1999 Toyota Corolla Suspension Problems

I INSTALLED NEW REAR STRUTS MANUFACTURED BY MONRO--IN ORDER TO CONNECT THE BRAKE LINE HOSE TO THE BRACKET ON THE STRUT IT WAS NECESSARY TO TWIST THE RUBBER BRAKE HOSE A QUARTER TURN TO ACCOMMODATE THE IMPROPERLY MANUFACTURED STRUT BRACKET- THIS CAUSES THE RUBBER BRAKE HOSE TO BE TWISTED A QUARTER TURN AND IS NOT AS IT WAS WHEN ORIGINALLY INSTALLED AT THE FACTORY- THIS COULD LEAD TO BRAKE LINE FAILURE DUE TO THE TWISTED LINE AND STRESS

(1) NOTICEABLE STRONG VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL WHEN CAR APPROACHES SPEED OF 65-70 MPH. VIBRATION BECOMES STRONGER WITH INCREASING SPEED. THE PROBLEM WAS NOTICED AFTER CAR HAD BEEN SERVICE AT TOYOTA DEALER (ARMSTRONG TOYOTA).*AK (2) CAR BECOMES UNSTABLE AND DIFFICULT TO CONTROL (3) RETURNED TO SAME DEALER. DEALER STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS TIRE BALACING. UPON CHECKING THE CAR, DEALER INFORMED ME THAT TIRES WOULD NOT "TAKE" BALANCING AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS TIRE PRESSURE. TIRE PRESSURE WAS ADJUSTED, BUT PROBLEM PERSISTS.

REAR SUSPENSION IS WORN OUT AFTER 28,500 MILES. THIS PRESENTS A LIKELIHOOD OF TIRE FAILURE DUE TO "CUPPING" WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENS TO A CAR TIRE WHERE THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM IS WORN OUT.*AK

FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS, MY 1999 TOYOTA COROLLA VE HAS BEEN MAKING A SQUEAKING NOISE UNDERNEATH THE CAR WHENEVER I DRIVE OVER BUMPS IN THE ROAD, OR UNEVEN PATCHES IN THE ROAD, OR WHENEVER I AM DRIVING AROUND A SHARP CURVE. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR FOR ITS 40,000 MILE OIL CHANGE AND MAINTENANCE YESTERDAY (MAY 21, 2003) THE SERVICE DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE STEERING RACK END, ALSO KNOWN AS THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS. THIS IS PART OF THE SUSPENSION. I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA OF CLEVELAND IN CLEVELAND, TN. THE MAN IN THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT TOYOTA HAD ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN WHICH STATED THAT THIS HAD BEEN A PROBLEM IN COROLLA'S. HE SAID IT WAS NOT TECHNICALLY CONSIDERED A "RECALL" AND THAT APPARENTLY THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT CONSIDER IT ENOUGH OF A PROBLEM TO ISSUE A RECALL. ALTHOUGH HE TOLD ME THAT IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM IN A LOT OF COROLLAS. HE CLAIMED THAT IT WAS MERELY COSMETIC, THAT IT WOULD JUST MAKE NOISE, AND THAT IT DID NOT REALLY NEED TO BE FIXED. HE SAID THEY WOULD FIX IT FOR FREE ONLY IF THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED A RECALL. ALTHOUGH HE DID TELL ME THAT IF I WANTED TO FIX IT, IT WOULD COST ABOUT $600 TO HAVE IT FIXED. I ASKED HIM IF THEY WERE GOING BAD AND HE SAID, "OH, NO. IF THEY WERE GOING BAD YOU WOULD KNOW IT. THEY WOULD START RATTLING REALLY LOUD AND SHAKING." SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT EVENTUALLY THEY WILL GO BAD AND THAT I WILL HAVE TO PAY $600 OUT OF POCKET TO REPLACE THE STEERING RACK END ON A CAR THAT IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD AND SUPPOSED TO BE ONE OF THE MOST RELIABLE BRANDS? IF THIS IS SUCH A PROBLEM, I THINK TOYOTA SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL OF THIS PART AND FIX IT FOR FREE.*JB

CONSUMER 'S VEHICLE HAD HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE ON SIDE AND CONTROL ARM BROKE. *AK

WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH, ESPECIALLY IN WINDY CONDITIONS OR WHEN BEING PASSED BY LARGE TRUCKS WHICH CREATE WIND CONDITIONS, THE CAR PULLS TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT. ON FEBRUARY 2, 2001, I WAS DRIVING NORTH EAST ON INTERSTATE 64. THE CAR PULLED SO FORCEFULLY LEFT AND RIGHT THAT I ALMOST LOST CONTROL A NUMBER OF TIMES. I WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE THE SPEED LIMIT OF 65 AND HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO BELOW 60 TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR. WHEN I GOT HOME, I CHECKED THE WEATHER CHANNEL TO FIND OUT IF IT WAS UNUSUALLY WINDY AND DISCOVERED THAT THE WIND WAS BLOWING 15 MILES PER HOUR SOUTH WEST AND THAT I HAD BEEN TRAVELING INTO THE WIND. THIS PULLING BACK AND FORTH HAS HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIMES BUT THE INCIDENT ON FEBRUARY 2, 2001 IS THE WORST I HAVE YET EXPERIENCED. I MUST SAY THAT THE CAR HANDLES SO POORLY AT HIGH SPEEDS THAT I AM RELUCTANT TO TRAVEL ON THE INTERSTATES EVEN IN THE MILDEST OF WINDS.*AK

REAR CONTROL ARM BROKE WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. CAUSING CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL. CONSUMER HIT AN DIP IN THE HIGHWAY, JUST BEFORE CONTROL ARM BROKE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES PROBLEM STAYING ON THE ROAD AT HIGH SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH. WHENEVER VEHICLE STAYS WITHIN 60 MPH OR LOWER IT WOULD DRIVE OKAY. DEALER NOTIFIED AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT WAS NORMAL CONDITION. *AK

WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED IN THE IN THE WIND, VEHICLE IS PULLING TO LEFT AND TO THE RIGHT, BUT MORE OFTEN VEHICLE IS PULLING TO THE RIGHT. *AK *ML

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

WITH 3 PEOPLE SITTING IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR THE WEIGHT DROPPED THE REAR GROUND CLEARANCE AND CAUSED THE MUFFLER TO SCRAP THE GROUND WHEN ENTERING OR EXITING PARKING LOTS OR DRIVEWAYS EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS. CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW. NLM