2004 Toyota Camry suspension problems

“WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AT ABOUT 40 MPH I HEARD A LOUD BANG UNDER THE CAR, LIKE SOMETHING HIT THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CAR. THEN I HEARD RATTLING WHEN I RODE OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD. TOOK IT TO A SERVICE CENTER RIGHT AWAY AND THEY FOUND A BROKEN COIL SPRING ON THE FRONT SUSPENSION. FORTUNATELY, THE SPRING BROKE CLOSE TO AN END OF THE SPRING, SO THE HEIGHT OF THE CAR DID NOT DROP NOTICEABLY. IF THE BREAK WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SPRING, THEN THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY, PERHAPS RESULTING IN A CRASH. THE CAR'S MILEAGE WAS 114,990. THE REPAIR COSTS FOR TWO SPRING/STRUT ASSEMBLIES, TWO STABILIZER LINKS AND A WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS $920.”

“POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION-I HAVE OWNED THIS TOYOTA CAMRY FOR APPROXIMATELY FIVE MONTHS. THE TRANSMISSION HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN. OCCASIONALLY IT SLIPS INTO THE WRONG GEAR. THE WORSE PROBLEM I ENCOUNTERED WAS FIVE WEEKS AGO WHEN I PLACED THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE WANTED TO GO FORWARD. I NEARLY HIT THE CAR PARKED IN FRONT OF ME. I AM GLAD NOBODY WAS WALKING IN FRONT OF THE CAR WHEN I PLACED THE VEHICLE INTO THE REVERSE GEAR. THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS AND IF I COULD I WOULD RETURN IT BACK TO THE DEALER. SUSPENSION-WHEN IS RAINING THE CAR IS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER ABOVE 50MPH. THE REAR OF THE CAR WANT TO GO RIGHT MAKING THE FRONT OF THE CAR GO LEFT. THE SAME THING HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR HITS BUMPS ON THE ROAD. AGAIN, THE CAR IS UNSAFE AND SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF THE ROAD. *TR”

“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”

“I BOUGHT A 2004 CAMRY ABOUT A MONTH AGO FROM MY LOCAL TOYOTA USED CAR DEALER. A WEEK LATER I TOLD THEM FRONT-END FELT FUNNY AND NEEDED TO BE CHECKED. THEY SAID I NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT. HAD THAT DONE. CALLED THEM LAST WEEK AND SAID I STILL FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOME SORT OF FRONT-END PROBLEM. MY BRAKE PEDAL IS SPONGY AND ALMOST TO THE GROUND. SOMETIMES I'M NOT SURE IF I'M GOING TO STOP IN TIME. ALSO TOLD THEM MY STEERING WHEEL WAS SHIMMYING. I WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS PROBABLY INDICATING A TIRE BALANCE ISSUE AND THEY WOULD CHARGE ME $50 TO BALANCE/ROTATE MY TIRES. I DECIDED TO PUT THE MONEY TOWARD NEW FRONT TIRES INSTEAD HOPING THAT WOULD ALSO REDUCE ROAD NOISE. AS FOR THE BRAKES.... I WAS TOLD THAT WAS STANDARD FOR THE CAMRY MODELS AND WAS A KNOWN DESIGN ISSUE BUT NO CORRECTIONS WERE IN PLACE THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF. LAST WEEKEND I WAS IN A CRASH. MY BRAKES FAILED! MY ABS DID NOT ENGAGE AND MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 30-40 MPH ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THE PERSON IN FRONT HIT THEIR BRAKES. I HIT MINE AND CONTINUED TO SKID INTO THE BACK OF THEIR VEHICLE. I HAD PLENTY OF ROOM TO STOP. THERE'S NO REASON OTHER THAN BRAKE FAILURE FOR ME TO HAVE CRASHED. *TR”

“MY HUSBAND AND I JUST RECENTLY BOUGHT A 2004 SOLARA. AT FIRST EVERYTHING WAS GOOD THEN THE TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON AND WOULD NEVER TURN OFF. THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR LIKE 4 MONTHS NOW. THE BIG INCIDENT/PROBLEM IS I WAS DRIVING 10MPH AND THE CAR STARTED TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT. I ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE BY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT BUT IT WOULD NOT CORRECT. SO I SLOWLY PUSHED ON THE BRAKES AND IT WOULD NOT STOP. WHAT FINALLY STOPPED ME WAS THE WHEEL FELL OFF. YES THE WHEEL FELL OFF. AND DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE WHEEL FELL OFF I ENDED UP SIDESWIPING 2 CARS IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO GET THE CAR TO STOP. WHEN THE POLICE GOT THERE THEY SAID IT WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE AND THAT THE TIRE ROD HAD SNAPPED WAY BEFORE I SIDESWIPED THE FIRST CAR CAUSE HE FOUND A SNAPPED BOLT AND PARTS 3 FEET AWAY FROM THE FIRST VEHICLE. THEN HE TOLD ME THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO SOMEONE ELSE A FEW DAYS AGO AND THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE. I HAD 3 BABIES IN THE CAR RANGING IN AGE FROM 2 1/2 TO 6 WEEKS OLD. I AM VERY UNHAPPY CAUSE THE CAR IS TOTALED AND IT WAS NOT EVEN MY FAULT. THE ACCIDENT REPORT WAS MADE OUT AND IN IT IT SAYS IT WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE AND THAT…”

“TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE COMING OUT OF THE CAR WASH AND SWITCHING THE POSITION GEAR FROM NEUTRAL TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO ALMOST 50 MPH FOR ABOUT 20-30 SECONDS, CAUSING IT TO CRASH INTO A POLE. THE CONTACT TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKE, BUT COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. CONTACT CAN PROVIDE PICTURES IF NEEDED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE BOTH 26,190.*AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO PERFORMANCE AND REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE AND VEER TO THE RIGHT. PERFORMANCE DODGE PICKED UP VEHICLE FOR A 2ND REPAIR AND INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT A DAMP MOUNT ON RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS MISSING. THE VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED TO CONSUMER ON 4/27/07 BUT CONSUMER IS STILL FEARFUL TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 05/13/07*TR”