NHTSA Complaint #10314523 — 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY

I BOUGHT A NEW 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY IN NOV 2007, AT AROUND 50K MILES I HEARD A GRINDING NOISE WHILE DRIVING AND EXPERIENCED VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL . I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALER AND THEY NOTED THE STRUT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NOT SOON AFTER THAT REPAIR @ AROUND 80K MILES I EXPERIENCED THE SAME NOISE AND VIBRATION IN THE WHEEL AGAIN AND I TOOK IT TO A LES SCHWAB AUTO SHOP THEY LINKED THE PROBLEM TO THE STRUTS AND WHEEL BEARINGS WHICH CAUSED UNEVEN TIRE WEAR. AS THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AGAIN, THEY AGREED WITH THE ASSESSMENT FROM LES SCHWAB AND REPLACED THE STRUTS AGAIN AND THE WHEEL BEARING. THE DEALER AGREED THAT I SHOULD NOT BE REPLACING THE STRUTS AS OFTEN AS I WAS ON A RELATIVELY NEW VEHICLE. DEALER MENTIONED THAT IT IS A DEFECT AND TOYOTA (THE CORPORATION) IS AWARE OF IT AND THAT I SHOULD BE GETTING A LETTER IN THE MAIL TO THAT EFFECT. TO DATE ( 2/26/10) I HAVE RECEIVED NO SUCH LETTER. THE CONCERN IS THAT NHTSA HAS NOT YET GOTTEN TO THE BOTTOM OF ALL THE DEFECTS THAT ARE OUT THERE WITH THE CAMRY MODELS FOR THE YEARS THAT ARE NOW BEING RECALLED FOR ACCELERATOR ISSUES. WITH THE RECENT RECALL I HAD TO BRING MY CAMRY IN TO GET THE GAS PEDAL SHORTENED AND TO INSTALL THE SHIMMY TO PREVENT THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. PLEASE LOOK INTO THE ISSUE WITH THE STRUTS AS THE STRUT HOUSING SERVES AS A STRUCTURAL PART OF THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM AND IT CONNECTS THE UPPER STRUT BEARING TO THE LOWER BALL JOINT SO THAT THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY CAN THEN PIVOT WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED. STRUTS THEREFORE AFFECTS THE DRIVER'S ABILITY TO STEER AND MANEUVER THE VEHICLE SAFELY, I NOW SEE THAT THE COROLLA ARE BEING RECALLED FOR STEERING ISSUES, I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS NOT LIMITED TO ONLY THAT MODEL AS MY CAMRY HAD ISSUES WITH STEERING THAT WAS LINKED TO DEFECTIVE STRUTS. STRUTS SHOULD NOT WEAR OUT AS OFTEN AS MINE DID ON A NEW CAR. FOR THE SAFETY OF TOYOTA DRIVERS INVESTIGATE HOW MANY VEHICLES FROM 2007 TO 2010 HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH STRUTS. *TR