Got a strut mount question...

[cdssolara]

Most people seem to have problems with the front strut mounts, especially on the passenger side. You're one of the few who has experienced the problem in the rear. Did they replace everything for free under warranty, including the strut itself? I assume that you still had stock struts.

[Guest]

tea they replaced everything under warranty.. i didn't have to pay anything.. but they said that if my car keeps doin that.. which it hasn't.. it can be a lemon.. but thank god my car isn't.... u should go to toyota dealer jus to have them check it out.. they will do it for free.. if it takes longer then a car they will give u a free rental for one day.. they had mine for 2 days.. so i had a rental for 2 days.... give that a shot.

[Guest]

they replaced everything under warranty.. i didn't have to pay anything.. but they said that if my car keeps doin that.. which it hasn't.. it can be a lemon.. but thank god my car isn't.... u should go to toyota dealer jus to have them check it out.. they will do it for free.. if it takes longer then a car they will give u a free rental for one day.. they had mine for 2 days.. so i had a rental for 2 days.... give that a shot.

[cdssolara]

I'll go to Toyota as a last resort. The local dealership won't fix much on my car under warranty, due to so much aftermarket stuff on it. I can probably have the work done by an independant shop if I can just figure out exactly what part to buy.

[msangapu]

If you'd like to file a complaint about your struts, please visit the NHTSA website. (National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration)
It seems to me that a lot of Solaras have this problem. It is probably a defect and not normal wear and tear.


http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/
National Highway Traffic Safety Adminstration

[Tony]

My success story:

I was one of many who has the annoying front strut mount noise which drove me crazy. I have brought my car in to Toyota "under warranty" with the TSB on strut mounts, but the mechanic assured me the noise was a known problem to Toyota and the strut mounts don't really help. They changed my struts under warranty and the problem went away. Temporarily. Six months later the problem gradually resurfaced.

The frustration caused me to begin shopping for another car (Acura), until...

I get home one day, pissed about this noise. I pop the hood and attempt to tighten the strut mount bolt. I was however worried about stripping it if I push too hard. I start to push and it turns ever so slightly. Then I say "fvck it", either I'm gonna strip it or I'm gonna fix it. I push harder and it turns a quarter turn. Cool. Then I push a little further and it spins and half turn. stuff, I must have stripped it. I push a little further and it gets tight again. A little further and it does another half turn very easily. Then it came to the point where I couldn't turn it anymore. That mus be it. The left side didn't budge.

I jump in my car and back out of my driveway (guaranteed noise every morning) and no noise. I go for a drive and look for bumps. Nothing. I have been driving it for the past week and the car feels awesome. Tight, with no noises whatsoever. I love my Solara again.

What I think was happening was, when I turned the bolt, it wasn't turning because of the rubber, then it would release which caused it to turn very easily, then tight again etc...

I'm beginning to question if Toyota even changed my struts or just tightened the strut mount. This explains why the problem is solved then resurfaces after 6 months and gets progressively worse.

ps. sorry for the long post but i'm sure others are frustrated too.

[DavPak]

I'm beginning to question if Toyota even changed my struts or just tightened the strut mount. This explains why the problem is solved then resurfaces after 6 months and gets progressively worse.

they more than likely did change your struts if they say they did. in order for a dealership to get paid from Toyota for a warranty repair, they must first send back the old (defective) parts. if they don't, Toyota won't pay them for it.

[Tony]

Cool!! Good to know that. Now I have fairly new struts and no noise up front.

[impactX]

My success story:

I was one of many who has the annoying front strut mount noise which drove me crazy. I have brought my car in to Toyota "under warranty" with the TSB on strut mounts, but the mechanic assured me the noise was a known problem to Toyota and the strut mounts don't really help. They changed my struts under warranty and the problem went away. Temporarily. Six months later the problem gradually resurfaced.

The frustration caused me to begin shopping for another car (Acura), until...

I get home one day, pissed about this noise. I pop the hood and attempt to tighten the strut mount bolt. I was however worried about stripping it if I push too hard. I start to push and it turns ever so slightly. Then I say "fvck it", either I'm gonna strip it or I'm gonna fix it. I push harder and it turns a quarter turn. Cool. Then I push a little further and it spins and half turn. stuff, I must have stripped it. I push a little further and it gets tight again. A little further and it does another half turn very easily. Then it came to the point where I couldn't turn it anymore. That mus be it. The left side didn't budge.

I jump in my car and back out of my driveway (guaranteed noise every morning) and no noise. I go for a drive and look for bumps. Nothing. I have been driving it for the past week and the car feels awesome. Tight, with no noises whatsoever. I love my Solara again.

What I think was happening was, when I turned the bolt, it wasn't turning because of the rubber, then it would release which caused it to turn very easily, then tight again etc...

I'm beginning to question if Toyota even changed my struts or just tightened the strut mount. This explains why the problem is solved then resurfaces after 6 months and gets progressively worse.

ps. sorry for the long post but i'm sure others are frustrated too.

The strut will turn with the bolt.

[so1234]

Do you still visit the forum? How are your strut mounts now?

[kumadrift]

i have read this whole thread trying to look for the part number cuz i know im not going to hire some guy just to put in some new strut mount bushing. thats the part u guys are replacing right? does anyone know what the part number is?

[2kSoulara]

I think the part number is 4860306031. I orderd one today for my 2k solara passenger side. They go from 55 - 70 dollars. I got it from the dealer but you can get it from dicountautoparts.com or partznet.com. I'll let you guys know if it solved the problem. i'm also installing tein/tokicos and TRD RSB.