Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||||
| 00203 | 06/13/2003 | 10003355 | Steering column noise. *tt | 10/16/2003 | |
| STEERING - GEAR BOX - SHAFT SECTOR | |||||
| 00106 | 02/16/2006 | 00106 | 10019873 | Steering intermediate shaft noise. *ak | 05/08/2006 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 12/01/2006 | 25000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that when driving at low speeds and attempting a turn, she would hear a loud squeaking noise from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, they referred her to the dealer. the vehicle was not diagnosed. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 25,000. the current mileage was approximately 55,000. the vin was unavailable. kmj | |||
| 12/01/2006 | 25000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that when driving at low speeds and making a left or right turn, she would hear a loud squeaking noise. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and they referred her to the dealer. the vehicle was not diagnosed. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 25,000. the current mileage was approximately 55,000. the vin was unavailable. tb | |||
| 05/21/2003 | 3000 | ||
| I bought my toyota camry 2003 le brand new from koons toyota dealiership in tysons coner, virginia back in 2003. few months after the purchase i noticed car always pulling to the left. i went back to dealer but they claim it was just road pulling and that it was normal. i accepted that as an aswer from ceritifed toyota dealer and went on with my life. this was my second car so i was not driving it much at the time but i had replaced tires twice and had done alignment several times in less then two years. i started driving this car more around the time my warranty expired and then realized that this problem requires me to replace my tires after each major trip...we are talking about several thousand miles. i kept on doing alignment and even tried different type of tires, different dealers, etc. i even found a tsb release from toyota that many claim fixes this problem but dealers claim it does not apply to toyota camry 2003 le, the document in question is tsb-st0002-04. do this day i have exact same problem and no way to fix it. simple google search on toyota camry 2003 le left pull problem will show how big and widespread problem this is. this is a rather frustrating problem because each dealer claims that there is nothing wrong with the car yet i cant buy enough tires to drive this car. | |||
| 07/04/2011 | |||
| I have a 2003 camry and when i steer there's a noise as if plastic is rubbing when i steer right or left | |||
| 11/12/2011 | 27000 | ||
| Squicking steering column. ubnormal sounds (squicking, cracking) can be heard when turning left or right. toyota says it is not a safety issue and there were no recall for 2003 model, only tsb--0296-08 was issued. has to pay to repair the defect yourself because car is beyond the warranty. | |||
| 07/04/2011 | |||
| I have a 2003 camry and when i steer there's a noise as if plastic is rubbing when i steer right or left | |||
| 11/12/2011 | 27000 | ||
| Squicking steering column. ubnormal sounds (squicking, cracking) can be heard when turning left or right. toyota says it is not a safety issue and there were no recall for 2003 model, only tsb--0296-08 was issued. has to pay to repair the defect yourself because car is beyond the warranty. | |||
| 07/04/2011 | |||
| I have a 2003 camry and when i steer there's a noise as if plastic is rubbing when i steer right or left | |||
| 11/12/2011 | 27000 | ||
| Squicking steering column. ubnormal sounds (squicking, cracking) can be heard when turning left or right. toyota says it is not a safety issue and there were no recall for 2003 model, only tsb--0296-08 was issued. has to pay to repair the defect yourself because car is beyond the warranty. | |||
| 07/04/2011 | |||
| I have a 2003 camry and when i steer there's a noise as if plastic is rubbing when i steer right or left | |||
| 11/12/2011 | 27000 | ||
| Squicking steering column. ubnormal sounds (squicking, cracking) can be heard when turning left or right. toyota says it is not a safety issue and there were no recall for 2003 model, only tsb--0296-08 was issued. has to pay to repair the defect yourself because car is beyond the warranty. | |||
| 05/27/2010 | |||
| I have a 2003 toyota camry le that i bought used in may 2007. i can not tell you how many times i took my car back and forth to the dealership because the steering would make some kind of noise whenever i turned right or left. i was advised by the dealership that there's a plastic part in the steering that gets dry and it has to be lubricated every now and then. well, needless to say, april 2011 i took it to a mechanic who told me that my rack and pinion is sooo bad and he's only seen this problem one other time. there should be a recall for this problem because the car isn't old enough for this problem to affect the steering this badly. it cost me $553! i do have the steering part in my trunk in case there is a recall. | |||
| 12/21/2010 | 37451 | ||
| My 2003 toyota camry le with 37,451 miles is experiencing a loud popping noise in the steering mechanism and getting worse. dealership advised needs intermediate steering shaft. cost of repair $447.89. dealership states this is a common problem. this is a potentially dangerous safety defect. was unable to get any satisfaction through the district or national customer service representatives. | |||
| 05/18/2008 | |||
| When the weather is cool the steering wheel makes a groaning sound every time it is turned. toyota has issued a tsb on the problem but could only be repaired when under warrantee. the car in question is a 2003 toyota camry and the tsb was sent out in 2007, one year after the warrantee was over. the noise has been getting worse, they claim that this is not a dangerous situation, but i am not convinced. the only comment i get back is that this does not happen on toyota's. | |||
| 03/15/2010 | 500 | ||
| Since the car was new it has had strange sounds in the steering column. the local toyota dealer dismissed it as normal sounds related to the weather [it is cold out or it is hot outside]. the sound progressively became worse. i had the power steering fluid changed and was told by the repair shop that it had the wrong fluid. the fluid was the product the car was delivered with. i am the original owner of the vehicle. after changing the fluid and having a wheel alignment done- the sounds (loud squeeking) persisted. i took the car recently to a different toyota dealership and they greased the steering column which eliminated the squeeking, but now clunking can be heard from the steering column. the mechanic at the toyota dealership cautioned me to keep my eye on this because it sounds like the steering column is bad. this toyota only has 28,000 miles on it, has never been in an accident, and has been dealer maintained. i find it suspicious that no mention of a bad steering column was made while the car was under warranty. i drive the car as little as possible because i am frightened to use it. i have also had problems with the brakes on this car. the brake problems date back to the day i drove the car home (new) from the dealership. the steering problems started almost immediately. this car should be recalled and repaired at the manufacturers expense for the steering problems. | |||
| 12/11/2006 | 40000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately 60 mph on normal road conditions; proceeding to make a turn. there was excessive force applied to the steering wheel. the failure occurred whenever making a turn. in addition, during the winter months the failure progressed more frequently. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on two separate occasions for the identical failures. the technician dispensed power steering fluid in the vehicle. the failure occurred continuous without no resolution. the contact is waiting on a response for the cause of failure. the failure mileage was 40,000. | |||
| 09/30/2007 | 1 | ||
| I have a toyota camry 2003. since around 2007 i have noticed that some kind of fluid noise come from the steering wheel area, especially in the morning and when turning to the right or left. sometimes the noise is so loud that the other passenger can hear it. it sound like a lot of fluid is moving on the dash around the steering wheel. no leak inside the car observed. for several months feel like car steer more/easily when driving. *tr | |||
| 05/29/2009 | 43000 | 1 | |
| 2003 toyota camry v6 xle - skids or spins occasionally and especially in wet weather (not just icy or snow conditions). may 2009 my current 2003 toyota camry took a 360 degree turn (i lost control of the vehicle) in a 60 to 70 degree turn at 40 miles per hour. it was raining all day on that day. on that day the care hit the guard rail and caused front and rear bumper and side damages. also in other situations the car skidded in wet condition when accelerating from a hard stop or taking a turn. this appears to be a common issue with most of the toyota models. i had a 1994 toyota corolla and a 1995 toyota 4 runner. all the 3 vehicles had same spinning or skidding issue in wet condition on rain. also, i learnt that one of our friends toyota avalon spun recently in wet condition as well. *tr | |||
| 03/23/2009 | 52000 | 1 | |
| I purchased my 2003 toyota camry in august, 2003. two years later, the steering column started to make noise. dealer replaced the whole steering column assembly. after 3 and half years, the steering column failed again. i can not believe toyota built this kind of quality vehicle. it totally ruined their reputation. i will never purchase toyota's vehicle any more. *tr | |||
| 10/25/2008 | 1 | ||
| They replaced the steering shaft assembly and charged me over $700 to do this and i found technical bulletins stating this was a defect with the camry and i wrote to toyota and nothing happened. *tr | |||
| 08/05/2008 | 89588 | 1 | |
| My 2003 toyota camry's steering column was making clunking noises as i turned corners so i took it in to have it looked at. it required a complete replacement of the intermediate steering shaft. i've never had to replace a steering assembly on any of my other cars ever....so why would this 89,000 miles, 2003 toyota camry need this part completely replaced? and because it was repaired with a new updated genuine toyota part......doesn't that indicate that toyota knew this part was bad and choose not to issue a recall but pass on the repair issues to the consumer? and what if i hadn't gotten it repaired when i did....i could i have lost steering all together. *tr | |||
| 07/10/2003 | 10000 | 1 | 06/30/2003 |
| Since soon after i purchase my toyota camry new i have noticed that it pulls hard to the left. fortunately i have yet to have a vehicle accident, though several times my car has drifted into the oncoming lane. *nm | |||
| 09/20/2004 | 9500 | 30 | |
| Complaint received via e-mail this car pulls to the left and steering feels loose and car drifts. dealership is not providing any assistance. alignment and tire balancing did not help. this is a safety issue.*ak | |||
| 07/14/2004 | 4 | 1 | 09/03/2003 |
| Car pulls left into oncoming traffic. car is unusually difficult to control at highway speeds in moderate winds. car requires unusually high degree of concentration to keep driving in a straight line. dealer has attempted repair 5 times, including application of toyota technical service bulletin, with no improvement. other owners are reporting similar problems on the toyotaownersclub website and other forums.*ak | |||
| 06/22/2004 | 1 | 01/02/2003 | |
| 2003 camry le (vin #jtdbe32k930174986). currently 7585 miles/17 months since purchase new. gradually drifts right (began from buy date). onset of drift is approximately 3 sec. after steady track established. requires constant attention/correction. vehicle is not safe to drive, other than for local short trips. tires as cause have been eliminated. (six new tires have been mounted; rf, then lf, then all 4 tires). toyota dealer check of alignment at 2049 miles--..all in spec. toyota dealer, after test drive at 7468 miles revealed vehicle did indeed drift exclusively right, and informed me: (1) vehicle drives like all 2003 camry's (2) that he could make no alignment adjustment that would improve car's driving performance, (3) that the onset of right drift as early as 2 sec. after establishment of a straight track was toyota-acceptable, (4) that drift exclusively right was toyota-acceptable, (5) that problem often is over-sensitive driver, (6) that he would not consider exploring applicability of tsb st002-04 as possible correction, and (7) that my options are to either accept the condition or go to arbitration. at regional level (toyota customer experience center, torrence, ca) i was told that all such problems were handled exclusively at the dealer level, and that i should consider driving other 2003 camry's (implied: i might thereby convince myself that my vehicle drove normally! a most interesting and revealing approach to a customer complaint!) i have recently contacted a second toyota dealer that indicated that it is indeed possible to get a field technical rep to look at the problem (i am anxious to see how this plays out, but my frustration is obvious). meanwhile, i have taken step of advising my lawyer in writing to carefully explore the possibility of this unsafe steering problem as a possible primary and/or contributory cause factor, should i ever be involved in a death or severe injury accident in this car. *jb | |||
| 04/30/2004 | 1 | 11/22/2002 | |
| In an online message board, i noticed a camry owner discussing their lean left problem, which i share as well. shortly after having my car for 6 months (2003 le model purchased in nov 2002) i noticed the car slightly pulling to the left. over time, and even with numerous alignments, the lean has gotten worse. sounds like this is a common problem among many camry owners and i would like to know if toyota has something in mind to help correct the situation. any comments would be appreciated. thank you. *la | |||
| 08/15/2003 | 29 | ||
| This car pulls left and tracks poorly under most driving conditions. it is especially bad in crosswinds and on wet roadways. it was originally established by the dealership that low caster angle was to blame. the dealer was able to loosen and jiggle the engine cradle to get the caster on the minimum specification for caster, but this has done nothing to correct the poor handling. after 4 visits and much unnecessary delay, the dealership and toyota now claim there is nothing wrong with the car. this defect represents a significant safety issue with lane driftage, and limits the use of the car. i am deeply disappointed with the dealership's and toyota's position. i selected toyota for their apparent good reputation for integrity and service, but my experience has shown otherwise. my interactions with toyota through their agents has shown that their reputation appears to be largely based on their own public relations campaign--not on service and quality. i am now faced with the prospect of arbitration and lawsuit to force toyota motor corp to honor their warranty. i cannot in good conscience knowingly sell this vehicle to another unsuspecting buyer, so i must choose to either sue toyota or repair the vehicle myself. | |||
| 08/14/2002 | 1 | 08/13/2003 | |
| 2003 camry le purchased august 2003. car pulls/veers to left at speeds below 50-55 mph. when reaching speeds above this, the pull /veering to the left is very pronounced (especially interstate driving). have taken the car to the dealership twice; the first visit they checked the tire pressure, tires, etc. and was told they couldn't find a problem and stated variations in the roads traveled may cause this. second visit, routine items were checked again and was told technician couldn't find the problem. after taking him on a drive on the interstate, he saw the problem and the car was left at the dealership until the following afternoon. they adjusted alignment to specifications and said they rotated the upper spring insulators (?). the problem persists and once again contacted the dealership. (they have been very courteous throughout) was told they have basically done all they can or know of, but would contact toyota for further ideas. this steering defect can be a significant safety risk and needs to be corrected. *nm | |||
| 01/18/2003 | 3 | 12/20/2003 | |
| I have taken my 2003 camry le to toyota dealerships 3 times for the problem of it pulling to the left. i brought my brand new car in for the first time within one month of purchase. the second time i brought my car in, the pull left had caused my tires uneven, premature wear. my tires needed replacement at 15,000 miles, although the dealership told me that they would last for 20,000 and this was close enough. i took my car to a serparate business as i did not receive an acceptable response from seveal employees at this toyota dealership. additionally, the owner refused to call me despite signs plastered around the dealership stating that he cares and to ask for him. for the third trip regarding the car pulling left, i took it to a new toyota dealer. despite an improvement in customer service, they were also unable to fix the problem. by the next day, my car was pulling left again. this dealership informed me that i had a tire pull, and put this in writing. i was told that the tires that had been placed on my car were made incorrectly and caused the car to pull to the left. i am so disappointed in toyota. this is my first new car and i specifically purchased it due to its reputation and supposed reliability. i hope that changes are made to regain cusotmer confidence and allow for satisfaction and safety among toyota owners. | |||
| 12/02/2003 | 2000 | 12 | 07/14/2003 |
| 2003 camry se drifts to the left, especially noticeable on the freeway. dealer adjusted alignment to specs. problem still exists. *jb | |||
| 07/02/2003 | 15 | 1 | |
| From original purchase date of vehicle, the car tracks left. the tracking to the left occurs in any lane at any time. i have had into dealer three times for repair. first two visits resulted in comments that this was normal and the crown of the road. a third visit, at another dealer indicated that the toe was slightly off. while this has ameliorated the problem, it continues. i understand that this is typical for camry's with 16 wheels. i find this situation unacceptable. the 15 wheel camry does not appear to suffer from this condition.*ak | |||
| 05/22/2003 | 1 | 01/02/2003 | |
| 2003 camry purchased jan 03: complaint was--car has to be herded continually. will not maintain straight line of travel. feels like it is on top of the bubble. annoying. dealer checked alignment and said all within specifications--no problem found. it still does it! (checked 5/22/03) *la the vehicle drifted to the right about 3 seconds after the pressure was released from the steering wheel. the vehicle only drifted to the right not the left, therefore constant pressure on the left side of the steering wheel was always needed. the vehicle tires were replaced but that did not stop the problem. the consumer was told by the dealer that drift exclusively to the right was acceptable to toyota. *nm | |||
| 08/23/2003 | 27 | 1 | 08/22/2003 |
| Vehicle pulls to left and drifts when driven under most road conditions. dealer is unable to correct this problem in three attempts. this steering defect represents a significant safety risk. i intend to take steps to force toyota to repurchase this vehicle under the ohio lemon law. *la | |||
| 07/12/2003 | 1 | 07/05/2003 | |
| I purchased a toyota camry v6 se model in july of 2003. since purchase there is a steering pull/veer to the left requiring over correction to the right. i brought car into several dealerships 4 times, 1st time was told the problem was nonexistent; 2nd time, no problem, noticeable again; 3rd time tire rotation performed, but car still veers to the left. two weeks ago, car was driven by factory representative who commented that the car was mechanically perfect. service manager suggested checking tires but would not admit that there was a significant problem. i test drove a brand new se v6 model directly from the dealers lot and found the same characteristic steering behavior, witnessed by the service manager. i have difficulty controlling this vehicle (between 20 & 40 mph) but have been told that this is the nature of the car and i can begin arbitration if i choose. i am extremely frustrated and have been greatly inconvenienced by the number of fruitless trips to the dealership. there is a serious problem with the steering that the dealership and apparently toyota's specialists will not acknowledge is abnormal and in my opinion (as well of those i have read on the internet) is a driving hazard. i want this to be fixed, but basically have nowhere to turn. any assistance would be greatly appreciated.*jb | |||
| 09/22/2003 | 10000 | ||
| When driving between 60-70 mph the steering while vibrated severely. this made controlling the vehicle and maintaining it on the road very difficult. the consumer will be taking vehicle to the dealership. please provide further information. *nlm | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 10/12/2009 | 76000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry le. when turning the steering column she heard a very peculiar noise. she called the local dealer and was advised that they would not provide assistance unless she paid for the repairs out of pocket. she has not spoken with the manufacturer. the current and failure mileages were approximately 76,000. | |||
| 03/14/2007 | 1 | ||
| My 2003 camry has had a popping sound/feel in the steering wheel. i first noticed it in 2004 and took it to the dealer several times before they could verify the problem. they replaced something in the steering column which solved the problem until about 4 months ago. when i got my car from the dealer i asked if this would be an on-going problem, and the shop manager told me it would not happen again. well....4 months ago it started popping again. my car is no longer under warranty and i was told it would cost 900.00 to be repaired. i just hope it is nothing going on in the steering column that could cause an accident. *tr | |||
| 06/18/2007 | 28000 | 1 | 03/12/2003 |
| Defective intermediate steering joint in the steering column. *ak | |||
| 02/09/2007 | 83397 | 30 | 01/09/2007 |
| Tl*- the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. a popping sound in the steering wheel occurred when turning the wheel in any direction. the failure happened since the vehicle was purchased. toyota stated that there was an internal memo due to several complaints. the current and failure mileage was 83397. the vehicle was purchased on january 9, 2007. *ak | |||
| 07/20/2004 | 1 | ||
| When turning the steering wheel it makes a very awkward squeaking sound. i noticed the squeaking in the winter of 2004. it does it all the time most noticeably during cold weather. i took it to the local toyota dealership around july 2006. they lubricated it and it stopped for a while. i had to take it back in december of 2006 to have it lubricated again. i don't know what the problem is, but i wish it could be corrected. *jb | |||
| 11/01/2006 | 40000 | 1 | 05/07/2003 |
| At about 40,000 miles, a knocking sound began to be audible when turning the vehicle in both directions. it is most noticeable when turning the wheels several degrees at low speeds such as in parking. the knock appears to be associated with a slight vibration of the same frequency as the knock and a slight looseness in the steering. the noise and slight jerk in the steering wheel gradually worsened with time, and the car was just beyond the general warranty period when the problem was reported to the dealer. the diagnosis by the dealer was bad steering column; needs to be replaced. as it was not considered a drive train component, there was no warranty coverage. the cost would have been about $1000 at the time. no repair has yet been done. the knock has continued and at about 80,000 miles a squeaking noise began to accompany the knock. no difficulty steering at normal speed (e.g. drifting) has been experienced and no abnormal tire wear. the incidence date is the date the squeaking noise was first noticed. *jb | |||
| 09/01/2005 | 40000 | 1 | 05/07/2003 |
| At about 40,000 miles, a knocking sound began to be audible when turning the vehicle in both directions. i am not aware of any precipitating incident; no collisions or hard contact with curbing, pot holes, etc.. the knock could also be felt as a slight jerk in the steering wheel. there was (and still is) no noticeable difficulty controlling the car. the noise and slight jerk in the steering wheel gradually worsened with time, and the car was just beyond the general warranty period when the problem was reported to the dealer. diagnosis by the dealer was bad steering column; needs to be replaced. as it was not considered a drive train component, there was no warranty coverage. the cost would have been about $1000 at the time. no repair has yet been done. *nm | |||
| 11/01/2005 | 38200 | 1 | 05/04/2004 |
| The steering wheel was very loose and difficult to control when driving. i also heard a strange noise when turning to either direction. the dealership replaced the whole steering column shaft assembly for $1016.57. *jb | |||
| 02/19/2004 | 7572 | 4 | 07/01/2003 |
| 2003 toyota camry experiencing problems with hesitation upon acceleration.***no answer required*** *mr this would occur as the consumer would attempt to pass other vehicles. there was a break and or chatter in the left front wheel. the hesitation would occur at all speeds and there was a rubbing noise in the steering column. *sc *jb | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||
| 01/13/2004 | 4980 | 1 | |
| While making left turns and without any warning steering wheel and brake pedal locked up. as result, consumer was involved in a head on collision, and air bags did not deploy.*ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||
| 10/07/2006 | 55000 | 1 | 09/09/2004 |
| Looseness and noise in intermediate steering shaft. occurs when temperatures above 75 degrees or when vehicle warm from operation. feeling of loose connection in steering linkage felt in steering wheel. metal against metal noises heard also. dealer and toyota refuse to repair this problem even though vehicle under extended warranty coverage and numerous nhtsa and toyota tsb's exist for this defect on this year and model vehicle. incident date is for most recent occurrence. problem is always there every day. *nm | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - RACK | |||
| 04/12/2010 | 2 | 07/01/2002 | |
| Consumers 2003 toyota camry has brake problems, water leaks in the trunk and gas reservoir, doors do not close properly releasing air into the driver side door. *ts smoke would emit from the exhaust on cold starts. the engine valve stem seals were replaced due to loss of tension and oil was leaking into the cylinders. the strut supports were replaced due them being worn. the power steering rack was leaking, the engine mount was cracked and the battery was leaking.*jb the consumer also stated there was a vibration coming from the brakes when they were applied. there was a hole in the dashboard. updated 04/223/10.*jb | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 03/02/2006 | 17000 | 1 | 11/19/2003 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was at a stop, the steering wheel continued to move to the left. the dealership was unable to determine a problem. updated 03/28/06. *jb | |||
| 03/02/2006 | 36000 | 1 | 08/25/2002 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while turning, the steering wheel made a grinding noise. an independent repair shop determined the steering wheel needed to be removed and lubricated. updated 03/20/06. *jb | |||
| 1 | 12/13/2002 | ||
| The consumer was involved in an accident and his knees were injured when they hit the steering column adjustment handle bar. the design of the adjustment handle bar was not correct and stuck out over 1 inch to far. ph *cb *jb | |||