1998 Toyota Camry

THE FRONT SUSPENSION WAS EXCESSIVELY SHAKY. IT VIBRATED AND MADE A LOT OF NOISE WHEN GOING OVER A ROUGH ROAD. FROM MY RESEARCH ON THIS SUBJECT AT THE NHTSA WEB SITE, THERE ARE 52 REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY MODEL. I HAD THE PROBLEM FIXED AT A DEALERSHIP IN LOUISIANA. THEY REPLACED THE STRUT MOUNTS ON BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION AT A COST OF $420.82. THEY TOLD ME THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY OR RECALL BY TOYOTA. IT IS MY WISH THAT TOYOTA BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT IS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE '98 CAMRY.*AK

RECURRNET NOISE FROM FRONT END SINCE DAY ONE, ESPECIALLY GOING OVER ROUGH PAVEMENT. DEALERS SERVICED ONCE FOR FREE, BUT NOISE CONTINUED. NOW THAT WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, I AM ADVISED THAT THE STRUT MOUNTS HAVE FAILED AND NED TO BE REPLCED. REPLACED BOTH FRONT STRUT MOUNTS AT COST OF $416.58. SERVICE ADVISER ADMITS TOYOTA HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS BUT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I BELIEVE THIS A POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPAIR FOR ALL OWNERS OF CAMRYS.

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

SINCE BUYING MY TOYOTA IN APRIL OF 1998, I HAVE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE BRAKES AND ROTORS 3 TIMES. I STILL CONTINUE TO HAVE SCREECHING AND GRINDING NOISES. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS THAT THIS NOISE HAS BEEN A NOTED PROBLEM. I FIND THIS TO BE UNACCEPTABLE FOR A "NEW" CAR, I BOUGHT A NEW CAR TO AVOID MAKING REPAIRS AND I HAVE MADE MORE ON THIS TOYOTA AND ITS BAD BREAKS THAN I WOULD HAVE SPENT ON KEEPING MY USED RODEO. I MEAN WITH REGULAR MAINANTENCE CHECK, OIL CHANGE, CAR PAYMENTS, $200 BRAKE JOBS EVERY 8 TO 12 MONTHS, THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH CLUNKING NOISES COMING FROM MY FRONT SUSPENSION, ESPECIALLY IF I GO OVER A ROUGH ROAD. FOR A COMPANY THAT HAS A REPUTATION FOR SUPERIOR CARS, THIS HAS BEEN A DISAPPOINTING FIRST BUY AS I FIND THE CAR TO HAVE A VERY, VERY POOR BRAKING SYSTEM AND SUSPENSION. FROM READING YOUR TECHNICAL BULLETINS, THERE HAS BEEN 90 REPORTED COMPLAINTS ON THE BRAKES AND 31 REPORTED COMPLAINTS ON THE SUSPENSION. HOW MANY MORE COMPLAINTS NEED TO BE FILED BEFORE A RECALL ON THESE BRAKES ARE DONE?*AK