1998 Toyota Camry Suspension
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
REAR SUSPENSION ISSUE THAT ALLOWS THE CAR TO BOTTOM OUT OVER SMALL BUMPS AND A CONSTANT BUMPING NOISE. THIS IS NOT JUST A ONE TIME INCIDENT. *TR
CAR BOTTOMED OUT OVER ANY UNEVEN SURFACE EVAN AFTER I REPLACED SHOCKS AND MOUNTS FOR OVER 850 DOLLARS ON FRONT END. FIINALLY REPLACED FRONT AND REAR SPRINGS AND STRUTS FOR 2000 DOLLARS AND CAR STILL BOTTOMS OUT AND IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE . CONTACT TOYOTA ABOUT PROBLEM BUT NO DEALER WOULD ADMIT TO SUSPENSION DESIGN FLAW IN 1998 CAMRY SUSPENSION. OTHER FAULTS WITH ACCELERATION AND SERIOUS INJURIES DUE TO GAS PEDALS WE'RE A NATURAL PROGRESSION IN CAMRYS THAT FOLLOWED. *TR
1. FRONT SPRING RETAINER COLLAPSED INTO TIRE AND SHREDDED TIRE IN MOTION, LOST CONTROL, REPLACED SHOCK ABSORBER ASSY' 2. REAR STABILIZER BAR SPLIT IN HALF, REAR WHEEL WOBBLED UNCONTROLLABLY CONDITION, TEMPORARY WELD, MUST BE REPLACED, PART AVAILABLE. *TR
I HAVE A '98 TOYOTA CAMRY LE WITH A FRONT-END RATTLING NOISE EMANATING FROM THE SUSPENSION. WHEN I DRIVE OFF IN THE MORNING (COLD) OVER A MODERATELY BUMPY ROAD, ITS SOUNDS LIKE MY FRONT END WAS GOING TO FALL OFF. THIS RATTLE IS DEFINITELY TEMPERATURE DEPENDENT AND DRIVING ME CRAZY. LOOKING AT THE WEB FOUND THE SAME PROBLEM ALSO ON CAMRYS AND AVALONS FROM '97-'99. *TR
PROBLEM WITH SUSPENSION. *BF THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT. *SC *JB
FRONT SUSPENSION MAKES EXCESSIVE NOISE OVER BUMPS. THE MECHANICS I SENT IT TO DON'T KNOW WHAT'S CAUSING THE NOISE. I HAD ALL THE STRUTS AND SPRINGS CHANGED BUT THE NOISE PERSISTS. ALL THE PARTS WERE FROM THE DEALER. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT I CAN DO AND IF THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. *LA
ALL 4 STRUTS WORN-OUT AND LEAKING ON A VEHICLE LESS THAN 60,000 MILES . DRIVING WITH BAD STRUTS WAS HORRIBLE! VERY LOUD RATTLING NOISE. WAS TOLD BY AUTO SHOP THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THE 1998 CAMRY. THE RESULT WAS A REPAIR BILL OF $800.00. I COULD NOT AFFORD TO REPLACE ALL 4 STRUTS SO REPLACED ONLY 2 AT A COST OF $500.00!!*AK
FRONT NOISE IF PASSING OVER BUMPS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS VERY COMMON TO TOYOTA CAMRYS FOR THIS YEAR THE DEALER STATES THE ONLY WAY TO GET RID OF THE NOISE IS TO REPLACE THE FRONT STRUTS AT COST TO ME. *LA
THE SUSPENSION OF MY 1998 CAMRY LE HAS BEEN HAVING NOISES WHEN PASS THE SPEED HUMPS FOR TWO YEARS. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE HEARD SOME COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, BUT THERE IS NO RECALL YET. IT MAKE ME VERY CONCERNED. *NLM
FRONT SUSPENTION SOUNDS LOOSE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS IN RAPID CONCESSION. GETTING LOUDER EVERY DAY AND CAN'T PINPOINT THE PROBLEM
JUST BEFORE 30,000 MILES MY RIGHT FONT SUSPENSION BEGAN TO RATTLE OCCASIONALLY. THE CAR NOW HAS 93,000 MILES AND THE RATTLE IS STILL HEARD NOW AND THEN. NUMEROUS TRIPS TO THE SHOP HAVE NOT TURNED UP ANY CAUSE. *JB
FRONT SUSPENSION, NOISE WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS, UNEVEN PAVEMENT. SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING IS LOOSE. DEALER SUGGESTS TRYING DIFFERENT PARTS BUT NONE SEEMS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. ITS GETTING EXPENSIVE AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. THE SERVICE TECH STATED HIS WIFE HAS THE SAME CAR AND IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AND WAS NOT SURE HOW TO CORRECT IT. HE ALSO STATED THE TOYOTA SOLARA WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. *JB
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE FRONT RIGHT STRUTS SNAPPED CAUSING A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS
FRONT SUPENSION MAKES CLUNKING AND BANGING NOISE WHEN DRIVING OVER EVEN SMALL POT HOLES. NOISE GETS MUCH WORSE WITH LARGER POT HOLES. NOISE STARTED AROUND 25K MILES.SUSPECT FRONT STRUTS AND STRUT MOUNTS.
THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM WAS FAULTY WHICH CAUSED A KNOCKING AND SQUEAKING NOISE WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *MR *NLM
THE FRONT SUSPENSION WAS EXCESSIVELY SHAKY. IT VIBRATED AND MADE A LOT OF NOISE WHEN GOING OVER A ROUGH ROAD. FROM MY RESEARCH ON THIS SUBJECT AT THE NHTSA WEB SITE, THERE ARE 52 REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY MODEL. I HAD THE PROBLEM FIXED AT A DEALERSHIP IN LOUISIANA. THEY REPLACED THE STRUT MOUNTS ON BOTH THE RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE OF THE FRONT SUSPENSION AT A COST OF $420.82. THEY TOLD ME THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY OR RECALL BY TOYOTA. IT IS MY WISH THAT TOYOTA BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT IS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE '98 CAMRY.*AK
PROBLEMS WITH REAR SUSPENSION BOTTOMING OUT GOING OVER DIPS, BUMPS, ETC. HAVE BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED OVER TIME. ANYTIME YOU HAVE ANY PASSENGERS, EVEN ONE SMALL CHILD, IN REAR SEAT, THE CAR BOTTOMS OUT AND SCRAPES THE STREET SURFACE. EVEN BACKING OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY ELEVATED, CAUSES THE REAR TO BOTTOM OUT AND SCRAPE THE DRIVEWAY. WHEN DRIVING AT THE SPEED LIMIT, IT WILL BOTTOM OUT ON SLIGHTLY ROUGH ROAD. WE HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT BUT THEY HAVE ADVISED US THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEY ARE VERY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE SUSPENSION BUT INSIST THAT TOYOTA BUILT THE CAR WITH A SOFT SUSPENSION FOR A SOFT RIDE. THE RESULT IS A CAR THAT BOTTOMS OUT CONTINOUSLY IF YOU HAVE ANY PASSENGERS IN THE REAR OF THE COMPARTMENT OR A LOAD IN THE TRUNK.*AK
FRONT STRUTS EXPERIENCED LEAKING, STRUT MOUNT SUPPORTS NOISY. *SLC
RECURRNET NOISE FROM FRONT END SINCE DAY ONE, ESPECIALLY GOING OVER ROUGH PAVEMENT. DEALERS SERVICED ONCE FOR FREE, BUT NOISE CONTINUED. NOW THAT WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, I AM ADVISED THAT THE STRUT MOUNTS HAVE FAILED AND NED TO BE REPLCED. REPLACED BOTH FRONT STRUT MOUNTS AT COST OF $416.58. SERVICE ADVISER ADMITS TOYOTA HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS BUT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I BELIEVE THIS A POTENTIAL SAFETY PROBLEM THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPAIR FOR ALL OWNERS OF CAMRYS.
WHEN VEHICLE IS COLD AND DRIVER TURNS HITTING OR A BUMPING THERE'S A GRINDING NOISE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS STRUT TOWERS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
VEHICLE SHAKES AND VIBRATES WHILE DRIVING THE AND ALIGNMENT IS OFF. DEALERSHIP WILL BE AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK *YH
WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS THERE WAS VIBRATION IN VEHICLE, AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND COULD NOT DETERMINE A CAUSE TO THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS. *AK
WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN STABLIZER BAR SPLIT, DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK AS A RESULT OF THE STABILIZER BAR BREAKING THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ENDED UP IN A DITCH. *NLM
SERVICE DEPT. SAID STRUT MOUNTS WERE BACKLOGGED AND WOULD PROBABLY TAKE MORE THAN 1 1/2 TO 2 MONTHS TO COME IN. DO NOT DRIVE CAR ON HIGHWAY BUT O.K. TO AND FROM WORK LOCALLY.
WHENEVER VEHICLE RAN OVER A BUMP/POTHOLE, ETC., IT CAUSED HARD BANGING NOISE UNDER FRONT OF VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE OUT OF ITS WARRANTY, AND NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT DEALER SAYS STRUT PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER DUE TO THE PROBLEM BEING NATIONWIDE. *SLC
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 1998 Toyota Camry has 54 Suspension complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.