NHTSA Complaint #10546049 — 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY

ON 10/21/11 AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT ALL 4 STRUTS WERE LEAKING AND TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. ON 10/29/11 THE DEALER INSPECTED IT AND STATED THAT THERE WAS "RESIDUE" WHICH IS NORMAL AND NO REPAIR WAS NEEDED AT THIS TIME. THE DEALER DID NOT STATE THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY ONLY THAT IT WAS NORMAL TO HAVE SOME LEAKAGE. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT IT IS NOT NORMAL TO BE LEAKING AND IT SHOULD NOT BE LEAKING AT 36,000 MILES. SEVERAL TIMES THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE STRUTS WERE LEAKING. THE LAST TIME ON 9/27/13 HE SAID THE LEAKAGE WAS PAST THE PERCH. SO I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AGAIN ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2013. THEY ADMITTED THAT THE STRUTS ARE NOW LEAKING. HOWEVER BOTH THE DEALER AND TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE STATED THE REPAIR IS NOT COVERED UNDER OUR EXTENDED WARRANTY PACKAGE. IF THEY HAD STARTED LEAKING DURING THE NORMAL WARRANTY PERIOD OF 3 YEARS/36,000 MILES, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED. AGAIN, IN 2011, THEY NEVER STATED IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, JUST THAT IT WAS NORMAL TO HAVE "RESIDUE". I WILL PROBABLY HAVE THE STRUTS REPLACED AT THE DEALER IN CASE THERE IS SOME FUTURE RESOLUTION/REIMBURSEMENT OFFERED ON THIS ISSUE. I DON'T WANT TO KEEP DRIVING THE CAR WITH LEAKING STRUTS. THE FUNNY THING IS THEY OFFER A LIFETIME WARRANTY ON STRUT REPLACEMENT AFTER THE FIRST REPLACEMENT. HMMM, DO THEY BUILD THEM TO FAIL??? *TR