'03 Camry Le Steering Wheel squeeks

[Ernie]

Does anyone have the same problem? If so, how were you to fix it and is there a home made way to fix it?

[Blaine]

Mine does too, sounds like somethings rubbing in there. Not fixed yet.

[Dave]

My 2003 XLE Camry does the same thing. In the winter it is worse. It seems to be behind the dash and not down at the floor level. I have not gone to the dealer and am living with the problem.

Anyone have a fix? What have you done about this problem. I think this problem has been posted here in the past.

[Nellie]

My 2003 Toyota Camry also squeaks when I turn the wheel It is annoying and I don't know what is wrong. I have not contacted the dealer on this. Also, I have bad paint on my Camry, It cracks and peels and the paint is oxidizing on the hood.

[Frank]

Nellie wrote:

My 2003 Toyota Camry also squeaks when I turn the wheel It is annoying and I don't know what is wrong. I have not contacted the dealer on this. Also, I have bad paint on my Camry, It cracks and peels and the paint is oxidizing on the hood.

Hi Nellie,
My 2003 Toyota Camry has the same problem when it is around 15000 miles but at that time the problem is intermittent now at 22000 miles ,the problems get worse.I called the Toyota to help to fix the problem under manufacture warranty but the answer is No because my car is out of warranty by time not by mileage. I had asked a car repair shop and they told me the problem is very common for 2002 ,2003 Camry car due the parts was factory defected parts,i have the picture of the bad parts,we have to do something about this problem because Toyota wants to get away ,no responsibility to its defected products

[Frank]

Ernie wrote:

Does anyone have the same problem? If so, how were you to fix it and is there a home made way to fix it?

Many people who own a Toyota Camry 2002-2003 have the same problem, but some don't recognize it.

For me, I didn't know about it until I brought my car in for an oil change in which the mechanic working there pointed out the problem to me. He told me that a defective part had been installed in the steering column from the factory. The repair cost can range between $450 to $550 ,depending on where you plan to get it fixed.

[namegame]

My 2003 camry has the same problem with steering wheel. This morning I went to a repair shop and the mechanic told me it could be as dangerous as a bad break and I should repair it ASAP. Is the problem that serious?

[Frank]

namegame wrote:

My 2003 camry has the same problem with steering wheel. This morning I went to a repair shop and the mechanic told me it could be as dangerous as a bad break and I should repair it ASAP. Is the problem that serious?

So far no steering wheel got broken , only noises from intermediate shaft from steering column,even your car is out of warranty but you better call Toyota ,they know the problem from the factory defected parts which they installed into your car and they might help you share portion of the cost for the repair,good luck

[Ronald]

The squeak is where the steering shaft goes through a rubber grommet at the firewall. Grease this area. The noise may sound like it is coming from behind the steering wheel.

There is another TSB about a steering wheel clunk. This is the intermediate shaft and is not an easy fix.

[Marge]

My 2003 Camry has a clunk in the steering column, does anyone else have this problem?

Columbus, OH

[Dave]

That is another problem and there is a TSB out on that. Go to the Toyota dealer (Service) and ask for a copy of the TSB. That is an intermediate shaft problem. I hear it cost about 5-6 Hundred for that repair.

How many miles do you have on your car???

[Dawn]

I have a 2003 Toyota Camry XLE and my steering wheel squeeks too. I also have a problem when I make a wide left turn the steering wheel will stick. It will only stick occasionally and only on wide left turns. I have taken it to a mechanic but they can't figure it out. The power steering fluid was flushed and that seemed to help for a little while. Anyone else having this problem?

Frank wrote:

<quoted text>Hi Nellie,
My 2003 Toyota Camry has the same problem when it is around 15000 miles but at that time the problem is intermittent now at 22000 miles ,the problems get worse.I called the Toyota to help to fix the problem under manufacture warranty but the answer is No because my car is out of warranty by time not by mileage. I had asked a car repair shop and they told me the problem is very common for 2002 ,2003 Camry car due the parts was factory defected parts,i have the picture of the bad parts,we have to do something about this problem because Toyota wants to get away ,no responsibility to its defected products

[sunrise13]

I have a 2003 Toyota Camry XLE and my steering wheel squeeks too. I also have a problem when I make a wide left turn the steering wheel will stick. It will only stick occasionally and only on wide left turns. I have taken it to a mechanic but they can't figure it out. The power steering fluid was flushed and that seemed to help for a little while. Anyone else having this problem?

[boxer1]

Go to Advance auto parts or Autozone.
By a can of Sea Foam Deep Creep.
Open the hood and spray the steering column.
This stuff will 'creep' uphill and lasts a long, long time.
It's got a hundred different uses.
I threw out my WD-40.

P.S.- I found the problem with my blinking lights(earlier post).

Passenger side floor board, remove kick panel on right, push connectors in tight...problem solved.
The dealer had no idea.

Later.

P.S.- I used Mitchell 1 online diy auto repair manual.
Great site.

[joe]

If you are having the hesitation/downshifting problem with the 2007 or 2008 camry and got the run around from toyota, go to page 6 and sign petition for nhtsa to look into recalling this dangerous car b 4 some one gets hurt or even killed from this dangerous problem.
Toyota makes a mistake and who pays the consumer. lets as the consumer make toyota pay this time.
Lost lots of money trading this car in for this problem, toyota should pay for this too. any ideas??

[jack]

I have the same squeak in my 2003 camry stearing column. I have 51,000 miles. Is this covered under the warranty or not? I do not trust any dealer's response to this question.

[Brad]

There is a rubber grommet where the steering shaft goes through the firewall, just near the brake pedal that gets dry. Find a good lubricant and try to get it to penetrate around the shaft.
This will fix the problem. My 01 Camry did it until I did the repair. May do it again down the road, and then you will know what to do the next time.

[Javed]

I just got it fixed today. It squeaked from day one. The dealer had to replace the intermediate streeing wheel shaft. It set me back by $525.

[For What it is Worth]

I hope you are right. The squeak was where the shaft went through a rubber grommet at the floor. The intermediate shaft was a ratching or clicking sound. Both of these problems had a TSB issed about it.

Maybe he replaced the shaft and also lubricated the grommet, and maybe not.

[noisee]

I have a 2003 toyota camry that have made a noise in 2004 that was also under warranty. At that time Service Center Technitian put some oil to remove/reduce the noise. There ware no problem with my car for 3-4 months after putting some oils. Now It makes a lot of noise "Clicking Noise". 3 years later(after warranty), techinician said "ST001-06 STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT NOISE" need to change and they want me to pay over $1000.00.
They cannot find the problem, so they didn't describe the problem
when I see the history/record in toyota service center.