Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||||
| SU00102 | 03/01/2002 | 632246 | Subject regarding rear bearing o-ring service tip. *tt | 07/11/2002 | |
| SU00100 | 01/21/2000 | SU00299 | 610072 | Subject regarding front suspension support noise. *tt | 04/14/2000 |
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||||
| 012199 | 01/21/1999 | 610084 | Brief information on front suspension support noise. *tt | 04/17/2000 | |
| SU00299 | 09/03/1999 | 607874 | Some vehicles may experience front suspension support noise. *tt | 10/14/1999 | |
| 980812 | 08/12/1998 | 602531 | A groan or crunch noise may be heard from the front suspension when driving over speed bumps or dips in the roadway. *yc | 11/09/1998 | |
| SU00398 | 08/07/1998 | 602177 | A groan or curnch noise may be heard from the front suspension when driving over speed bumps or dips in the roadway. *yc | 10/15/1998 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 10/01/2004 | 37000 | 1 | |
| Problem with suspension. *bf the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc *jb | |||
| 12/23/2002 | 41000 | ||
| Consumer stated that while driving and without warning the front right struts snapped causing a distraction to the consumer. dealer notified. ts | |||
| 01/01/2002 | 42000 | 2 | 08/01/1998 |
| The suspension system was faulty which caused a knocking and squeaking noise while driving. the dealer is aware of the problem. *mr *nlm | |||
| 06/08/2002 | 1 | ||
| The front suspension was excessively shaky. it vibrated and made a lot of noise when going over a rough road. from my research on this subject at the nhtsa web site, there are 52 reports of this problem with the 1998 toyota camry model. i had the problem fixed at a dealership in louisiana. they replaced the strut mounts on both the right and left side of the front suspension at a cost of $420.82. they told me this was not covered under warranty or recall by toyota. it is my wish that toyota be held responsible for what is a design defect in the '98 camry.*ak | |||
| 12/01/2001 | 1 | 08/01/1997 | |
| Vehicle shakes and vibrates while driving the and alignment is off. dealership will be aware of problem.*ak *yh | |||
| 04/01/1998 | |||
| Since buying my toyota in april of 1998, i have needed to replace the brakes and rotors 3 times. i still continue to have screeching and grinding noises. i have been told by toyota dealerships that this noise has been a noted problem. i find this to be unacceptable for a new car, i bought a new car to avoid making repairs and i have made more on this toyota and its bad breaks than i would have spent on keeping my used rodeo. i mean with regular mainantence check, oil change, car payments, $200 brake jobs every 8 to 12 months, this is ridiculous. i have also had problems with clunking noises coming from my front suspension, especially if i go over a rough road. for a company that has a reputation for superior cars, this has been a disappointing first buy as i find the car to have a very, very poor braking system and suspension. from reading your technical bulletins, there has been 90 reported complaints on the brakes and 31 reported complaints on the suspension. how many more complaints need to be filed before a recall on these brakes are done?*ak | |||
| 05/01/1999 | |||
| Poor braking system and suspension; disappointing first toyota buy.*ak | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 2 | 06/01/1998 | |
| Defective front & rear struts. dealer has added strut plates & replaced all 4 struts. caused front tires to fail @ 12,000 mi. struts are loose & rattle. i was told by dealer that this is a design defect of the 1998-1999 camry. multiple tsb's and complaints exist for this problem. dealer said he has a one month lead time on ordering front strut plates since so many vehicles are affected by this potentially hazardous problem. toyota uses the strut plates as a quick fix instead of redesigning the suspension. no real solution exists for problem due to design limitations. *ak( dot number: tire size: p205/65r15 ) | |||
| 02/08/2000 | |||
| Front passenger's side strut is very loose which may cause the strut to come off, and cause a loss of control and crash. there is tsb bulletin on this safety problem. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 05/01/1998 | 1 | 04/01/1998 | |
| Suspensiion failed, not able to be rectified. yh | |||
| 10/15/1999 | 2 | 10/01/1999 | |
| Steering colunm pulls to right and vibrates at 70mph fumes from engine go through vents into car cause headaches and upset stomach. brakes squeak when stopping lound noise. *ak | |||
| 12/26/1998 | 1 | 02/14/1998 | |
| The front strut is defective. yh | |||
| 1 | |||
| Design of suspension very low, causing failure. *yc | |||
| 01/01/1998 | |||
| The front and rear suspension on this vehicle is too soft. the car's frame scrapes the ground when driving over a speed bump at any speed. *ak | |||
| 02/01/1998 | |||
| Vehicle drifts at speeds greater than about 35mph. in a cross-wind vehicle especially difficult to control. when stopped vehicle rocks from side to side when windshield wipers are on high speed. when passed by another vehicle or when door slammed. tires are at correct pressure, alignment ok, steering fluid ok. | |||
| Consumer says that the suspension of this vehicle is soft. when a bump is hit, the bottom of the vehicle scrapes the ground. dealer has been contacted. *ak | |||
| 08/10/1998 | |||
| Consumer experiencing problem with vehicle wandering while driving. steering would shimmy and vibrate when consumer turns steering wheel back when vehicle starts to wander. vehicle been in/out of dealer shop on several occasions, and condition cannot be resolved. *ak | |||
| 01/31/1998 | 01/18/1998 | ||
| Vehicle drifts from the right to the left. vehicle performs a lane change from right to the left on all types of roads at all speeds. the faster the speed the sooner the lane change. *ak | |||
| 1 | 09/05/1997 | ||
| Design of the suspension system causing loss of control and erratic steering at speeds 30 mph and over. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 06/18/2009 | 60000 | ||
| Car bottomed out over any uneven surface evan after i replaced shocks and mounts for over 850 dollars on front end. fiinally replaced front and rear springs and struts for 2000 dollars and car still bottoms out and is unsafe to drive . contact toyota about problem but no dealer would admit to suspension design flaw in 1998 camry suspension. other faults with acceleration and serious injuries due to gas pedals we're a natural progression in camrys that followed. | |||
| 10/10/2010 | 56000 | ||
| I notice the same issue with my camry the noise is constant it makes a rattling noise in the front and then it also squeaks in the front. i bought it to pep boys 6 times and they can't find the problem it is a horrible noise that is very loud. | |||
| 03/21/2008 | 110000 | 1 | |
| 1. front spring retainer collapsed into tire and shredded tire in motion, lost control, replaced shock absorber assy' 2. rear stabilizer bar split in half, rear wheel wobbled uncontrollably condition, temporary weld, must be replaced, part available. *tr | |||
| 02/28/2008 | 90000 | 1 | 04/09/2006 |
| I have a '98 toyota camry le with a front-end rattling noise emanating from the suspension. when i drive off in the morning (cold) over a moderately bumpy road, its sounds like my front end was going to fall off. this rattle is definitely temperature dependent and driving me crazy. looking at the web found the same problem also on camrys and avalons from '97-'99. *tr | |||
| 11/20/2006 | 1 | 11/20/2006 | |
| Blue smoke come from tail pipe after car sit for a few days and the front right strut or something on that side rattle. the date is when i first heard the noise but the previous owner heard the noise a year or two after purchase,she had the struts changed and the noise is still there. *nm | |||
| 11/14/2003 | 80000 | 1 | 02/15/2000 |
| Front suspension makes excessive noise over bumps. the mechanics i sent it to don't know what's causing the noise. i had all the struts and springs changed but the noise persists. all the parts were from the dealer. i would like to know what i can do and if this is a safety hazard. thank you for your help. *la | |||
| 05/25/1998 | 3 | ||
| I bought my car new in may 1998. i had the brakes replaced at least 3 times the first time being 11/8/99. i have complained several times of front end noise, car drifting, and steering vibrations. each time i was told it was either incorrect tire pressure, out of balance or alignment. most of the time i was told the noise is normal road noise and the drifting is normal drifting. i think something needs to be done about this. my car is no longer under warranty. i bought a new car to avoid having to pay for all these expensive repairs and because i had a 7 month old baby. i now have two children and sometimes i am afraid to drive them in my car. my car still makes the noise, drifts, steering wheel vibrations. i have even reported clunking noises from the bottom of the car and was told it needed to be greased or the bolts tightened. it seems toyota has known about this problem all along and decided to do nothing about it. toyota should be forced to fix all the vehicles with this condition. it shouldn't take someone's death before something is done. i am a first toyota buyer and very disappointed. i can not afford to fix a suspension system that was defective at the time of purchase, nor should i have to for a $20,000 car that is barely 5 years old with only 53,000 miles on it. i thought the mechanics were right about normal noise until i saw all the complaints about the suspension system. please help. thank you. jb | |||
| 02/01/2001 | |||
| The suspension of my 1998 camry le has been having noises when pass the speed humps for two years. i went to the dealer and they said they have heard some complaints about this problem, but there is no recall yet. it make me very concerned. *nlm | |||
| 12/21/1999 | 29604 | 0 | 05/22/1998 |
| Just before 30,000 miles my right font suspension began to rattle occasionally. the car now has 93,000 miles and the rattle is still heard now and then. numerous trips to the shop have not turned up any cause. *jb | |||
| 10/15/2002 | 68000 | 1 | 04/04/1999 |
| Front suspension, noise when driving over bumps, uneven pavement. sounds like something is loose. dealer suggests trying different parts but none seems to correct the problem. its getting expensive and the problem is still there. the service tech stated his wife has the same car and it has the same problems and was not sure how to correct it. he also stated the toyota solara was having the same problems. *jb | |||
| 01/01/2002 | 31 | 1 | 04/04/2001 |
| Front suspention sounds loose when going over bumps in rapid concession. getting louder every day and can't pinpoint the problem | |||
| 01/19/2003 | 25000 | 10/11/1997 | |
| Front supension makes clunking and banging noise when driving over even small pot holes. noise gets much worse with larger pot holes. noise started around 25k miles.suspect front struts and strut mounts. | |||
| 08/01/2098 | |||
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 02/12/2002 | 1 | 08/01/1997 | |
| Recurrnet noise from front end since day one, especially going over rough pavement. dealers serviced once for free, but noise continued. now that warranty has expired, i am advised that the strut mounts have failed and ned to be replced. replaced both front strut mounts at cost of $416.58. service adviser admits toyota has had a problem with this but will not do anything about it. i believe this a potential safety problem that the manufacturer should repair for all owners of camrys. | |||
| 11/01/2001 | |||
| When vehicle is cold and driver turns hitting or a bumping there's a grinding noise. took vehicle to dealer, dealer stated that it was strut towers. please provide any further information. *ak | |||
| 02/01/1998 | |||
| While traveling at high speeds there was vibration in vehicle, and it was difficult to control. dealership has examined vehicle, and could not determine a cause to the problem. please provide any additional information / attachments. *ak | |||
| 12/01/2000 | 07/01/1998 | ||
| Front suspension started rattling at around 40,000 miles. took to dealer. dealer acknowledged technical service bulletins have been issued regarding the problem and repaired the defective components at a cost to me of $342.00. toyota refused to cover under warranty. i know from nhtsa complaints and consumer reports data that this is a very common problem. however, toyota refuses to cover as i am over the 36,000 mile warranty limit. *ak | |||
| 03/27/2001 | 1 | 12/08/1997 | |
| Whenever vehicle ran over a bump/pothole, etc., it caused hard banging noise under front of vehicle. dealer notified, and informed consumer that vehicle out of its warranty, and not covered under a recall. *ak consumer states that dealer says strut parts are on back order due to the problem being nationwide. *slc | |||
| 2 | |||
| Both front tires experienced abnormal tread wear on the inside, the worst of the two front tires was worn to the casing and was discarded when it developed a leak, possibly related to the tires or the front end suspension system. nlm | |||
| 12/28/1999 | 07/01/1998 | ||
| Brakes continue to fail intermittently even though a brake kit was installed at 4,000 miles. new master cylinder was installed as well. at times brakes go all the way to the floor and car does not stop. suddenly loud noise happens and car jerks and stops. all struts have been replaced and solved crunching noises. relay switch installed to solve lock problem. car is falling apart before my eyes!! | |||
| 04/15/1999 | 07/01/1998 | ||
| In 18 months 8 alignments and 3 sets of tires and the car still vibrates. *ak | |||
| 03/28/1998 | 1 | 03/01/1998 | |
| Tires wobble/vibrate 70-75mph being the worst. multiple trips to dealer. 6 tires replaced. multiple time balancing tires. latest result - per dealer we can't fix because it happens with speeds over 65mph and toyota will not authorize repairs on issues occuring over 65 mph. also, brakes make bad grinding noise and squeeks forward/reverse - advised it is becuase of the material of the pads. pads changed once and have anti-lock brakes, but have left long skid mark with one tire and car pull to the side. *ak | |||
| 01/20/2000 | 4 | 01/01/1998 | |
| Car veers to the left for no reason. dealer found nothing wrong, but said vehicle needs new tires. this problem occurs under snowy and freezing conditions while traveling 20 mph. problem still exists. *ak | |||
| 08/01/1999 | 12/01/1997 | ||
| Front suspension makes excessive noise over bumps. the dealer that i had my car serviced at today, confirmed that this is a common problem. he states that the problem is the strut mounting brackets. he had over 14 sets on back order today. based on the number of complaints that they are having and you are receiving toyota should do a recall. the dealer stated that a recall might happen. the cost to correct would be inexcess of $300. thanks for your help. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1998 | 1 | 01/01/1998 | |
| Front suspension makes excessive noise over bumps. dealer says very common problem but no solution available. refernce tsbs: nhtsa item number: sb602177 & sb602531. reference odi id: 545483, 706991, 712064, & 714862. *ak | |||
| 10/01/1998 | 1 | 08/01/1998 | |
| Noisy suspension front & rear. roadway bumps cause the front suspension system to make a banging and bumping noise. the front struts had replacement mounts installed but did not eliminate the banging and bumping noise from the front struts. the rear struts bottom out with minor bumps in a roadway. the case is in arbitration with toyota and toyota is again to replace the front strut mounts with a newer 2nd generation replacement strut mount. toyota is going to replace both rear struts with replacment struts. at this time the work has not been conducted so i do not know whether the 2nd generation strut mounts and replacement struts for the rear will elinimate the suspension noise. i've told toyota i believe the strut system is badly designed and that the entire suspension system is weak. if toyota's additional actions don't stop the bumping noise, the case goes back to arbitration with toyota. | |||
| 04/01/1998 | |||
| With the squeaks and cracking noises that comes from the suspension make you wonder. i have had a number of lube jobs on the front suspension. i have had the drivers seat track replaced because of to much movement... a rocking chair. the dealer finally supported me on the squeaky brakes with the unbearing feeling of that grind. the repair kit works. the camry has a great feel when driving a speed limit under 45mph, anything over that speed the car suspension doesn't handle well. my car pulls to the right most of the time. i thought it was the tires. i have had them rotated and balanced according the the maintenance schedules. the goodyear integerity's has to be replaced. all i got out of them is 32,000 miles. fuel is another thing i brought up at my last service. putting a lower grade 83 oxctain makes the car exhaust smell really bad. this started around 18,000 miles or so. now just not to get that smell, i'm using the highest grade possible 93 oxctain. other then that the car has been really go to me. my service advisor has worked really hard in getting my trust. he hasn't fail me yet. thanks, spencer | |||
| 1 | |||
| Right front suspension failed causing noise under the chassis when driving over bumpy roads. nlm | |||
| 09/22/1997 | |||
| Vehicle wanders from lane to lane. *ak | |||
| 10/30/1997 | 1 | 10/30/1997 | |
| At freeway speeds vehicle drifts when weather or road conditions are poor. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - MACPHERSON STRUT | |||
| 11/20/2004 | 1 | 05/10/2004 | |
| All 4 struts worn-out and leaking on a vehicle less than 60,000 miles . driving with bad struts was horrible! very loud rattling noise. was told by auto shop that this is a common problem in the 1998 camry. the result was a repair bill of $800.00. i could not afford to replace all 4 struts so replaced only 2 at a cost of $500.00!!*ak | |||
| 03/20/2003 | 60000 | 0 | 02/15/2001 |
| Front noise if passing over bumps. i have been told this very common to toyota camrys for this year the dealer states the only way to get rid of the noise is to replace the front struts at cost to me. *la | |||
| 11/12/2001 | 1 | 03/18/1998 | |
| Front struts experienced leaking, strut mount supports noisy. *slc | |||
| 2 | 08/01/1998 | ||
| Service dept. said strut mounts were backlogged and would probably take more than 1 1/2 to 2 months to come in. do not drive car on highway but o.k. to and from work locally. | |||
| 03/27/2001 | 1 | 12/08/1997 | |
| Whenever vehicle ran over a bump/pothole, etc., it caused hard banging noise under front of vehicle. dealer notified, and informed consumer that vehicle out of its warranty, and not covered under a recall. *ak consumer states that dealer says strut parts are on back order due to the problem being nationwide. *slc | |||
| 100 | 01/01/1999 | ||
| When making a sudden stop brakes will experience a longer stopping distance intermittently. dealer cannot determine defect. *ak dealer would make so called adjustments, however would not remedy the problem, a brake specialist detected brake problem, but could not find the exact problem, consumer feels brakes are unmatching parts or something along those lines that does not allow for repair, the dealer has adjusted rear brakes, replaced brake pads, machined rotors, replaced rear wheel cylinders. consumer states vehicle is too low to the ground, vehicle would scrape the ground while entering and exiting driveway that had a very small peak, dealer stated strusts were fine, consumer feels struts are defective. vehicle has a loud engine noise and idles high on a cold start, dealer adjusted the timing belt. left sun visor is loose, dealer tightened, visor mirrors were crackedm dealer replaced. air conditioner has an odor when in use. tires keep losing air, found tires were missing a valve stem. engine light illuminated, dealer replaced air fuel sensor, engine stalls at times when starting, deale replaced the iac valve. right headlamp is dim, dealer ordered new bulb assembly, bulb shorted. consumer contacted previous owner of vehicle who stated that there were many brake problem that the dealer could not fix, manufacturer told her that some of these vehicles were made with an ill fitting part that would eventually be recalled, previous owner had returned vehicle due to these brake problems, when current owner bought vehicle toyota hid the fact that vehicle was leased and that it had experienced these brake problems. *slc | |||
| 09/08/1998 | |||
| The top plate on the strut failed and the dealer has no parts to repair, this problem causes tires to wear on the outside. nlm | |||
| 12/06/1999 | 1 | 09/19/1997 | |
| Right front strut failure causing front end noise. yh | |||
| 01/17/2000 | 1 | 06/01/1999 | |
| Makes excessive noise over bumps in pavement. had replaced on 1/17/00 at cost to me of $132.xx plus 1 1/2 hours labor. the parts in question are the front strut mounts. toyota must issue a recall on these defective parts, as they accelerate the wear of the suspension system and provide unsafe driving conditions. *ak | |||
| Struts bad on front end and nothing can be done. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SHOCK ABSORBER | |||
| 01/04/1998 | |||
| Brake pads defective. shocks are noisy. | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - AIR SUSPENSION - SPRINGS/BAGS | |||
| 10 | |||
| While driving if a bump is hit the whole bottom of the vehicle scrapes the street. dealer has been contacted. *ak *ml | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - STABILIZER BAR | |||
| 04/27/2001 | 1 | 05/26/1998 | |
| When attempting to make a right hand turn stablizer bar split, dealer has not been contacted. *ak as a result of the stabilizer bar breaking the driver lost control of the vehicle and ended up in a ditch. *nlm | |||
| SUSPENSION - MULTIPLE AXLE | |||
| 1 | 05/01/1998 | ||
| A defective axle caused the wheel bearing to fail, & vibration at 60 mph, in steering column and noise in front end. yh | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 01/01/1999 | |||
| Rear suspension issue that allows the car to bottom out over small bumps and a constant bumping noise. this is not just a one time incident. | |||
| 06/18/2009 | 60000 | ||
| Car bottomed out over any uneven surface evan after i replaced shocks and mounts for over 850 dollars on front end. fiinally replaced front and rear springs and struts for 2000 dollars and car still bottoms out and is unsafe to drive . contact toyota about problem but no dealer would admit to suspension design flaw in 1998 camry suspension. other faults with acceleration and serious injuries due to gas pedals we're a natural progression in camrys that followed. | |||
| 03/21/2008 | 110000 | 1 | |
| 1. front spring retainer collapsed into tire and shredded tire in motion, lost control, replaced shock absorber assy' 2. rear stabilizer bar split in half, rear wheel wobbled uncontrollably condition, temporary weld, must be replaced, part available. *tr | |||
| 07/01/2098 | |||
| Problems with rear suspension bottoming out going over dips, bumps, etc. have become more pronounced over time. anytime you have any passengers, even one small child, in rear seat, the car bottoms out and scrapes the street surface. even backing out of our driveway, which is slightly elevated, causes the rear to bottom out and scrape the driveway. when driving at the speed limit, it will bottom out on slightly rough road. we have contacted the dealership's service department but they have advised us that there is nothing that can be done about the problem. they are very aware of the problem with the suspension but insist that toyota built the car with a soft suspension for a soft ride. the result is a car that bottoms out continously if you have any passengers in the rear of the compartment or a load in the trunk.*ak | |||
| 12/01/2000 | |||
| I tried working with toyota to resolve there issues, but becasue the warranty time is expired they won't assist in fixing there defects. i was told if i wanted to pay the $2,000.00 bill they would be happy to order the parts. the head lamps are so dim i have nearly hit deers in the road on 5 seperate occasions i know these can't pass fmvss requirement. the drivers seat is loose in the track and rocks when accelerating and stopping. the front struts mounting brackets rattle, shake, vibrate and bang. the steering wheel vibrates while turning. the rear stuts are too weak for the vehicle so people can't ride in the rear or the car bottoms out. the car alarm somtimes works and somtimes doesn't. the burlwood dash is splitting,craking, fading and peeling. i was told by the asst. service mgr. at the toyota dealership that toyota is aware of all these defects and it's a result of poor engineering and vehicle test validation. i then heard him tell a mechanic what people think just because it's a toyota it doesn't ever break he then laughed and said these cars are the worst. i think we need some help in making toyota fix there known defects because this is uncalled for.*ak | |||
| 07/29/2000 | 05/01/1998 | ||
| Driving at highway speeds with 2 children & luggage car bottom outs when going over highway dips. *ak | |||
| 12/28/1999 | 07/01/1998 | ||
| Brakes continue to fail intermittently even though a brake kit was installed at 4,000 miles. new master cylinder was installed as well. at times brakes go all the way to the floor and car does not stop. suddenly loud noise happens and car jerks and stops. all struts have been replaced and solved crunching noises. relay switch installed to solve lock problem. car is falling apart before my eyes!! | |||
| 10/01/1998 | 1 | 08/01/1998 | |
| Noisy suspension front & rear. roadway bumps cause the front suspension system to make a banging and bumping noise. the front struts had replacement mounts installed but did not eliminate the banging and bumping noise from the front struts. the rear struts bottom out with minor bumps in a roadway. the case is in arbitration with toyota and toyota is again to replace the front strut mounts with a newer 2nd generation replacement strut mount. toyota is going to replace both rear struts with replacment struts. at this time the work has not been conducted so i do not know whether the 2nd generation strut mounts and replacement struts for the rear will elinimate the suspension noise. i've told toyota i believe the strut system is badly designed and that the entire suspension system is weak. if toyota's additional actions don't stop the bumping noise, the case goes back to arbitration with toyota. | |||
| 08/01/1999 | |||
| Continuous noise from rear as if the car is going over a series of bumps. the vibration can be felt on the steering also. | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SHOCK ABSORBER | |||
| 1 | 09/01/1998 | ||
| Shock struts failed. yh | |||
| 08/01/1997 | |||
| A year after i purchased to toyota camry, the rear shock absorbants got extremely noisy and it feels like it will break any time i have to drive over a small bump. i have contacted jim coleman's toyota in bethesda maryland when i took the car for service around 19000 miles. i was told that all camry's have this problem and toyota is going to make a recall and fix it. up until today that has not happened. my warrenty rans out at 36000 miles. i currently have around 25000. so i like either toyota or the dealer take responsibility and fix the problem. thank you | |||