2003 Toyota Camry Steering

THE 2003 CAMRAY TOYOTA HAS A DEFECTIVE PART AT 51,000 HAVE HAD TO PROBLEMS WITH STEERING BUT THE DEALER TELLS ME IT IS DEFECTIVE HAS THIS BEEN A COMPLAINT BY OTHER OWNERS AT THIS MILLAGE? I IS BEEN REPLACED AT MY COST TODAY 14 MAY 2015 BECAUSE THIS WOULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE OWNED OTHER CARS AND AT THAT MILEAGE THERE HAS NEVER BEEN THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. IS THIS A DEFECT. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW.

PLEASE ADD ME TO OTHER CAMRY OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT STEERING NOISE, EITHER AT REST OR DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, STEERING TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT: CLICKING SOUND HAPPENS AS THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED. THE NOISE IS GETTING LOUDER. NOW I HAVE LOST THE HORN, CRUISE CONTROL AND THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON. SO, IT SEEMS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS AFFECTING SOME KIND OF SWITCH IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STEERING COLUMN! I HAVE CHECKED THE FUSES WHICH ARE ALL FINE! READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS AND REALIZING THAT TOYOTA IS NOT OWNING TO THE PROBLEM WITH THE OWNERS HAVING TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR, I AM TRULY DISAPPOINTED. IT DEFINITELY IS A DESIGN PROBLEM! *TR

WHEN I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT, THE WHEEL TURNED SHARPLY RIGHT INSTEAD AND I LOST CONTROL OF THE WHEEL. I COULD NOT TURN IT BACK. THE CAR CROSSED FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FREEWAY TO PAST THE RIGHT SIDE (ABOUT 4 LANES), HIT A RAILING, AND FLIPPED OVER. *TR

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.

I BOUGHT MY TOYOTA CAMRY 2003 LE BRAND NEW FROM KOONS TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN TYSONS CORNER, 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 ANSWER FROM CERTIFIED 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. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 CAMRY AND WHEN I STEER THERE'S A NOISE AS IF PLASTIC IS RUBBING WHEN I STEER RIGHT OR LEFT. *TR

SQUEAKING STEERING COLUMN. ABNORMAL SOUNDS (SQUEAKING, 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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *LN

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.

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 WARRANTY. THE CAR IN QUESTION IS A 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY AND THE TSB WAS SENT OUT IN 2007, ONE YEAR AFTER THE WARRANTY 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. *TR

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

DEFECTIVE INTERMEDIATE STEERING JOINT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. *AK

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

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

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

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

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

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