1997 Toyota Camry Suspension

AT SPEEDS OF 25 MPH OR MORE THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BOUNCES SIDEWAYS REQUIRING IMMEDIATE STEERING CORRECTIONS CONSTANTLY IN ORDER TO AVIOD ACCIDENTS. WHILE DRIVING IN WYOMING AT 72 MPH , THE REAR WHEELS HIT A CRACK IN THE PAVEMANT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BOUNCE SIDEWAYS AND SPIN OUT OF CONTROL AND OFF THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE SINCE VISITED THE DEALER AND LEARNED THAT THE SHOCK MOUNTS WERE DEFECTIVE AND LOOSE. I REPLACED THE SHOCKS AND MOUNTS/SUPPORTS AT A COST OF OVER $1000 AND STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR AT SPEEDS OVER 35 MPH AND CONSIDERING SELLING IT AND BUYING A SAFER VEHICLE.*AK

EXPERIENCING NOISE IN FRONT END WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS, SOUNDS LIKE STRUTS, OR SUSPENSION IS GOING OUT, ROUGH SOUND. NOTICED MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS, HAS THERE BEEN A RECALL? HAVE NOT TAKEN IN FOR SVC YET. *AK

TOYOTA HAS A LIFETIME GUARANTEE REGARDING MUFFLERS, EXHAUST PIPES, SHOCK ABSORBERS, STRUTS, AND STRUT CARTRIDGES, IT STATES THAT TOYOTA WILL REPLACE PARTS AND DO LABOR FOR FREE OF CHARGE, HOWEVER CONSUMER HAD STRUTS REPLACED AND WAS NOT REIMBURSED. *SLC

THE RIGHT FRONT STRUT MOUNT HAS BEEN DETERMINED BY FOWLER TOYOTA TO BE BROKEN. IT ONLY HAS 31,000/WARRANTY IS 36,000/3 YEARS. FOWLER TOYOTA SAID THAT THIS WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN WITH A CAR WITH THAT MANY MILES. I CONTACTED THE DISTRICT MANAGER TO ASK THAT TOYOTA WOULD PAY FOR THE REPAIR. HE REFUSED BECAUSE IT WAS PAST THE 36 MONTHS. HE SAID IT WAS NOT A SAFETY FACTOR.*AK

NOISE IN FRONT END GOING OVER BUMPS, TOPS OF STRUTS NEED TO BE REPLACED DEFECTIVE. *AK

FRONT REAR STRUTS DEFECT. DEALERSHIP NOT GOING TO REPLACE AT THEIR OWN COST.*AK

EXPERIENCED BUMP AND NOISE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL. DEALER ADVISED I NEEDED TO REPALCE THE STRUT ASSEMBLY, COST $700.00! CAR ONLY HAS 24,000 MILES. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL AND WAS TOLD NO. DEALER DID ADVISE THAT THEY HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE WITH THIS ISSUE. I HAVE OWNED CAMRY'S IN THE PAST AND HAD NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. SEEMS LIKE THERE IS A DEFECT AND SHOULD BE RECALLED OR AT LEAST PAID FOR BY TOYOTA. I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I CHECKED OUT YOUR WEBSITE AND NOTICED THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I WOULD APPRECIATE AND ASSISTANCE THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE. I DID SEND A SEPARATE E-MAIL TO YOU BEFORE I CAME ACROSS THIS FORM. *AK

THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE RATTLES AS IF THE STRUTS ARE LOOSE. DEALER STATES UPPER STRUT BUSHINGS ARE NOW WORN OUT, BUT NOT A HAZARD. PEOPLE RIDING IN MY CAR STATE THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE FRONT WHEELS ARE GOING TO FALL OFF, WHEN THE CAR RUNS OVER BUMPS. THIS NOISE STARTED DURING MY WARRANTY PERIOD ON THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE ONLY. THE DEALER TOLD ME THE RIGHT STRUT WAS FINE. TODAY, THEY STILL SAY THE STRUTS ARE STILL FINE, BUT NOW BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT WHEELS SOUND LOOSE. *AK

RIGHT FRONT STRUT ROD KNOCKING WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT PART ON BACK ORDER FOR TWO TO THREE MONTHS. ASKING NHTSA HELP ON THIS MATTER. *AK

NOISE COMING FROM FRONT END WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS, AT ANY SPEED. TOOK THE CAR TO OUR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND HE DETERMINED THAT BOTH FRONT STRUT ASSEMBLIES HAD FAILED. VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 55,000 MILES. CONTACTED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY DENIED KNOWLEDGE OF ANY PROBLEM. OUR MECHANIC ORDERED PARTS, 2-3 WEEK NATIONWIDE BACKORDER. WE TRIED ALL OF THE TOYOTA DEALERS IN THE WASHINGTON, DC AREA. (THE ONLY PLACE TO OBTAIN THESE PARTS.) 55,000 MILES IS MUCH TO EARLY FOR THESE COMPONENT TO FAIL AND THE BACKORDER WOULD INDICATE THAT A PROBLEM IS SURFACING THAT TOYOTA DOESN'T WANT TO ADMIT. *AK

THE FAILURE OF THIS COMPONENT IS WIDESPREAD. RESULTS IN NOISE IN RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WELL WHEN HITTING A BUMP.NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED IN SUMMARY. *AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WHEN FIVE PEOPLE WERE IN THE VEHICLE, THE TIRES SCRAPED REAR WHEEL WELLS AND UNDERCARRIAGE SCRAPED PAVEMENT. *SLC

THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE RATTLES AS IF THE STRUTS ARE LOOSE. THIS CAUSES A LOUD BANGING NOISE. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE AND REPLACED THE STRUTS. BUT, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.

FRONT STRUTS WERE A KNOWN DEFECT, DEALER TOLD ME, THEY BANG LOUDLY AND MAY FAIL I FEAR. DEALER SERVICE DEPT TOLD ME THE STRUTS WERE KNOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED BUT THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID NOT KNOW THIS. NOW THEY ARE REALLY BAD, TO

PROBLEM STARTED 12/17/97 WITH 4581 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM BEING A NOISE UNDERNEATHJ THE CAR WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS. I HAVE HAD THE CAR INTO THE DEALER ON 4 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WITHE THE LAST BEING 2/2/99 TRYING TO GET THE PROBLEM SOLVED. THEY HAVE TRIED ON EACH TIME WORKING WITH THE FRONT STRUT ASSEMBLY AND THE STRUTS. THEY HAD TOYOTA REP IN ON THIS LAST TIME AND HE SAID THEY KNOW OF THE PROBLEM AND THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM MORE NOTICEABLE IN COLD TEMPERATURE AND THAT THEY ARE STILL TRYING TO COME UP WITH A FIX. PROBLEM IS MAINLY A DESIGN PROBLEM IN THE STRUT ASSEMBLY. ALSO HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF POOR VISABILITY PATTERN THEY PROJECT AND STILL HAVE THE PROBLEM. THIS MATTER HAS ALSO HAD SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT CORRECTING WITH THE LAST BEING 2/2/99

WHILE DRIVING OVER BUMPS VEHICLE WILL MAKE A LOUD NOISE IN FRONT END SUSPENSION ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES, CASUING A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. *AK

THE CAR MAKES A GROANING NOISE OVER ROUGH ROAD SURFACES. THE CONDITION IS RAPIDLY GETTING WORSE. TOYOTA DEALER INFORMED ME THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE THAT A SMALL NUMBER OF CARS HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND ATTEMPTS TO DEVISE A REMEDY, BUT HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL. TOYOTA HAS TOLD ME, VIA THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP, THAT "IT IS SUSPENSION NOISE, WHICH IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE CAR". TOYOTA REGIONAL CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGER AND TOYOTA EMPLOYED TECHNICAN HAVE BOTH BEEN IN THE CAR. TOYOTA FIXED THE LOOSE ROOF, HOWEVER THERE HAS BEEN NO OFFER OF A SOLUTION ON THE DETERIORATING CONDITION OF THE SUSPENSION. THE DEALER HAS TOLD ME THAT TOYOTA WILL NOT OFFER A SOLUITON. *AK

SUSPENSSION DESIGN PROBLEM,CAR BOTTOMS OUT ON ALL DIPS AND DRIVE WAY. YH

STRUTS FAILED. YH

FRONT STRUT FAILING TO OPERATE BETWEEN 6000 -7000 MILES OF WEAR. WHENEVER VEHICLE HIT A BUMP THE STRUT WOULD BOTTOM OUT/ METAL TO METAL ARE HITING. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK

THE CAR FRONT SUSPENSION IS VERY LOW. THE FRONT (UNDER) OF THE CAR SCRAPES THE CEMENT WHEN BACKING FROM A DRIVEWAY OR WHEN DRIVING OVER SOME DIPS IN THE STREETS. MY NEIGHBOR HAS THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL OF THE CAR AND HE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.

WHEN CAR WAS PURCHASED IT PULLED TO THE LEFT. AFTER THE DEALER PERFORMED TWO ALIGNMENTS, THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE BELTS ON ONE OF THE TIRES WERE FLATTENED, AND THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR NOW RATTLES AT ALL SPEEDS AND THE FRONT TIRES ARE NOW WEARING ON THE INSIDE. *AK

VEHICLE IS IMPROPERLY ALIGNED, THREE SETS OF FRONT TIRES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, DEALER HAS CORRECTED THE PROBLEM AND REPLACED THE TIRES THREE TIMES, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE REAR END BOTTOMS OUT TOO EASILY. VEHICLE MUST APPROACH A SLIGHT DIP IN THE ROAD AT A VERY SLOW SPEED SO THAT THE REAR END DOES NOT SLAM DOWN.