1996 TOYOTA CAMRY Steering Problems

THE STEERING SUCKS IVE TRIED EVERYTHING BUT NOTHING IT STILL DRIVES MY SUCKS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SEIZE IN THE TURNED POSITION WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EXCESSIVE FORCE WAS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE WHEN IT SEIZED. IN ADDITION, THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED TO PROVIDE ACCURATE READING LEVELS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY XLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 15 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE REAR, SIMILAR TO A THUMP. THE STEERING THEN BECAME DIFFICULT AND THE CONTACT BEGAN HAVING DIFFICULTIES STEERING THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE SWAY BAR AND FRONT END SUSPENSION FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE SPRINGS AND STRUTS WERE FRACTURED, AN OIL LEAK WAS DISCOVERED AND THE DEALER RECOMMENDED A FRONT END ALIGNMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,510 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,555.

MY HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY DIM, FORTUNATELY I HAVE NOT CRASHED AT THIS POINT BUT I HAVE SWERVED AND AT NEAR ACCIDENT SITUATIONS. I CANNOT SEE IN THE DARK AND I AM FORCED TO USE MY HIGH BEAMS. AROUND SUMMER OF 2010, I CRASHED M Y CAR ON A CURVE GOING TO SAN FRANCISCO, CA ON HIGHWAY 85. AS I WAS ABOUT TO CURVE I SLOWLY WENT FROM 65 MPH TO 25 MPH OR A BIT LOWER TO CURVE CORRECTLY. MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO CURVE APPROPRIATELY SO MY CAR CONTINUED STRAIGHT AND HIT THE SIDE OF THE CURVE (LUCKILY IT WAS BLOCKED BY A STEEL HIGHWAY FENCE). I REPLACED THE DRIVERS DOOR AND FRONT BUMPER WITH AN AWFUL OFF COLOR PAINT JOB. I DID NOT MAKE A POLICE REPORT AND I DID NOT CONTACT MY INSURANCE. I FIXED MY CAR AND NOW I AM AFRAID...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE. THE FAILURE STOPPED AFTER DRIVING 5 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 63,000.

THIS IS A REPAIR SHOP IN THE BETHESDA MARYLAND AREA AND THE CUSTOMERS CAR IS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY STATION WAGON. THE CAR HAS APPROX. 135,000 MILES. WE DID MAJOR REPAIRS TO THE CAR INCLUDES REPLACE LOWER BALL JOINTS AND RIGHT FRONT AXLE. THE CUSTOMER CALLED AND SAID THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL FOLDED UNDER THE CAR. WE HAD CAR TOWED TO SHOP AND FOUND THE CASTLE RETAINER NUT FOR THE RIGHT OUTER TIE WAS COMPLETELY MISSING AND THE TIE ROD END CAME OUT OF STEERING KNUCKLE. THE COTTER KEY WAS STILL INSIDE OF THE HOLE, WHICH INDICATED THE NUT DID NOT UNTHREAD BUT CAME APART- I WENT BACK WHERE THE CAR WAS TOWED FROM BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY PART OF THE CASTLE NUT. WE REPLACED BOTH OUTER TIE ROD ENDS FOR SAFETY AND DID FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT AT NO CHARGE TO CUSTOMER. WE FOUND NO CRACKS OR PROBLEMS WITH...

IN APPROX JUNE OF 2002 MY TIMING BELT HAD TO BE REPLACED I NOW APPEAR TO HAVE THE OIL GELLING PROBLEM. APPROX MAY 2003 I GOT OUT OF THE CAR TO PUMP GAS AND THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN ON THE DRIVER SIDE. APPROX AUGUST 2003 I BEGAN NOTICING IF DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND I APPLY MY BRAKES MY WHOLE CAR BEGINS SHAKING.

MY CAR HAS 135,000 MILES ON IT AND I WAS RECENTLY NOTICING THAT IT WOULD RUN HARD AND NOT SWITCH GEARS AS SMOOTHLY AS IT ONCE HAD. I TOOK IT IN TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO BE EVALUATED AND WAS TOLD IT HAD SLUDGE IN MY ENGINE PROBABLY DUE TO INFREQUENT OIL CHANGES I WAS THEN INFORMED BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT IT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AND THAT IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $5000-$6000. I INFORMED THE ADVISOR THAT I ALWAYS HAD MY OIL CHANGED AS PER THE OWNER?S MANUAL, AND I REQUESTED A WRITTEN ESTIMATE AS TO THE EXACT DETAILS THAT FORMED THE BASIS FOR THIS PRICE QUOTE. I WAS ULTIMATELY DENIED THAT INFORMATION. THE GENTLEMAN TOLD ME HE WOULD CALL ME BACK AND/OR FAX IT TO ME, AFTER WHICH I RECEIVED NOTHING. I CALLED AGAIN, GOT HIS SUPERVISOR INSTEAD OF THE SERVICE ADVISOR, AND HE EXPLAINED THAT ENGINE...

THE ENGINE JUST DIES. USUALLY AT A STOP OR SLOW DOWN. PROBABLY 1X/MONTH FOR THE LAST 6 MONTHS. PREVIOUSLY IT JUST HAPPENED A COUPLE OF TIMES LAST YEAR. THE FREQUENCY SEEMS TO BE INCREASING. SO FAR IT HAS HAPPENED ONLY WITH CITY DRIVING. I DO 90% CITY DRIVING, BUT AM BECOMING NERVOUS ABOUT TAKING THE CAR OUT ON THE FREEWAY. OUR MECHANIC CANNOT FIND ANY HISTORY OF THESE STALLS ON THE CAR'S COMPUTER. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY ISC VALVE EVER SINCE I'VE HAD THE CAR. WE NEED TO REPLACE THE ISC VALVE EVERY YEAR. TOYOTA HAS PAID FOR IT, BUT IT IS ANNOYING NOT TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM SOLVED.

THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKING AS I'M DRIVING...VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN WITH A SMOOTH ACTION...MY MECHANIC HAD ANOTHER TOYOTA IN THE SHOP WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT! *NLM

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED STALLING/STARTING PROBLEMS, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE EGR VALVE, THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR AND THE IDLE SPEED CONTROL VALVE, WHICH WERE ALL REPLACED, THE TIRES EXPERIENCED UNEVEN TIRE WEAR, THE BRAKES FAILED, THERE WERE TRANSMISSION, DRIVELINE AND STEERING PROBLEMS, THE O-RING WAS REPLACED, AND ALSO THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXHIBIT ENGINE OIL SLUDGE. *AK *JB

STEERING HAS A DEAD SPOT ALSO WHEEL DOES NOT RETURN AFTER MAKING A TURN. *JB

STEERING WHEEL IS VERY HARD TO MANEUVER, ONLY IN WET CONDITIONS IS STEERING NORMAL. DEALER IS AWARE, AND WILL ONLY REPAIR UNDER RAINY CONDITIONS. *AK