1998 Toyota Camry Body & Structure Problems

DRIVER SIDE FRONT INTERIOR PLASTIC DOOR HANDLE BROKE. *TR

1998 TOYOTA CAMRY (139K MILES) REAR DRIVER SIDE TIE ROD BREAK WHILE DRIVING. PURCHASED TWO REAR TIRES AND CAR ALIGNMENT MID OCTOBER. TWO WEEKS LATER WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY ROAD, FELT A PROBLEM WITH WHEELS, PULLED OFF ROAD, CALLED TOW TRUCK. TIE ROD HAD BROKEN INTO TWO EQUAL SIZED PIECES. TIE ROD WAS VERY RUSTED AND CORRODED AND MISSING THE SLEEVE THAT COVERS OVER BOTH ENDS. PART WAS EITHER DEFECTIVE FROM THE BEGINNING OR SOMEHOW LOST THE SLEEVE. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO ALIGN THE CAR. HOWEVER THE TIRE PLACE CHARGED ME FOR AN ALIGNMENT WHEN I BOUGHT THE TIRES. MORE ANNOYING WAS THE FACT THAT THEY NEVER INFORMED ME THE TIE ROD WAS DAMAGED/RUSTED AND LIABLE TO BREAK. I HAD NO INDICATION THE TIE ROD WAS DEFECTIVE AND HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT A BREAK LIKE THAT IS RARE. FORTUNATELY I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY AND NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR OR INJURY. LASTLY I HAVE TIRES ROTATED TWICE A YEAR AT LOCAL TOYOTA PLACE AND WAS NEVER INFORMED THE TIE ROD WAS DEFECTIVE/ RUSTED AND MISSING THE SLEEVE

TL* - THE CONTACT STATES THAT IN DECEMBER OF 2001 3 OUT OF HER 4 DOOR HANDLES FAILED. THE ONLY ONE THAT DIDN'T FAIL WAS THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLE, SINCE IT WAS RARELY USED. THEN ON DECEMBER 11 OF 2006 THE PASSENGER REAR DOOR HANDLE FAILED. THE CONTACT IS CONCERN BECAUSE ON 12/06/06 THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE THAT SHE GOT REPAIRED IN DECEMBER OF 2001 FAILED, AS WELL AS THE REAR LEFT HANDLE DOOR SEEMS TO BE ON THE VERGE OF BREAKING. THE CONTACT ALSO STATES THAT ONCE THE DOOR HANDLE FAILS THERE ISN'T A WAY TO GET OUT THE VEHICLE AND THAT IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY CONCERN FOR HER. THE CONTACT CAN PROVIDE PICTURES, THE FAILED DOOR HANDLE AND OR, INVOICES IF NEEDED.

DT: THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE. UPON PULLING OPEN THE DOOR HANDLE IT BROKE OFF. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO AN AUTO SHOP FOR REPAIR. THE HANDLE WAS MADE OF POOR QUALITY PLASTIC THAT WAS VERY FRAGILE. THIS WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY INCIDENT WITH THE DOOR HANDLE. NO REPAIRS OR CORRECTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK

DOOR HANDLE ON DRIVER'S SIDE BROKE OFF (IN COLD WEATHER) WHEN I TIRED TO OPEN THE DOOR. *AK

THE PAINT ON THE HOOD OF MY CAR IS PEELING OFF. IT FIRST BEGAN TO BUBBLE AND THEN PEEL. THE AREAS ARE VERY LARGE AND IT LOOKS TERRIBLE. I BELIEVE IT HAS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE PAINT JOB BECAUSE THE REST OF THE PAINT IS FINT. *AK

APPARENTLY SOME PART OR PARTS HAVE FAILED WITHIN THE DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY, RESULTING IN THE INABILITY TO OPEN DOORS. OFTEN THIS FAILURE RESULTS IN NOT BEING ABLE TO OPEN A DOOR FROM EITHER THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SIMULTANEOUS FAILURES COULD RESULT IN BEING TRAPPED INSIDE THE CAR.*AK

A CLIP WITHIN THE DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY BROKE, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR DRIVER AND PASSENGER TO OPEN DOORS. *AK *ML

ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS FAIL AT RANDOM. IF YOU ENTER THE CAR, CLOSE THE DOOR, AND LOCK THE CAR USING THE ELECTRIC DOOR LOCK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, YOU CANNOT UNLOCK THE CAR DOORS UNLESS THE KEY IS IN THE IGNITION AND TURNED TO THE "ON" POSITION. THIS IS CLEARLY

WHEN CONSUMER ATTEMPTS TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, THERE IS A SHARP CORNER OF THE DOOR THAT WHEN CLOSING HITS AND INJURES HER LEG. *AK *YC

PULLING VERY SLOWLY INTO A PARKING SPACE, I SCRAPED THE METAL AROUND THE WHEEL OPENING OF THE CAR NEXT TO ME. HE HAD PAINT MARKS BUT THE SIDE FRONT DRIVER'S BUMPER WAS COMPLETELY SMASHED.

SUNVISOR FAILED. MJS

WHEN SOMEONE GETS OUT OF THE PASSENGER OR DRIVER SIDE FRONT OR BACK OF VEHICLE AND LOCKS THE DOOR BEHIND THEM, IF ANYONE IS LEFT INSIDE VEHICLE, HE COULD NOT GET OUT FROM THE INSIDE, DOOR LOCKS, THEY WOULD NEED KEYS OR THE TRANSMITTER. *AK

VISOR MIRROR COVER BROKE OFF. *YC

EITHER THE FRAME IS OUT OF LINE OR SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE FRONT END ALIGNMENT PARTS AS THE FRONT END CANNOT BE ALIGNED ACCORDING TO SPECS. THEY REPLACED BOLTS IN THE FRONT END FOR ALIGNMENT & THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM OF FRONT END SHIMMY AND TIRE WEAR.

ELECTRIC LOCKS FAILED. YH

WHEN THERE ARE PASSENGERS IN THE BACK SEATS, AND VEHICLEGOES OVER A SPEED BUMP, THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE HITS THE GROUND. *AK

LEFT SIDE INTERIOR PANEL DOES NOT FIT TIGHTLY. YH

DOORS WILL NOT CLOSE COMPLETELY UNLESS THEY ARE SLAMMED SHUT. DEALER CONTACTED AND IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, STATES THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE, CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

POWER DOOR LOCKS INDICATED THAT IT IS NOT LOCKED WHEN INFACT IT IS, LOCKING PASSENGERS INSIDE. AFTER RESTARTING ENGINE AND MANIPULATING LOCK SEVERAL TIMES LOCKS WILL RELEASE.