check edmunds.com forum regarding left pull problem

[bigpow]

"Left pull problem is official."
This is what I got from my 2nd service attempt.

Dealer can't repair my car, but the service manager was very open about this problem, he said Toyota is still trying to find the fix.

I printed the part numbers from buckeyegirl and somebody (fotodad?) - but those are not it according to him.
He even made some adjustments to make the car turn right, but the car was still turning left...

The service manager was kind enough to let me know the truth, and he wouldn't patch the problem temporarily.

So for now, I'll keep going left.

NASCAR, here I come!

All I need now is two more failed fix attempts...

[slingshot]

If you also vote to the left, you're okay. But if you're a conservative, it'll annoy you even more!

Kidding aside, it's strange that two others in this forum got their left-leaners fixed but your dealer couldn't fix yours. Perhaps telling them the other dealer's names will make them contact them and collaborate. I'd tell him it's unacceptable to say you have no solution when others are getting fixed daily.

I highly doubt every Solara sold drifts left to a considerable degree so I don't buy his answer that there is no fix right now.

[fotodad]

I just read these jokes this morning regarding this problem:
1. It's not a fault. It's a feature. It's called Toyota Keep-Awake Feature. Drivers have to hold on tight on the steering wheel and keep adjusting it.
2. It's designed to race at NASCAR, it's a feature called auto-steering. (get it?)

Good for you!

I gotta love your sense of humor even when it pertains to your car! To laugh at such a time is truly commendable!

[fotodad]

Just a friendly reminder concerning this issue:

I suggest those who have this problem call Toyota's customer service number, explain the drifting/pulling problem you are having, and GET A CASE NUMBER. The more folks we get to call, the more likely we are to get some action.

Toyota Service number: 1-800-331-4331

http://www.zer0.info/solaraguy/viewtopic.php?t=6153

[bigpow]

If you also vote to the left, you're okay. But if you're a conservative, it'll annoy you even more!

Kidding aside, it's strange that two others in this forum got their left-leaners fixed but your dealer couldn't fix yours. Perhaps telling them the other dealer's names will make them contact them and collaborate. I'd tell him it's unacceptable to say you have no solution when others are getting fixed daily.

I highly doubt every Solara sold drifts left to a considerable degree so I don't buy his answer that there is no fix right now.

I did. The service manager handles my case personally. I told him to contact the dealers who may have "the fix" to this problem. But at the end he told me that he would not risk experimenting a patch with my car, instead he will only fix it when Toyota release the real & final fix.

I think he's a smart dude. Because had he try to apply patches, and the car was still drifting left, then I would have counted it against Lemon Law Presumption. (which is four (4) repair attempts)

To make me wait like this, I can't exercise the Lemon Law.

[fotodad]

To make me wait like this, I can't exercise the Lemon Law.

I agree, he is a smart guy regarding your comments about the lemon law and four opportunities to fix the drift. But I also think he's a smart guy becasue he wants to do it right. I'd have much more respect for my service department if they told me they were aware of the problem and wanted to wait until Toyota fesses up and comes up with a fix.

[slingshot]

I agree. Smart guy and good shop. But if it's a long wait and your tires start to wear excessively from a large left drift, I'd try to get them to replace the tires (it would have to be a pretty long wait for the tires to show that wear though I guess).

[angelo]

any solutions?

[bigpow]

I called the service manager just yesterday, still no solution!

I feel like trapped here.
I want my $30K back - I want buy a straight going car

[Samster]

Long story short I have the pull problem on my SLE. When some of you seemed to have a fix I took mine in and my dealer said the only thing they could do was an alignment and tire rotation. That was all he had in the bulletin sent to him for this problem. Well of course I still had the pull when I left. So I called Toyota and opened a ticket. Regional rep called me and said she would look into it and get back to me in 2 days. Two weeks later I called her and she said they know there is a problem and they dont have a fix. She said I should go ahead and request arbitration. So I will think about it over the holidays and do something on next Monday. But if she told me that I'm guessing if I want to wait for a fix it will be long in coming.

[royaloakranger]

Greetings from the great white north,

Just had my 04 Solara into the dealership for the left pull problem. Went for a test drive with the head mechanic. We wern't 30 seconds into it when he agreed that it was a severe drift.

The vehicle was then tested at a top quality alignment shop and was exactly on factory spec, just to make sure.

Meanwhile, the head mechanic got in touch with Toyota Canada. He reported to me that they said that the problem was that the top location of the housing plate for the driver's front side strut was not in line with bottom location of the other housing plate for the strut.

Therefore, the driver's front side strut itself is at an angle instead of being perfectly perpendicular. This causes the driver's front side strut to twist and turn to such an extent that the vehicle pulls severely to the left.

Toyota Canada is well aware of the problem and are in the midst of designing and manufacturing a new top plate which will be ready in 1 - 2 weeks. It will be an offset plate put in the same spot as the old top housing plate. The installation is simple.

I will keep you all posted on my progress or lack thereof. BTW, I felt that the dealership and Toyota Canada are being super aggressive about getting to the bottom of this.

P.S. One Solara Guy member told me that he switched his tires to Michelin Piloe A/V's and is drift free.

[slingshot]

To all you left leaners,
Please define when you drift sharply left.
1. When in the left lane of a highway and you let go of the wheel
2. When in the middle lane of a hwy and you let go
3. When in the right lane of a hwy and you let go
4. When on a local road
5. On any road unless I hold the wheel angled to the right

I've only seen sharp left drift when in the left lane of a highway and I let go of the wheel. To stop it, I just have to be holding the wheel and angling it a couple degrees at most to the right. From what some here are describing, it would seem they drift sharply to the left in five conditions above. Is this true? And is this sharp drift when they let go of the wheel? To prevent it, do you have to hold the wheel quite a bit to the right? Let's have some more detailed observations.

[royaloakranger]

In response,

Please define when you drift sharply left.

Yes 1. When in the left lane of a highway and you let go of the wheel
Yes 2. When in the middle lane of a hwy and you let go
Yes 3. When in the right lane of a hwy and you let go
Yes 4. When on a local road
Yes 5. On any road unless I hold the wheel angled to the right

[bigpow]

Yes on all account for my car. *slight drift*
Dealer experimented by adjusting the right camber to make the car going right, yet it was still going left.

- is it the missing caster adjustment?
- is it the steering linkage?
- is it the radial pull?

[slingshot]

In all five situations the car pulls equally hard to the left? I'm asking this because highways usually have slightly angled left and right lanes for water runoff on both sides. So I would have expected less left pulling from the right lane.