1986 Toyota Camry Owner Complaints

WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1986 TOYOTA CAMRY THAT WE BOUGHT NEW. WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION BACK IN 1986 AND BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE ORIGINAL TOYOTA DEALER. THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THE ISSUE WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAS HAPPENED 3 MORE TIMES MOST RECENTLY A FEW WEEKS AGO. WE HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND AVOID AN ACCIDENT. THE LAST INCIDENT A FEW WEEKS AGO WAS TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. THE CAR ONLY HAS 120K MILES AND RUNS GREAT. IS THERE A SPECIFIC FIX FOR THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION ISSUE IN THE 1986 TOYOTA? WE DON'T WANT TO SELL THE CAR IN FEAR SOMEONE WILL HAVE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT BUT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHAT CAUSES THIS INTERMITTENT SERIOUS ISSUE. THE 1ST ACCELERATION ISSUE IN 1986 WAS WHEN WE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY USING CRUISE CONTROL. ONCE WE TURNED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL THE CAR CONTINUED TO GAIN SPEED EVEN WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES. WE WERE ON AN OPEN HIGHWAY WITH LITTLE TRAFFIC AND WERE ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND CONTINUE APPLYING THE BRAKES TILL WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT TO STOP. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WE STILL HAVE THE RECEIPT FROM 1986 WITH NO PROBLEM FOUND. THE 2ND TIME IT HAPPENED ALSO IN 1986 WAS WHILE REVERSING IN A PARKING LOT. THE CAR ACCELERATED EVEN WHILE HITTING THE BRAKES, AGAIN THE CAR WAS PUT INTO NEUTRAL AND AGAIN THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE NO MECHANICAL ISSUE WAS FOUND. WE WENT MANY YEARS WITHOUT ANOTHER ISSUE UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AGO WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. WE WERE REVERSING INTO A PARKING SPOT AND THE CAR ACCELERATED. ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN PROVIDE WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

NHTSA ID

10864119

Incident

Apr 23, 2016

Mileage

120 mi

RAPID RUBBER DETERIORATION ON KUHMO PASSENGER CAR TIRE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10396035

Incident

Apr 1, 2011

Mileage

152,100 mi

1986 TOYOTA CAMRY UNINTENDED ACCELERATION ONCE*CW THE CONSUMER STATED THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION HE EXPERIENCED WAS DUE TO ELECTRONICS NOT THE PEDAL. THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS ON A STEEP UPHILL CLIMB ON MN HIGHWAY 52 WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENABLED. THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWING BECAUSE OF THE HILL. HE PUSHED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT STARTED ACCELERATING OUT OF CONTROL. HE REMOVED HIS FOOT FROM THE PEDAL, BUT THE SPEED CONTINUED TO INCREASE. THE CONSUMER PULLED THE PEDAL UP WITH HIS FOOT WHICH HAD NO EFFECT. HE HIT THE BRAKE TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL, BUT IT DIDN'T STOP ACCELERATING. HE TURNED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL VIA THE ON/OFF BUTTON AND THE LIGHT WENT OUT, BUT IT STILL DID NOT STOP ACCELERATING. AS THE CONSUMER CRESTED THE HILL, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE EVEN MORE. HE TURNED THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND THE VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP WHILE HE PRESSED ON THE BRAKE MUCH HARDER THAN WAS NORMALLY NECESSARY. THE CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10317554

Incident

Jan 1, 1901

3/28/04-PURCHASED 4 NEW TIRES FROM WAL-MART TIRE CENTER (P185/70R13 BW X-TRAC). 4/16/2005- BROKE DOWN ON SIDE OF ROAD DUE TO VEHICLE SHAKING VIOLENTLY. HAD VEHICLE TOWED; MECHANIC SAID THAT BELT IN TIRE SLIPPED. I RETURNED TIRE TO WAL-MART AND THEY GAVE ME A PRO-RATED PRICE ON NEW TIRE (BASED ON THE TREAD THAT WAS LEFT ON DAMAGED TIRE) 6/27/05-BROKE DOWN ON SIDE OF ROAD AGAIN BECAUSE OF VEHICLE SHAKING VIOLENTLY. ALMOST HIT ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN I SWERVED INTO OTHER LANE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO MECHANIC-MECHANIC SAID THAT BELT SLIPPED ON OTHER TIRE. HAD TO HAVE TIRE REPLACED.

NHTSA ID

10126848

Incident

Jun 27, 2005

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT 70MPH WHEN I HEARD AN EXPLOSION AND MY CAR BEGAN TO VIBRATE. I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND SAW THAT MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT. I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING ON THE ROAD NOR WAS MY TIRE PUNCTURED. SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO LOOKED AT THE TIRE SAID THE BLOWOUT WAS CAUSED BY A STRUCTURAL DEFECT. 3 WEEKS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT, I HAD THE TIRES INSPECTED AND PROPERLY INFLATED BY THE TIRE DEALER WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THEM. THE TIRES WERE SUPPOSED TO LAST 40,000 MILES BUT I ONLY GOT 24,000 MILES OUT OF THE DEFECTIVE TIRE. THE TIRE IS A GOODYEAR CLUB DOT # 7UE8 0Y62 1700 (SIZE 185/70R/13 - 86T) I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE THIS TIRE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING AND I AM NOW WORRIED ABOUT THE OTHER 3 GOODYEAR CLUB TIRES THAT I HAVE REMAINING ON MY CAR. I AM A CONSCIENTIOUS AND RESPONSIBLE DRIVER (I HAVE MY TIRES ROTATED REGULARLY AND PROPERLY INFLATED) AND I WAS SHOCKED WHEN THIS BLOWOUT HAPPENED. I BELIEVE THESE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10037486

Incident

Aug 26, 2003

ENGINE MAKES CLANGING SOUND BETWEEN 1500-2500RPM WHICH INCREASES IN FREQ ALONG WITH ENGINE SPEED THEN STOPS . HEARD IN PARK AS WELL AS DRIVING CAR? WHAT IS IT? HOW CAN IT BE FIXED? DT

NHTSA ID

770371

THIS IS A GENERAL RATHER THAN SPECIFIC COMPLAINT, ABOUT ONE OF THE GREATEST DANGERS ON THE ROAD: THE POSSIBILITY OF SUDDEN BREAKAGE OF THE TIMING BELTS IN MANY CARS. THEY ARE PRONE TO BREAK WITHOUT WARNING, LEAVING THE CAR TOTALLY WITHOUT POWER, POWER-ASSIST STEERING, OR POWER BRAKES, AS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE IN THE ABOVE CASE. FEW PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THIS DANGER, OR OF THE NEED TO REPLACE THE TIMING BELT AFTER 50,000 MILES OR SO. THE MADDENING THING IS THAT UNBREAKABLE METAL TIMING CHAINS ARE AVAILABLE (AND USED ON THE SAME ENGINES IN PICKUP TRUCKS, I BELIEVE) BUT ARE NOT INSTALLED IN AUTOS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOISIER.*AK

NHTSA ID

732841

Incident

Nov 10, 1992

WINDOW HANDLE ON DRIVERS SIDE FELL OFF. HE TOOK IT TO GARAGE. THE ONLY WAY THAT THE HANDLE WILL STAY IF CONSUMER WOULD HAVE THE WINDOW OPEN, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. HE HAS KNOB NEXT TO HIM, AND THEN HE WILL STICK THE KNOB ON THE DOOR TO OPEN AND CLOSE OF THE DOOR. *AK

NHTSA ID

870942

Incident

Jun 1, 2000

AFTER MARKET TIRES, P185/70R13 SIZE. TREAD ON THE REAR LEFT TIRE SEPARATED AT 45MPH.*AK WHEEL WAS DAMAGED DUE TO BLOWOUT, DUNLOP SP4N M+S, DOT NUMBER U2FM2KB457. *SLC

NHTSA ID

870936

SOMETHING

NHTSA ID

1052

FRONT PASSENGER'S SEATBELT WILL NOT LOCK UP WHEN MAKING A STOP ,ALLOWING PASSENGER TO FLY FORWAARD,CAUSING LOSS OF PROTECTION. *AK

NHTSA ID

857091

PROBLEM OCCURED GRADUALLY AND ALMOST UNNOTICABLY. WHEN IT BECAME MORE FREQUENT I FELT IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE BRAKE LIGHT WAS THE FIRST SIGN, BUT IT DIDN'T STAY ON BUT FOR A FEW SECONDS. REPAIRS INCURRED AN EXPENSE ON MY PART (ON 26 OCTOBER 1999) OF $765.66 FOR TWO WHEEL CYLINDERS, BRAKE SHOES (1) AND TWO LOWER CONTROL ARMS. I COULD NOT PURCHASE JUST THE BEARINGS, WHICH I WAS TOLD WAS THE PROBLEM, THEY WOULD ONLY SELL ME THE ENTIRE UNITS FOR REPLACEMENTS.

NHTSA ID

713071

Incident

May 1, 1999

VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE ONTO THE FREEWAY. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, BUT IT ONLY OCCURS WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE. *AK

NHTSA ID

836810

Incident

Mar 25, 1997

ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS FAILED.

NHTSA ID

532557

ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS DO NOT WORK. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER. CAUSE OF PROBLEM UNKNOWN. *AK

NHTSA ID

820132

THE LOWER CONTROL ARM IS SEPARATING AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SWITCH LANES WHEN GAS IS APPLIED. DEALER SAYS IT IS NOT COVERED. *AK

NHTSA ID

815520

THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT FEMALE PART IS CRACKED WHERE THE BUCKLE GOES IN AND HAS CAUSED THE SEAT BELT NOT TO LATCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

808356

Incident

Dec 1, 1996

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE CASING DETERIORATED, UNABLE TO RELEASE SEATBELT.

NHTSA ID

514249

Incident

Nov 1, 1992

DRIVER GOT INTO VEHICLE, HAD FOOT ON BRAKES, SHIFTED VEHICLE INTO REVERSE, STARTED BACKING UP VEHICLE OUT OF GARAGE, VEHICLE SUDDENLY TOOK OFF WITHOUT WARNING, WENT ACROSS STREET, JUMPED CURB. *AK

NHTSA ID

802682

Incident

Aug 23, 1996

THROTTLE PEDAL BROKE WHICH CAUSED IT TO STICK, VEHICLE IMPACT 12:00 POSITION, HITTING A WALL, SPEED 30 *AK. *AK

NHTSA ID

982219

Incident

Mar 15, 1996

THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATBELT BUCKLES RELEASED, PORTION HAS DESINTEGRSTED AND FELL APART. *AK

NHTSA ID

985954

Incident

Jun 1, 1996

DEFECTIVE BRAKE ROTORS INSTALLED, CAUSING STEERING WHEEL TO WOBBLE AFTER RECALL REPAIR. *SD

NHTSA ID

504352

Incident

Apr 1, 1996

THE TIMING BELT SNAPPED WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN. IT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LOSS POWER. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

NHTSA ID

981216

Incident

Mar 26, 1996

PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE FELL APART. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

979630

Incident

Feb 19, 1996

DISTORTED WINDSHIELD, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. *SD

NHTSA ID

502299

Incident

Feb 11, 1996