Problems with 2004 Toyota Camry STEERING

Car sitting at idle position suddenly launched forward. vehicle was going 2-3 mph when it suddenly launched forward and smashed into a wall at a top donut drive thru.

Was informed that my power steering column was leaking and the steering devices could lose its restraints at any given time. this could lead to car losing complete steering causing a severe crash and potentially death to its occupants. with the recent recall for nissan vehicles regarding power steering fluid leaks, there is a concern that the leaks may cause fire to my vehicle. when asked about the problem to the toyota service technician, he stated that over time the power steering system may "rust" and need repairs. i asked about how often does this or has this issued occurred for toyota brand cars or trucks? no data was provided. i went on to press for additional information, but the service technician did not provide additional details regarding this issue with my 2004 toyota camry. since getting the news about my car, i have noticed when driving on the highway or city streets my car quickly shifts steering toward the right at varous speeds into the next lane. i try to maintain control by staying in the far right lane on highways and city streets to avoid crashing into other cars.

While driving yesterday - august 18, 2016, power steering went on and off when turning. seemed to be the power steering - made it hard to turn the wheels. driving on highway straight ahead was fine. on city streets and parking the issue was very noticeable and frightening since i didn't know if i could control my moving vehicle. . in checking to see where to get repair done, i noticed there is a recall for power steering on the 2004 camry. called local toyota dealer where i bought the car, and was told that this vin number has no recalls.

I started up my 2004 toyota camry while parked at curb. when i put car in "drive," the steering wheel locked up (froze in place). i was unable to turn the wheel in either direction. restarted car and steering was normal. *tr

I have steering noise issue from the day i purchased this vehicle in 2004. i have taken my vehicle to the dealership so many times to report this to the dealer and get it fixed but dealer has not fixed this issue. after the warranty on this vehicle is over when i took it back to the dealer and reported this again dealer wants to replace parts with the cost of 2000 dollars to fix it. i was not aware of this website before otherwise i would have submitted my complaint earlier but still want to report to the nhtsa to record this for future. i did some research on this issue and found out apparently all the 2003-2004 toyotas has this same issue but the company and the dealers tries to deny that. *tr

I suddenly experienced an increased effort to make a turn. *tr

I was driving, took a corner and my car turned off without warning or signal, and i lost power steering and hit another parked vehicle. i proceeded to turn my car back on, drive ten feet and the engine shut off again without warning. i went to the auto body shop and they stated it was a code 2112 throttle issue. i researched on the internet and saw several other consumer complaints about this same issue with the same make/model/year and around the same mileage as my car has. toyota is not recalling or providing free service on the parts and i was given an estimate of over 1300.00 to fix. seeing that this is normal wear and tear - i didnt do a thing to cause this to happen, and it's a safety issue, i believe they should be replacing and or recalling these vehicles. *tr

Took car for test drive on road described to me by a dealership employee as an uncrowned road.let go of steering wheel a few times and immediately the car took off to the left repeatedly. went back to dealership, said would buy car, but that i would have to have the steering pulling cured.went back next day or two, tires rotated. on drive home pulling was back.went back for realignment. was told the problem was "minimalized".got in the car, let go of the steering wheel, started the pulling in the dealership parking lot. took car to independent to check the front end.he said could only find most minor alignment problems,not enough to cause the pulling. he checked out underside for any damage, found notthing. back to dealership for replacement of rack & pinion & two new tires on the front. job finished, left and made right onto highway.got a right hand pull. car never previously pulled right except for a couple of times when braking.made left to go home and had only left pulling on all roads traveled.on open six lane highway i let go of the wheel, by the count of three entire car is in the lane to the left. i read on this site incidents with pulling that have resulted in unsafe situations. *tr

I was approaching a freeway in atlanta, ga. as the connector curved, i was driving about 35 mph and gently brake about 200 feet from the freeway. the car immediately and violently accelerated, throwing my head back against the headrest; i brake harder but there was no response from the car; the car seemed to pivot on the right front tire and the rear end flew to my left about 240 degrees or so and struck the guard rail with the left rear quarter panel and bumper. the car then, continuing at high speed, ricocheted off the guard rail and the rear end pivoted toward the road, making the front bumper strike the same guard rail. the second collision scraped the paint off the center of the bumper but the impact seemed stronger than the damage would indicate. the second impact did stop the car. i make this report because my car was not one of those recalled by toyota for this problem; but, believe me, it happened. *tr

No incident, program keep asking for date: its a dummy date. i am the original owner of toyota camry lxi 2004. around 35,260 miles and before 3 years (under warranty) steering started causing trouble, started to feel and hear cllcking in the steering when ever the steering wheel is moved or during driving in either direction. in addition to this problem some times steering gets really hard during driving. i took the car to an authorized dealer in chicago and it was tested by a mechanic and i was told that they could not find any problem. after 16 months and at 43,752 miles the problem got worst and i had to take the car back to the same authorized dealer in chicago, and after checking it i was told that yes their is a problem with the steering and it will cost me $520 + labor to fix it. i refused to pay and told them that i will file a complain with toyota corp that when i brought the car for the same reason under warranty it was not fixed and now you want to fix the same problem charging the customer. finally the manager got the ok from toyota corp and fixed the problem without charge. now after 3 years at 63,632 miles same problems with the steering returned and a authorized dealer in california wants to charge me $715 + labor. i filed a online complain with toyota corp (main office in torrance, ca) and after investigation they told me that when the authorized dealer in chicago fixed the problem, he fixed it as a goodwill ! what does it mean? when i took the car for the same problem it was under warranty and it was fixed for no charge. i don't think i like to pay any money for this kind of problem and toyota corp should be responsible to fix this problem with no charge to customer. *tr

The left front tire ( new tire, i punched 4 new michelin tires 7/11) on my car popped. i am not sure if the car pedal got stuck first, everything happened fast. steering became impossible and the car when side to side as i attempted to steer the car. the stewing wheel would turn, but it didn't work. the major thing is that i couldn't operate the car because of the pedal getting stuck and the steering was impossible after that. the car was taken to carriage cage auto repair by aaa, who recommended i take it there, since the car could not be driven. i then went to the er room for care. nationwide insurance was notified, they gave an estimate of over five thousand dollars to repair the car. toyota in lake city, wa -bruce in auto care was notified regarding the pedal becoming stuck. i will have to take the car there once it is repaired. i wonder how safe is the car and what can be done about it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately 40 mph when the steering wheel began moving from left to right independently. the contact decelerated to move to the shoulder as the failure persisted. the vehicle was then towed to the dealer where they advised her that there was as steering fluid leakage due to the steering pump being fractured. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 25,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel vibrated and required excessive force to control. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

At around 48,000 miles, i started to feel and hear a clicking in the steering. it occurs any time the steering wheel is moved,(parked or driving). i had a mechanic check it out and was told that the intermediate slide shaft is causing the problem. as i searched through your complaint list, i see there are a lot of complaints against this model and year. it seems toyota does not want to take responsibility. i was told that there are other manufacturers that have the same type of problems and have made repairs to their vehicles. also there are third party replacement parts to fix this problem (at the owners' expense). how many failures, crashes or possibly deaths will it take to make toyota issue a recall to repair this? toyota claims it is not a safety issue, yet there seems to be a lot of letters stating that their safety was at risk. it is uncomfortable to hear and feel that noise every time my wife or i are driving this vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. the contact stated that the steering wheel shaft failed because of the bearings and caused the steering wheel to feel extremely tight. the dealer stated that the steering wheel could lock while driving. the steering column, steering assembly and the bearings were replaced at the owners expense. the failure and current mileages were approximately 26,000. updated 8/25/10 *cn updated 08/27/10 updated 08/30/10*jb

Noise in steering column and too much play in steering. replaced intermediate steering column shaft. major issue averted since my mechanic picked up on the issue. significant automobile part, should not have failed. toyota has a service bulletin but not a recall on this issue. *tr

The front left of the car was making noise. when i drive, the steering wheel was vibrating when i press the brake. when i was driving on the freeway, the steering wheel stopped working. as the steering wheel did not work, i tried to stopped the car by pressing the brakes, but that did not stop the car. the front of my car hit into the center divider on the freeway and then the back of my car also hit the divider. when the car finally stopped i was blocking 3 lanes on a 5 lane freeway facing traffic. the air bags did not deploy even though i was driving 55 mph. the front bumper completely detached from the car. i suffered whiplash including neck and shoulder pains. i just had my car maintained about a month ago. *tr

I previously purchased a 2004 new camry at a car dealership in california. at 17,000 miles i noticed a thumping sound and vibration in the steering column. i was informed that this year car was experiencing problems and the steering column was fixed. the repair was made under warranty. just recently at 49, 000 miles, the same problem occurred again. i was told that the steering could have gone out any time and i would have lost complete control. i was again informed that the 2004 camry's had a problem with the steering column. this time i had to pay over $600 as the car is out of warranty. i have written to toyota company asking them to pay for the repair, since it should have never occurred again. i have not received a response. *tr

While driving my 2004 toyota camry (about 83,000 miles on it), the power steering went out, the car required great force to steer, and "steam" was coming from under the hood. i slowly pulled to the curb to look under the hood and then drove about a quarter mile (with great difficulty) to a nearby toyota dealer. the following day i was informed that an alternator bolt had "backed out." this caused the alternator to loosen which released the serpentine belt. as a result the water pump and alternator were damaged and coolant sprayed over the engine. toyota wanted about $1100 to repair all of the damage. i complained and the cost was reduced by the price of a reconditioned alternator, i.e., $400. the service manager told me that they recently had a similar problem. my car had been in for service to the same toyota dealer just 3 weeks earlier. had i been driving on a freeway (instead of a local street where i slowly pulled to the curb), my toyota could have been struck by another vehicle, since i could hardly steer the car. this is potentially a very dangerous defect/problem which i have never heard of before.*cw

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. the contact stated that the vehicle would exhibit an unusual noise when attempting a turn in either direction. in addition, the contact stated that the vehicle would not remain straight when attempting to turn, which was a constant failure. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the steering column was replaced. the manufacturer advised the contact that he would be reimbursed for partial repairs. the failure mileage was approximately 35,000 and the current mileage was 39,027.

During routine vehicle maintenance toyota mechanic reported loose steering column. lots of play in steering wheel when driving - very poor responsiveness. vehicle taken to toyota dealer - new intermediate steering shaft replaced at my cost. *tr

I own a 2004 toyota camry. it has a defective throttle body which has left my wife stranded and cost $1000 to fix from the dealer. this is a common problem and a few of my friends have had to pay twice to get this fixed. the other issue is there a defective part in the steering linkage that pops when you turn. this eventually leads to slop in the steering and it cause my to go in the ditch. this accident has given me a chronic back condition and prevented me from commissioning in the military. this issue is also known to be a problem with the camrys but toyota refuses to do anything about it. *tr

Steering loose when moving wheel back and forth slowly. hardly noticed at first. i drove the car today. i have not driven it for several months. steering was more loose and the wheels also vibrated along with the steering wheel at about 60mph. i googled the problem and found lots of information, see link: yes, search this forum for "steering noise" and you'll find a few threads. this is where they nailed it: http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/sh...=155639&page=2. *tr

Acceleration on my 2004 toyota camry began to fluctuate wildly while i was driving down the road. car would suddenly accelerate, then decelerate almost non-stop. i shut engine off, called toyota and had the car towed in. i was told that the engine control module (ecm) was defective and would be replaced under a federally mandated warranty - car had 76,000 miles, and warranty was good to 80,000 miles. however they also told me that the accelerator pedal assembly had simultaneously failed. that would cost me $681. toyota's own technician said that the ecm failure caused the accelerator pedal assembly to fail. toyota corporate, however, told me that the two incidents were unrelated. after reading about the "accelerator pedal sticking" problem in the news lately, i wonder if my problem is not part of a much larger problem involving the ecm on toyotas cars. if i was not wise enough to shut off my engine when the problem occurred, a serious accident could easily have occurred. please continue to investigate the ecm problem, as i believe that toyota is not forthcoming with the full story here. *tr the consumer also stated there weas an engine knock coming from the vehicle. the dealer repalced the tensioner, and belt. the water pump was wearing prematurely, there was a noise coming from the steering column when turning the wheel. the dealer replaced the intermediate steering shaft. the check engine light was on all the time. the dealer replaced the catalytic converter. the ecm and accelerator pedal were replaced. updated ivoq 04/15/11

Steering hard to turn,steering wheel very stiff. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. the steering column makes a thumping noise while turning the steering wheel. an independent mechanic concluded that the intermediate steering shaft failed; however, the technician from the dealer stated that on his particular model the entire steering shaft would need to be replaced to remedy the failure. no repairs were made. the failure mileage was under 60,000. the current was 66,000. the vehicle identification number was unavailable.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry le. the contact lost control of the vehicle because the steering wheel malfunctioned on the vehicle. the contact was not injured in the crash. the contact was not able to give more details of what caused the vehicle to lose control. the consumer was traveling 55 mph when the crash occurred. the failure mileage was 39,000. the vehicle was destroyed. updated 4/26/10 *cn updated 04/30/10. *jb

Steering column makes bad noises when it is turned. the noises continue and steering is rough. *tr

The inner steering column shaft became detatched on my 2004 toyota camry 4 dr le sedan. it started making a noise and the complete steering column had to be replaced at a cost of $950.00. toyota would do nothing because they said the car had 60,000 miles on it and it was out of warranty. also the rear struts wore out at about 30,000 miles. *jb

The steering column has failed on my 2004 camry. a little browsing of the internet reveals that this is a common problem with the camry model. my dealer in covington, la has said that about 1 in 8 camry's have this problem, but would not offer to held repair my vehicle since only the powertrain warranty remains. a call to toyota customer assistance yielded the same results. the steering wheel make a grinding noise at slow speeds, and the dealer (northshore toyota in covington, la) has told me my steering bearings are "shot." this problem was first reported to my dealer at about 50,000 miles. *tr

My car has been making a steering well/under the hood poping noise since the day i purchased it. the dealership where i purchased it knows where it is coming from, the steering wheel and possibly tension belt, but has told me to hold off until a recall. my mother in another state, as well as my cousin has the same issue. if toyota has a lead on the market, why can't they honestly honor their repairs. *tr

There is a knocking sound in steering column of my 2004 toyota camry while turning just before moving off. car has 27,000 miles. this seems to be a factory defect. what recourse do i have? *tr

When i was driving my car from parking lot to go home, i heard loud noise from front of my car and felt stiffness of control of my car. i tried to drive back to parking to take a look, but the car lost of power steering assist. the car was towed to toyota dealer. the dealer found out the power steering pulley had broken off and the drive belt came off. i was lucky it happened in parking lot, or i may get to a car accident. i have contacted to toyota, but they said it was not in recall of failed crankshaft pulley because the vin number does not in the range of recall. but my car has exactly same issue the recall nhtsa campaign id number: 11v539000 has. the car is 2004 camry. *tr

There is a knocking sound in the steering wheel. the sound comes when the steering turns right or left. it started at around 30k miles. this seems to be a factory defect. *tr

2004 toyota camry has excessive play in steering column and make noise when making a left or right turn. dealer states that it is just a noise but would replace lower column at a cost of $463.65. i believe that this is a potential safety issue in which the dealer/manufacturer is aware. this in my humble opinion should be a recall item paid for by toyota. this is my fourth toyota and i never had any issues like this beginning at 39,000. noise was smaller and only noticed on left turns at first now much louder and occurs on left and right turns. *jb

I own a 2004 toyota camry with only 19,993 miles on it. the steering intermediate shaft was defective. refer to technical service bulletin st001-06. i heard clanking and popping sounds coming from the steering shaft. the steering felt loose and sloppy. after reading the technical service bulletin i believed toyota discovered the faulty part in production and eventually changed to a new part. i was disappointed toyota charged me for labor to fix a part that was defective from the beginning. toyota should have recalled the part and replaced it for free.*ak

Shortly after we purchased a new 2004 camry sedan, we began noticing looseness, rattling, knocking sounds and "play" in the steering characteristics. in addition, in slow, tight-radius turns (as in parking lots), it almost felt as if the front tires would slide laterally over slick surfaces -- snow, ice, loose gravel, wet pavement. the problem was subtle at first but became gradually more noticeable. at highway speeds, there was a barely-perceptible oscillation or vibration of the steering wheel. at about 28k miles we noticed a pulling to the right. we asked for an alignment to be done and this did not correct the problem. the knocking, rattling, looseness, play, lateral skidding in tight-radius turns became worse over time and at about 50k miles we asked the dealer to check again. dealers service order stated, "tsb st001-06 applies to this concern. an updated steering shaft ordered." the cost to repair was over $400. we believe this defect existed from the time the car was manufactured, and the description of the problem sounds similar to recalls or defects i have researched that affect the prius, avalon, and other toyota vehicles. we believe this could be a potential safety hazard. *jb

When turning to the left, the steering wheel had a jerking motion and a knocking noise. contacted dealer and said it has happened before on occassion. car taken to dealer and replaced a lower steering shaft to a newer version. comment was that this car was a new design and this particular part needed replacement. my problem is that it was not covered under warranty and i had to pay for the replacement. the old part was not available for me to take it. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. while driving 55 mph, the steering wheel vibrated. the contact was still able to maintain control of the vehicle. the dealer stated that the intermediate shaft needed to be replaced due to normal wear and tear. the repair was not made. the failure mileage was 65,000 and current mileage was 71,520.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds a clunking noise was heard coming from the steering column, and there was excessive play within the steering wheel. the vehicle was driven to the dealer where the steering rack was replaced however the problem has recurred.

On going problem with 2004 toyota camry since 53k miles. coupling between steering column and rack and pinion pops as if their is a bearing failure in union. was advised they were aware of problem with a tsb, but not covered under recall or warranty since none had "failed" yet. failure of part would directly affect control of steering of vehicle. after contact corporate toyota they said in email i would have to work it out with the dealer who said the part was not covered and not a safety issue. vehicle has not been repaired, but problem and popping in column is getting worse. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65 mph on normal road conditions a clicking noise was heard. there were no warning lights illuminated. when the vehicle was taken to the dealership for its regular service, the mechanic determined the intermediate shaft of the steering gear needed to be replaced, however it was not a safety problem. the contact was aware of vehicles affected by corrosion when operated in salt belt states creating specific steering failures. the manufacturer was contacted who also indicated there was no recall but the dealership would honor the cost of the parts but not the labor involved for the repair. updated 2/22/2007 - *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. the contact heard a knocking sound in the steering column when he turned the steering wheel. when he turned the steering wheel all the way around, it seemed to malfunction as well. the dealer stated that the intermediate shaft malfunctioned and that there was a service bulletin available, but no recall. the purchase date and speed were unknown. the current mileage was 26,828 and failure mileage was approximately 25,000. updated 02-14-08. *kb updated 02/14/08 *tr

I bought the used 2004 toyota camry in october and found that the car would pull to the left and found that i had to firmly hold onto the steering wheel while i was driving. i went to the nhtsa website to see if other people were experiencing the same problem. i found that this was a common complaint among toyota camry owners. toyota didn't have a recall issued. in january 2011 i experienced a vibration in the steering wheel as i was entering a major highway that scared the heck out of me. i drove in the right-hand lane and dropped my speed until the vibration stopped. i had a mechanic check out the steering mechanism and he was not able to correct the problem. i have also had wheel alignments during the past five years. i am having trouble steering when i make left- or right-hand turns in addition to holding onto the steering wheel (which becomes stressful during long driving trips). my neck muscles become very cramped because i need to focus on steering the car. i've registered my car with toyota and i'm waiting for toyota to issue a recall. this is the first car i've ever owned that i do not enjoy driving. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicles steering locks up, and will need an ignition cylinder for repair the problem. several dealers confirmed that this is a recurring issue with vehicles of this year, make and model.

2004 toyota camry has a clicking sound in the steering column. *tr

Steering knuckle defective on 2004 toyota camry. provides a major safety issue. problem has been going on for two weeks. now after taking it to an official toyota dealer repair shop, problem still not fixed. now at least two week to a month wait on part. was told we were number 536 on waiting list, and was told it was not a safety issue in short term, but do not believe that. steering is loose, and a catch occurs in steering. passenger can even feel when this occurs. dealer has reported three exact same problems with other camrys in the same week. *nm

Tl* - the contact heard a clanking noise while driving. .this happened when turning the steering wheel left or right, whether the vehicle was being driven or standing still. the contact stated that the steering column will not adjust, and the wheel leaned a little to the left. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer , and they did not diagnose the problem, but gave him an estimate of what it would cost to repair the steering failure. the contact stated he has been hearing the clanking noise every since he purchased the vehicle back in december 2004, but the noise was getting worse. *ak updated 01/30/07. *jb

Failure of intermediate steering shaft causes clunking and looseness of steering system. toyota refused to give its dealer a replacement part. instead, dealer noted this information on service form: "toyota will be issuing a recall regarding condition in near future. will receive notice by mail." this was on december 10, 2005. i have not yet received a recall notice. has toyota contacted nhtsa about a recall for the intermediate steering shaft? *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. while making a turn at approximately 15 mph on normal road conditions, the contact heard a loud clicking noise coming from the steering column followed by a shaking sensation. there were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they stated that the failure was related to the steering column assembly. the steering column was replaced under the service warranty. on two separate occasions, the vehicle was returned to the authorized dealer for identical failures. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 29,944 and current mileage was 72,000.