2016 Toyota Corolla Suspension Problems

I own a 2016 Toyota Corolla with 35000 miles. My extended warranty expired in January 2024. In the the last few months my Toyota developed a “rattle” or noise, primarily on the right side at slow speeds and slow turns. I took the car to a well respected and nearby repair facility for an oil change and had them look at the noise. They found that the control arm bushings had stress cracks and the sway bar end links and mount bushings were leaking. I had the repairs done. The defective parts are documented with photos in the electronic version of the repair invoice. The noise came back in a day. The next step would be replacing the struts. The repair shop found no visible wear or damage to the struts. I already spent $2400 on repairs. The noise remains. The damage to the parts most likely started long before the warranty expired in January. I found a Technical Service Bulletin describing the repair for this noise issue. The repair described specifies replacing the control arms. I did that in the above described repair. There are many upset consumers complaining in Internet forums about the same problem in 2014-2019 Toyota Corolla’s. I contacted Toyota customer service by email. They told me there was nothing they could do about the problem since the warranty expired 5 years after purchasing the car. I told them I have an 8 year extended warranty. They insisted that there was no 8 year warranty. I offered to send them proof. I have the same problem as shown below. I replaced the control arms and stabilizer bar links. They appeared to be failing. There are many more pages on the internet with the same problem. I reported this to Toyota. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION CONTROL ARMS MAKES A SQUEAK NOISE. THIS CONDITION OCCURS WHEN DRIVING OVER SPEED BUMPS AND UNEVEN SURFACES.

BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT SUSPENSION CONTROL ARMS MAKES A SQUEAK NOISE. THIS CONDITION OCCURS WHEN DRIVING OVER SPEED BUMPS AND UNEVEN SURFACES. I SHOWED THIS TO TOYOTA SERVICE ON DECEMBER 2019 WHEN FIRST STARTED BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. THEN SHOWED IT TO DIFFERENT TOYOTA SERVICES IN 2020, AND THEY COULDN'T FIND IT EITHER. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE SUSPENSION SPRINGS, SO I REPLACED IT BUT STILL THE SQUEAKY NOISE WASN'T RESOLVED. RECENTLY I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND SO MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AND I FOUND THE ATTACHED BULLETIN, BUT THE TOYOTA SERVICE WORKERS NEVER SEEN THIS AND TOYOTA NEVER INFORMED ME OF THE BULLETIN. PLEASE THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AND NOT A BULLETIN. TO THIS DAY, THE SQUEAKY NOISE IS A LOT LOUDER THAN IN 2019. PLEASE HELP.

ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30TH 2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 3:00PM I WAS TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 459 NORTH IN THE FAR-RIGHT LANE AND HIT A LARGE POTHOLE ABOUT 150 YARDS BEFORE I-65 OVERPASS. AFTER SWERVING TO MAINTAIN CONTROL I PULLED OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER AND CALLED TOYOTA CARE (ROADSERVICE). THE EVENT I EXPERIENCE CAUSED A BENT WHEEL RIM AND FLAT TIRE. I AM REQUESTING A REIMBURSEMENT OF MY COST TO REPLACE MY WHEEL RIM AND TIRE. THE POTHOLES WERE FILLED BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO TAKE PICTURES ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 3RE 2017.

I HAVE BEEN IN TWO ACCIDENTS WHERE BOTH TIMES I WAS RAN OFF THE ROAD INTO A DITCH. IN NEITHER ACCIDENT DID ANY OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY BUT I DEFINITELY HIT HARD ENOUGH IN WHICH THEY SHOULD HAD. ONE TIME MY CHILD WAS IN THE BACK SEAT. I HIT A DITCH FILLED WITH HUGE ROCKS THE FIRST ACCIDENT WAS SETTLED AT OVER $1700 AND THE 2ND ACCIDENT IS STILL IN THE CLAIMS PORTION OF THE ACCIDENT, WHERE I WAS RAN OFF THE ROAD. THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAD DEPLOYED BUT FROM THE NEGATIVE PUBLICITY IT MAY HAD CAUSED MORE DAMAGE, AND THATBIS VERY SCARY TO THINK ABOUT SEEING THAT MY 5 YEAR OLD WAS INVOLVED IN ONE OF THE ACCIDENTS. THE ACCIDENT WAS ON A ROAD WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 35-40 MPH WITH NO STOP SIGNS OR STOP LIGHTS UNTIL THE END OF THE ESTIMATED 2 MILE ROAD.

I NOTICED A SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF MY 2016 TOYOTA COROLLA LE. I INITIALLY TOOK IT IN TO SEE WHERE THE SOUND WAS STEMMING FROM THE MECHANIC AT TOYOTA STATED THAT THE SOUND WAS NORMAL AND NO NEED TO HAVE CONCERN ABOUT THE NOISE IT WAS NORMAL WITHIN THESE MODELS OF COROLLAS. I LET THE DEALERSHIP WITH RELIEF BUT AS I DROVE BACK THE NOISE WAS LOUDER , SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK IN TO THE SAME SHOP LUTHER BROOKDALE TOYOTA WHERE THE MECHANIC STATED THE SOUND WAS NORMAL BUT THIS TIME THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT THEY REPLACE THE STRUTS AND ALONG WITH THE STRUT MOUNTS. HE STATED THIS WOULD ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM AND THE SOUND WOULD GO AWAY BECAUSE HE AGREED THAT THE FRONT END SUSPENSION WAS INDEED FAULTY (HENCE). THAT'S WHY HE REPLACED THE STRUTS ALONG WITH THE MOUNTS. UPON REPLACING THE PART OF THE SUSPENSION THE SOUND PERSISTED. NOW BROOKDALE WHERE I WENT INITIALLY STATED THEY WHERE NO LONGER ABLE TO HELP ME WITH THE ISSUES KEEP IN MY THE CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY, SO I WENT TO WALSER TOYOTA WHERE THEY KEPT MY VEHICLE FOR OVER A WEEK TRYING TO REPAIR AND GET RID OF THE SOUND MY VEHICLE WAS MAKING AFTER THAT WEEK I WAS TOLD THEY CALLED A TOYOTA SPECIALIST OVER THE PHONE PLUS AFTER A WEEK I WAS TOLD THE SOUND WAS NORMAL NO FURTHER WORK NEEDED TO BE DONE I INQUIRED IF THE REP FROM TOYOTA HEARD THE SOUND OVER THE PHONE WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE THE TECH AT WALSER TOYOTA STATED YES HE HEARD THE SOUND OVER THE PHONE I WAS SHOCKED HOW CAN YOU DEEM A SOUND NORMAL VIA TELEPHONE , NOT HAPPY WITH THIS I THEN TOOK MY VEHICLE TO FIRESTONE REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY RECOMMENDED I HAVE MY FRONT REPLACED I HAVE A PRINT OUT OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS AT THIS POINT I FEEL MY SAFETY OF ME AND MY FAMILY IS AT STAKE.

THE CAR WAS INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT WITH ALL THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED,DATE OF CRASH APR.16,2016 AT 10.25 PM.HSMV REPORT 385303651,I FEEL THE AIRBAGS DID NOT PROTECT ME PROPERLY,AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO AUCTION CLASS LAW SUITE.

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THAT WAS NOT MY FAULT I WAS IN A ROAD WHERE THE SPEED LIIMIT WAS 25-35 MPH. MOSTLY A STRAIGHT ROAD A FEW SLIGHT CURVES. A CAR CAME OVER INTO MY LANE AND CAUSED ME TO SWERVE OUT OF THE WAY TO AVOID HITTING THAT PERSON HEAD ON. I WENT INTO A DITCH FULL OF HUGE ROCKS. THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED WHICH IN MY OPINION TFHEY SHOULD HAD, BUT FROM WHAT I HEAR IT MAY HAVE CAUSED EVEN MORE DAMAGE. ANYWAYS I COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE CAR WHO SWERVED INTO MY LANE. MY CAR WAS DAMAGED IT HIT STRAIGHT FORWARD INTO THE HUGE ROCKS. I WAS PRETTY SORE BUT DID NOT GO TO THE ER. MY CAR HAD A PRETTY GOOD AMOUNT OF DAMAGE BUT LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT OUT OF THE DITCH. IT BUSTED UP THE FRONT OF MY CAR NEAR THE PASSENGER SIDED, AND CAUSED QUITE THE DAMAGE TO MY FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. NORMALLY MY 5 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WOULD HAD BEEN RIIDING ON THAT SIDE. LUCKILY SHE WASN'T THAT DAY.