2001 Toyota Camry SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO PARK IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,557.

BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE ON A 2001 CAMRY, ABS COMPLETELY FAILS WHEN TRAVELING OVER SHARP BUMPS IN THE ROAD. SPECIFICALLY WHEN ABS ACTIVATES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2001 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LOST BRAKE PRESSURE AND CONTINUED MOVING THROUGH A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING 30 MILES PER HOUR WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKES DID RESPOND. AFTER PUMPING THE BRAKES FIVE TIMES THEY BEGAN TO RESPOND. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 147,000.

I JUST KEEP HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE BRAKES ON MY CAR. *TR

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, MY 2001 TOYOTA SOLARA BEGAN TO SHUDDER, SOMETIMES VIOLENTLY, WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT 60+ MPH. WHILE PULLING OVER TO THE OFF RAMP, AND APPLYING THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN, THE BRAKE PEDAL ITSELF WOULD FIGHT BACK, PUSHING AGAINST THE PRESSURE. AN INSPECTION BY THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP REVEALED NO FRONT END ALIGNMENT PROBLEM (THE FRONT END HAD BEEN ALIGNED LESS THAN 10,000 MILES EARLIER), AND A CHECK BY THE TIRE COMPANY DID NOT REVEAL ANY UNEVEN WEAR ON THE TIRES. THE PROBLEM WOULD MANIFEST ITSELF INTERMITTENTLY, AND ONLY AFTER TRAVELING MORE THAN 5 MILES ON THE FREEWAY AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP LAST MONTH AND, AFTER A TEST DRIVE WITH THE MECHANIC, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGING WHEN THEY HEATED UP AFTER DRIVING MORE THAN 5 MILES. THE SOLUTION SUGGESTED WAS TO REPLACE THE BRAKE BOOSTER AND MASTER CYLINDER AT A COST OF $1400! I WAS TOLD BY THE MECHANIC THAT CONTINUING TO DRIVE THE CAR UNDER THESE CONDITIONS WOULD RESULT IN THE BRAKES LOCKING UP - A VERY SCARY SITUATION. THE DEALERSHIP ASSURED ME THERE HAD BEEN NO BULLETINS OR RECALLS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS MODEL AND PROBLEM, BUT I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT MY SOLARA IS THE ONLY CAMRY MODEL TO EXPERIENCE THIS SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS CONDITION. I HAVE DRIVEN AMERICAN CARS IN THE PAST - ONE, A BUICK LESABRE, FOR MORE THAN 13 YEARS AND MORE THAN 180,000 MILES WITHOUT A PROBLEM OF THIS MAGNITUDE. I FEEL THAT DRIVERS ARE DISCOURAGED FROM REPORTING THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM, KEEPING IT OFF THE BULLETIN LIST AND AVOIDING ANY RECALL. *JB

TOYOTA SOLARA 2001 HAD TO HAVE BRAKE VACUUM ASSIST PART REPLACED. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. WAS TOLD THAT THIS WOULD CAUSE HARM TO CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND EVENTUALLY MAY STOP ON HIGHWAY. CAR ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS EXCELLENT CARE. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT TOYOTA HAD RECALL OF THIS PART FOR THEIR COROLLAS FOR THAT YEAR, BUT NOT THE SOLARA. THIS COST ME $800 AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO CATALYTIC CONVERTER. TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR ALL THE VACUUM ASSIST DRUMS FOR THAT YEAR SINCE THE PART IS THE SAME FOR ANY MODEL. *JB

THE BRAKES ON TOYOTA CAMRY LE MODELS ARE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. IN EACH OF THREE DIFFERENT CAMRY CARS THAT I HAVE OWNED (1996,2000, AND 2001) THE BRAKES MAKE A RUMBLING SOUND WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM A SPEED OVER 50 MILES AN HOUR. FURTHERMORE, ON MY 2001 CAMRY THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON DURING USE ON ICY ROADS, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO SAID THAT THIS HAPPENS AND THAT HE HAD FIVE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE VERY SAME THING THAT DAY. HE ATTRIBUTED THIS TO ONE OF THE SENSORS "STICKING", AND THAT ALL I HAD TO DO IS TURN THE CAR OFF AND LET IT "COOL " DOWN AND THE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF. THIS IS TRUE, THIS DID HAPPEN, BUT WHAT GOOD ARE ABS BRAKES IF THEY MALFUNCTION ON THE VERY ICY ROADS THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT YOU FROM? IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF A SENSOR IS "STICKING" THE SENSOR SHOULD BE REPLACED AND THAT THE CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE ALLOWED TO "COOL DOWN" ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS HAPPENED IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARKWAY ON ICY ROAD CONDITIONS. ALSO, DURING THE TIME THE ABS LIGHT WAS ON ONE OF THE WHEELS BRAKES LOCKED PREVENTING THE WHEEL FROM SPINNING FURTHER CAUSING A MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION.

SERVICE BRAKES. THE CONSUMER STATED TOYOTA DID NOT FIX THE BRAKES TO HIS SATISFACTION. *JB

BRAKE FLUID FAILED CAUSING MASTER CYLINDER SEALS TO SWELL. IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN CONTAMINATED SINCE NO ONE EVER TOUCHED THE BRAKING SYSTEM SINCE CAR WAS NEW. MR

THE RESPONSE TIME FOR THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS SEVERLY LACKING. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM NUMEROUS TIMES, INCLUDING ONCE ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THE BRAKES WOULD NOT ENGAGE AT ALL. I HAVE NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR INSPECTION NUMEROUS TIMES AND EACH TIME HAVE BEEN TOLD THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. HOWEVER I CONTIINUE TO EXPERIENCE DEFICIENCIES IN BRAKING RESPONSE TIME. MR

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED IN A SUDDEN STOP, PEDAL IS NORMAL; HOWEVER, THERE IS AN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. ALSO, PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE, AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK CONSUMER FEELS THE PROBLEM MAY BE DUE TO AN IMPROPER FRICTION MATERIAL, ALSO STATES THAT POSSIBLY THE MASTER CYLINDER PISTON DISPLACEMENT HAS BEEN MISCALCULATED. *SLC

WHILE PULLING INSIDE OF DRIVEWAY APPLIED BRAKES, AND BRAKES FAILED, RAN INTO A TREE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

UPON STOPPING THE VEHICLE THE BRAKES DOES NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE MAKES A GRINDING NOISE AND IT DRAGS. DEALER STATES THAT A PART IS MISSING OFF THE BRAKES. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. NLM

PURCHASED A NEW 2001 CAMRY LE (VIN [XXX]) ON NOVEMBER 11, 2000. NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR