2004 CAMRY - CLUNK IN BACK WHEEL AREA

I have a 2004 Camry. When I roll down the back window, I can hear a "clunk" every time I run over a bump. It sounds like a shock, a rattling brake or a loose spring noise from the RH rear wheel area.

The dealer has ridden in the trunk, replaced the strut, replaced the gas tank (!), and torn the wheel half apart. To no avail.

Have any other Camry owners experienced this problem?

Reply to
Gary MacDonald
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I have experienced Toyota dealers replacing parts without properly diagnosing a problem. Try a different dealer. My 94 Camry got two new rear struts when it was the sway bar bushings that were making creaking noises.

Reply to
badgolferman

Has the dealer heard the noise or are they just chasing it?

Usual suspects for noises from the rear: Loose items in the trunk Spare tire, jack, tool kit - remove to see if the noise is still there Sway bar bushings - remove, lube, replace Exhaust hanger loose or bent exhaust part - inspect Heat shield - inspect and bend if necessary Wheel covers - remove to see if noise is still there Wiring harnesses (especially if trailer lights are added) - add padding or secure loose wiring

Reply to
Ray O

Or maybe a forgotten trapped dealer? :)

--

-Gord.

"Perhaps my memory isn't what it used to be - if it ever was"

Reply to
Gord Beaman

Aaaah! So that's why they put those trunk release handles inside some trunks!

Reply to
Ray O

If you are in most states in the US you only have to give them a few more tries before you have the right to ask for arbitration and a new car.

Reply to
Art

In most states in the U.S., lemon laws apply to defects which affect the use, safety, or reliability of a vehicle. Noises do not affect the use, safety, or reliability and so are unlikely to qualify for lemon law protection. If the vehicle won't start reliably, can't make it to the speed limit, has defective brakes, etc. then the lemon law applies.

Also, lemon laws require the consumer to give the manufacturer "one last chance" to repair the vehicle, and a technical specialist from the manufacturer gets a chance to repair the vehicle.

Toyota offers no-cost arbitration through the American Arbitration Association which is binding on Toyota but not on the consumer. In an arbitration, a professional arbitrator hears both sides of the complaint and offers a solution.

IMO, the OP would be better off checking out the things I suggested before trying to go the lemon law route.

Reply to
Ray O

Perhaps but often the dealer suddenly solves the problem when he hears arbitration and/or lemon law threats. By the way, any substantial defect affecting the value of the car that cannot be resolved is subject to lemon laws in many states. Arbitrators often ask customers the opportunity to give the dealer one last try to repair. Finally, arbitration and lemon laws are completely separate and as long as you are not at risk of missing any applicable statute of limitations for the lemon law, you might as well file for arbitrtion first. Details on both are in the manuals which came with the car.

Reply to
Art

Oops, it looks like Toyota now uses the Better Business Bureau for arbitration.

I guess we differ in philosophies here. When I'm looking for service, whether it is a car, TV, appliance, or whatever, I like to give the service person the benefit of the doubt and will assume that he/she is trying to do a good job rather than threatening them when they have a difficult time resolving a problem. If they are indifferent or incompetent, I take my business elsewhere. Believe me, the service people are aware of lemon laws and arbitration guidelines. As a service rep, whenever people threatened lemon laws or arbitration, I politely explained the laws and consumer rights to the owner. If I was asked to look at a customer's car by the dealer or customer, I already knew that the only way to satisfy the customer was to give it my best efforts.

By the way, any substantial defect

An intermittent noise is unlikely to be considered a substantial defect under most state lemon laws because it does not have a material impact on the use, safety, or resale value of the vehicle.

In this case, my advice to the OP would be to politely ask the dealer if they have contacted the technical help line and if the problem persists, contact the Toyota customer relations hot line and politely explain the situation. The customer relations analyst will open a CR file to the dealer so that the customer does not fall between the cracks.

Reply to
Ray O

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