Suspension Noise problems of the 2008 Toyota Camry

My mechanic noticed that all 4 struts were leaking when I had my tires rotated. I noticed that my car was very unstable on the road and swaying all over the place. Took the car to my Toyota dealer. They said that the struts were leaking, but according to Toyota extra care, some leakage is normal and the struts were not leaking enough to have them replaced under the warranty. The car continued to get worse and I took it back to a Toyota dealer on 2/14/12. They told me all 4 struts were leaking past the normal amount and should be replaced. They also said the front and real links and bushings should be replaced because the car is all over the road and there is noise from these components. They contacted Toyota extra care who said they needed to send an adjuster out to look at the vehicle. The adjuster said that only 2 struts were leaking enough to be replaced and no other parts needed replacing. He also said he didn't hear the noise. Amazing! extra care has refused to honor the warranty on the other parts because they say they have not failed. The dealer claims they should all be replaced. I think it is absurd that Toyota extra care is standing on a technicality on how much the struts are leaking and will not cover all 4. They are leaving me with an unsafe vehicle. The certified mechanics that have looked at my car all say that once the strut is leaking it should be replaced no question about it. I have read that this is a problem with many Toyota Camrys from this year. I paid for the extended warranty and Toyota should do the right thing. Not wait until more parts fail or I have an accident because the suspension is compromised. I will never purchase another Toyota because of this. This is a safety issue that should be taken care of.

While turning the Toyota steering wheel, I can notice a severe clicking or thumping sound from the steering wheel. It appears there is a problem with the suspension or the struts. I took my Toyota to get it check out a few months before the warranty expired. They indicated the struts were leaking. One strut was severely leaking so they replaced it. The other strut was also leaking but not as severe so it was not replaced. However, the steering column has the aforementioned noise and I know, through internet searches, that many owners have experienced this problem. It's likely a mass defect that should be looked at ASAP before someone is severely injured. My wife uses the car to take my children to school so I am very concerned about the safety of the vehicle.

I bought a new 2008 Toyota Camry in Nov 2007, at around 50k miles I heard a grinding noise while driving and experienced vibration in the steering wheel . I brought it into the dealer and they noted the strut needed to be replaced. Not soon after that repair @ around 80k miles I experienced the same noise and vibration in the wheel again and I took it to a les schwab auto shop they linked the problem to the struts and wheel bearings which caused uneven tire wear. As the car was still under warranty I took it to the dealer again, they agreed with the assessment from les schwab and replaced the struts again and the wheel bearing. The dealer agreed that I should not be replacing the struts as often as I was on a relatively new vehicle. Dealer mentioned that it is a defect and Toyota (the corporation) is aware of it and that I should be getting a letter in the mail to that effect. To date ( 2/26/10) I have received no such letter. The concern is that NHTSA has not yet gotten to the bottom of all the defects that are out there with the Camry models for the years that are now being recalled for accelerator issues. With the recent recall I had to bring my Camry in to get the gas pedal shortened and to install the shimmy to prevent the sudden acceleration. Please look into the issue with the struts as the strut housing serves as a structural part of the suspension system and it connects the upper strut bearing to the lower ball joint so that the entire assembly can then pivot when the steering wheel is turned. Struts therefore affects the driver's ability to steer and maneuver the vehicle safely, I now see that the corolla are being recalled for steering issues, I am concerned that this is not limited to only that model as my Camry had issues with steering that was linked to defective struts. Struts should not wear out as often as mine did on a new car. For the safety of Toyota drivers investigate how many vehicles from 2007 to 2010 have had issues with struts.