2000 Toyota Camry engine and engine cooling problems

“The contact owns a 2000 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to immediately respond after the gear shifter was shifted into reverse(R). The contact stated that there was a hesitation before the vehicle responded. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred after shifting into drive(D). There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys where it was diagnosed that the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) vacuum switching valve needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the vehicle was not drivable. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 232,000.”

“MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND OFF FOR OVER 2 YEARS. I HAVE HAD BOTH CATALYTIC CONVERTERS REPLACED, A NEW GAS CAP AND EVERY OTHER ISSUE THE GARAGES HAVE TOLD ME ARE CAUSING THE PROBLEM. WITH EACH FIX THE LIGHT GOES OFF FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND THEN COMES BACK ON. TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS ALWAYS TELL ME IT IS BECAUSE I DO NOT TIGHTEN MY GAS CAP, BUT I TIGHTEN IT UNTIL IT CLICKS. I AM NOT LOSING ANY MILEAGE WITH THE LIGHT ON OR HAVING ANY OTHER DIFFICULTIES WITH CAR, BUT I CAN NOT PASS THE EMISSION TEST WITH THE LIGHT ON. I FEEL THAT THE LIGHT IS ON BECAUSE OF A GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM OR A DEFECT, BECAUSE I AM NOT EXPERIENCING ANY OF THE NORMAL PROBLEMS THAT COME WITH A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. *KB”

“ON TUESDAY, 7/12/2011, I NEEDED TO HAVE MY 2000 TOYOTA CAMRY INSPECTED TO GET THE RENEWAL STICKER. I TOOK THE CAR TO R&D AUTOMOTIVE HERE IN ASHEBORO BECAUSE A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON. TWO OF THE CODES WOULD NOT CLEAR. THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE EVAPORATIVE EMISSION SYSTEM CANISTER AT A COST OF $300.00, NOT INCLUDING LABOR, IN ORDER FOR THE CAR TO PASS INSPECTION. I HAVE FOUND ONLINE THAT TOYOTA HAS HAD/IS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THESE CANISTERS. THEREFORE, I REQUEST TO BE REIMBURSED $300 FOR THIS CANISTER.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA CAMRY LE. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DROVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND NOTICED OIL LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. NEITHER THE DEALER OR MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED. THE CONTACT DIAGNOSED THAT THE STRIP HEAD BOLT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.”

“I HAVE FOLLOWED ALL MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS ON MY 2000 TOYOTA CAMRY AND RECENTLY THE ENGINE BLEW ON A TRIP TO THE BEACH. I WAS PASSING A SLOW MOVING VEHICLE ON THE ALLIGATOR RIVER BRIDGE ABOUT 28 MILES FROM NAGS HEAD, NC. AT THE TIME I DID NOT OBSERVE ANY RED LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD INDICATING A PROBLEM. I HEARD A LOUD BANG, THEN THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR WAS MAKING A FUNNY NOISE. I COULD NOT STOP ON THE BRIDGE SO I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER WHEN I LEFT THE BRIDGE. THE FIRST THING I CHECKED WAS THE ENGINE OIL. IT WAS COMPLETELY DRY. I FOUND A HOUSE NEARBY AND THEY GAVE ME TWO QUARTS OF OIL TO PUT IN THE CAR. THEY TOLD ME A GAS STATION WAS 15 MILES AWAY. THE CAR RAN FINE BELOW 35 MPH AND MADE A LITTLE NOISE. ABOVE 35MPH IT MADE A LOUD NOISE AND THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. I MADE IT TO NAGS HEAD AND THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE CAR TO A CAR REPAIR CENTER. THEY NOTIFIED ME AFTERWARDS THAT THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN AND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS COMPLETELY FILLED WITH A THICK SLUDGE. I HAVE READ THE PAST INFORMATION ON THESE PROBLEMS AND BELIEVE IT WAS DUE TO AN ENGINE SLUDGE BUILD UP. I WAS ALSO AMAZED THAT I DID NOT SEE ANY OIL WARNING LIGHT PRIOR TO THE PROBLEM. I WOULD…”

“MY TOYOTA CAMRY 2000 MOTOR BLEW UP WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH IN DEC, 2009. OIL LIGHT CAME ON JUST MOMENTS BEFORE IT STARTED KNOCKING. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. NO WARNING. IN AUG 2009 MY CHECK OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK IT INTO TOYOTA. THEY SAID IT WAS JUST MY GAS CAP. IT CAME ON AGAIN THE NEXT DAY, I TOOK IT BACK TO TOYOTA, I TOLD THEM I SMELLED A BURNING SMELL. THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR. I TOOK IT BACK A THIRD TIME AND TOLD THEM SOMETHING WAS WRONG. THEY SAID I COULD MAYBE USE A NEW OIL CAP AND PERHAPS USE A NEW BELT BUT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON AGAIN. (I BELIEVE THEY DISCONNECTED IT.) WHEN MY ENGINE BLEW IN DEC. 2009, I HAD IT TOWED TO TOYOTA. THEY INFORMED ME MY OIL HAD GELLED AND IT WOULD BE ABOUT $5,000 TO FIX IT. I TOLD THEM I GOT MY OIL CHANGED EVERY 3 TO 4 THOUSAND MILES. I DID NOT WAIT TILL THE 5,000 MILE MARK LIKE IT SAID TO IN MY TOYOTA HANDBOOK. THEY SAID SOMETIMES IT JUST HAPPENS MADAM. TOYOTA REFUSED TO PAY TO FIX IT. *TR”