2005 Toyota Camry Solara Transmission Problems

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) I PURCHASED A CERTIFIED USED TOYOTA CAR (VEHICLE VIN: [XXX]) ON 12/22/2008 FROM FREMONT TOYOTA DEALER ([XXX]), WHICH LEADS A NIGHTMARE AS IT'S A WRECKED CERT. REJECTED CAR WITH 2 TIRE VALVE STEMS BROKEN ON DAY 1 AND DAY 8 AFTER PURCHASE AND ANOTHER 2 TIRES FLAT AGAIN ON MAY 10 1. THE REAR RIGHT TIRE VALVE STEM BROKE ON 12/23/2008 (THE FIRST DAY AFTER PURCHASE) AND THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM INDICATOR (TPWS) WAS ON SO I DROVE THE CAR TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON 12/24/2008. DEALER CLAIM THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM AND ALSO CHECKED ALL THE OTHER TIRES AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE WORKING. 2. ON 1/1/2009, THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE VALVE STEM BROKE AGAIN AND THE TPWS WAS NOT ON. THIS HAPPENED WHEN WE DROVE ON HIGHWAY 5 AT 75 MILES/HOUR AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW THE TIRE ALREADY 2/3 WAS FLATTENED!! WE HAPPENED TO LOOK FOR RESTAURANT AT THAT TIME AND A PERSON COMING OUT OF RESTAURANT POINTED TO US THIS FLAT TIRE! IF WE DID NOT EXIT FOR REST, ALL 5 PASSENGERS IN THE CAR COULD NO LONGER BE IN THIS WORLD NOW. 3. FURTHER COMPLETE DISCOVERY ON THIS CAR REVEALS: A. BONDO WAS APPLIED ON THE FOLLOWING AREAS: LEFT FENDER ON REAR BEHIND WHEEL OPENING AREA; RIGHT DOOR FROM UPPER CENTER TO BOTTOM OF DOOR; AND, RT QUARTER PANEL IN FRONT OF WHEEL OPENING AREA THE AMOUNT OF BONDO APPLIED TO THE SUBJECT VEHICLE,CLEARLY INDICATES THE DAMAGE/WRECK/REPAIR IN THESE AREAS WERE EXTENSIVE. B.SAND SCRATCHED AND DIRT UNDER PAINT ARE OBVIOUS IN MANY AREAS, THIS IS THE RESULT OF A POOR QUALITY RE-PAINT JOB. THE RE-PAINT OF THE VEHICLE IS FURTHER EVIDENCED BY THE PAINT MIL GAUGE READINGS FROM 8 MILES TO 12 MILES. THIS MATCHES KEARNY MESA TOYOTA'S 160 POINT REJECTION. C.THE PAINT JOB ALONE ESTIMATE (NOT INCLUDING THE BODY REPAIR) WAS OVER $2200 AND YET WAS THIS RE-PAINT WAS NOT REPORTED. THE FAULTY PAINT JOB IS A KNOWN DEFECT TO ANYONE THAT LOOKS AT THE VEHICLE IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY. D. THE RIGHT FENDER WAS PREVIOUSLY REMOVED. AND MORE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10330154

Incident

Jan 1, 2009

Mileage

31,800 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA SOLARA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH MAKING A LEFT TURN AND THERE WAS NO POWER RESPONSE. WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED, THE ENGINE STALLED. IMMEDIATELY, THE GEAR SELECTOR WAS SHIFTED INTO FIRST GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE IN OPERATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 2,000.

NHTSA ID

10323051

Incident

Mar 1, 2005

Mileage

2,000 mi

SUDDEN ACCELERATION OF A 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA FROM A SLOW MOVING TURN INTO A PARKING SPACE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10295407

Incident

Dec 11, 2009

Mileage

50,100 mi

CLUTCH ON 2005 TOYOTA SOLARA NEEDS TO BE REPLACE AFTER 37,000 MILES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10240667

Incident

Aug 30, 2008

Mileage

37,000 mi

WHILE ENTERING A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD WITHOUT PROVOCATION, CRASHING INTO A CONCRETE BARRIER WHICH THANKFULLY STOPPED THE FORWARD MOTION. I DON'T KNOW IF RELATED, BUT THE VEHICLE HAS A HISTORY OF HESITATION AND ROUGH SEQUENCING THROUGH GEARS OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. ADVISED BY MANUFACTURER THIS IS A WIRELESS TRANSMISSION, AND THAT THERE WAS A SOFTWARE UPDATE, INSTALLED 1/27/06. CONDITION CONTINUED THEREAFTER THOUGH NEVER ANYTHING APPROACHING THIS. SPEED AT INCIDENT DIFFICULT TO KNOW AND COMPONENT FAILURE BEST GUESS. *NM

NHTSA ID

10170762

Incident

Oct 12, 2006

Mileage

28,650 mi

THE SECOND GENERATION TOYOTA SOLARA USES "DRIVE BY WIRE" TECHNOLOGY INSTEAD OF A THROTTLE CABLE. MY CAR EXPERIENCES A LAG BETWEEN THE TIME WHEN I PRESS THE GAS PEDAL AND WHEN THE CAR ACTUALLY STARTS TO MOVE. THIS HAPPENS IN A SPECIFIC SCENARIO WHERE THE CAR IS DECELERATING, BUT THEN THE DRIVER RESUMES ACCELERATING. THE LAG CAN LAST UP TO 2 SECONDS AND PRESENTS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE WHICH HAS LED TO THREE NEAR MISS ACCIDENTS IN INTERSECTIONS FOR ME. THIS FEELS LIKE IT WOULD IF YOUR CAR STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION AND THEN THE LIGHT CHANGED. A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED FOR CERTAIN VIN SOLARAS WHICH REFLASHED THE ECU TO A NEW PROGRAM IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE THE LAG. THIS WAS NOT AN EFFECTIVE CORRECTIVE ACTION. TOYOTA HAS NO SOLUTION AT THIS TIME AND THIS PUTS MY SAFETY AT RISK. *NM,

NHTSA ID

10168990

Incident

Sep 22, 2006

Mileage

500 mi

THROTTLE LAG AT LOW SPEED AND FROM STOP IS INCONSISTENT AND HAS BEEN THE CAUSE FOR SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED; DEALER INVESTIGATED; STATES THIS IS NORMAL AND NOTHING CAN BE DONE, THAT LAG IS "ACCEPTABLE". SOME INSTANCES HAVE BEEN SEVERAL SECONDS BEFORE ACTUAL THROTTLE RESPONSE. DRIVER HAS TO USE HARDER ACCELERATION TO COMPENSATE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF BUT DECLINES TO ADMIT IT IS A PROBLEM. DRIVER IS VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS ISSUE WILL BE CAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT. *NM

NHTSA ID

10168704

Incident

Sep 19, 2006

DT: THE SHIFTING MECHANISM IN THE VEHICLE DELAYS WHEN GOING AROUND THE CORNER. WHEN PUSHING ON THE ACCELERATOR TRANSMISSION HESITATED. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT 3 OR 4 TIMES. DEALERSHIP STATED IT WAS THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS SUPPOSE TO WORK. COMPUTER WAS REPROGRAMMED ONCE. IT MADE IT A LITTLE BETTER, BUT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THERE WAS NO OTHER SOLUTION FOR THIS. THIS STARTED RIGHT AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. IT HAPPENED MAINLY WHEN THE VEHICLE COASTED AND THE ACCELERATOR WAS PUSHED AFTERWARDS. *AK

NHTSA ID

10129692

Incident

Sep 15, 2004

TRANSMISION HESITATION

NHTSA ID

10126421

Incident

May 27, 2005

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2005 TOYOTA SOLARA V6...THE HESITATIONS ON ACCELERATION ARE UNMANAGEABLE AND DANGEROUS...SOMEBODY HAS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM...BEFORE THIS CAR CAUSES A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10118431

Incident

Apr 23, 2005

Mileage

5,600 mi

2005 TOYOTA SOLARA WITH V6 ENGINE AND "DRIVE BY WIRE" THROTTLE EXPERIENCES SIGNIFICANT HESIATION UPON ACCELERATION AND OCCASSIONAL UNINTENDED/UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. SPECIFIC SITUATIONS ARE: 1) IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, AFTER SLOWING DOWN TO ADJUST DISTANCE TO CAR IN FRONT, THEN ACCELERATING WITH FLOW OF TRAFFIC, THE CAR DOES NOTHING BRIEFLY THEN JUMPS AHEAD LEADING TO A POTENTIAL COLLISION. IT'S AS IF IT IS STRUGGLING TO FIND THE RIGHT GEAR. 2) WHEN SLOWING DOWN FOR A CURVE, THE TRANSMISSION ABRUPTLY DOWNSHIFTS WITH THE CONSEQUENT INCREASE IN ENGINE RPM. BUT RATHER THAN MAINTAIN SPEED IN A DIFFERENT GEAR, THE VEHICLE ACTUALLY ACCELERATES UNEXPECTEDLY. THIS IS PARTICULARLY NERVE WRACKING ON WET OR SNOWY ROADS ON WHICH ONE CAN LOSE CONTROL AND SPIN OUT. *AK

NHTSA ID

10116807

Incident

Mar 24, 2005

Mileage

3,815 mi

DRIVER NOTICED THAT WHILE SHIFTING THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION WOULD DOWN SHIFT ON ITS OWN, AND THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK UNCONTROLLABLY. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC CLAIMED THAT VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. *AK THE HESITATION AND THE JERKY SHIFTING IS NOT ONLY IRRITATING AND UNCOMFORTABLE BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. ALSO, SUDDEN SHIFTING INTO A LOWER GEAR CAUSES THE FRONT WHEELS TO SPIN ON SLIPPERY SURFACES WHICH CAUSES LOSS OF TRACTION AND LOSS OF STEERING. *BF *NM

NHTSA ID

10115586

Incident

Mar 22, 2005

TRANSMISSION HESITATES TO DOWNSHIFT. E.G. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MERGE IN TRAFFIC, APPLYING THE ACCELORATOR, RESULTS IN A VEHICLE HESITATION WHERE THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO SLOW DOWN, THEN THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS, AND FINALLY THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO ACCELLERATE. THE VEHICLE I MERGED IN FRONT OF SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES, AS DID THE VEHICLES BEHIND THEM. THE HESTITATION HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I TOOK DELIVERY OF THE VEHILCE IN MAR 2004. THE HESITATION OCCURS AT LOW SPEEDS, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURED WHEN ACCELRATION FROM 40 MPH. DEALER CLAIMS THIS IS FUNCTIONING PER DESIGN.*AK

NHTSA ID

10113960

Incident

Mar 10, 2005

Mileage

8,475 mi