Page 4 of 4 · complaints 151–161 of 161

2004 Toyota Camry Solara complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2004 record →

Tires › Markings
Filed Apr 27, 2004NY

BRIDGESTONE POTENZA RE-92 P215-60R16 M&S. THIS TIRE HAS BEEN MISTAKENLY CLASSIFIED AS A MUD & SNOW TIRE. IN MY 35 YEARS OF DRIVING, I HAVE NEVER DRIVEN ON SUCH A DANGEROUS TIRE THAT WAS CLASSIFIED M&S. ANY SNOW WHATSOEVER MAKES THE VEHICLE(2004 TOYOTA SOLARA SE) EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL SAFELY. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE TIRE BEING USED SOLELY AS A NON-WINTER TIRE, BUT FOR NHTSA TO ALLOW THE M&S DESIGNATION ON THIS TIRE IS TANTAMOUNT TO GROSS NEGLIGENCE. IF YOU THINK THAT I AM ALONE IN MY OBSERVATION ON THIS TIRE, THEN PLEASE SEE WEBSITE 1010TIRES.COM AND READ THE NUMEROUS CUSTOMER REVIEWS ABOUT HOW DANGEROUS THESE TIRES ARE IN SNOW. I RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS TIRE CLASSIFICATION.*AK

Steering
Filed Apr 27, 2004WV

PURCHASED 2004 SOLARA IN SEPTEMBER 2003. HAD IT IN FOR SERVICE TWICE FOR PULLING TO THE LEFT. IT WAS REPAIRED BOTH TIMES WITH NO REASON FOR PROBLEM. CAR PERFORMS OK FOR A FEW DAYS THEN STARTS PULLING LEFT AGAIN. *AK ALSO - HESITATION ON ACCELERATOR. DEALER INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS NORMAL FOR SLIGHT HESITATION WHEN GIVING CAR GAS. ALSO ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE TWICE. FEEL THAT I HAVE PURCHASED A PROBLEM CAR AND AM VERY CONCERNED

Structure
Filed Apr 20, 2004WI

VEHICLE DRIFTED AND PULLED TO THE LEFT. PH THE DEALERSHIP TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO DRIFT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE HAD SEVERAL FRONT END ALIGNMENTS AND ADJUSTMENTS. AN ENGINEER WAS SENT TO TEST DRIVE THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE AND THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE CAR WAS DESIGNED TO PULL TO THE LEFT DUE TO THE ROAD CROWN. *JB

Steering
Filed Apr 10, 2004278 milesWI

PURCHASED A 2004 TOYOTA SOLARA. EVER SINCE THE DAY I PICKED IT UP THE CAR HAS DRIFTED TO THE LEFT. NOW WITH 9000 MILE ON IT ,IT HAS STARTED TO PULL RIGHT ONCE IN A WHILE. THE DEALER HAS RE-ALINED THE FRONT END 5 TIMES AND I HAVE ALSO HAD A PRIVATE SHOP DO IT ONCE . THE DEALER HAS COMPLETED THE WORK WHICH TOYOTA SENT OUT ON A BULLETIN HOWEVER IT STILL DRIFTS. TOYOTA SENT AN ENGINEER UP FROM CHICAGO TO DRIVE MY CAR, HE TOLD ME THAT ALL TOYOTA'S ARE DESIGNED TO DRIFT LEFT DUE TO ROAD CROWN. LOOKING AT ALL THE SAME COMPLAINTS ,I FEEL HE WAS JUST SINGING A STORY. TODAY I VISITED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND DROVE TWO NEW SOLARAS. THEY BOTH DRIFTED LEFT. I DRIVE THIS CAR FOR MY JOB--30,000 MILES A YEAR IT IS TOTALLY EXHAUSTING TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. VERY POSSIBLY DANGEROUS.

Steering
Filed Apr 6, 2004CA

I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN JANUARY 2004, AND I STARTED COMPLAINING THE NEXT DAY. IT FEELS LIKE IT IS SLIPPING INTO ANOTHER LANE WHEN GOING OVER 60 MPH, LIKE I DROVE OVER SOMETHING SLIPPERY LIKE ICE. IT ALSO PULLS TO THE RIGHT, AND SOMETIMES TO THE LEFT. THE DEALER ACTED LIKE IT WAS IN MY MIND, BUT I NOW SEE IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING A LOT. IS LEMON LAW A POSSIBILITY? I FEEL VERY UNSAFE. *LA

Steering
Filed Mar 21, 2004CA

SINCE PURCHASING MY 2004 TOYOTA SOLARA, I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT IT'S STEERING AND HOW UNSAFE IT FEELS TO DRIVE. PULLS TO THE LEFT FREQUENTLY, AND THE RIGHT LESS FREQUENTLY. STEERING IS VERY UNPREDICTABLE, AND FEELS UNSAFE. CAR SLIDES INTO OTHER LANES, AS IF ON ICE...ESPECIALLY WHEN PASSED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. DEALER REPAIRED A SLIGHT FAULT WITH SOME RINGS BEING INSTALLED INCORRECTLY, IT ONLY SLIGHTLY CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. STEERING IS MORE CONTROLLED, BUT CAR STILL DRIFTS INTO OTHER LANES. CAR ALSO ROCKS WHEN IN A PARKED POSITION, IF EMERGENCY BRAKE IS NOT ENGAGED, AND WILL ROLL BACKWARD WHEN STOPPED GOING UPWARD ON HILL...BRAKES DO NOT LOCK INTO A HOLD POSITION. *JB

Steering
Filed Mar 18, 200430 milesCA

2004 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA PULLS TO LEFT AT FREEWAY SPEEDS DESPITE WHEEL ALIGNMENT ON-SPEC. HAS DONE SO SINCE PURCHASED DEC 2003.*AK

Suspension
Filed Feb 28, 2004CA

CAR PULLS TO THE LEFT. IT IS VERY SEVERE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE CAR SEEMS TO BE FIGHTING FOR CONTROL. YOU HAVE TO CONSTANTLY STEER RIGHT TO AVOID DRIVING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY. *AK

Steering
Filed Feb 26, 2004OH

CAR PULLED SEVERLY TO LEFT AT TIME OF PURCHASE. TOYOTA'S FIRST ATTEMPT LESSENED LEFT HAND PULL. TOYOTA'S SECOND ATTEMPT ELIMINATED PULL, BUT NOW STEERING IS SLOPPY. TOYOTA WANTS TO TAKE CAR AND "LOOK AT IT AGAIN." SINCE THEY CANNOT SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFY ROOT CAUSE AND DEFINITIVE CORRECTIVE ACTION, I HAVE NOT GIVEN THEM A 3RD "CHANCE AT IT." I HAVE PARKED THE VEHICLE AND AM NOW ASKING FOR TOYOTA TO BUY BACK. THERE ARE A COUPLE OTHER NON-SAFETY RELATED PROBLEMS WITH CAR. IT APPEARS THIS RE-DESIGN WAS NOT READY FOR MARKET LAST SEPTEMBER. *AK

Suspension
Filed Feb 23, 2004NY

LAWYER REPRESENTING CONSUMER STATING THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE DEALERS SERVICE DEPARTMENT WITH NOTHING DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *LA *JB

Steering › Hydraulic Power Assist System
Filed Feb 21, 2004100 milesOH

2004 SOLARA SE SPORT PULLS (DRIFTS) TO THE LEFT. ( DEALERSHIP SPENT 3 DAYS ON CAR, PERFORMED BULLETIN# ST002-04 INCLUDING ADJUSTMENT SPRING SEATS AND ALIGNMENT- STILL PULLS LEFT. ) AGREED TO DRIVE 3,000 MILES UNTIL NEXT SERVICE INTERVAL & AWAIT NEW DEVELOPMENTS FROM TOYOTA ) VERY CONCERNED ABOUT ISSUE, I BELIEVE THERE IS A MANUFACURING OR DESIGN FLAW IN STEERING SYSTEM. I AM A QUALITY ENGINEER IN IMPORT AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY WITH 17 YEARS EXPERIENCE.) *JB

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2004 Toyota Camry Solara → · Every Camry Solara year → · How the figures are calculated →