1998 TOYOTA CAMRY Complaints

WHEN VEHICLE IS COLD AND DRIVER TURNS HITTING OR A BUMPING THERE'S A GRINDING NOISE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS STRUT TOWERS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

WITH 11,000 MILES ON VEHICLE THERE WAS A RUBBING NOISE COMING FROM VEHICLE WHEN BRAKE SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED. DEALERSHIP SERVICED VEHICLE UNDER A SERVICE BULLETIN. THEN, AT APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES ON AUGUST 23, 2001 FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED BY DEALERSHIP DUE TO A RUBBING NOISE DURING BRAKE APPLICATION. ALSO AT 54,000 MILES ON JANUARY 22, 2002 REAR BRAKE DRUMS FAILED,AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION. *AK

WHEN CONSUMER MADE A TURN THE VEHICLE ASSUMED NORMAL ACCELERATION IN "DRIVE", WHEN SUDDENLY THE ACCELRATOR PEDAL BECAME LOOSE, DEALER SAID THE ACCELERATOR CABLE WAS BROKEN. *JG *AK

CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE,THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, THE DEALER NOTED THAT THE TIMING BELT HAD BECOME LOOSE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK *SLC

I HAVE BEEN TRING TO HAVE A TETHER STRAP ANCHOR INSTALLED IN MY CAMRY FOR MY CHILD'S RESTRAINT WHICH REQUIRES SUCH TETHER. INITIALLY, I CONTACTED THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THE SERVICE PERSON ON THE PHONE SAID HE WOULDN'T INSTALL IT, BECAUSE THE LOCAL HOSPITAL, SHANDS, HAD YELLED AT HIM FOR IMPROPER INSTALLATIONS ON PRIOR CAR RESTRAINTS. WHEN I ASKED THE SAME SERVICE MAN IF HE COULD READ THE CAR MANUAL TO DETERMINE WHICH PARTS WOULD BE NECESSARY, HE SAID IT MADE NO SENSE TO HIM. I THEN CALLED THE NATIONAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND WAS GIVEN THE PHONE NUMBER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. I THEN SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR A TOYOTA PARTS DEPARTMENT IN RICHARDSON TEXAS AND ORDERED THE PARTS LISTED IN THE MANUAL AS NECESSARY. I THEN CALLED BACK THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE PARTS INSTALLED. AFTER TAKING THE PARTS TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE MISSING PARTS. THE MISSING PARTS WERE NOT SENT TO ME BY THE TOYOTA RICHARDSON PARTS DEPARTMENT. I SEARCHED AGAIN THE TOYOTA WEB SITE TO FIND THE MISSING PART, WHICH WAS THE ANCHOR FOR THE TETHER. ONLY THE BOLTS AND THE SPACERS WERE SENT BY TOYOTA RICHARDSON. I CALLED THE NATIONAL TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO ASK IF THEY COULD IDENTIFY THE PART THAT I NEEDED SINCE, THE OWNER'S MANUAL DOES NOT CLEARLY LABEL THE PART OTHER THAN CALLING IT THE TETHER ANCHOR. I FEEL THAT THE CAR DEALERSHIP NEEDS TO HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO PROPERLY INSTALL TETHER STRAPS INTO THEIR CARS, BUT I CAN'T EVEN FIND SOME ONE AT THE DEALERSHIP WHO KNOWS WHICH PARTS I NEED TO ORDER AS LISTED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL.*AK

I TRIED WORKING WITH TOYOTA TO RESOLVE THERE ISSUES, BUT BECASUE THE WARRANTY TIME IS EXPIRED THEY WON'T ASSIST IN FIXING THERE DEFECTS. I WAS TOLD IF I WANTED TO PAY THE $2,000.00 BILL THEY WOULD BE HAPPY TO ORDER THE PARTS. THE HEAD LAMPS ARE SO DIM I HAVE NEARLY HIT DEERS IN THE ROAD ON 5 SEPERATE OCCASIONS I KNOW THESE CAN'T PASS FMVSS REQUIREMENT. THE DRIVERS SEAT IS LOOSE IN THE TRACK AND ROCKS WHEN ACCELERATING AND STOPPING. THE FRONT STRUTS MOUNTING BRACKETS RATTLE, SHAKE, VIBRATE AND BANG. THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES WHILE TURNING. THE REAR STUTS ARE TOO WEAK FOR THE VEHICLE SO PEOPLE CAN'T RIDE IN THE REAR OR THE CAR BOTTOMS OUT. THE CAR ALARM SOMTIMES WORKS AND SOMTIMES DOESN'T. THE BURLWOOD DASH IS SPLITTING,CRAKING, FADING AND PEELING. I WAS TOLD BY THE ASST. SERVICE MGR. AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF ALL THESE DEFECTS AND IT'S A RESULT OF POOR ENGINEERING AND VEHICLE TEST VALIDATION. I THEN HEARD HIM TELL A MECHANIC "WHAT PEOPLE THINK JUST BECAUSE IT'S A TOYOTA IT DOESN'T EVER BREAK" HE THEN LAUGHED AND SAID THESE CARS ARE THE WORST. I THINK WE NEED SOME HELP IN MAKING TOYOTA FIX THERE KNOWN DEFECTS BECAUSE THIS IS UNCALLED FOR.*AK

UPON TURNING IGNITION VEHICLE MAKES LOUD NOISE. WHILE DRIVING BRAKES MAKE A GRINDING NOISE, TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. WHEN TRYING TO STOP VEHICLE HAS TO PRESS PEDAL COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

VEHICLE SHAKES AND VIBRATES WHILE DRIVING THE AND ALIGNMENT IS OFF. DEALERSHIP WILL BE AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK *YH

WHILE MAKING A SHARP RIGHT TURN RIGHT FRONT TIRE SUDDENLY DEFLATED. RUBBER IS TORN FROM 1 INCH INTO SIDEWALL TO 2 INCHES INTO TREAD. HOLE WHICH CAUSED FLAT IS IN THE SIDEWALL. *AK (TIRESIZE: P205/70R14)

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS THERE WAS VIBRATION IN VEHICLE, AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND COULD NOT DETERMINE A CAUSE TO THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS. *AK