1999 Toyota Camry

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 45 MPH THERE WAS AN UNUSUALLY LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER ADVISED THE SUSPENSION STABILIZER BAR HAD FAILED. THE DEALER MADE REPAIRS TO THE STABILIZER BAR, STRUTS AND SUSPENSION SYSTEM. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHIN TWO YEARS AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER ADVISED THE MOTOR MOUNTS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED, AS WELL AS OTHER UNKNOWN COMPONENTS WITHIN THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 160,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

1999 TOYOTA CAMRY SOON AFTER WE PURCHASED OUR 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY MY WIFE AND I NOTICED THAT EVERY TIME WE WENT OVER THE SPEED BUMPS IN OUR APARTMENT COMPLEX AT VERY LOW SPEEDS WE WOULD HEAR A NOISE - A CLICK/CLACK AT THE LEFT FRONT TIRE - NOT LOUD BUT DISTINCT. I CALLED THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER - STEVENS CREEK TOYOTA AND DESCRIBED THE ISSUE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER & REQUESTING AN APPOINTMENT. HE ASSURED ME THAT THIS IS SIMPLY THE BRAKES THAT ARE "BEING SEATED" AND NOT AN ISSUE. THE NOISE CONTINUED AND BECAME LOUDER WITH TIME. AS THIS POINT WE WERE BEYOND THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I TOOK THE CAR INTO MELODY TOYOTA AND ASKED THE MECHANIC TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE AS THE NOISE WAS MUCH LOUDER AND OCCURRED WHENEVER WE GO OVER ANY POTHOLE ETC, NOT ONLY BUMPS.. THE MECHANIC REPORTED THAT THIS WAS A BROKEN STRUT ARM OR STABILIZER ARM. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A WARRANTY AS I HAD COMPLAINED TO STEVENS CREEK TOYOTA WHEN THE CAR ONLY HAD A FEW THOUSAND MILES. THE MECHANIC STATED THERE IS NO WARRANTY OR RECALL ON THIS ITEM. I ASKED IF THE ISSUE WAS COMMON AND THE MILEAGE AND HE RESPONDED I HAVE SEEN THIS ISSUE ON A NUMBER OF CAMRY'S - THE MILEAGE IS IRRESPECTIVE - LOW MILES OR HIGH. I HAVE NOT HAD THE ISSUE RESOLVED AS HE STATED IT WOULD NOT HURT THE CAR. PER THE MECHANIC THERE MUST BE TONS OF CARS THAT HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE REPAIRED. I BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA IS FULLY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE FOR QUITE SOME TIME AS WELL. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING OVER A BUMP THE VEHICLE MAKES A CLANKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE STRUT WAS REPLACED, BUT THIS DID NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED A PERSISTENT CLANKING SOUND WAS NOTED IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION. AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAILED STRUT WHICH WAS REPLACED, BUT THE NOISE CONTINUED. THIS WAS A COMMON COMPLAINT FOR THE CAR AND SUBSEQUENT MODEL YEARS. THE CONTACT CLAIMED THE TOYOTA DEALERS WERE AWARE OF THE DEFECT WHICH WAS THE RESULT OF A DEFECTIVE STRUT MOUNT DESIGN. HOWEVER, REPAIRS WERE AT CONTACT'S EXPENSE, NOT THE DEALERS. THE TOTAL REPAIR COST WAS $400. A CALL TO TOYOTA FAILED TO OBTAIN ANY INFORMATION REGARDING SAFETY IMPLICATIONS. *AK

MY 1999 CAMRY HAS SQUEALING SOUND IN THE FRONT END AND ITS STRUT MOUNTS ARE BAD FOR A WHILE BEFORE IT REACHED 50000 MILES. I NEVER IMAGINED SUCH A PROBLEM WITH CAMRY. IT WAS NOT LIKE PEOPLE SAID THAT CAMRY HAD VERY GOOD RECORDS. MY CAR HAS MANY PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH IT SUCH AS ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND OFF AND NEVER SOLVED. I PAID $99 ONCE FOR THE CHECKING AND DEALERS PAID MANY TIMES. THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE DOES NOT FEEL RIGHT AND THE BRAKE CAN NOT STOP CAR FAST ENOUGH THAT CONTRIBUTED A ACCIDENT IN 2001. THE DOOR SIDE TRIM HAS BEEN OFF THE LINE AND LOOKS UGLY, ETC. I FEEL A LOT OF HEADACHE WITH IT. *JB

FRONT STRUT FAILURE ON XLE V6 CAMRY. NOISE BEGAN AROUND 32,000 MILES. STRUT PLATES REPLACED AT OWNER EXPENSE AT 42,000 MILES AND ALL FOUR STRUTS THEN REPLACED AGAIN AT OWNER EXPENSE AT 59,000 MILES. MANUFACTURER CONTACTED AND REFUSED ASSISTANCE "IN THIS CASE." INDICATION FROM OTHER REPORTS ON NET AND MANUFACTURERS' KNOWLEDGE OF PROBLEM THAT THIS WAS, INDEED, A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THAT MODEL YEAR AND STYLE OF CAMRY.

APRIL 30, 2003 ON SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2003 - MY 1999 TOYOTA 2.2L 4CYL CAMRY LE VIN NUMBER [XXX] CEASED TO OPERATE AT JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE ENGINE WITH A VERY LOUD NOISE (SUCH HAS GEARS UNDER PRESSURE THAT JUST GAVE WAY) STOPPED ABRUPTLY WHILE SMOKE CAME OUT AND THE OIL SPILLED ALL OVER THE PLACE. AFTER HAVING THE CAR TOWED BACK TO ROCKLAND TOYOTA THE NEXT DAY I LATER WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT SIZED HOLE ON THE ENGINE AND WAS SHOWN BROKEN THE PIECES. THE CAR WAS ALWAYS SERVICED AT ROCKLAND TOYOTA SINCE ITS PURCHASE FROM TOYOTA NORTH (ALL BASED IN NEW YORK). MY CAMRY HAS HAD SYMPTOMS RELATING TO OIL SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. PERSISTENT DRIFTING/PULLING TO THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT, UNEVEN WEAR OF TIRES WITH NEED FOR EARLY REPLACEMENT, PREMATURE BRAKE COMPONENT WEAR, INCLUDING REAR BRAKE DRUMS, AND VIBRATIONS, ESP. AT SPEEDS ABOVE 50 MPH SINCE ITS PURCHASE IN 1999. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DRIVER & PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDOW MAKES RATTLING/BUMPING SOUNDS WHEN OPENED OR CLOSED . ALSO, WHEN CAR IS CARRYING 4 ADULTS. THE VEHICLE SUSPENSION SAGS TO A POINT WHERE THE TAIL PIPE AND POSSIBLY THE FUEL TANK, OCCASIONALLY COMES IN CONTACT WITH THE ROAD WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION OR WHEN VEHICLE ROLLING OVER THE SMALLEST SPEED BUMP OR EXITING DRIVEWAY. *JB

MY 1999 CAMRY (52K MILE) SEDAN WAS IN FOR SERVICE AND I ASKED THAT CLUNKING AND SQWEEK IN THE FRONT END BE CHECKED. AFTER DRIVING IT, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE RUBBER TOP MOUNTS ON THE MACPHERSON STRUTS WERE SPLIT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THEY SAID IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AND THEY HAD REPLACED A LOT OF THEM. IT COST APPROXIMATELY $350. I HAVE OWNED 9 FRONT WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES IN THE PAST 18 YEARS AND THIS HAS NEVER OCCURRED BEFORE. I THINK TOYOTA IS TRYING TO GET BY WITHOUT FIXING THAT SHOULD PROBABLY BE CLASSIFIED AS A DEFECT. THIS PRODUCT SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED.