Problems with 2007 Toyota Camry ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

i do not own the 2007 toyota camry or the lexus es350 , but in the course of test driving both of the vehicles, i was shocked to discover that the start/stop button defeats the older ignition key iinterlock system. in the older keyed ignition system the car must be in park to turn off the engine and remove the key from the ignition. in the 2007 models of lexus and camry the engine can be turned off with the vehicle in drive simply by touching the brake. here is no ignition key to place in the steering column.. please read the following which i sent to your site this morning and was asked to file a formal complaint: 2007 toyota camry and lexus es 350 do not use an ignition key. they use a "remote" which must be in close proximity to the vehicle when the "start/stop" button is pressed. other manufacturers (bmw, volvo) use both a "key" in the steering column and the "start/stop" button. while this second option at first seems redundant, it is a safety feature and toyota/lexus products may be prone to "rolling when stopped" in the following scenario: toyota/lexus: driver touches brake and hits the "start/stop" button to turn off the engine, but driver forgets to move the transmission from "drive" to "park". upon releasing the brake the vehicle will move, if not on level ground. bmw/volvo: as above, but driver is unable to pull "key" from steering column because vehicle is not in "park". therefore, driver places transmission in "park" before exiting the car, otherwise he will not have the vehicle "key" with him on leaving the car. the infiniti m35x awd uses a "start/stop" button, but "beeps" an alarm when the car is stopped in drive. in summary: redundancy (key/start-stop button) and alarms serve a useful safety purpose and should be incorporated into the toyota/lexus products. alternatively, the "start/stop" button should be active only when the vehicle is in park or neutral. *ak

We have a 2007 camry xle and the car surges when the cruise control is on and going up a hill. if the cruise is set for 67mph the car has a about 2300 rpm. going up a moderate hill, the car downshifts and goes to 3400 rpm. it then surges to 4700 rpm which puts the drivers head into the head rest. the issue has been going on since we bought the car in may of 2007. we called our local dealer(topsham, maine lee toyota), and they said it was what the computer was programmed to do. i asked again the 1st time i had it in for service and received the same response. it does only happen with the cruise control on, so we have learned to shut off the cruise control going up any hills. we have a 2nd issue with our 2007 camry which toyota refuses to fix. if the rear defrost is turned on while the radio is on, the radio goes dead. the radio antenna and defrost wires are in the same window, and one is shorting out the other. i was told that since no fire occurs to turn off the radio while the rear defrost is on. i have read many similar issues on the internet and told toyota such. *tr

On several occasions, while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the engine hesitated severely. on more than one occasion attempts to cross at a crossroads or enter a freeway with plenty of time before traffic arrived resulted in several near misses with other cars. the failure of the vehicle to accelerate properly could cause an accident to occur. we have taken the vehicle to greenville toyota in greenville nc, and they said it was a chip in the computer and that they were aware of the problem but were unable to do anything about it. greenville toyota representatives advised it was a manufacturer's issue. *ak

the bluish greenish and grey lighting on the 2007 camry radio was so bright that it was distracting at night. it i wasso bright that the people in the front seat were illuminated by it, and had to work very hard to scan outside the car since it completely ruined night vision. there was a dimmer setting, but it was tied to the dashboard lights. when dimming the radio one lost the ability to read the gauges. i wasvery concerned that this was a big safety issue. we called the local dealer and their service department as well as toyota's customer care center. despite the acknowledgement from the representative with her own camry that it was a very bright light. toyota will not work with us to change it in anyway, stating that it was a design issue without enough complains. they were not interested in seeking ways to address the issue. *ak

I purchased a new 2007 toyota camry in june 2006. after returning the car to the dealership several times because of the sluggish acceleration from a stop was consistent and the passing gear downshift felt delayed as if there was a communication lag between the tcm and actual switching of the shift solenoids at speeds less than 50 mph. the cruise control will not set speed. on steeper grades and on the interstate the down shifts are very frequent and at times very dramatic. when cresting a steep hill the transmission down shifts at the crest and takes 2 or 3 seconds to release the throttle, picking up anywhere from 10 to 15 mph and i have to break suddenly in order to slow the car down. i was told by toyota representative that a technical service bulletin came out in september of 2006 for an ecm calibration enhancement to shifting performance and smoothness and this new computer software had to be downloaded in the car and this would recalibrate ecm (pcm) engine & transmission. the catcher to this is that the customer has to request this download before the dealership will follow through. if you don't know about the bulletin how can an average customer request this? the download was performed on this car but didn't help any. the dealership took the car back and i was given a new one in dec. 2006. same thing with this one. i have been through national center for dispute settlement with an appointed arbitrator who had the car inspected by an ase independent inspector. he agreed with the above but in conclusion stated that toyota should "diagnose and repair as necessary". i feel that this is a no win situation for the consumer and toyota knows all about the problems but just doesn't know how to correct them. because of the lack of safety the "lemon law" should be put into effect and these cars recalled. toyota is not going to take responsibility unless forced. this is my first and last toyota vehicle. *jb

Since day 1 car has been garbage. engine hesitates almost everytime i need to speed up to change lanes and car has been shaking when i brake coming off the highway. worst car ever and dealership has charge me everytime i bring t in to get this checked. they says "this is how it is manufactured!" abd then charge me for making them check my car and nothing being wrong with it, but clearly this is a huge problem. my old 1992 mercury sable never jerked and went to random gears neither should this brand new car. i have now had this car for almost one and a hla years and now i finally am sick of the service after i almost got in a huge huge accident due to this engine transmission problem! *tr

Blinding lights on radio in dash. lights on the radio for the 2007 camry are so blinding at night that it makes driving at night a safety hazard. you can dim the radio lights only so far and then the rest of the instrument lights go out but yet the radio lights only dim to a point. this is also a dangerous situation.

Tl*the contact owns a 2007 toyota camry. while driving 10 mph, the vehicle hesitates at intersections or while idling at stop signs. the vehicle has been taken to the dealer approximately ten times. the dealer replaced the cpu on the computer and the vehicle operated normally for approximately one week. the contact stated that within ten key turns, the vehicle reprogrammed itself and he must disconnect the battery to reprogram it to its original setting. the failure remains uncorrected. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 200 and current mileage was 10,000. updated 02-12-08 *bf the dealer stated replaced instrument panel assembly, a/c vent closest to steering wheel is loose,and hesitation between first and 2nd gear. updated 02/12/08 *tr

2007 toyota camry acceleration problem*cw the consumer stated while driving on a two lane section of the highway, the vehicle accelerated out of control up to 90 mph and it didn't respond to any braking effort. even after shifting the automatic transmission into neutral, the vehicle would simply not slow down, even with both feet on the brake. finally, the consumer decided to turn off the key. once the key was turned off, the vehicle finally began to slow down. the consumer stated the pedal was not trapped under the mat and he believed there was some type of computer or software problem, since the vehicle was put into neutral without any effect. *jb updated 03/29/10.*jb

After 4985 miles, the "check engine" light activated. there was a smell of burning electrical wires. dealer/service originally diagnosed the problem as a failure of the "variable valve timing actuator," but later re-diagnosed the problem as a failure of the wiring harness. the car was returned 11/30/06. after 20 minutes of driving, the "check engine" light reactivated. i returned the car immediately. on 12/01/06, the dealer/service diagnosed the problem and said a "vacuum tube" disconnected. i picked up car on 12/01/06. after a couple hours of driving, the "p" for park light illuminated while i was in drive. (the "p" and "d" indicators were both illuminated as i was driving. also, the door locks on all doors engaged and disengaged uncontrollably and continuously. i was not able to manually lock or unlock my car doors using the "lock/unlock" switch on the drive-side door since it was deactivated as a result of the malfunction. i took the car back to the dealer/service on 12/02/06 for this problem. dealer/service diagnoses the problem as a electrical short due to a coolant leak. i was promised that the car would be returned 12/4/06 afternoon. *nm

I bought a 2007 camry (6 cylinder) with 6 speed transmission in sept. 2006. the transmission slips between 3rd and 4th gears when it is cold. it works normally after it has warmed up, although it seems to be somewhat indecisive, especially when accelerating. it has been back to the dealership for normal service three times. it has 15,300 miles on it now. the dealer service department wants to reprogram the computer but does not seem very confident the reprogramming will help. i will try this before i trade it for a new honda accord. so far no situations involving safety have occurred. *tr

I purchased my 2007 toyota camry in 2006 when the new model first came out. immediately after buying the car i contacted the dealership about a hesitation and acceleration problem. i wanted to return the car and they told me no it was now a used car. i contacted toyota headquarters as well and in 2007 i was told it is probably and electronics problem but has not been recalled yet. my vehicle was involved in the recall, i took it in for the service and the car is still having problems. toyota has dismissed my complaints. i have felt from day one that this vehicle is unsafe and continues to be unsafe. toyota refuses to give me my money back, i have lost resale value and cannot even sell the car now. i am very frustrated and angry over this situation. i have to continue to pay my car loan even though i refuse to drive this car. *tr

Throttle response delay in 2007 toyota camry (4 cyl. auto) camry - bought new 4/06 from toyota of nashua (nh). defect is a delay of 1 1/2 seconds in throttle response. delay was most noticeable at normal urban traffic speeds of 35 to 45 mph. a light increase in throttle at constant highway speeds in the 35 to 45 mph range resulted in the engine 1) usually not remaining in high gear 2) having no response for 1 1/2 seconds, and 3) then roughly down-shifting, as if the driver had called for strong acceleration. the car's speed "sagged", and then the car's engine oversped. the driver then had to decrease throttle to prevent overspeed in traffic. pulling out into traffic becomes unpredictable and dangerous. delay and/or over-response in the throttle control's action may create skids on wet and icy roads. less experienced drivers may become un-nerved by this kind of throttle response. toyota's response to complaints consisted of these replies: (listed in the order in which they were given over multiple service visits) 1. "we know what it is. it is the fly-by-wire control. they all do it and the owner has to live with it" (spoken over the phone prior to the first service visit) 2. "operating as designed".. "this isn't a safety issue". 3. "the camrys have a driver habit imprint feature which adapts to the driver's style". 4. "the car is pretty much normal". 5. "he has seen a few of these". (garage tech rep.) during service appointments, the dealership supplied three 4 cylinder, automatic 2007 camrys as "loaners". none of these cars demonstrated the same drive-train behavior. the writer has been told of two other camrys which exhibit the problem: hey are serial #s: 4t1be46k27uxxxxxx and 4t1be46k87uxxxxxx a similar complaint is documented on-line in the "car and driver" magazine's user review. *nm

2007 toyota camry purchased from sunnyside toyota lorain road north oldsted ohio has mold in it that makes everyone sick who rides in the car purchased brand new 3/13/2006. *tr

Almost every time we exit our vehicle we get a very strong electrical shock. this doesn't happen every day but approximately 3 or 4 days a week. we are pretty tired of getting shocked as it is not a little shock but enough to make you jump. we try to tap the frame of the door before we close it to release the electrical current. this doesn't usually help though. *tt