2004 Toyota CAMRY: complaints, problems and recalls

CONSUMER STATED WHILE TRAVELING 53 MPH FRONT END STARTED SHAKING HARD. CONSUMER PULLED VEHICLE OVER, AND NOTICED PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEEL WELL WAS ON FIRE. *AK *LA

Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10044008 at NHTSA ↗

JUST BOUGHT A NEW 2004 CAMRY XLE FULLY LOADED, HAD 18 MILES ON IT.ONE OF THE BEARINGS ON THE STEERING U-JOINT FELL OUT,CAUSING AT LEAST 2" OF PLAY IN THE WHEEL, LUCK HAS IT THIS WAS JUST BEFORE WE WERE GOING ON A TRIP. WE COULD OF LOST THE STEERING ON THE FREEWAY AND CRASHED. POWER TOYOTA IN IRVINE CA. WILL NOT GIVE ME THE BAD PART THEY SAID THEY HAD TO SEND IT BACK TO THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 18 miles reported. Look up ODI 10045911 at NHTSA ↗

RIGHT REAR ROTOR WEARS OUT PREMATURELY. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 50 miles reported. Look up ODI 10046271 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 TOYOTA SOLARA SLE V-6 A FEW WEEKS AGO AND HAVE SOME PROBLEMS. THE MAIN PROBLEM IS DRIFTING TO THE LEFT. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THE FIRST TIME I GOT THE CAR BACK FROM OURISMAN FAIRFAX TOYOTA THE STEERING PROBLEM WAS WORST THAN WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN. "ALIGNED TO TOYOTA SPECIFICATIONS" THEY SAID. THE SERVICE MANAGER ROTATED THE TIRES MANY TIMES AND ADJUSTED THE ALIGNMENT "OUT OF SPECIFICATIONS" TO TRY AND MAKE THE CAR TRACK STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD. HIS ATTEMPT TO FIX THE CAR HAS FAILED AND I AM …

Owner-reported narrative. 1 miles reported. Look up ODI 10046836 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2004 TOYOTA SOLARA IN SEPTEMBER OF 2003. SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR IT HAS PULLED TO THE LEFT. I TOOK IT IN AND TOYOTA HAD MY CAR FOR THREE DAYS. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE TALKED WITH TOYOTA SPECIALIST AT CORPORATE AND IT'S A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE 2004 SOLARA THAT THEY ARE WORKING ON A FIX. AT THIS TIME THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND RECOMMENDED I DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL THEY FIGURE IT OUT. IF TIRES WEAR WRONG OR ANY OTHER PROBLEM THEY WOULD COVER IT. THIS IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION FOR ME. THIS CAR IS BR…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10046926 at NHTSA ↗

PURCHASED BRAND NEW 2004 TOYOTA SOLARA IN SEPTEMBER 2003. CAR HAS PULLED LEFT FROM DAY ONE. HAVE TAKEN CAR IN 5 TIMES. DEALER TOLD ME TOYOTA IS AWARE OF PROBLEM AND ARE WORKING ON FIX. A CASE NUMBER WAS ASSIGNED TO MY CAR AND DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT THEY FIXED CAR BY ADDING WASHERS TO THE STRUT BOLTS ON THAT SIDE TO "SHIM" THE CAR. DEALER FAILED TO TELL ME THAT THEY ALSO ADDED 5 EXTRA POUNDS OF PRESSURE TO THE TIRE ON THAT SIDE TO MAKE THE CAR GO STRAIGHT. NOT ACCEPTABLE--THE CAR IS NOT FIXED. I HAVE FILED A LEMON LAW COMPLAINT WITH TOYO…

Owner-reported narrative. 64 miles reported. Look up ODI 10047039 at NHTSA ↗

I JUST BOUGHT A 2004 CAMRY LE THAT PULLS TO THE LEFT, AND I HAVE TO KEEP A RIGHT PULL ON THE STEERING WHEEL ALL THE TIME TO MAKE THE CAR RUNNING STRAIGHT.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 50 miles reported. Look up ODI 10049056 at NHTSA ↗

2004 TOYOTA SOLARA - PULLS TO THE LEFT AND CANNOT BE ALIGNED. SAFETY HAZARD PROBLEM. MUST HOLD ONTO STEERING WHEEL TIGHT OR VEHICLE GOES LEFT. DEALERSHIP AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT CANNOT FIX IT. HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON ICY/SNOW COVERED ROADS? NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *LA

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10049539 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2004-07-13 (July 13, 2004)

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH CURTAIN SHIELD AIR BAGS (CSA), ONE OR BOTH OF THE CURTAIN AIR BAGS MAY BE TWISTED NEAR THE INFLATOR DUE TO IMPROPER ASSEMBLY.

Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS, THE CSA MAY NOT DEPLOY RAPIDLY ENOUGH WHEN ACTIVATED IN A SIDE IMPACT COLLISION. THIS MAY RESULT IN FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE INTENDED HEAD PROTECTION, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE CSAS AND REPLACE THE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 6, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

Reported: 2004-12-15 (December 15, 2004)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A FRONT PASSENGER POWER SEAT, WHEN INSTALLING CERTAIN REAR-FACING INFANT CHILD SEAT BASES ONTO THE SEAT WITH AN EXCESSIVELY HIGH SEATBELT TENSION, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO UNSEAT A COMPONENT CALLED THE BUCKLE STATUS SWITCH FROM THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE.

Consequence: IF THE SWITCH BECOMES UNSEATED, THE FRONT PASSENGER OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM MAY MISTAKE THE REAR-FACING CHILD RESTRAINT FOR AN UNBELTED ADULT OCCUPANT, AND MAY NOT SUPPRESS THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT BUCKLE STATUS SWITCH. THIS SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN (SSC 40M) BEGAN ON DECEMBER 20, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331 OR LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987..

Reported: 2011-11-09 (November 9, 2011)

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AVALON VEHICLES; 2004 AND 2005 CAMRY, CAMRY SOLARA, HIGHLANDER, AND SIENNA VEHICLES, 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID; 2004 AND 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND RX330; AND 2006 LEXUS RX400H VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 2004 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2005, EQUIPPED WITH THE 1MZ-FE OR 3MZ-FE ENGINE. THE AMOUNT OF ADHESIVE AGENT APPLIED BETWEEN THE OUTER RING AND THE TORSIONAL RUBBER DAMPER (INNER RING) IN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY MAY BE INADEQUATE. IF THE ADHESIVE IS INSUFFICIENT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE OUTER RING MAY BECOME MISALIGNED AND IT MAY NOT PROPERLY ROTATE WITH THE INNER RING, CAUSING NOISE AND/OR ILLUMINATION OF THE BATTERY DISCHARGE INDICATOR LIGHT.

Consequence: IN SOME CASES, THE BELT FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE PULLEY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND A SUDDEN INCREASE IN STEERING EFFORT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL CHECK THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER IT WAS PRODUCED BY THE U.S. SUPPLIER. IF SO, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PULLEY WITH A NEW ONE AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING EARLY JANUARY 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.