Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||||
| 00203 | 06/13/2003 | 10003355 | Steering column noise. *tt | 10/16/2003 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 01/21/2013 | 42500 | 1 | |
| I was backing out of a parking space. when i put car in drive and started turning wheel to the right, car wouldn't turn and braking did not stop car. it seemed as if accelerator was stuck. car finally stopped when it hit parked car. something similar happened about a year ago. *tr | |||
| 01/21/2013 | 42500 | ||
| I was backing out of a parking space. when i put car in drive and started turning wheel to the right, car wouldnt turn and braking did not stop car. it seemed as if accelerator was stuck. car finally stopped when it hit parked car. something similsr happened about a year ago. | |||
| 12/07/2011 | 168450 | ||
| I purchased a 2002 toyota camry 3 years ago at 115,000 miles. i now have 205,000 as of the date of this letter. last spring, the power steering failed in cold weather and there was a sqeaking noise behind or around my steering wheel so i replaced the pump. it warmed up, so i couldn't test the result. this winter, the problem is much worse and unsafe, so it wasn't that. after nearly hitting a car because i could hardly come out of my turn, i took it to the toyota dealership on 1/17/12. they kept it overnight to experience the problem. they said they would start by replacing the steering column u-joint for $510, but would not guarantee it. i asked 5 other mechanics who said that it can't be that if it only occurs in cold weather, so i told them not to do anything. i'm bringing it back to my town to have others look at it and fix it. most of them feel it is the rack, or, just goo'd up power steering fluid, which they will start with, at a cost of only $50 to drain and refill. i have had rack quotes of $880. this car has always been well maintained and i plan to keep it for 500,000 miles. | |||
| 11/28/2011 | 159000 | ||
| Steering became hard and steering wheel would not return to a straight position. this resulted in a near pedestrian accident. | |||
| 08/21/2011 | 79000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving 20 mph when the steering wheel seized. the contact was unable to maneuver the vehicle and crashed into a pole. the vehicle was towed to a local body shop where the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was destroyed and the contact was injured. the failure and current mileages were 79,000. kmj | |||
| 08/21/2011 | 79000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving 20 mph when the steering wheel locked and the vehicle crashed into a pole, as a result of the failure. the vehicle was towed to local body shop, and the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure and current mileages were 79,000. rds | |||
| 03/25/2011 | 110000 | ||
| Steering wheel became difficult to turn and did not return to center when released. check power steering fluid it was ok. no power steering leaks. took car to have problem evaluated. mechanic said that steering shaft universal joints were worn and rusted and binding up. only solution was to replace entire steering column. he has seen this problem before. if allowed to go too long steering could lock up completely or shaft could shear causing loss of control. repair will cost $900 since entire shaft must be replaced and part is only available from toyota. i have never had this kind of problem with a vehicle and was shocked to know the design of the steering shaft left it exposed to road spray and subsequent corrosion damage. this is a serious safety issue and gave no warning as to the impending failure. steering wheel became very difficult to turn even with the power steering assist. | |||
| 03/14/2011 | 70000 | ||
| I own a 2002 toyota camry 70,000 mi and while driving one day the steering froze and i was unable to turn the wheel. since that day the steering has become extermely stiff and hard to steer. after checking the power steering fluid levels and found it to be normal i have made an appt with the dealership to have it looked at. after reading these complaints i feel it is an issue with the part itself and a saftey issue that toyota should replace | |||
| 02/14/2011 | 174720 | ||
| The steering failed, too hard to turn the wheel. the repair shop replaced the steering shaft with u- joints. they said it is common in 2002 camry. | |||
| 09/08/2010 | |||
| I have a 2002 toyota camry. i have had to replace intermediate steering shaft in the steering column. the toyota service manager told me this was a common problem and happened a lot in this model. after doing some research i found that this happens too often to the 2002 camry. the steering column is a two peice rod that could to castastrophic steering loss. i contacted toyota complaint department and they told me was that they had issued a service call that only included greasing the shaft. | |||
| 08/24/2010 | 90000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that the steering went out on the vehicle. the contact was traveling 20 mph and the steering started to gradually get harder and hard to turn in both directions. the dealer inspected the vehicle and told the contact that they would need a new steering column. the vehicle was repaired by the dealer. the failure mileage and current mileages were 90000.rl | |||
| 01/01/2002 | 140000 | ||
| I purchased a 2002 toyota camery le, carfax one owner, steering lose hard to turn took to shop thats been in operation since 1972 told i had acracked steering column the same as the toyota trucks and suv mid 2000 models. the shop said it would be 750.00 dollars should take to toyota as they have seen this problem before in toyota cars and trucks. called toyota they said car was to old even though other wise car in perfect mechanical condition. iam sure i am not the only consumer out their with this problem. there is no excuse for cracks in any vehicials steering column since this is one ove the most component on any vehicail, the big 3 never had this problem, even though they had scores of others. every one knows this is unacceptable, faulty steering cracks on a a-1 used car because ove a design flaw, not usage. | |||
| 01/01/2009 | 60000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2002 toyota camry. i reported to tansky toyota (columbus ohio) that i have a steering wheel issue. tansky toyota technicians mentioned that they have heard this problem before from other toyota owners. he mentioned that since this is not a safety issue, toyota is not considering this as a recall. i read a report today that toyota corolla is having similar issue. i wanted to bring it to your attention that as a toyota camry owner, i have a similar issue and i would appreciate if you could investigate this and ensure that this is not a safety issue and ensure that we are driving a safe vehicle. *tr | |||
| 05/15/2005 | 58000 | 1 | |
| Problem with anti-lock brakes. i have had two occurrence. one while driving through my resident parking lot at a speed of 10 miles per hour, i applied the brakes. i heard a grinding sound of the brakes. my hands was blasted off the steering wheel and i felt a hard thump in the seat which eject me toward the ceiling of my car. i lost control of the car. i ended up facing the rear of the car near driver door. the second incident occurred while driving to work in the snow. i was driving 20 mile per hour and applied the brakes. the same thing happened as mention before. hands blasted off steering wheel, hard thump in seat, and ejection out of the driver set. had toyota to repair brakes at cost of nearly $450. i never got an explanation of why my hands were blasted off the steering wheel or the hard thump in the seat which lead to me being ejected out of the seat. the parking lot was smooth surface, so i did not hit a bump. *tr | |||
| 01/10/2003 | 8351 | 2 | |
| Constant squeaking from my steering wheel. repaired twice at toyota dealer but still squeaks. brought car to my repair shop an it still squeaks. first incident an second took place under warranty. usually squeaks in cold weather. *tr | |||
| 12/12/2008 | 110000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving 15 mph in traffic or when he stopped at a traffic sign the steering wheel became inoperable. on several occasions, the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure or identify a failure code. the failure mileage and the current mileage was 110,000. | |||
| 02/18/2007 | 84000 | 4 | 02/26/2002 |
| Toyota camry le 2.4 l winter weather cause to vvt on auto to fail and stall engine. stalled engine caused lost of controls, steering, brakes, etc..parts replaced were oxygen sensors, cat.convertor, etc.. the vvt is variable valve timing control along with ocm, pcm, throttle sensor, mass air sensor which regulates the engine performance. *tr | |||
| 05/31/2002 | 6 | 05/30/2002 | |
| My camry has pulled to the left since the day purchased. it has been aligned or checked for alignment numerous times. i have been told there is notheing wrong with my car. i have been told all camry's pull to the left. i have been told i should upgrade. i have been told yes, it does pull to the left, but it is inherent in the car. now after 2 1/2 years of asking toyota to fix my car, they are now saying it is the tires and of course that is not their problem as their waranty does not cover tires. this vehicle will pull across the line into another lane at the higher speeds and this makes the car dangerous. | |||
| 08/18/2004 | 9000 | 4 | 08/15/2002 |
| 2002 toyota camry lev6 w/15 rims. car is unstable at high speeds. we are now on our third set of tires and the car only has 21,000 miles on it. first set (continental) became bald on outside edge of both front tires at 9000 miles. tires were rotated (front to rear, rear to front) and front end alignment was done. tires became bald on outside edge after only 8000 miles (17000 total miles on car). dealer replaced all 4 tires with dunlop and i had to pay for a four wheel alignment. after 2500 more miles car again became unstable at high speeds. it started at about 75 mph and as the tires wore it became unstable at lower speeds 55-65 mph. the dealer replaced all four tires again with michelin this time and did another front end alignment. now with only 1200 miles on the new tires it is again becoming unstable at high speeds 65-75 mph. we would like toyota to acknowledge the problem and come up with a solution. *jb | |||
| 07/15/2003 | 15000 | ||
| I experienced a tremendous frustration -- while driving in downtown washington, dc, my car lost its power steering. when i opened the hood, i saw that the reservoir for power steering fluid was indeed full. not wanting to be stranded 40 miles from home, i drove to the dealer from which i purchased the vehicle. i was advised that it could be several days before my car was evaluated and/or repaired. about 2 days after purchasing the vehicle, i returned it for 2 complaints: (1) the driver seat jars forward and back upon stopping and accelerating, approximately 80-90% of the time; (2) stopping/slowing the vehicle at speeds greater than 40mph (such as when slowing for an exit) causes the vehicle to shake and pull to one side. i was advised, by the services manager that the seat moving "happens in this kind of car", and that the alignment of the car was "ok" and that "pulling and shaking happens in this kind of car". and, i've tolerated it. now, i'm wondering if the shut down of the steering also 'happens in this kind of car'. if so, i don't want "this kind of car" and perhaps my needs would best be served by some other 'kind of car' | |||
| 03/31/2002 | 0 | 03/28/2002 | |
| From the first day i bought the car it pulls to the left and after 6 months of complaining i filed for the lemon law. now a year and a half later it still isn't resolved. | |||
| 03/12/2002 | 10 | 8 | 03/12/2002 |
| I took delivery of a 2002 camry xle on 3/12/03. from the drive home to this date the car has had a significant pull toward the left when driving. this pull is such that even relatively minor changes in road surface result in a worsened pull that requires constant correction by steering toward the right. approximately eight (8)attempts to have the problem repaired or corrected through the toyota dealerships have proven futile. i have made repeated calls to the toyota customer service center in torrence,california. efforts to repair this problem have included:new tire and wheel rotations(5-6 times), alignments(5-6 times), and camber bolts replaced(twice). after the last camber bolt replacement there was improvement for a short period of time but the steering problem quickly returned. i took the car to another local toyota dealership in an effort to try and resolve the steering problem. the four wheel alignment revealed that the caster was not within the factory specified range. i was told that there was no adjustment for the caster and there was a warning on the printed alignment specification sheet stating,this value is not within specification. tire wear,handling and safety problems may result. this was and still is of grave concern to me. i notified toyota customer service of the safety concerns and was referred back to the purchasing dealership.in the course of these repeated service visits i was given a 2002 camry le to drive as a loaner car on two occasions and one of the loaner cars had the same steering problem as mine. i feel unsafe with they're unresolved steering problems and feel that this presents a safety hazard to me and my family and perhaps other 2002 toyota camry owners. *la | |||
| 10/08/2003 | 0 | 1 | 12/18/2001 |
| Car pulls to the left. *la | |||
| 08/12/2003 | 1 | 01/01/2002 | |
| The transmission was not working properly. the vehicle would shift harshly into drive when the engine was cold but when warmed up the vehicle drove smoothly. the steering wheel hummed when turned while driving 45 mph. it was later determined that a bushing for the steering shaft needed to be lubricated. the upper and lower belt molding around the driver's door came off. a faulty charcoal canister caused the check engine light to illuminate. *ak *nlm | |||
| 02/10/2003 | 12/21/2002 | ||
| Regarding 2002 toyota camry. started experiencing pulling and bumping sensations from front soon after 5000 miles. had tires rebalanced and rotated, problem continued. took car to dealer who said alignment was off and supposedly corrected. no change, in fact, steering wheel was still slightly off center. took car back to dealer who said nothing was wrong but did another alignment, this time straightening out the steering wheel. problem did not go away. we are now at 19000 miles having just rotated the tires again in hopes it would solve the problem, but it has not. additionally, we have recently noticed poor braking traction even at slow speeds in wet conditions and a spinning out of a wheel going around corners at slow speed. we are frustated by the inability of toyota north of mt. kisco, ny to solve this problem. | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer stated the steering wheel squeaks when turning both ways, dealer stated the steering boot was pulled up on the shaft, which was then relubed.*jb | |||
| 01/03/2002 | |||
| When braking steering wheel will jump and will pull vehicle to the left or right. cause unknown. dealer notified.*ak | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 02/25/2003 | 2 | 08/21/2002 | |
| While turning and driving at low speeds driver heard a loud squeaking noise coming from the steering wheel. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that steering wheel needed lubrication. *ak dealer lubricated steering column booth according to tsb relating to problem. consumer felt this is just a temporary fix, and parts are defective and should be replaced. manufacture notified. *tt | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 41500 | 2 | 09/01/2003 |
| While driving the steering wheel dropped into the drivers lap, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. steering wheel adjustment came loose, causing the steering wheel to fall into the driver's lap. vehicle is currently being investigated by the driver's insurance company. also, the air bags failed to deploy.*ak the driver had an accident as a result of the steering wheel failure. *tc | |||
| 04/06/2004 | 01/31/2002 | ||
| The vehicle suddenly accelerates while driving. the steering wheel also felt loose while driving. the dealer inspected the vehicle several times but found no problems. *mr at a stop light, the brake pedal goes down towards the floor. the vehicle remains stationary and the brakes always stop the car. dsy the consumer's vehicle is still experiencing sudden acceleration. *nm | |||
| 20750 | 2 | ||
| Consumer complained about a steering column problem. also, vehicle had a tough time engaging into gear. dealership said that they could not duplicate customer's concern.*ak | |||
| 11/04/2002 | 19000 | 11/04/2002 | |
| I bought my 2002 toyota camry as a used certified vehicle from a toyota dealer. it is very difficult to keep it on the highway. ts | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 02/19/2002 | 300 | 20 | 02/19/2002 |
| While driving vehicle continuously pulled to the left. dealership replaced the rack and pinion, and performed a front end alignment, but the problem recurred. *ak *la | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - RACK | |||
| 01/01/2002 | 1000 | 1 | 01/01/2002 |
| My 2002 toyota camry has braking system that does not operate properly. find every time i go to stop braking system does not stop and perform properly. find car does not perform properly in rain and snow and skids out in this type of weather. note have contacted dealership along with manufacturer to notify them of my complaint with no avail. *ph | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 11/09/2002 | |||
| Consumer states while driving at highway speed the vehicle pulled violently to the left causing lost of control and resulting in a accident. ts | |||
| 03/01/2002 | 2 | ||
| While stopping on a hill, brakes went to the floor. consumer had to pump brakes for vehicle to stop. took vehicle to dealer who stated that cardboard was in disc brakes. mechanic stated that abs were suppose to go to the floor. *ak consumer states steering wheel has excessive play, no action from wheels with slight movement. *yd | |||