1998 Toyota Camry Exterior lighting Problems

1998 TOYOTA CAMRY, FRONT HEAD LIGHT COVERS HAVE CLOUDED UP REDUCING HEAD LIGHT BRIGHTNESS AND DISTANCE OF HEAD LIGHTS EFFECTIVENESS. *BF

NHTSA ID

10368833

Incident

Nov 12, 2010

I TRIED WORKING WITH TOYOTA TO RESOLVE THERE ISSUES, BUT BECASUE THE WARRANTY TIME IS EXPIRED THEY WON'T ASSIST IN FIXING THERE DEFECTS. I WAS TOLD IF I WANTED TO PAY THE $2,000.00 BILL THEY WOULD BE HAPPY TO ORDER THE PARTS. THE HEAD LAMPS ARE SO DIM I HAVE NEARLY HIT DEERS IN THE ROAD ON 5 SEPERATE OCCASIONS I KNOW THESE CAN'T PASS FMVSS REQUIREMENT. THE DRIVERS SEAT IS LOOSE IN THE TRACK AND ROCKS WHEN ACCELERATING AND STOPPING. THE FRONT STRUTS MOUNTING BRACKETS RATTLE, SHAKE, VIBRATE AND BANG. THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES WHILE TURNING. THE REAR STUTS ARE TOO WEAK FOR THE VEHICLE SO PEOPLE CAN'T RIDE IN THE REAR OR THE CAR BOTTOMS OUT. THE CAR ALARM SOMTIMES WORKS AND SOMTIMES DOESN'T. THE BURLWOOD DASH IS SPLITTING,CRAKING, FADING AND PEELING. I WAS TOLD BY THE ASST. SERVICE MGR. AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF ALL THESE DEFECTS AND IT'S A RESULT OF POOR ENGINEERING AND VEHICLE TEST VALIDATION. I THEN HEARD HIM TELL A MECHANIC "WHAT PEOPLE THINK JUST BECAUSE IT'S A TOYOTA IT DOESN'T EVER BREAK" HE THEN LAUGHED AND SAID THESE CARS ARE THE WORST. I THINK WE NEED SOME HELP IN MAKING TOYOTA FIX THERE KNOWN DEFECTS BECAUSE THIS IS UNCALLED FOR.*AK

NHTSA ID

756058

WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE IN USE, DRIVER CANNOT SEE ANY MORE THAN APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET IN FRONT GOING DOWN A HILL. PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED TO DEALER, AND PARTS WERE REPLACED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK *SLC

NHTSA ID

880288

FLAT TIRE DUE TO OLD, CUT, SLOW LEAKING VALVE STEM. *CJ

NHTSA ID

558705

WHEN MAKING A SUDDEN STOP BRAKES WILL EXPERIENCE A LONGER STOPPING DISTANCE INTERMITTENTLY. DEALER CANNOT DETERMINE DEFECT. *AK DEALER WOULD MAKE SO CALLED ADJUSTMENTS, HOWEVER WOULD NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM, A BRAKE SPECIALIST DETECTED BRAKE PROBLEM, BUT COULD NOT FIND THE EXACT PROBLEM, CONSUMER FEELS BRAKES ARE UNMATCHING PARTS OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES THAT DOES NOT ALLOW FOR REPAIR, THE DEALER HAS ADJUSTED REAR BRAKES, REPLACED BRAKE PADS, MACHINED ROTORS, REPLACED REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS. CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE IS TOO LOW TO THE GROUND, VEHICLE WOULD SCRAPE THE GROUND WHILE ENTERING AND EXITING DRIVEWAY THAT HAD A VERY SMALL PEAK, DEALER STATED STRUSTS WERE FINE, CONSUMER FEELS STRUTS ARE DEFECTIVE. VEHICLE HAS A LOUD ENGINE NOISE AND IDLES HIGH ON A COLD START, DEALER ADJUSTED THE TIMING BELT. LEFT SUN VISOR IS LOOSE, DEALER TIGHTENED, VISOR MIRRORS WERE CRACKEDM DEALER REPLACED. AIR CONDITIONER HAS AN ODOR WHEN IN USE. TIRES KEEP LOSING AIR, FOUND TIRES WERE MISSING A VALVE STEM. ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, DEALER REPLACED AIR FUEL SENSOR, ENGINE STALLS AT TIMES WHEN STARTING, DEALE REPLACED THE IAC VALVE. RIGHT HEADLAMP IS DIM, DEALER ORDERED NEW BULB ASSEMBLY, BULB SHORTED. CONSUMER CONTACTED PREVIOUS OWNER OF VEHICLE WHO STATED THAT THERE WERE MANY BRAKE PROBLEM THAT THE DEALER COULD NOT FIX, MANUFACTURER TOLD HER THAT SOME OF THESE VEHICLES WERE MADE WITH AN ILL FITTING PART THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY BE RECALLED, PREVIOUS OWNER HAD RETURNED VEHICLE DUE TO THESE BRAKE PROBLEMS, WHEN CURRENT OWNER BOUGHT VEHICLE TOYOTA HID THE FACT THAT VEHICLE WAS LEASED AND THAT IT HAD EXPERIENCED THESE BRAKE PROBLEMS. *SLC

NHTSA ID

864996

HEADLIGHTS PROVIDE POOR VISABILITY AT NIGHT, THE LEFT SIDE HAS DARK SPOTS. HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED THREE TIMES, AND THERE HAS BEEN KNOW CHANGE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

855028

LOW BEAM (LEFT) ONLY ILLUMINATES ABOUT 3 CAR LENGTHS AHEAD OF CAR ,WHEREAS THE RIGHT LOW BEAM ILLUMINATES WAY OUT AND A LITTLE TO THE RIGHT. TWICE TOOK VEHICLE TO SERVICE DEPT. ,DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND PROBLEM.MADE SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT ON RIGHT BEAM. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFINITE PROBLEM WITH THE LEFT BEAM AND LIVING IN DEER COUNTRY THIS REPRESENTS A SAFETY PROBLEM! PLASE HELP. *AK

NHTSA ID

713573

Incident

Jan 23, 1998

ABOUT 20 FEET OUT FROM HEAD OF DRIVER THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT CREATES A SHADOW IN FRONT OF VEHICLE ABOUT 20' TO 40' FRONT CENTER OF LINE TO RIGHT SHOULDER. IT IS MUCH WORSE ON BRIGHT LIGHTS. DEALER CONTACTED AND WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. ADJUSTMENTS MADE, PROBLEM COULD NT BE REMEDIED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

NHTSA ID

836706

Incident

Apr 14, 1998

DAY TIME RUNNING HEAD LIGHTING SYSTEM, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. *YC

NHTSA ID

607720

BOTH ( LOW ) FRONT LIGHTS ARE NOT ADJUSTED PROPERLY. *YC

NHTSA ID

607514

Incident

May 20, 1998

WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS ON THERE IS A BLIND SPOT IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR CONSUMER TO SEE THE ROAD. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

833138

Incident

Apr 30, 1998

RIGHT BEAM ON THE HEADLIGHTS IS FOCUSED HIGHER THAN THE LEFT. CAUSE UNKNOWN . DEALER ADJUSTED THE BEAM WHICH DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID

832521

CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH HEADLIGHTS. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS ONLY ILLUMINATE FOR A SHORT DISTANCE. ALSO ONCOMING PEDESTRIANS COULDN'T BE SEEN UNLESS THE VEHICLE GETS VERY CLOSE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

NHTSA ID

831442

Incident

Jan 9, 1998

INADEQUATE HEADLIGHTS, UNSAFE FOR NIGHT VISIBILITY.

NHTSA ID

538155

ON COUNTRY ROAD WHEN GOING UP AND DOWN HILLS, THE LOW BEAM LIGHT SHINES ONLY ONE OR TWO CAR LENGHTS AND IS NOT A BEAM OF LIGHT BUT A BLOCK OF LIGHT WHICH STOPS ABRUPTLY. THERE IS TOTAL DARKNESS BEYOND THE BLOCK OF LIGHT. THESE LIGHTS ARE A SAFETY HAZARD. THE DEALER EXAMINED THE LIGHTS AND SAYS ARE TO SPECIFICATIONS. TOYOTA REGIONAL AND NATIONAL OFFICES ADVISED TO SUBMIT THIS ISSUE TO BBB AUTO LINE, WHICH I DID. BBB AUTO LINE ADVISES THIS IS A DESIGN ISSUE AND HOT SUBJECT TO THEIR PROGRAM. I AM NOW LOOKING TO THE DOT FOR HELP. THE HEADLAMS ON LOW BEAM ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO SEE A SATE DISTANCE. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A DOT SAFETY ENGINEER DRIVE THIS MODEL CAR AT NIGHT ON A TWO LANE COUNTY ROAD AND RENDER AN OPINION. I WOULD BE WILLING TO OFFER MY VEHICLE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE TEST DRIVE.

NHTSA ID

537186

DARK SPOT CAST FROM LEFT HEADLAMP, RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY.

NHTSA ID

536885

THE METAL DEFLACTOR INSIDE THE CONCEALED HEADLIGHTS BLOCKS OUT ALL LIGHT BEYOND 30 FEET. *AK

NHTSA ID

821157

Incident

Nov 1, 1997

LOW BEAM HALOGEN HEADLIGHTS DO NOT CARRY TOO FAR. *AK

NHTSA ID

526351