton NJ. All of a sudden I smell something like burning plastic, seconds later I observed smoke coming from the driver side power-window switch. I managed to pull over safely and as soon as I jumped out of the vehicle, a small flame appeared from the power window switch. While calling 911 for help, I managed to put the fire out with a gallon of tide detergent I have in my trunk before dayton fire department arrived. I am not sure if Toyota is aware of this problem and I don't where to lodge my complain. The is currently at dch collision center waiting for the insurance company to inspect.
- Sayreville, NJ, USA
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On Saturday August 11 2012 I was driving about 25 mph then I smelled smoke, seconds later I saw smoke coming out of the driver side door by the power window switch. I pulled over and disconnected the battery then I took the door apart and observed the actual window switch melted. I disconnected the power window switch and was able to safely drive home safely and are currently waiting for tomorrow Monday as the Toyota dealer service department is not open on Sunday's. now im not able to open or close the windows but at least I prevented my car from catching on fire.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the ABS and brake warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The speedometer reading also decreased to zero. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a diagnostic test. The mechanic was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000....updated 07-15-13 updated 07/19/2013
My 2007 Toyota Camry le on July 15, 2012 12:15 pm, driving back from church about 3 miles from home, we noticed a horrible rubber burning smell. As we continue driving no more than a mile, the vehicle driver window power switch started smoking; upon trying to roll down the windows to avoid the shocking smell, the windows would not roll down. Infant and adults started coughing profusely. Air conditioning was on and we turned it off with no change. Windows were stuck and not able to roll down, the smell and cough got stronger. We had to pull over to get air and had the toddler and young adults walk home due to the smell. We turned the car off for about half hour to cool down without any success. As soon as the car's ignition switch was turned on it started smoking again, per the Toyota car dealer where I bought the car brand new 5 years ago; the car is unsafe to drive and a health hazard. I reported the incident to Toyota corporation on Monday July 16, 2012 and as of today Thursday, July 20, 2012 after several attempts to contact Toyota; they returned my call just to inform me that my case was escalated to a supervisor and that I will get a call back tomorrow. Per the Toyota dealer that inspected my vehicle, the issue is the master power switch. The dealer was nice enough to waive the inspection fee due to the severity of the issue. Prior to this incident, I noticed that sometimes the passenger front door did not lock upon setting the alarm. As time went by it stopped working all together. Then the same door, front passenger window would not roll down on occasions and the day of the incident it rolled down by itself. I rolled the window up and after the incident all 4 windows are nonfunctional.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that an electronic burning smell emitted from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer confirmed a shortage in the door panel. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 88,500.
Upon entering the vehicle there was a smell similar to that of what one would expect from an electrical fire. I immediately drove to the nearest dealer for service. Anything related to audio no longer functioned. The audio from the navigation unit, am, fm, cd, satellite radio, aux and bluetooth were not functioning. I was informed what happened was a known issue where the spring on the back side of the trunk pops out of place, touches the back speaker and creates a short in the circuit. The fuse in the circuit blew but the current kept going. I was told this destroyed the entire audio system and it would be approximately $2000 to replace. There has not been a recall on this, however, it is and has been a known issue. I believe that because this was a problem that was known to exist, and nothing was ever mentioned about it or done about it to correct it, Toyota should be responsible for repairing the damage that was caused. The electrical burning smell very easily could have started a fire had I not taken immediate precautions. Updated 08/21/12
My 2007 Camry door on fires when I drove on the street. Last evening (5-28-12)around 4:30pm. A lot smoke coming out from the driver side door and my power window master switch on the door burn out and broken immediately. I was so scary, then I parked my car on the streetside and I called puente hills Toyota for help (because I bought the car from them, ) I spoke to manager[xxx] regarding the incident but they said they can do nothing, the service dept was closed due to the holiday and they never heard about 2007 Toyota Camry door fires but I told them about complaints filed on the NHTSA according to la times and many other media. Toyota has responsibility to take care of my car without any charges due to the defect. My power window switch was damaged. It might cause my body injury and other damages..etc any time if Toyota don't take an action asap. Especially I have minor child in the car too (I drove my son to the school everyday.) information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Camry. While traveling at any speed the contact noticed that the rpms and the mph gauge needles were constantly fluctuating without the vehicle responding. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not available. The current and failure mileages were 82,000.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Camry. While driving approximately 35 mph, the contact smelled a burning odor of plastic and noticed smoke emitted through the front driver's side window control panel. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road, where flames began to erupt from the door. The contact and occupants exited the vehicle safely. The fire department extinguished the fire and the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000. The VIN was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Camry. The contact was driving 15 mph when flames emitted from the driver's side door. The vehicle was destroyed and the fire department was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure and the current mileages were 84,000. Updated 06/05/12 updated 06/07/12
While driving car, smoke and heat started coming from under drivers seat, front dash, and drivers door.the vehicle then caught fire so I pulled over and called 911 and fire dept. Arrived and put out fire in front compartment of car.
2007 Toyota Camry. Consumer would like to know of any fires so far reported, that have occurred spontaneously or only when the window switch was in operation or had been used shortly before the fire
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the driver side door control panel caught fire. The contact and a passenger were able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle had not been inspected by a dealer nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and the current mileages were approximately 118,000. The VIN was unavailable.
On 12/26/11, I was driving my car along with three passengers and began to see black smoke throughout the car. I determined that the smoke was coming from the driver side master control panel on the door. Shortly thereafter, the smoke immediately turned into flames, which caused poor visibility and complete panic. Luckily, I pulled to the side of the road and had all passengers immediately exit the vehicle. Prior to exiting the vehicle, the flames caught the left side of my arm and started to burn my coat. During this ordeal, I noticed that the front passenger side window immediately dropped unexpectedly. After exiting the vehicle the flames quickly increased and began shooting into the air uncontrollably. On instinct, I decided to leave the car door open facing the street as I was fearful to close the door, which would further exacerbate the fire. My husband was able to retrieve a piece of clothing from the trunk of the car and used it to put out the fire while sustaining a burn on his hand. I immediately called 911 as they dispatched the fire department to the scene. The fire department completely extinguished the fire and indicated that it may have been caused due to electrical problems. Overall, it was a frightening experience for myself and family members as I strongly feel that no one has a clear explanation as to the cause of the fire and fails to ensure my family's safety and well being. I immediately contacted my insurance agent, the dealership and explained the incident in detail along with filing a complaint with Toyota motor corporation. This is a significant incident that occurred and further investigation and consideration should be taken. This incident fortunately did not lead to any serious physical injuries, however the emotional trauma and distress caused by the ordeal is long-lasting. Updated 07/24/12
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Edison, NJ, USA