NHTSA Complaint #10016894 — 2001 TOYOTA CAMRY

AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, PARTICULARLY FROM 45 MPH TO 65-75 MPH, STEERING WHEEL ON 2001 CAMRY LE 4-CYL VIBRATES. TIRES AND WHEELS HAVE BEEN BALANCED MANY TIMES BUT STILL NO REMEDY. ALIGNMENT WAS ALSO PERFORMED MANY TIMES BUT WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. WENT TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES, WITH THE SAME CAUSE, DEALER TENTATIVELY FIXED ISSUE BUT RESTARTS (VIBRATES) AFTER A FEW MILES. STEERING WHEEL SEEMS LOOSE (ABOUT TO FALL OFF) AND MOVES THE CAR SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT. VISUAL VIBRATE OF STEERING WHEEL IS SEEN AND OF COURSE FELT. THIS VIBRATE NOT SEEN IN MY PREVIOUS 1998 COROLLA AT THE SAME SPEED RANGE. ALSO, OTHER GENERATION 4 (1997-2001) CAMRY'S HAVE THE SAME DEFECT. POSSIBLE ENGINE MOUNT PROBLEM (ENGINE NOT HELD PROPERLY), OVER OR UNDER TORQUING OF STEERING WHEEL AND RELATED COMPONENTS. PROBABLY SUSPENSION FAILURE OR IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF STEERING AND SUSPENSION. NOTE: INCIDENT DATE IS TODAY'S DATE (02 MAY 03). INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES IN NORMAL DRIVING. NOTE: NUMBER OF FAILURES IS MEASURED IN EVERY TIME I START THE CAR AND DRIVE AT THE ABOVE SPECIFIED SPEEDS. HOWEVER, THE NUMBER IS LESSER SINCE IT HAS BEEN AWHILE THAT I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO TOYOTA. *NLM