9999 AIR CONTROL VALVES 110170

WHILE DRIVING BEHIND THIS VEHICLE, IT CONTINUALLY EMITTED DARK GRAY TO BLACK SMOKE UPON ACCELERATION AT EACH STOP AND EACH TRAFFIC LIGHT. I WROTE DOWN THE VEHICLE LICENSE PLATE ONLY TO NOTICE THAT THE EXPIRATION DATE ON THE TAGS WAS APRIL 2010!! THIS WAS APPROXIMATELY A 2010 BEIGE FORD EXCURSION, L... ICENSE PLATE #[XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TRRead more

DESPITE BEING REGULARLY MAINTAINED, VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF, NOT ABUSED, AND LESS THAN AVERAGE USE (AVERAGE 6700 MI/YR), THIS TOYOTA CAMRY (PURCHASED NEW FROM A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA) HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY FOR LONG. THE FACTORY-INSTALLED CD/CASSETTE/RADIO SYSTEM HAS BEEN R... EPLACED THREE TIMES, AND NOW THE CD PLAYER PART YET AGAIN DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. AT ONLY ABOUT 10000 MILES, THE AIR FLOW RATIO SENSOR AND MANIFOLD HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEN THERE IS THE FACT THAT ABOUT 95% OF THE TIME, THE CAR WILL NOT START WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR BEING DEPRESSED AND HELD FOR 1 MIN, AND EVEN THEN THE ENGINE ALWAYS SOUNDS WEAK AND ONLY REACHES ABOUT 500 RPM UNTIL PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE ODOMETER READ 16603 MILES. THAT WAS WHEN THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE WAS FIRST REPLACED. THE SITUATION SEEMED TO IMPROVE, UNTIL 34800 MILES, WHEN THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH IT NOT STARTING AND BEING VERY WEAK RESUMED. AT 35394 MILES THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE WAS REPLACED FOR A 2ND TIME. AT 47000 MILES THE SAME PROBLEMS RESUMED. AT 49180 MILES, THE CAR WOULD (AS USUAL) NOT START UNLESS THE ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED FOR 1 MIN. THEN IT RAN AT ONLY 500 RPM. AS IT WAS THEN BEING DRIVEN OUT OF AN ALLEY, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SPONTANEOUSLY BOOSTED TO 1200 RPM, NEARLY CAUSING A COLLISION. THIS TYPE OF IMPETUOUS ACCELERATION STARTED FREQUENTLY OCCURRING. TOYOTA REFUSED TO HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM, ONLY SAYING TO USE PREMIUM GASOLINE, WHICH PROVED TO NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. NOW THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF THE CAR HAS COLLAPSED THREE TIMES AT 72173 MI, 75009 MI, AND TODAY (2010-03-11) AT 75024 MI. THE DISHONESTY OF TOYOTA PERSONNEL IS SEEN IN ITS REFUSING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AND EARLIER IN FRAUDULENTLY CANCELING THE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM THAT WAS PART OF THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE AFTER THE CAR WAS PAID FOR AND ITS REFUSAL TO RESPOND TO WRITTEN COMMUNICATION. *TRRead more

DESPITE BEING REGULARLY MAINTAINED, VERY WELL TAKEN CARE OF, NOT ABUSED, AND LESS THAN AVERAGE USE (AVERAGE 6700 MI/YR), THIS TOYOTA CAMRY (PURCHASED NEW FROM A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA) HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY FOR LONG. THE FACTORY-INSTALLED CD/CASSETTE/RADIO SYSTEM HAS BEEN R... EPLACED THREE TIMES, AND NOW THE CD PLAYER PART YET AGAIN DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. AT ONLY ABOUT 10000 MILES, THE AIR FLOW RATIO SENSOR AND MANIFOLD HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEN THERE IS THE FACT THAT ABOUT 95% OF THE TIME, THE CAR WILL NOT START WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR BEING DEPRESSED AND HELD FOR 1 MIN, AND EVEN THEN THE ENGINE ALWAYS SOUNDS WEAK AND ONLY REACHES ABOUT 500 RPM UNTIL PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE THE ODOMETER READ 16603 MILES. THAT WAS WHEN THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE WAS FIRST REPLACED. THE SITUATION SEEMED TO IMPROVE, UNTIL 34800 MILES, WHEN THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH IT NOT STARTING AND BEING VERY WEAK RESUMED. AT 35394 MILES THE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE WAS REPLACED FOR A 2ND TIME. AT 47000 MILES THE SAME PROBLEMS RESUMED. AT 49180 MILES, THE CAR WOULD (AS USUAL) NOT START UNLESS THE ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED FOR 1 MIN. THEN IT RAN AT ONLY 500 RPM. AS IT WAS THEN BEING DRIVEN OUT OF AN ALLEY, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SPONTANEOUSLY BOOSTED TO 1200 RPM, NEARLY CAUSING A COLLISION. THIS TYPE OF IMPETUOUS ACCELERATION STARTED FREQUENTLY OCCURRING. TOYOTA REFUSED TO HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM, ONLY SAYING TO USE PREMIUM GASOLINE, WHICH PROVED TO NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. NOW THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF THE CAR HAS COLLAPSED THREE TIMES AT 72173 MI, 75009 MI, AND TODAY (2010-03-11) AT 75024 MI. THE DISHONESTY OF TOYOTA PERSONNEL IS SEEN IN ITS REFUSING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AND EARLIER IN FRAUDULENTLY CANCELING THE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM THAT WAS PART OF THE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE AFTER THE CAR WAS PAID FOR AND ITS REFUSAL TO RESPOND TO WRITTEN COMMUNICATION. *TRRead more

ON NOVEMBER 26TH 2008 WHILE TRAVELING EAST ON INTERSTATE 70 FROM DENVER, 75 MILE AN HOUR, AND APROX TWENTY MILES EAST OF BENNET COLORADO, WE EXPERIENCED BOTH FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER TIRE BLOWOUTS AT THE SAME TIME. THE BACK PASSENGERS TIRE WAS DESTROYED. WE WERE ABLE TO CHANGE IT OUT WITH OUR SPARE.... THE FRONT PASSENGERS TIRE WAS EXTREMELY LOW (1" OFF PAVEMENT) AND HAD A BUBBLE ON THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. IT HAD NOT BROKEN THE AIR SEAL AROUND THE RIM, AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO RETURN VERY SLOW BACK APROX .25 MILES TO AN EXIT AND RETRIEVE AIR FOR THAT TIRE. AS THE SIDE WALL BUBBLE GREW IN SIZE WE STOPPED THE AIR AT ABOUT TWENTY POUNDS. WE THEN RETURNED APROX TWENTY MILE BACK TO DENVER, TO A DISCOUNT TIRE STORE. WE THEN REPLACED ALL OF THE TIRES ON OUR 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. PRIOR TO DEPARTING ON THIS TRIP WE HAD ROTATED THE ORIGINAL TIRES AS WELL AS CHECKED AND CONFIRMED ALL AIR PRESSURES, (THE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE LEAVING TOWN) WHEN CHECKING THE TIRES WE HAD HEARD A HISSING SOUND AT THE VALVE STEMS ON BOTH OF THE PASSENGER TIRES. THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST THE AIR HOSE, BUT NOW BELIEVE THAT THE VALVE STEMS WERE CRACKED AND LEAKING AIR. I HAVE DOCUMENTED THE TIRE CONDITION AND HAVE THE ORIGINAL VALVE STEMS FROM THE TIRE STORE. THESE TIRES WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MICHELIN TIRES WITH 28644 MILE ON THEM. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS CONDITION WAS A RESULT OF FAULTY VALVE STEMS, AND MAY BE A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN FOR OTHERS. MY TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE CENTER REFERS ME TO MICHELIN TIRE COMPANY, AND MICHELIN REFERS ME BACK TO THEM. TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY HAS DOCUMENTED A REPORT, BUT WILL NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE AS A CONCERN. WE HAD THREE ADULTS - (500 POUNDS) AND THREE SUIT CASES - (150 POUNDS) AND THEREFORE DON'T BELIEVE THAT AT 750 - 800 POUND THAT WE WERE OVERLOADED. *TRRead more