2003 Camry Alignment Problems?

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[camry2003lev6]

Have you checked the pressure for tires (i.e 29 psi) ?

Have you checked all wheel nuts were torqued correctly ?

Try swap the tires, example left to right to see if the problem follows.

Good luck!

[Toyota Driver]

HEY MAN...I JUST BOUGHT A 2003 SE AS WELL AND I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.....AS SOON AS I LET GO OF THE WHEEL THE CAR GOES LEFT!!!! I JUST IGNORED THE PROBLEM BUT NOW IM NOT SURE WHAT TO DO....MAYBE ITS A DEFECT IN THE 2003 SE MODEL??? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM??

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[Ken]

Have you had the wheels balanced again?

Just a thought.

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Wheel balancing couldn't cause this tho, could it?

I thought that (out of balance wheels) just caused poor tire wear, and maybe some steering wheel shake...

Can it also cause a car to drift?

[aznsclboi]

My 2002 Camry SE V6 doesn't veer an any direction, but begins to drift to the left when I let go of the wheel, only every so slightly.

A buddy of mine has a 2002 V6 LE and his does that to him also.

I don't think it's isolated to just the Gen5, my old camry, 1991 Gen3 used to drift to the left also. I'm thinking it's the power steering, but I rarely let go of the wheel, so I don't really notice.

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[yaristpot]

wait till u have a clear road and drive on the other side.... this will eliminate the camber of the road?

Dan

PLEASE DONT KILL YOURSELF!

[Graben]

I just got rid of a 2000 Neon that did veer to the left as well, don't know the cause though.

[sautan]

You know what!!! My 2003 Camry SE does the same to me....i brought it back to the dealer twice and still the same!!! What else can i do???

[fafued]

My 2003 Camry does the same. At first I thought it was the road pulling me. I tried the other side and it did the same. It is not real bad just more of an annoyance if you let go of the wheel. If that is the only problem it gives me....I'll be happy. Gonna take it back to the dealer as well. I will post again if they find any problems.

[kipp]

Toe in or point inward/or straight ahead probably will not effect the lateral drift but will scrub the tires laterally.

Camber, however, will cause lateral drift. This is the tipping laterally of the wheel-tire and if tip is not the same on both wheels relative to the car frame. The more tip the more the lateral pull and if one side is more than the other, the drift occurs.

Caster, or tip back of the steering twist [down thrugh the shock on a macpherson strut] if different on front wheels can also cause drift to a lessor degree.

A stuck brake caliper on one side may also cause pull by having increased friction on one side, but less likely due to low mileage.

A full alignment is necessary to rule out it [alignment] which includes tire pressure equalization and tire type/wear/sizing.

I bought a '88 pontiac fiero formula [6" rims in front and 7" in back from the factory.] The car also pulled to the left, but I found both back tires [7"] were on the left. It drove true when the 2-7" tire were repositioned in the back [6" on the front.]

[mikey553]

Very good post, Kipp. I agree with you 100%.

Mike

[kipp]

To the best of my recollection, the aligner would put a 40 # weight over the left fender to compensate for a single driver which would avoid a drift to the left when only one person is driving. If that is still an appropriate procedure, and the aligners are failing to do it, then you may get a left drift. This would be due to the ~ 1 degree left lean on both front tires when on person sits in the car without the compensatory weight during the alignment.

Any know if the weight is still used?

<_<

[Outville]

Folks, it looks like the majority of our discussion about the Camrys pulling left and tracking poorly have been lost. Just to recap my posts, I bought a new 2003 Camry XLE in August. The dealer has been unable or unwilling to address this problem. I've filed a safety complaint with NHTSA, a consumer complaint with the Attorney General in my state due to the dealership's behavior, and I've filed for arbitration to preserve my Lemon Law rights. I've also sent official notification to Toyota demanding they fix the car or buy it back. The dealership originally determined the problem to be caused by incorrect caster, but once they jiggled and pried the engine cradle enough to get the caster reading to the margin of the specified value, they changed their evaluation of the handling from poor to correct. I'm also looking into the possibility of correcting the problem with aftermarked alignment adjustment kits from K-Mac Suspensions through an independent repair shop, should my arbitration efforts prove fruitless.

[Intruder]

I also opened a safety incident with NHTSA for pulling to the left. Car has been back to two different dealers 8 times. Also took it to an independent alignment shop (at my expense). The alignment shop confirmed that the car's Caster is insufficient to keep it tracking correctly but it is not adjustable. The last dealer admitted that they have "a few" customers complaining about the same problem. They say it's within Toyota spec so there is nothing further they can do.

I wrote to Toyota Customer Service. When they didn't respond after a month I called them and got the Toyota N America CEO, President's name & address. I wrote to him over a month ago and just got a call today; Just some flunky collecting details. He didn't agree to do anything - just getting information.

I see that owners of 2004 Solaras are starting to complain about the same thing so the saga continues. Toyota denies that a problem exists.

I was a loyal Toyota repeat customer but I won't be back after this experience.

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[Outville]

I received a call from National Center for Dispute Resolution, and my arbitration hearing is scheduled for December 10. I had hoped that filing for arbitration would have prompted some offer to seek a solution, but so far it appears Toyota does not intend to resolve this amicably. I will keep everyone posted if Toyota steps forward to make an attempt to resolve the problem.

Since the service orders to not accurately reflect my complaints or the repair attempts described to me by the service advisor, I have reason to question the alignment sheets as well. After discussing this situation with my local alignment shop, I now understand that any operator can edit the specifications on an alignment print sheet. I'll be getting the alignment measured at a local tire & aligment shop. I plan to discuss the possibility of correcting the alignment deficiencies with the business owner, and I'll post those results.

I have also gotten a response from Toyota Customer Service, and I've replied by sending the specifics of my complaint to the district customer relations manager.

I am also considering filing a second complaint with NHTSA if I don't get a response by the time of my arbitration hearing. I found that my complaint has been initialed, which I take to mean it has at least been reviewed by someone at NHTSA.

The fact that the dealership is denying warranty rights regarding a safety defect raises serious questions. As a result, I have filed a second consumer complaint with the Ohio Attorney General's office. I did not get any response from my initial complaint, but I have received an automatic email response this time outlining possible follow-up procedures.

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[EH1]

I have a 2003 camry XLE that veers to the left too, and I have to keep a right pull on the steering wheel all the time. I took it to the dealer twice and they tried to put the blame first on bad tires (even new) then they worked on it and brought it to spec (from max range to mid range, and showed me the "computer output" but still has the same problem. It is NOT the road, or the tires or the caster/camber. I am thinking seriously about changing this car, now that I see that this is a common problem and Toyota is not acknowledging it (I have also a 95 camry Wagon that goes very "straight"). I loved all the other features of the XLE but this pull is a constant reminder that this is a defective car. Is someone from Toyota USA reading this or this place is just for "venting"?

If anyone with 2003 Camry XLE had this problem and got it corrected please let us know.

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[Outville]

Update: I made my presentation to the arbitrator yesterday, with the Toyota District Customer Service supervisor and the dealership Service Manager present. The Toyota rep made his presentation which included a detailed discussion of how and why the car is designed to pull left. He said the car is designed to pull left to compensate for road crown, though the factory specifications show neutral alignment. He also said the tires are biased to the left, though they are non-directional and non-specific to position. In other words, much of his presentation was made up. The Toyota rep did not provide any documentation to the abitrator and had none ready, which I found surpising. I provided copies of the service orders and alignment sheets. I was not asked to submit the car for inspection. We did test drive the car with the arbitrator present. The Toyota rep said they could only make minor adjustments in camber to compensate for driving habits, reaffirming his position that the car performs as well as other Camrys. I closed by pointing out that the Toyota rep was overlooking the central issue: the dealership originally diagnosed the problem as being related to the caster angle, which has only been changed by at most 1/10 of one degree, which would not produce a discernable change in driving characteristics. I then changed my demand from replacement to repurchase, as the vehicle is unnacceptable as it drives, and I could not be assured that another Camry would drive differently. I was promised a reply within ten days of the meeting, and the Toyota rep assured me the company would honor the arbitrator's decision. I will keep everyone posted.

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