CarComplaints.com Notes: Beware of the NHTSA complaint data for the 2005 Camry. It is almost certainly misleading.
The problem with NHTSA data for the 2005 Camry is that for months on end, the news media repeatedly told the public that several Toyota models had an unintended acceleration defect, & to go to safercar.gov (the NHTSA's website) to file a complaint.
So, the NHTSA received a disproportionate number of complaints about Toyota unintended acceleration issues because of the national news media attention, to the point where their data is unreliable taken in context with any other vehicle that did not receive national news attention.
CarComplaints.com typically receives more complaints per day about vehicles than the NHTSA does, but the news media did not repeatedly say "go to CarComplaints.com to report your Camry acceleration problems" like they did about the NHTSA -- so although we have less complaint data than the NHTSA for the 2005 Camry, our data for the Camry is a far more statistically accurate representation of the Camry's reliability than what the NHTSA data shows.
This is my first Toyota and may be the last, I just spent $1350 for replacement of the throttle. I have owned Cadillacs, Chevrolet, Buicks and Mitsubishi and never had to spend this kind of money in any of them. Plus, I'm handicapped and for me to be left stranded in the middle of the road was torture. First, in the place where I religiously do the maintenance of the car, the told me it was a throttle problem, it would cost me $150 to clean it with a 95% chance that it would solve the problem, well my car was in the other 5% and a week later I spent $1200 in the agency to replace the throttle.
I got up in the morning and went out to start the car. The outside temperature was 8 degrees Fahrenheit. My engine started with no problem. For the first time, the Check Engine Light came on and there was no throttle control. I pressed the gas pedal but it had no effect. If I put car into drive it ran but only at idle (about 1 MPH). So I let the engine warm up for about 10 minutes. After warming up, when I pressed gas pedal, the throttle varied over a range of 1000 to 1100 RPM but no more. I shut off car and restarted it. Then there was no problem. So, I went to work.
At lunch time I tried to go out to eat. When I started the car I had exactly the same result as in the morning. After work I had the same result again. So, I took my car to the dealer.
The problem turned out to be the throttle body. The technician said there is a tube inside the throttle body that was filling with moisture and then freezing. When that happened, it went into some sort of fail safe mode and disabled the throttle for safety. After the tube warmed up and dried out, it began to work again. So, he said the only way to fix it was to replace the throttle body.
The part cost $875.00 and with labor, it cost $1,033.56 to repair.
Running errands, came to a stop sign, Check Engine Light came on and gas pedal no longer responded. Engine idle was enough to move the car safely out of the way. Turned car off, turned car on and was OK for a couple of more miles. Same thing again.
Limped into dealership (Toyota of Hollywood Florida is EVIL!) and was told its a stuck Throttle Body and would be $1,100 to fix. Internet says symptoms do not match throttle body issue so I cleaned it myself (it's easy if you're patient) and worked OK for a day or two.
Now, when I turn on the AC, or Radio, or put any kind of electrical strain on system, idle gets too low and car stalls. Or while trying to accelerate, engine will kind of 'thump' like transmission is down shifting and then engine dies. Still not the symptoms of Throttle Body. It is an electrical because works OK with everything including headlights turned off.
According to internet this is a growing problem, I am waiting for the latest recall notice form Toyota.
Failed throttle body caused on drive by wire system caused the engine to rev uncontrollably. Luckily the brakes could overcompensate for the force, but could definitely have ended up like other horror stories where they were forced into parked cars or their own house.
- Steven B.,
Deridder, LA, US
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This is my first Toyota and may be the last, I just spent $1350 for replacement of the throttle. I have owned Cadillacs, Chevrolet, Buicks and Mitsubishi and never had to spend this kind of money in any of them. Plus, I'm handicapped and for me to be left stranded in the middle of the road was torture. First, in the place where I religiously do the maintenance of the car, the told me it was a throttle problem, it would cost me $150 to clean it with a 95% chance that it would solve the problem, well my car was in the other 5% and a week later I spent $1200 in the agency to replace the throttle.
- houstoun, Miami, FL, US