Trying to bring some closure to the left front pull problem!

[glenb]

Supercharged.

I have to reply to your post. Toyota knows about this problem of pulling to the left. They have been working on a solution and have posted a TSB.
When a service dept makes changes on a trial and error process it can make it hard to diagnose the problem correctly. That is what happened to my car. My service dept tried to fix the problem and ended up only masking the problem. Now instead of pulling to the left it pulls both ways and wanders all over the road. What makes this bad is it is not consistent. Had they left it alone till the TSB it could be fixed. Now I will wait to see if the Toyota Field Tech Specialist will see the problem or not.

I believe the problem is that the front springs were not installed properly on the earlier production.

Glen

[glenb]

Supercharged.

I have to reply to your post. Toyota knows about this problem of pulling to the left. They have been working on a solution and have posted a TSB.
When a service dept makes changes on a trial and error process it can make it hard to diagnose the problem correctly. That is what happened to my car. My service dept tried to fix the problem and ended up only masking the problem. Now instead of pulling to the left it pulls both ways and wanders all over the road. What makes this bad is it is not consistent. Had they left it alone till the TSB it could be fixed. Now I will wait to see if the Toyota Field Tech Specialist will see the problem or not.

I believe the problem is that the front springs were not installed properly on the earlier production.

Glen

[himynam3isjas0n]

so mike, is the call back free, or does it cost money for the repair? do i need to call the dealership and make an appointment or can i just swing by?

[SuperCharged]

I'm not sure if it costs anything or if Toyota is covering it. You'll want to make an appointment though, I do believe it can be a timely repair to get in there and take out the springs, rotate the left one, do an alignment, ect. You never know what other appointments a dealership has going that day, so it's always best to secure a spot for yourself.

-Michael-

[glenb]

TSB ST002-04 calls for both springs to be rotated.
There is no cost. They have mine overnight and gave me a rental car to drive at no cost.

[jmack]

The big question-- Does the TSB work? Has anyone got their car back after having the fix? My car dealer denied any knowledge of the problem in the first place. Any one in the Chicago area get theirs fixed? Or have a dealer that is any good? Please let me know. Thanks

[jmack]

I had the "fix" done yesterday at my dealership. I had to make them look up the service bulletin. Thanks to all of you on this forum for the info. I picked up the car last night, pretty excited because I had high hopes of the problem going away. It seemed to be a little better at low speed at first, but on the highway, off to the left I go. There is no real difference before and after at 60-85mph. And now, I think that my steering wheel is just a degree or two off center (maybe I am imagining that, didn't measure before fix).

According to my service bill they did: COMBO A,B,C,D ST#007 Vehicle pull improvement procedure per TSB ST002-04
35 WT
FC: T1-37-T2-99
Part 48131-AA110
Combo ABCD for Line B
Switch front tire/wheel and road test
Rotate upper spring seat
check front wheel alignment
adjust front wheel alignment

I have no idea what the 35 WT and FC numbers are. Maybe Supercharged can help? Not sure where to go now, but am very disappointed.

[slingshot]

Jmack,
Take it back and tell them that they obviously did not take it on a test drive after their fix because they would have seen the drift you saw.

[glenb]

Jmac,

I agree with slingshot. If it is not fixed take it back. I know this is time consuming and frustrating. Toyota has a very good reputation and the response some of you are getting is strange.

How long did they have your car? Did they invite you to ride on the test drive?

If this is not fixed on the next visit contact Toyota directly and complain.
Take it to a different dealer if posible.

Good luck.

[jmack]

I am taking the car back next week/ Spoke with the service manager. He said they were going to call California. I have a really good mechanic that I used to take my old car to for repair. If the fix does not work next time at the dealer, I think I will take the car to them and see what they say. This is such a weird problem. It sems to get worse as I drive, which does lead me to believe that the tires may be part of the problem as they warm up. Couple that with fotodad's statement that his problem went away when he put Michelins on his car. I just do not want to invest $1000 in a car that I will probably get rid of next year if I can't get this problem taken care of. Thanks again to all for your advice.

[jmack]

I am taking the car back next week/ Spoke with the service manager. He said they were going to call California. I have a really good mechanic that I used to take my old car to for repair. If the fix does not work next time at the dealer, I think I will take the car to them and see what they say. This is such a weird problem. It sems to get worse as I drive, which does lead me to believe that the tires may be part of the problem as they warm up. Couple that with fotodad's statement that his problem went away when he put Michelins on his car. I just do not want to invest $1000 in a car that I will probably get rid of next year if I can't get this problem taken care of. Thanks again to all for your advice.