2004 Toyota Corolla Steering Problems

THE SERPENTINE BELT CAME OUT FROM THE PULLEYS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE ALTERNATOR BROKE LOOSE FROM THE TOP ANCHOR BOLT. UPON EXAMINATION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS ANCHORED AND FASTENED ONLY BY ONE TOP BOLT. THE SECOND ANCHORING BOLT (LOWER END) WAS NOT PLACED THROUGH THE BOLT HOLE BECAUSE OF AN INTERFERENCE OF 0.11". THE LOOSENED SERPENTINE BELT CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO CEASE ITS FUNCTION AND CAN POTENTIALLY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. FOR MY CASE, FORTUNATELY, THE TOP BOLT BROKE OFF (DUE TO FATIGUE FAILURE) WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL IN THE DRIVEWAY.

NHTSA ID

11184320

Incident

Feb 27, 2019

EVERY TIME IT RAINS AND CREATES A WATER PUDDLE ON THE ROAD, WHEN I DRIVE MY CAR THROUGH IT, WATER GOES UP UNDER THE CAR CAUSING IT TO LOSE POWER, TO MOMENTARILY SHUT DOWN AND I LOSE MY STEERING. THE BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON AS WELL. ALSO WHEN I COME TO A STOP THE CAR STARTS SHAKING OR VIBRATING AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT WANTS TO SHUT OFF. *TR

NHTSA ID

10548856

Incident

Jul 5, 2013

Mileage

80,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE CASING IN THE STEERING COLUMN HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10532636

Incident

Jul 28, 2013

Mileage

105,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR BALANCING, A ROTATION AND AN ALIGNMENT OF THE TIRES. THE FRONT SUSPENSION WAS ALSO INSPECTED. ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED AFTER THE MAINTENANCE WAS PERFORMED. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

NHTSA ID

10472658

Incident

Aug 27, 2011

Mileage

120,000 mi

THE STEERING ON MY 2004 IS HARDER TO CONTROL AT SPEEDS OF ABOUT 55 AND ABOVE. IT FEELS VERY LOOSE AND "SPONGY". I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP, AND THEY TOLD ME IT MUST BE THE TIRES. I HAD THE TIRES REPLACED, AND THE PROBLEM REMAINS. I BELIEVE THAT THE STEERING IS SIMPLY TOO LOOSE AND NOT WELL ENOUGH CONTROLLED. I HAVE TO WORK HARDER THAN I SHOULD TO KEEP IT IN LINE. THE PROBLEM HAS EXISTED FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10325163

Incident

Apr 12, 2010

Mileage

70,000 mi

MY DAUGHTER HAD A HEAD-ON COLLISION WITH A MOTORCYCLE, WHILE DRIVING HER 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE MOTORCYCLE RIDER WAS KILLED. THE AIRBAG IN THE COROLLA DEPLOYED AND SAVED MY DAUGHTER'S LIFE. UNFORTUNATELY, SHE STILL HAS LITTLE, OR NO MEMORY OF THE ACCIDENT. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, OR WHY? THE POLICE BELIEVE SHE LOST CONTROL OF HER VEHICLE, CROSSED THE LANE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND STRUCK THE MOTORCYCLE. A WITNESS STATED HER CAR WAS GOING FAIRLY FAST. WHY WAS IT GOING SO FAST IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA? A TRAFFIC LIGHT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT HER (ABOUT 100 FEET AHEAD). AT THAT LIGHT, SHE WOULD HAVE TAKEN A SQUARE RIGHT HAND TURN, ENROUTE TO HER HOME. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE WAS GOING SO FAST. AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SHE LOST CONTROL OF HER CAR. SHE WAS 90% OF THE WAY HOME. IT WAS ABOUT 6:15 IN THE AFTERNOON IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER. A SUNNY DAY, NO CLOUDS OR PRECIP. THE CAR IS BEING HELD BY THE WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA POLICE DEPARTMENT. CAN YOU INSPECT THE VEHICLE? SHE HAD COMPLAINED TO ME ABOUT THE VEHICLE PREVIOUS TO THIS. SHE ONCE ASKED ME ADD POWER STEERING FLUID. WHEN I CHECKED, THE RESERVOIR WAS ALREADY UP TO THE FULL MARK. BEING A DAD, MY ONLY JOB WAS TO MAINTAIN THE CAR (CHANGE OIL, ETC). I VERY, VERY RARELY DROVE THE CAR. AND WHEN I DID DRIVE, IT WAS FINE. THIS COROLLA WAS REGISTERED IN MY NAME. I BOUGHT IT IN 2007 FOR MY DAUGHTER (HER FIRST CAR). I BOUGHT COROLLA'S FOR BOTH OF MY CHILDREN. I GAVE MY SON A 2001 COROLLA YEARS AGO. I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN TOYOTA QUALITY. I OWN A TACOMA MYSELF. BUT, SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT ABOUT THIS ACCIDENT. I THINK THE STEERING AND ACCELERATION SHOULD BE CHECKED, AS A MINIMUM. *TR UPDATED 05/19/10 *BF *TR UPDATED 10/04/10 UPDATED 9/27/11*CW

NHTSA ID

10320131

Incident

Jul 13, 2009

Mileage

90,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA. SHE NOTICED THAT WHEN THE MILEAGE WAS 40,000, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT DRIVE NORMALLY AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER ALIGNED THE VEHICLE, REPLACED THE TIRES, TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND THE STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CORRECTED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. SHE ALSO TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE PEP BOYS FOR AN ALIGNMENT AND THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR AND HAS BECOME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 109,000.

NHTSA ID

10311310

Incident

Oct 1, 2005

Mileage

104,000 mi

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA. ON DEC. 24, 2005 THE STEERING PULLED AWAY TO THE NEXT LANE CAUSING IT TO HYDROPLANE. IT SEEMS LIKE A GHOST JUST TAKES OVER THE STEERING WHEEL. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THANK GOD NO DEATHS. AFTER THE CAR WAS REPAIRED, I CONTINUED DRIVING IT. IN 2006, THE WHEEL CONTINUED TO SWIFT TO THE NEXT LANE, LIKE IT'S PULLING AWAY FROM YOU. IF YOU ARE NOT GRIPPING THE WHEEL TIGHTLY, THE CAR WILL JUMP INTO THE NEXT LANE. I ALWAYS MAKE SURE NO ONE IS DRIVING IN THE NEXT LANE IN CASE THE CAR STARTS PULLING. I HAD THE CAR INSPECTED, BUT TOYOTA SAID NOTHING IS WRONG TO MAKE SURE I GET MY WHEEL ALIGNMENTS. I TOLD THEM I ALWAYS GET WHEEL ALIGNMENTS AND TIRES CHANGED OFTEN SINCE I DRIVE ALOT. THE PROBLEM OCCURS MOSTLY WHEN YOU ACCELERATE SPEEDS HIGHER THAN 40 MPH WHILE GETTING ON THE INTERSTATE. ALSO THE STEERING WHEELS JUMPS TO THE NEXT LANE ESPECIALLY WHEN ITS HIGHLY WINDY ON THE INTERSTATE AND RAINING. WHEEL ALIGNMENTS DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WHEN I GOT ONE DONE IN 2008, THE PROBLEM HAPPENED RIGHT WHEN I PULLED OUT FROM GETTING AN ALIGNMENT. THE PROBLEM ALSO OCCURS IN WINDY CONDITIONS WHEN TRAVELING OVER BRIDGES OR HIGH ALTITUDES. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES UNTIL THIS DAY IN 2010. *TR

NHTSA ID

10310235

Incident

Dec 24, 2005

I TOOK MY 2004 TOYOTA IN FOR SERVICE FOR STEERING PROBLEMS 8 TIMES, BETWEEN THE DATE OF PURCHASE IN APRIL 2004 AND SEPTEMBER 2004. I WAS DRIVING ON I-75 ON THE SOUTHBOUND SIDE IN WILDWOOD FLORIDA, ON A DRY SUNNY DAY - THE CAR BEGAN TO LOSE CONTROL, AFTER I MOVED TO THE LEFT TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH A CAR INCOMING FROM MY RIGHT SIDE - THERE WAS SMALL CONTACT BY THE UNKNOWN VEHICLE, WHICH CONTINUED. I WAS UNABLE TO STEER OUT OF THE PROBLEM, AT FIRST, AND THE CAR WENT TO THE LEFT SIDE PARKING STRIP. WHEN I TAPPED THE BRAKE TO SLOW THE CAR, IT DID NOT LOSE SPEED. I BEGAN TO STEER OUT OF LEFT LANE, ONTO THE HIGHWAY, BUT THEN WHILE I WAS STEERING RIGHT, THE CAR STEERED ITSELF TO THE LEFT. I AM CERTAIN THAT THE CAR FAILED TO ALLOW THE CRUISE CONTROL TO RELEASE. I REPORTED ALL OF THIS AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THIS WAS IGNORED BY TOYOTA. THE REPORTS OF THE PROBLEM USING THE LEMON LAW WERE ALSO DENIED, AND TOYOTA WOULD NOT SUPPORT ME WHEN I MADE CONTACT WITH THEM ON SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, BETWEEN APRIL 2004 (ON PURCHASE) AND THE INCIDENT. THE SERVICE MANAGERS AT GATORLAND TOYOTA REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. I PURCHASED THIS IN OCALA, FLORIDA. THE OWNER OF THAT DEALERSHIP ALSO REFUSED TO LISTEN WHEN I WROTE AND SPOKE TO HIM ABOUT THE PROBLEM. I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM THAT DEALERSHIP. I HAVE ALL OF THE MATERIAL THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO TOYOTA, AND TO ARBITRATION. IT WAS A VIBRATION AND STEERING PROBLEM THAT I REPORTED, HOWEVER, I BELIEVED AT TIME, THAT THE CAR MAY HAVE HELD THE DEALER (DELUCA, IN OCALA FLORIDA) INSTALLED CRUISE CONTROL THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED. THIS WAS LIKELY A PEDAL PROBLEM. AT THE TIME, I THOUGHT IT WAS CRUISE. I TOOK THE CAR TO DELUCA TOYOTA REQUESTING REPAIR ABOUT 5 TIMES (HAVE DOCUMENTS) AND TO GAINESVILLE, FL TOYOTA, 3X, & WITH A SCHEDULED REPRESENTATIVE (REGIONAL) INSPECTION. THE ALL REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM. THE CLAIMED TO HAVE ALIGNED THE FRONT END & BALANCED TIRES (A VIBRATION ISSUE). NO CHANGE. THEY THEN REFUSED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10308047

Incident

Sep 9, 2004

Mileage

4,950 mi

THE BELT TENSIONER ON THIS VEHICLE HAS FAILED FOR THE SECOND TIME. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW, AND NEEDED A NEW BELT TENSIONER AT 44K. THE WORK WAS DONE AT AN AUTHORIZED TOYOTA DEALER, AL HENDRICKSON TOYOTA. THE SECOND BELT TENSIONER FAILURE WAS AT 78K AND THE TENSIONER WAS REPLACED AGAIN AT A TOYOTA DEALER, PALM BEACH TOYOTA. THE SECOND DEALER, PALM BEACH TOYOTA, FOUND A DEFECTIVE CLAMP ON A POWERSTEERING HOSE AFTER REPEATED POWER STEERING FAILURES SUBSEQUENT TO REPLACEMENT OF TENSIONER. BOTH TENSIONER FAILURES WERE PRECEDED BY OILY SPOTS ON DRIVEWAY UNDER TENSIONER UNIT AND WERE LIKELY CAUSED BY THE DEFECTIVE POWER STEERING HOSE CLAMP FOUND BY PALM BEACH TOYOTA ALLOWING LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID ONTO BELT AND TENSIONER ASSEMBLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10209974

Incident

Nov 20, 2007

Mileage

78,689 mi

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND MY CAR SUDDENLY SWERVED/VEERED AND I HAD TO FIGHT FOR CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I BARELY AVOIDED HAVING AN ACCIDENT. IT HAD RAINED THE NIGHT BEFORE BUT WAS NOT RAINING WHEN THIS OCCURRED. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN JANUARY 2004. THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED, IT WAS A SUNNY DAY THIS SUMMER. I WAS ON A CITY STREET AND AGAIN DRIVING STRAIGHT WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY SWERVED. I HAD A PASSENGER IN THE CAR WITH ME. THE FIRST TIME WAS IN THE SPRING OF 2004, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR. I WAS ON THE FREEWAY. I HAD JUST COMPLETED A LANE SWITCH AND WAS GOING STRAIGHT WHEN THE CAR SWERVED/VEERED. I ALMOST COLLIDED WITH THE MEDIAN. AFTER THIS THIRD OCCURRENCE, I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM AND BROUGHT IT IN. AFTER A 5 MINUTE ROAD TEST, THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE THE PROBLEM I WAS DESCRIBING. THE DEALER TOLD ME IF I WANTED TO PAY FOR AN INSPECTION, THEY CAN FURTHER INSPECT THE CAR TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. I ASKED THEM TO GO AHEAD BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER JUST CALLED AND INFORMED ME THAT AFTER A 15 MINUTE INSPECTION, THEY DID NOT SEE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. MY PROBLEM IS SIMILAR TO THAT IN COMPLAINT #10127778. PLEASE LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ID

10136374

Incident

Sep 8, 2005

DEALER REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN MECHANISM, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE VIBRATED. *AK

NHTSA ID

10072272

Incident

May 7, 2004

STEERING WHEEL IS NOT IN PROPER POSITION. IT IS TURNED TO THE LEFT. WHEN I TRY TO TURN IT INTO A STRAIGHT POSITION THE CAR BEGINS TO DRIVE TO THE RIGHT.*AK

NHTSA ID

10029010

Incident

Aug 22, 2003