2004 Toyota Corolla Suspension Problems

Your car makes a repetitive booming sound whenever you're driving on any road surface. The noise occurs consistently while the vehicle is in motion, regardless of road conditions.

I JUST FOUND OUT THAT THE REAR SUSPENSION CROSS-MEMBER (PART # 51206-12190) IN MY 2004 TOYOTA MATRIX IS ABOUT TO FAIL DUE TO RUST. WHILE DOING SOMETHING ELSE MY MECHANIC HAPPENED TO NOTICE THE ISSUE. HE SHOWED ME THE PROBLEM AND SAID IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE THE CAR. THE CAR HAS LOW MILEAGE FOR BEING 16 YEARS OLD (ABOUT 8K A YEAR). THIS CAR WAS BUILT IN CANADA AND SOLD IN NEW YORK STATE SO IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DESIGNED TO TAKE MANY YEARS OF WET/WINTER ROAD CONDITIONS. IF MY CAR HAD 16K MILES PER YEAR IT WOULD ONLY BE 8 YEARS OLD. SHOULD A PART THAT HOLDS THE DIFFERENTIAL UP (NOT LET IT DROP TO THE ROAD) GO BAD IN EVEN 20 YEARS ON THE ROAD? I ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BY CHANCE. OTHERWISE I COULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND POSSIBLY HAD A FATAL ACCIDENT DUE TO THE REAR PARTS OF THE DRIVE TRAIN DROPPING TO THE ROAD. THE CAR LOOKS FINE OTHERWISE. SO HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE WHO OWN THE SAME CAR THAT IS THE SAME AGE, OR NEWER OR A BIT OLDER, HAVE NO IDEA THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS? IF EVEN ONE OWNER OF THIS CAR HAS AN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY THIS PROBLEM AND IS HURT OR KILLED THAT WOULD BE VERY BAD! AND THAT PERSON COULD HAVE BEEN ME - BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL ISSUED INTENDED TO CHECK FOR THIS POTENTIAL FAILURE. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH TOYOTA ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND THEY TOLD ME I AM ON MY OWN, THAT THEY COULDN'T/WOULDN'T HELP ME. THE TWO PEOPLE I TALKED WITH NEVER SAID THAT THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING TO BE SURE OTHER TOYOTA MATRIX OWNERS WERE INFORMED ABOUT THIS POSSIBLE RUST ISSUE.

I HEARD A LOUD POP WHEN DRIVING AT 25 MPH THEN SOMETHING STARTED GRINDING ALL THE WAY HOME. MY HUSBAND CHECKED THE WHEELS AND NOTICED THE DRIVER REAR HAD TO MUCH NEGATIVE CAMBER. CHECKED AND NOTICE THAT TWO BOLTS WERE MISSING FROM THE REAR HUB ASSEMBLY THAT HOLD IT THE AXLE AND THE TWO THAT WERE LEFT WERE VERY LOOSE THAT I WAS LUCKY THE WHEEL DIDNT FALL OUT . HE CHECKED THE PASSENGER SIDE HUB ASSEMBLY AND ALL BOLTS WERE LOOSE , HE RE- TORQUE ALL BOLTS TO 45 FT LBS AS RECOMMEND AND ADDED BLUE LOCKE TIGHT TOTHE BOLTS AND ORDERED NEW BOLTS FOR THE DRIVER REAR. REAR HUB ASSEMBLIES ARE ORIGINAL NEVER BEEN TOUCHED . THANKS

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE'S REAR RIGHT AXLE WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH. PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THE REAR RIGHT TIRE WAS WEARING OUT ABNORMALLY AND WAS REPLACED AND ALIGNED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A DIAGNOSIS TO REPAIR THE REAR RIGHT AXLE. AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE MADE, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE CONTACT AFFIRMED THAT WHEN THE BRAKES WERE FULLY DEPRESSED, VEHICLE CONTROL COULD NOT BE COMPLETELY MAINTAINED, AND THERE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT STABILITY POWER.*AK

MY CAR HAS BEEN MAKING A LOUD NOISE, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING OVER 40 MPH. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND I WAS TOLD THE CAR NEEDS A REPLACED REAR WHEEL, BEARING, AND HUB. MY CAR IS A 2004 WITH ONLY 40,000 MILES. I'VE SEEN THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR 2002 COROLLAS WITH A SIMILAR PROBLEM. *JB

HAND BRAKE DOESN'T HOLD WELL. ALSO, WHEN THE HAND BRAKE IS ON AND YOU OR YOUR PASSENGER GETS OUT OF THE CAR IT MAKES A NOISE LIKE YOU WEIGHT 5000 POUNDS A VERY LOUD SQUEAK. IT'S NOT EXACTLY A SQUEAK, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY FORGOT TO GREASE THE SUSPENSION ITS THAT KIND OF NOISE. OR IF YOU PUT A LITTLE WEIGHT ON THE FENDER WHEN THE HAND BRAKE IS ON IT DOES THE SAME THING. NOT A LOT OF WEIGHT JUST YOUR HAND PUSHING DOWN GENTLY..THIS SHOULD BE AN EMBARRASSMENT FOR TOYOTA. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. I BEG TO DIFFER! I PROBABLY WILL NEVER BUY A TOYOTA AGAIN. *JB

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA LE FROM BOB PAGAN/SAND DOLLAR TOYOTA, 7626 BROADWAY, GALVESTON, TX 77551 ON MAY 13, 2004 WITH 14 MILES ON ODOMETER AND DROVE IT ALL THE WAY TO PLANO, TX. WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT TO PLANO, I FELT ITS RIDE ABNORMAL, EXCESSIVE BOUNCING, VERY BUMPY AND ROUGH SIMILAR TO TURBULENCES IN A PLANE. TOYOTA BOASTS ITSELF OF TOTAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. THESE ARE JUST SLOGANS. THEY PROVIDE SHODDY CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR CAR, REFUSED TO REFUND FULL MONEY TOWARDS BUYING ANOTHER TOYOTA AND REFUSED TO HELP BY SAYING THAT THE CAR IS DESIGNED THIS WAY. THE STEERING ALSO FELT STIFF AND TIGHT. THIS HIGHLY EXCESSIVE BOUNCING, BUMPY, SHAKY, JOLTING, TURBULENCE, VIBRATING RIDE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AT ALL. THERE IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. TOYOTA NEEDS TO FULFILL ITS PLEDGE, OBLIGATION AND COMMITMENT TO CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THIS CAR. I WROTE LETTERS TO TOYOTA CHAIRMAN IN JAPAN AND ALSO WROTE TO TOYOTA PRESIDENT IN THE US. TOYOTA PRESIDENT CALLED ME BUT OFFERED NO HELP AT ALL AND REFUSED TO TAKE CAR BACK AND REFUSED TO REPAIR IT TOO. THERE IS DEFINITELY A DEFECT AND IT COULD BE ASSEMBLY LINE RELATED OR SHOCK/STRUTS RELATED/ OR COULD BE TIRE RELATED. TOYOTA SUCKS AND THEIR SERVICE SUCKS. THEY MISLEAD PEOPLE IN THEIR ADS.