Dear Tom and Ray:

The rocker panel covers fell off my '89 Camry and cost $200 to replace. Each black strip, which runs between the wheel wells, is a thin membrane of rubber around a piece of ungalvanized steel. When the supporting strip rusts to bits, the cover sags and disengages from the body panel. Surely, Toyota knows the virtues of aluminum. When I phoned to gripe about this design flaw, Toyota assigned me complaint number 951994720 and said it's my tough luck--the warranty is up. My question is: Have they really had 951 million complaints? Bill

Ray: I doubt it. My guess is that the number they gave you is made up of several codes. The "95" is probably the year in which you lodged your dissatisfaction.

Tom: Right. And "199" is probably the designation for the rocker panel piece you're complaining about.

Ray: "472" is probably the number of complaints they've had in '95 about this particular problem.

Tom: And finally, "0" is your chances of having them do anything about it! Often, these complaint numbers are also followed by the letters "RO," which stands for "rave on!"

Ray: It IS a lousy design, and I'm sure Toyota knows that. They completely redesigned the Camry in 1992, and I assume they've made the requisite improvements. But if anyone out there has a post-1992 Camry with this same problem, let us know, and we'll assign you a complaint number.

Everybody wants a new car. But from a purely financial point of view, there is no question that buying a used car is always cheaper, even in the long run. To learn more, order Tom and Ray's pamphlet How to Buy a Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know. To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1996 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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