I have a 07’ Toyota Camry (bought new) with approx. 60k miles on it (mostly highway). My driving habits are sedate. I haven’t abused the car and have only taken it to the mountains once. The roads that I drive are relatively free of potholes, but there is one tall hill that I have to climb daily during my commute. I brought my car in for routine service and was told that all 4 struts were leaking. Is this unusual given that all 4 seem to have been affected and I do not abuse my car (cruise control set at 65) during my drives? Has anyone else experienced the same problem with their Camrys?
Was the place that told you all 4 were gone a chain type facility; Firestone, Sears, etc.?
I have a feeling that this place is gouging you because while it is true that when one replaces a bad strut (left front for example) the right front should also be replaced.
However, the odds of all 4 leaking and going bad on a 60k miles Camry are very, very slim. I would take this diagnosis with a bag of salt.
Thanks ok4450,
I agree that something isn’t right here. Oh, btw, the place that recommended the replacement was the dealership. I plan on bringing the car to an independent to get a second opinion. Also, the dealer saw discoloration with the transmission and power steering fluid. I can take a look at that myself.
That’s unusual for someone at the dealership to state that all 4 are leaking.
Over time it is possible for a slight oil film to develop around the struts or shocks. With a little dust residue it may appear to be worse than it actuall is.
Some car makers (Subaru for one) even states that this can be considered “normal”.
Since the expertise of techs can vary a lot I wonder if you just happened to run across a crook or a younger guy who may honestly think they’re all bad?
I’m not saying that all 4 are good here; only that it sounds very suspect. Since it’s suspect another opinion should be gotten.
It is possible to have a bit of discoloration in the trans and power steering fluid and my opinion is that the transmission fluid especially should be changed; preferably at 30k mile intervals. It’s cheap insurance.
I agree with OK, have a trusted mechanic look at them, would be extraordinary for all four struts to leak.
When does the owner’s manual recommend inspecting or changing the transmission fluid or power steering fluid? If you drive in abusive environments (hot, dusty) you should start thinking about transmission fluid change.
AUTOTALKER, I just took my Camry in for an oil change yesterday and asked the firestone mechanic to check the brakes. He took me out to see my car without the tires and showed me the strut assembly. He said all four needed to be replaced. And I only have 35875 miles on my 2007. He told me to contact the dealer and check my warranty. I also need new rotors. I researched this a little and on another site I saw a question from another 2007 owner whose has the same issue at 42500 miles. So apparently this is not as uncommon as it may seem. I am going to change mine as it is under warranty. Reccommend you check with reliable mechanic and then see if the dealer will make some adjustments in price as this seems to be a problem.
AUTOTALKER, I just took my Camry in for an oil change yesterday and asked the firestone mechanic to check the brakes. He took me out to see my car without the tires and showed me the strut assembly. He said all four needed to be replaced.
WO…WO…WO…A FIRESTONE MECHANIC???
Let’s explain something to you…Firestone Mechanics work on commission. That means they get money for every part they sell. And they’ve been taken to court and LOST for replacing parts that were in PERFECT working condition. Struts/Shocks/Rotors are considered MAJOR SAFETY items and since MOST people who take their cars to these places have almost 0 mechanical knowledge they are taken for a ride and smiling as they go…
Moral of the Story…Find a good independent…I’ll bet those struts are fine. I seriously doubt there’s a problem. If all 4 struts were bad you’d have hard time keeping the car on the road.
I do not think your mechanic is being dishonest with you. I was in denial after three of them told me the same thing when I would get routine maintenance on the 2007 Camry. I have 51,000 miles on the car and finally took it in and had them checked. The dealer told me that all four-struts were leaking and needed to be replaced. Thank god I had purchased a platinum warranty when I bought the car. It was covered. So my advice to all the 2007 Camry owners is having them checked out! I think it is a flaw in the design since we bought ours in the first year they came out. I have a 2009 Camry and it does not seem to have any problems yet, but time will tell?