Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |||
| 03/04/2013 | 65000 | ||
| I was driving, took a corner and my car turned off without warning or signal, and i lost power steering and hit another parked vehicle. i proceeded to turn my car back on, drive ten feet and the engine shut off again without warning. i went to the auto body shop and they stated it was a code 2112 throttle issue. i researched on the internet and saw several other consumer complaints about this same issue with the same make/model/year and around the same mileage as my car has. toyota is not recalling or providing free service on the parts and i was given an estimate of over 1300.00 to fix. seeing that this is normal wear and tear - i didnt do a thing to cause this to happen, and it's a safety issue, i believe they should be replacing and or recalling these vehicles. | |||
| 01/26/2013 | 61262 | ||
| Took car for test drive on road described to me by a dealership employee as an uncrowned road.let go of steering wheel a few times and immediately the car took off to the left repeatedly.went back to dealership, said would buy car, but that i would have to have the steering pulling cured.went back next day or two, tires rotated.on drive home pulling was back.went back for realignment. was told the problem was minimalized.got in the car, let go of the steering wheel, started the pulling in the dealership parking lot.took car to independent to check the front end.he said could only find most minor alignment problems,not enough to cause the pulling.he checked out underside for any damage,found notthing.back to dealership for replacement of rack & pinion & two new tires on the front.job finished, left and made right onto highway.got a right hand pull. car never previously pulled right except for a couple of times when braking.made left to go home and had only left pulling on all roads traveled.on open six lane highway i let go of the wheel, by the count of three entire car is in the lane to the lef.i read on this site incidents with pulling that have resulted in unsafe situations. | |||
| 03/04/2013 | 65000 | ||
| I was driving, took a corner and my car turned off without warning or signal, and i lost power steering and hit another parked vehicle. i proceeded to turn my car back on, drive ten feet and the engine shut off again without warning. i went to the auto body shop and they stated it was a code 2112 throttle issue. i researched on the internet and saw several other consumer complaints about this same issue with the same make/model/year and around the same mileage as my car has. toyota is not recalling or providing free service on the parts and i was given an estimate of over 1300.00 to fix. seeing that this is normal wear and tear - i didnt do a thing to cause this to happen, and it's a safety issue, i believe they should be replacing and or recalling these vehicles. | |||
| 01/26/2013 | 61262 | ||
| Took car for test drive on road described to me by a dealership employee as an uncrowned road.let go of steering wheel a few times and immediately the car took off to the left repeatedly.went back to dealership, said would buy car, but that i would have to have the steering pulling cured.went back next day or two, tires rotated.on drive home pulling was back.went back for realignment. was told the problem was minimalized.got in the car, let go of the steering wheel, started the pulling in the dealership parking lot.took car to independent to check the front end.he said could only find most minor alignment problems,not enough to cause the pulling.he checked out underside for any damage,found notthing.back to dealership for replacement of rack & pinion & two new tires on the front.job finished, left and made right onto highway.got a right hand pull. car never previously pulled right except for a couple of times when braking.made left to go home and had only left pulling on all roads traveled.on open six lane highway i let go of the wheel, by the count of three entire car is in the lane to the lef.i read on this site incidents with pulling that have resulted in unsafe situations. | |||
| 12/25/2012 | 107400 | ||
| I was approaching a freeway in atlanta, ga. as the connector curved, i was driving about 35 mph and gently braked about 200 feet from the freeway. the car immediately and violently accelerated, throwing my head back against the headrest; i braked harder but there was no response from the car; the car seemed to pivot on the right front tire and the rear end flew to my left about 240 degrees or so and struck the guard rail with the left rear quarter panel and bumper. the car then, continuing at high speed, ricocheted off the guard rail and the rear end pivoted toward the road, making the front bumper strike the same guard rail. the second collision scraped the paint off the center of the bumper but the impact seemed stronger than the damage would indicate. the second impact did stop the car. i make this report because my car was not one of those recalled by toyota for this problem; but, believe me, it happened. | |||
| 01/04/2012 | |||
| No incident, program keep asking for date: its a dummy date. i am the original owner of toytota camry lxi 2004. around 35,260 miles and before 3 years (under warranty) steering started causing trouble, started to feel and hear cllcking in the steering when ever the steering wheel is moved or during driving in either direction. in adition to this problem some times steering gets realy hard during driving. i took the car to an authorized dealer in chicago and it was tested by a mechanic and i was told that they could not find any problem. after 16 months and at 43,752 miles the problem got worst and i had to take the car back to the same authorized dealer in chicago, and after checking it i was told that yes their is a problem with the steering and it will cost me $520 + labour to fix it. i refused to pay and told them that i will file a complain with toyota corp that when i brought the car for the same reason under warranty it was not fixed and now you want to fix the same problem charging the customer. finnaly the manager got the ok from toyota corp and fixed the problem without charge. now after 3 years at 63,632 miles same problems with the steering returned and a authorized dealer in california wants to charge me $715 + labour. i filed a online complain with toyota corp (main office in torrance, ca) and after investigation they told me that when the authorized dealer in chicago fixed the problem, he fixed it as a goodwill ! what does it mean? when i took the car for the same problem it was under warranty and it was fixed for no charge. i don't think i like to pay any money for this kind of problem and toyota corp should be responsible to fix this problem with no charge to customer. | |||
| 11/12/2011 | |||
| The left front tire ( new tire, i punched 4 new michelin tires 7/11) on my car popped. i am not sure if the car pedal got stuck first, everything happened fast. steering became impossible and the car when side to side as i attempted to steer the car. the stewing wheel would turn, but it didn't work. the major thing is that i couldn't operate the car because of the pedal getting stuck and the steering was impossible after that. the car was taken to carriage cage auto repair by aaa, who recommended i take it there, since the car could not be driven. i then went to the er room for care. nationwide insurance was notified, they gave an estimate of over five thousand dollars to repair the car. toyota in lake city, wa -bruce in auto care was notified regarding the pedal becoming stuck. i will have to take the car there once it is repaired. i wonder how safe is the car and what can be done about it. | |||
| 10/06/2006 | 56000 | ||
| I bought the used 2004 toyota camry in october and found that the car would pull to the left and found that i had to firmly hold onto the steering wheel while i was driving. i went to the nhtsa website to see if other people were experiencing the same problem. i found that this was a common complaint among toyota camry owners. toyota didn't have a recall issued. in january 2011 i experienced a vibration in the steering wheel as i was entering a major highway that scared the heck out of me. i drove in the right-hand lane and dropped my speed until the vibration stopped. i had a mechanic check out the steering mechanism and he was not able to correct the problem. i have also had wheel alignments during the past five years. i am having trouble steering when i make left- or right-hand turns in addition to holding onto the steering wheel (which becomes stressful during long driving trips). my neck muscles become very cramped because i need to focus on steering the car. i've registered my car with toyota and i'm waiting for toyota to issue a recall. this is the first car i've ever owned that i do not enjoy driving. | |||
| 01/15/2005 | 40000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. while driving at approximately 50 mph the steering wheel shifts from left to right on its own. the failure occurs constantly at different speeds. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics because the warranty had expired. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 40,000. ds | |||
| 06/16/2011 | 25000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph the steering wheel started to sway to the left and right. when trying to slow down the steering continued to sway until it took her to the shoulder. the vehicle was then towed to a dealer and they advised her that the steering fluid had leaked out due to the pump being fractured. the vehicle has not been repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 25,000. tb | |||
| 11/04/2010 | 48000 | ||
| At around 48000 miles, i started to feel and hear a clicking in the steering. it occurs any time the steering wheel is moved,(parked or driving). i had a mechanic check it out and was told that the intermediate slide shaft is causing the problem. as i searched through your complaint list, i see there are a lot of complaints against this model and year. it seems toyota does not want to take responsibility. i was told that there are other manufacturers that have the same type of problems and have made repairs to their vehicles. also there are third party replacement parts to fix this problem (at the owners | |||
| 12/24/2009 | 35000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. the contact stated that when she turned the vehicle, she noticed a noise and the vehicle would not keep straight on the road. the contact noticed the problem everytime she drove. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the steering column was replaced. the contact called the manufacturer who stated that they would refund her some of the money paid for the repair. the current mileage was 39,027. the failure mileage was approximately 35,000-bk | |||
| 11/20/2009 | 80000 | ||
| I own a 2004 toyota camry. it has a defective throttle body which has left my wife stranded and cost $1000 to fix from the dealer. this is a common problem and a few of my friends have had to pay twice to get this fixed. the other issue is there a defective part in the steering linkage that pops when you turn. this eventually leads to slop in the steering and it cause my to go in the ditch. this accident has given me a chronic back condition and prevented me from commisioning in the military. this issue is also knowen to be a problem with the camrys but toyota refuses to do anything about it. | |||
| 04/21/2010 | 73000 | ||
| Noise in steering column and too much play in steering. replaced intermediate steering column shaft. major issue averted since my mechanic picked up on the issue. significant automobile part, should not have failed. toyota has a service bulletin but not a recall on this issue. | |||
| 10/03/2005 | 2 | ||
| Fax on behalf of re her defective 2004 toyota camry: defective steering shaft was replace but noise has returned; reply attn: cape coral district office. *kb the consumer stated the vehicle made a distinctive noise when the steering wheel was turned. the problem returned six months later. | |||
| 02/27/2010 | 72000 | 1 | |
| The front left of the car was making noise. when i drive, the steering wheel was vibrating when i press the brake. when i was driving on the freeway, the steering wheel stopped working. as the steering wheel did not work, i tried to stopped the car by pressing the brakes, but that did not stop the car. the front of my car hit into the center divider on the freeway and then the back of my car also hit the divider. when the car finally stopped i was blocking 3 lanes on a 5 lane freeway facing traffic. the air bags did not deploy even though i was driving 55 mph. the front bumper completely detached from the car. i suffered whiplash including neck and shoulder pains. i just had my car maintained about a month ago. *tr | |||
| 12/09/2008 | 39000 | 1 | 01/04/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry le. the contact lost control of the vehicle because the steering wheel malfunctioned on the vehicle. the contact was not injured in the crash. the contact was not able to give more details of what caused the vehicle to lose control. the consumer was traveling 55 mph when the crash occurred. the failure mileage was 39,000. the vehicle was destroyed. updated 4/26/10 *cn updated 04/30/10. *jb | |||
| 01/11/2010 | 17258 | 1 | |
| I previously purchased a 2004 new camry at a car dealership in california. at 17,000 miles i noticed a thumping sound and vibration in the steering column. i was informed that this year car was experiencing problems and the steering column was fixed. the repair was made under warranty. just recently at 49, 000 miles, the same problem occurred again. i was told that the steering could have gone out any time and i would have lost complete control. i was again informed that the 2004 camry's had a problem with the steering column. this time i had to pay over $600 as the car is out of warranty. i have written to toyota company asking them to pay for the repair, since it should have never occurred again. i have not received a response. *tr | |||
| 07/01/2009 | 123145 | 1 | |
| Steering hard to turn,steering wheel very stiff. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2008 | 64000 | 1 | |
| The inner steering column shaft became detatched on my 2004 toyota camry 4 dr le sedan. it started making a noise and the complete steering column had to be replaced at a cost of $950.00. toyota would do nothing because they said the car had 60,000 miles on it and it was out of warranty. also the rear struts wore out at about 30,000 miles. *jb | |||
| 08/15/2008 | 21000 | 1 | |
| Steering column makes bad noises when it is turned. the noises continue and steering is rough. *tr | |||
| 12/05/2009 | 106664 | 1 | |
| During routine vehicle maintenance toyota mechanic reported loose steering column. lots of play in steering wheel when driving - very poor responsiveness. vehicle taken to toyota dealer - new intermediate steering shaft replaced at my cost. *tr | |||
| 08/06/2009 | 102000 | 1 | |
| Steering loose when moving wheel back and forth slowly. hardly noticed at first. i drove the car today. i have not driven it for several months. steering was more loose and the wheels also vibrated along with the steering wheel at about 60mph. i googled the problem and found lots of information, see link: yes, search this forum for steering noise and you'll find a few threads. this is where they nailed it: http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/sh...=155639&page=2. *tr | |||
| 04/17/2008 | 45000 | 1 | |
| The steering column has failed on my 2004 camry. a little browsing of the internet reveals that this is a common problem with the camry model. my dealer in covington, la has said that about 1 in 8 camry's have this problem, but would not offer to held repair my vehicle since only the powertrain warranty remains. a call to toyota customer assistance yielded the same results. the steering wheel make a grinding noise at slow speeds, and the dealer (northshore toyota in covington, la) has told me my steering bearings are shot. this problem was first reported to my dealer at about 50,000 miles. *tr | |||
| 10/22/2005 | 29944 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. while making a turn at approximately 15 mph on normal road conditions, the contact heard a loud clicking noise coming from the steering column followed by a shaking sensation. there were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they stated that the failure was related to the steering column assembly. the steering column was replaced under the service warranty. on two separate occasions, the vehicle was returned to the authorized dealer for identical failures. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 29,944 and current mileage was 72,000. | |||
| 08/15/2007 | 1 | ||
| There is a knocking sound in the steering wheel. the sound comes when the steering turns right or left. it started at around 30k miles. this seems to be a factory defect. *tr | |||
| 01/01/2007 | 65000 | 1 | 08/04/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. while driving 55 mph, the steering wheel vibrated. the contact was still able to maintain control of the vehicle. the dealer stated that the intermediate shaft needed to be replaced due to normal wear and tear. the repair was not made. the failure mileage was 65,000 and current mileage was 71,520. | |||
| 04/23/2007 | 39000 | 1 | 04/11/2004 |
| 2004 toyota camry has excessive play in steering column and make noise when making a left or right turn. dealer states that it is just a noise but would replace lower column at a cost of $463.65. i believe that this is a potential safety issue in which the dealer/manufacturer is aware. this in my humble opinion should be a recall item paid for by toyota. this is my fourth toyota and i never had any issues like this beginning at 39,000. noise was smaller and only noticed on left turns at first now much louder and occurs on left and right turns. *jb | |||
| 02/20/2007 | 28000 | 1 | 06/01/2004 |
| Shortly after we purchased a new 2004 camry sedan, we began noticing looseness, rattling, knocking sounds and play in the steering characteristics. in addition, in slow, tight-radius turns (as in parking lots), it almost felt as if the front tires would slide laterally over slick surfaces -- snow, ice, loose gravel, wet pavement. the problem was subtle at first but became gradually more noticeable. at highway speeds, there was a barely-perceptible oscillation or vibration of the steering wheel. at about 28k miles we noticed a pulling to the right. we asked for an alignment to be done and this did not correct the problem. the knocking, rattling, looseness, play, lateral skidding in tight-radius turns became worse over time and at about 50k miles we asked the dealer to check again. dealers service order stated, tsb st001-06 applies to this concern. an updated steering shaft ordered. the cost to repair was over $400. we believe this defect existed from the time the car was manufactured, and the description of the problem sounds similar to recalls or defects i have researched that affect the prius, avalon, and other toyota vehicles. we believe this could be a potential safety hazard. *jb | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 43000 | 1 | |
| 2004 toyota camry with steering shaft assembly problems**cc *jb | |||
| 01/30/2007 | 45000 | 1 | 08/31/2004 |
| When turning to the left, the steering wheel had a jerking motion and a knocking noise. contacted dealer and said it has happened before on occassion. car taken to dealer and replaced a lower steering shaft to a newer version. comment was that this car was a new design and this particular part needed replacement. my problem is that it was not covered under warranty and i had to pay for the replacement. the old part was not available for me to take it. *nm | |||
| 11/11/2006 | 42000 | 1 | 04/09/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65 mph on normal road conditions a clicking noise was heard. there were no warning lights illuminated. when the vehicle was taken to the dealership for its regular service, the mechanic determined the intermediate shaft of the steering gear needed to be replaced, however it was not a safety problem. the contact was aware of vehicles affected by corrosion when operated in salt belt states creating specific steering failures. the manufacturer was contacted who also indicated there was no recall but the dealership would honor the cost of the parts but not the labor involved for the repair. updated 2/22/2007 - *nm | |||
| 07/24/2006 | 1 | 12/01/2004 | |
| Dt*: the contact stated the vehicles steering locks up, and will need an ignition cylinder for repair the problem. several dealers confirmed that this is a recurring issue with vehicles of this year, make and model. | |||
| 01/10/2006 | 21800 | 1 | 07/29/2004 |
| Steering knuckle defective on 2004 toyota camry. provides a major safety issue. problem has been going on for two weeks. now after taking it to an official toyota dealer repair shop, problem still not fixed. now at least two week to a month wait on part. was told we were number 536 on waiting list, and was told it was not a safety issue in short term, but do not believe that. steering is loose, and a catch occurs in steering. passenger can even feel when this occurs. dealer has reported three exact same problems with other camrys in the same week. *nm | |||
| 05/28/2005 | 14200 | 2 | 11/20/2003 |
| Recently i brought my 04 camry to my dealer because of sulfur smell and rattle at light acceleration. the dealer verified the problems and replaced the converter and intake manifold according to the tsbs. they said they also had to re-program the ecm. then after i picked up the car, i found everything is harder: the acceleration, steering, and braking. i found it is hard to maintain a speed whether on local or highway. on may 28,2005, while i drove the car on highway with 4 persons sitting in the car (including me), i found the steering was very hard and felted like it was locked, and i found it is very hard to accelerate to hwy speed and hard to maintain it. i brought the car to the dealer again on may 31. after having a technician test drove it, they told me it was similar to other camrys (normal) and wouldn't want to solve my problem. i believe they never tried to reproduce my problem (by having more people sitting in the car). i think this problem is a safty issue so i file complaint with nhtsa. i also feel the car doesn't shift right and engine is noiser after the convert/intake change and re-programming. | |||
| 11/03/2004 | 4067 | 6 | 07/14/2004 |
| Vehicle pulls to left or right--mostly left. vehilce will not drive straight without constant pressure on the steering wheel. i have complained and have taken it in for service and/or test driven a total of eight times. four times have been in the last month. the springs have been replaced and a wheel alignment has been performed. two service managers have driven with me from two different dealerships. they could feel the car pulling but said it was normal. there is a technical service bulletin to repair the vehicle pull/drift but there has not been any improvement to my vehicle. i hear rattles in the driver window, the passenger window/door, and the dash. the windows were serviced once. the dash has been serviced twice. servicemen replaced the seatbelt panel on the passenger side because they thought the noise existed there. the noise still exists. since then, they don't try to repair and i've been told 'a little play in the windows is normal.' | |||
| 06/28/2004 | 1 | 1 | 06/28/2004 |
| Toyota camry was purchased june 28, 2004. pulled to left during test drive but was promised that it would be aligned and taken care of. repeated trip's for service have resulted in the tires be rotated repeatedly but no effect on the pulling issue. ended up in arbitration. waste of time. shop forman type person acknowledged this as a oft repeated complaint. arbitration denied any type repair or replacement. constantly repeated the crown of the road story, the its designed that way for your safety story, etc. first set of tires wore out after 18000 miles. was told that they're designed that way for a better ride. took car to another toyota dealer. he changed springs and such, apparently to exercise the warranty. after nearly a week in the shop, no better. again told the crown of the road story and the its designed that way story. to repeat what if have seen in the other complaints, this is too much to pay for a new car that constantly pulls to the left. it would seem to me that having it pull towards the oncoming traffic would not be the desired result here. the act of having to constantly apply right tension is not only tiring, it is very dangerous. if you glance away from the road, the abnormal feel of right tension causes some totally undesirable maneuvers. totally frustrating. it appears that my third toyota will be my last. *nm | |||
| 03/12/2005 | 10000 | 2 | 11/14/2003 |
| Vehicle has pulled left ever since the tires were rotated for the first time. i've had it back to the dealer three times, with them showing me that the alignment falls within specs, and attributing the pull to road crown. i just had my 30k mile service, and they called to let me know that my tires are wearing unevenly because of alignment issues. i paid to have it aligned again and reminded them about my problems the last time (please note that my tires are supposedly rotated each time the dealer performs an oil change). i drove the vehicle home and it still pulled to the left. i am going back there today to have them road test it with me again, on the phone the tech again attributed it to road crown which i denied, but i'll see what happens. this is ridiculous that a dealership or manufacturer won't repair known issues with their vehicles.*ak | |||
| 10/19/2004 | 21713 | 2 | 11/24/2003 |
| When driving, the steering wheel pulled to the left/right intermittently. *jb the vehicle had been serviced six times but the problem still exists. two sets of tires had been worn out. the tires were out of alignment. *sc | |||
| 07/19/2004 | 7 | 1 | 07/19/2004 |
| From day one car has pulled to the left. steering wheel is also not centered and has too much play. i must apply constent pressure to the right just to keep the car straight. car does not have a solid, stable feel to it where steering is concerened. i have broght this back twice to laurel toyota carmax and they have not fixed it. i had a loaner car for two days and that car felt like it should. i will file a complaint with the manufacturer as well.*ak | |||
| 03/04/2004 | 3000 | 1 | 01/01/2004 |
| I bought this car on 1/1/04. when i took it back a week later to have leather put on the seats, i told them it was pulling to the left. supposedly they aligned the front end but they didn't put anything in the computer about it. they have rotated the tires, switched the tires, aligned the front end, put a new rack on it etc. etc. the last time they told me there was nothing wrong with it and i should read the owners manual on how to operate it. i have dealt with this for 3 months and no satisfaction. i took it back to them and told them i wanted another car. they gave me one to see if i liked it and then pulled mine in to work on it again after i had told them no more. they called me today to tell me it was fixed. right!!! i have called my lawyer. *jb | |||
| 02/03/2004 | 155 | 3 | 01/31/2004 |
| A new 2004 camry se will not align and has severe steering problems. to follow toyota's suggest the alignment computer generated report will note: cross camber actual this value is not within specification. tire wear, handling and safety problems may result. *jb | |||
| 11/24/2003 | 50 | 1 | 11/20/2003 |
| I bought a 04 camry le in nov.03 but found it kept pulling to left. since then i have brought it to dealership twice for fix. the first time, they said it is out of alignment and aligned all 4 wheels. but it still pulled. the second time they cross rotated two tires and slightly adjusted the toe(as they told me). this time it is slightly improved. however, i found the steering is not symmetrical, i.e. turning left and turning right give me different feeling. so i guess the fix they did was not the right fix. they just tried to compensate the left pull by playing with the toe angles. it still pulls! recently i noticed many camry owners have the same problem. some of them actually had the problem fixed by a so-called rotating upper spring insulator by 25mm ccw meothd. and the problem is becuase of an assembly issue. so i would like toyota to have my problem addressed. they should fix their assembly issue and not let customers keep complaining without results!!!*ak | |||
| 10/31/2003 | 370 | ||
| I purchased a brand new 2004 toyota solara. since day one the car has drifted to the left. i have had the front end aligned 4 times, rotated the tires and checked air pressure. nothing has helped this car. this is a safety hazard and should be recalled, before somebody gets killed. | |||
| 12/16/2003 | 85 | 1 | 12/16/2002 |
| Two weeks ago we purchased a new 2004 toyota solara sle v6. it has from the date of purchase drifted to the left. today 12-29-2004 i took it to the dealer (right toyota of scottsdale, arizona) to correct the problem. they said they reverse mount and balanced the left front tire (per tsb st005-01). it drove somewhat better but when i got home and checked the tire pressure after several hours in the garage i found the left front tire at 37+psi well above the required 32 and 4.5 higher then the right front.*ak | |||
| 12/25/2003 | 550 | 1 | 12/08/2003 |
| Car pulls to the left. when driving, the car drifts to the left. the problem is worse at freeway speeds. took to the dealer and they claim there is no problem, just minor road variations.*ak | |||
| 11/12/2003 | 18 | 3 | 11/12/2003 |
| We purchased a 2004 solara se sport v6, after the test drive i told the service manager it pulled to the left he told us not to worry bring it back next week and he will give it a front end alignment, we did that and still pulls . we took it back again and they switched the tires from the right side to the left and it still pulls to the left. they have now had it for 2 weeks and dont know how to fix the problem, they told me toyota knows there is a problem with it pulling to the left but dont know how to fix it. this is a big safty problem because you must at all time kepp pressure on the steering wheel to the left in order for the car to go straight on the road. if you let go of the wheel you will go into the other lane of traffic what will happen in bad weather with ice or snow..... this problem needs to be fix before someone has a bad accident cause of the constant pulling to the left... i suggest a recall on the vehicle. *ak | |||
| 11/03/2003 | 18 | 3 | 11/03/2003 |
| We purchased a 2004 solara se sport v6 ,from day one even at the time of the test drive it puled to the left you must always keep pressure on the steering wheel to the right to keep it straight. we spoke to the service manager after the test drive and before we bought the car and he said to me dont worry bring it back next week and we will fix it, it might just be out of alignment. we took it back the next week they changed the tires from the left side to the right side and said it was ok. it still pulled to the left, i called and told them that it was still pulling to the left they told me to bring it back and they gave me a rental car and they had it two days. we picked it up and it still pulled to the left .we took it back for the 3rd time in less then 2 weeks and i told them to keep it till it is fixed , they called me and told me they are having problems with them and dont know what to do to fix the problem the correct way . this has been 3 attemps to fix it and 17 days out of the first month of having the car that it has been in the shop. what about at a later date about tire problems with this car.*ak | |||
| 12/09/2003 | 1 | 08/31/2003 | |
| 2004 toyota solara - pulls to the left and cannot be aligned. safety hazard problem. must hold onto steering wheel tight or vehicle goes left. dealership aware of this problem but cannot fix it. has had many problems with this type of vehicle. what will happen on icy/snow covered roads? needs to be recalled. *la | |||
| 09/04/2003 | 64 | 5 | 09/04/2003 |
| Purchased brand new 2004 toyota solara in september 2003. car has pulled left from day one. have taken car in 5 times. dealer told me toyota is aware of problem and are working on fix. a case number was assigned to my car and dealership claimed that they fixed car by adding washers to the strut bolts on that side to shim the car. dealer failed to tell me that they also added 5 extra pounds of pressure to the tire on that side to make the car go straight. not acceptable--the car is not fixed. i have filed a lemon law complaint with toyota 2 weeks ago and am awaiting a call back (they have 30 days to fix) and have also filed a complaint with the attorney general's office. *la | |||
| 11/11/2003 | 0 | 1 | 09/25/2003 |
| I purchased a brand new 2004 toyota solara in september of 2003. since i have had the car it has pulled to the left. i took it in and toyota had my car for three days. they told me that they have talked with toyota specialist at corporate and it's a known problem with the 2004 solara that they are working on a fix. at this time they don't know what the problem is and recommended i drive the car until they figure it out. if tires wear wrong or any other problem they would cover it. this is not an acceptable solution for me. this car is brand new and i shouldn't have to keep a car that has a defect. this would not pass state inspection if i were to get it inspected today, so how could they tell me it's safe to drive when it pulls to the left? i have filed a complaint with toyota and i am awaiting a call back. i am also filing a complaint through nhtsa to further assist my situation. *la | |||
| 11/08/2003 | 1 | 1 | |
| I purchased a new 2004 toyota solara sle v-6 a few weeks ago and have some problems. the main problem is drifting to the left. i have taken the car in twice for this problem and the first time i got the car back from ourisman fairfax toyota the steering problem was worst than when i brought it in. aligned to toyota specifications they said. the service manager rotated the tires many times and adjusted the alignment out of specifications to try and make the car track straight down the road. his attempt to fix the car has failed and i am certain that the car will begin to produce abnormal tire wear because of the adjustments made to the car. i feel cheated by toyota. this is a 27,000 dollar car and the 15,000 dollar corolla rental they gave me for the day had perfect steering. this is also a safety issue. drifting to the left side of the road can cause an accident, if you don't keep constant pressure on the steering wheel the car will go left at an alarming rate. the amount of drift is so bad that if you remove your hand from the wheel, the steering wheel will turn left by itself. the amount of auto wheel turn is between 3 to 12 inches. this is very un-safe and i hope this complaint can be of some help to others and me. *la | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 05/10/2009 | 60000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. the steering column makes a thumping noise while turning the steering wheel. an independent mechanic concluded that the intermediate steering shaft failed; however, the technician from the dealer stated that on his particular model the entire steering shaft would need to be replaced to remedy the failure. no repairs were made. the failure mileage was under 60,000. the current was 66,000. the vehicle identification number was unavailable. | |||
| 03/20/2008 | 2000 | 1 | |
| My car has been making a steering well/under the hood poping noise since the day i purchased it. the dealership where i purchased it knows where it is coming from, the steering wheel and possibly tension belt, but has told me to hold off until a recall. my mother in another state, as well as my cousin has the same issue. if toyota has a lead on the market, why can't they honestly honor their repairs. *tr | |||
| 10/12/2006 | 25000 | 500 | 10/10/2005 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. the contact heard a knocking sound in the steering column when he turned the steering wheel. when he turned the steering wheel all the way around, it seemed to malfunction as well. the dealer stated that the intermediate shaft malfunctioned and that there was a service bulletin available, but no recall. the purchase date and speed were unknown. the current mileage was 26,828 and failure mileage was approximately 25,000. updated 02-14-08. *kb updated 02/14/08 *tr | |||
| 10/27/2007 | 26000 | 1 | |
| There is a knocking sound in steering column of my 2004 toyota camry while turning just before moving off. car has 27,000 miles. this seems to be a factory defect. what recourse do i have? *tr | |||
| 01/08/2006 | 79000 | 10 | 12/01/2004 |
| Tl* - the contact heard a clanking noise while driving. .this happened when turning the steering wheel left or right, whether the vehicle was being driven or standing still. the contact stated that the steering column will not adjust, and the wheel leaned a little to the left. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer , and they did not diagnose the problem, but gave him an estimate of what it would cost to repair the steering failure. the contact stated he has been hearing the clanking noise every since he purchased the vehicle back in december 2004, but the noise was getting worse. *ak updated 01/30/07. *jb | |||
| 12/10/2005 | 30000 | 1 | 11/29/2003 |
| Failure of intermediate steering shaft causes clunking and looseness of steering system. toyota refused to give its dealer a replacement part. instead, dealer noted this information on service form: toyota will be issuing a recall regarding condition in near future. will receive notice by mail. this was on december 10, 2005. i have not yet received a recall notice. has toyota contacted nhtsa about a recall for the intermediate steering shaft? *nm | |||
| 07/19/2004 | 7 | 1 | 07/19/2004 |
| From day one car has pulled to the left. steering wheel is also not centered and has too much play. i must apply constent pressure to the right just to keep the car straight. car does not have a solid, stable feel to it where steering is concerened. i have broght this back twice to laurel toyota carmax and they have not fixed it. i had a loaner car for two days and that car felt like it should. i will file a complaint with the manufacturer as well.*ak | |||
| 02/25/2004 | 3 | 01/23/2004 | |
| - new toyota camry le purchased january 2004 - on february 25th key would not turn (took 10 - 15 minutes to start it) - later while parking, the car the steering locked turning the car to the right - the car accelerated and surged despite depressing the brake (same as odi peo4021) - though the car broke a metal flag pole, damaged a retaining wall, and fell seven feet into a major street, the air bags did not deploy - car is severely damaged: wheels, tires, front end, gas tank, front axle - driver has a swollen and sore knee along with significant soft tissue injuries including back pain *sc *jb | |||
| STEERING - ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 01/11/2010 | 83000 | ||
| While driving my 2004 toyota camry (about 83,000 miles on it), the power steering went out, the car required great force to steer, and steam was coming from under the hood. i slowly pulled to the curb to look under the hood and then drove about a quarter mile (with great difficulty) to a nearby toyota dealer. the following day i was informed that an alternator bolt had backed out. this caused the alternator to loosen which released the serpentine belt. as a result the water pump and alternator were damaged and coolant sprayed over the engine. toyota wanted about $1100 to repair all of the damage. i complained and the cost was reduced by the price of a reconditioned alternator, i.e., $400. the service manager told me that they recently had a similar problem. my car had been in for service to the same toyota dealer just 3 weeks earlier. had i been driving on a freeway (instead of a local street where i slowly pulled to the curb), my toyota could have been struck by another vehicle, since i could hardly steer the car. this is potentially a very dangerous defect/problem which i have never heard of before.*cw | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX - SHAFT SECTOR | |||
| 03/26/2007 | 16900 | 1 | 09/23/2003 |
| I own a 2004 toyota camry with only 19,993 miles on it. the steering intermediate shaft was defective. refer to technical service bulletin st001-06. i heard clanking and popping sounds coming from the steering shaft. the steering felt loose and sloppy. after reading the technical service bulletin i believed toyota discovered the faulty part in production and eventually changed to a new part. i was disappointed toyota charged me for labor to fix a part that was defective from the beginning. toyota should have recalled the part and replaced it for free.*ak | |||
| 04/01/2005 | 29000 | 1 | 09/06/2003 |
| Car was parked in driveway for 2 days on march 31 and april 1 during a driving rain storm car was not driven for 2 days. on friday afternoon april 1 at 3:3 pm opened car door and driver's side floor and carpeting was wet from gas pedal under seat to back seat. toyota said nothing was wrong and i must have driven in high water or parked where my car could flood. first of all car wasn't under water in my driveway, if that was the case, my entire car would be flooded, not just drivers side floorboard, and my house would be under water. second of all ,if i had driven in high water both sides of floor board would be wet. not just drivers side. on march 30th day before the storm my car came from toyota shop from getting a steering shaft put in the car. makes me wonder if they didn't seal something up around the firewall, anyway they are refusing to take responsibility. something is wrong with this car, is leaking on just the drivers side floorboard. also bad rattles in b pillars. *ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 12/22/2004 | 2672 | 2 | 08/23/2004 |
| Car started pulling to the right when travelling 65-70 mph, leading to hitting a bridge wall and going down hill after that.suspension and steering heavily damaged, also damage to the body of car. i have been driving for more than 4 years now and this is the first time that i saw a car behave so strangely. since toyota camry has so many complaints from consumers saying that the car pulls to the left, i am thinking if the car was tampered with before sale, causing it to pull to the right instead of left to keep the complaints at bay.. also while driving for the 4 months that i had the car i noticed that the steering would turn to the right when ever i braked(i should have reported this at that very moment) unfortunate that i am doing this after been an horrible accident. *ak | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 21950 | 1 | |
| While driving brakes and/or steering was over riding his judgment. vehicle started the pull to the right consumer had a hard time trying to keep the vehicle in line. *ak....while driving on dry flat road about 70 mph vehicle began to pull to the right. consumer tried to correct back straight but steering did not respond. turned harder and to leftand car started lef toff the road. tried to correct back right lightly and steering did not respond. turne dharder right and car went hard right almost off the road. consume rhit the brakes to keep from leaving the road. also, vehicle has bad vibration a thighway speeds from tires. *ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||
| 04/11/2005 | 60740 | 1 | 12/26/2003 |
| I heard and felt a noise on my steering wheel on my 2004 toyota camry an when i took it to the dealer they said that i needed a steering shaft/intermediate shaft. i happened to check the web and found that other people were having the same problem and that there was a tsb on this problem. also that there was a new shaft made to remedy this situation. i have contacted the dealer and the manufacturer which in turn had the dealer contact me. the service manager told me that they could not fix it since it was out of warranty. he said that if it had 39,000 miles they would probably repair but since i had 60,000 they would not. he did offered me a goodwill gesture of 15% off the cost. my contention is that this was a known issued, and since this has to do with a safety issue such as the steering why wasn't something done before having come to this. the car runs out of warranty and people have to pay for something that they knew about and is a safety issue i also took it to an independent automobile repair shop to see what they thought and they told me that they believe that the noise was coming from the shaft and steering gear box. they did repair a vehicle of someone who 's car was out of warranty but only a few hundred miles over the expiration of the warranty. *jb | |||
| 11/04/2003 | 18 | 1 | 11/06/2003 |
| Just bought a new 2004 camry xle fully loaded, had 18 miles on it.one of the bearings on the steering u-joint fell out,causing at least 2 of play in the wheel, luck has it this was just before we were going on a trip. we could of lost the steering on the freeway and crashed. power toyota in irvine ca. will not give me the bad part they said they had to send it back to the manufacturer. *ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 11/13/2006 | 53000 | 1 | 06/01/2004 |
| On going problem with 2004 toyota camry since 53k miles. coupling between steering column and rack and pinion pops as if their is a bearing failure in union. was advised they were aware of problem with a tsb, but not covered under recall or warranty since none had failed yet. failure of part would directly affect control of steering of vehicle. after contact corporate toyota they said in email i would have to work it out with the dealer who said the part was not covered and not a safety issue. vehicle has not been repaired, but problem and popping in column is getting worse. *nm | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - PINION SHAFT | |||
| 10/20/2004 | 40000 | 1 | 05/20/2004 |
| Looseness in steering wheel with binding associated with popping noise in front of 2004 toyota camry with 40k. *nm | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - RACK | |||
| 11/28/2006 | 55800 | 2 | 10/01/2003 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds a clunking noise was heard coming from the steering column, and there was excessive play within the steering wheel. the vehicle was driven to the dealer where the steering rack was replaced however the problem has recurred. | |||