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I bought a 2006 Camry in Oct 2006. The original tires were replaced after 6 months. Now the 4 Falken tires I bought are worn and I'm told it must be the alignment. I've been driving for 40 years and this is the first car the goes out of alignment or out of balance every few months.
I've been quoted $600 for 4 new tires, a road hazard warranty, a lifetime balancing/rotation & 3 year alignment package. This is for 4 Firestone Firehawk GT tires 205/65R15.
I know the tires are bad, since the damage is visible. My car also shakes when I reach speeds of 65 or 70, but I just had all 4 wheels balanced a few months ago. The brakes have always squeaked, but now the car shakes when I step on the brakes. I have 39,700 miles on it.
Anyone else have this trouble? I think this car has been overhyped for a long time. The back window won't go down either and it's out of warranty. I get regular oil changes & paid a lot for my 30,000 service, so I expected this car to last a long time, but it eats tires. I just don't know why my wheels go out of balance so easily. Last year I went to Wal-Mart and the mechanic gave up, didn't charge me, and I drove home on I-75 with my entire car shaking. I finally pulled off of the interstate and took an alternate route. When I went to the dealer, they were able to balance the wheels. Maybe the equipment at Wal-Mart isn't as sophisticated.
If I buy my tires from a place like Tires Plus, at least with the alignment & balancing packages, I can check my tires every few months. I just don't feel safe driving this car. One month it's fine and I'm fairly comfortable and the next everything is out of whack. Any helpful comments are welcome. Thank you.
Last edited by justNancy; 02-17-2010 at 12:11 PM..
Reason: fix typo
however, the UK model Ford Mondeo, from 94-2000, (I can't recall what model name it had in the US, I think it might have been the Contour ???)
Anyway, it was really bad for the alignment going out. Hitting a pothole, or a curb, or speed bumps could all knock it out.
as could replacing the front wishbones, which were extremely prone to wearing !
It just seemed to be very sensitive.
maybe your car's the same, or maybe the first shop didn't do it right.
however, I do notice you say you have had the wheels balanced, but don't mention the alignment being checked ? These are different things.
Sadly, modern FWD cars can eat tyres, especially on the front, mainly the ones with the bigger wheels. 14" used to be good enough for everyone, now it's more like 16" or 17" as factory equipment.
it's the price you pay for fashion.
Also, some tyres are made softer, we sacrifice wear for grip. Falken is a great tyre, but not known for longevity.
A good set of Michelin, or Continental will wear less, but grip less. unless you're a hard driver, you shouldn't notice. (they'll also cost more)
"Shaking" on braking sounds like warped brake discs. The rapid cooling and heating of discs can often distort them, it's a fairly common problem. A new set of discs and pads will cure it
I own an older Camry...just love it.
My strutts have been replaced...brake pads etc., alingment every 2-3 years.
Always buy my tires from Sears, they have Michelins on sale quite often, can't go wrong.
My wife has a 2004 Camry with no such problems.It going on 6 years with zero problems. Its possible that youhave suspension problems other than that I would think.
Original equipment tires are nto known for lasting very long. My wifes original tires on her CRV were gone at 22k miles. You need to get an alignment at a good reputable shop, not walmart or even the dealer. Dealers are not good alignment places. I would say you probably have a suspension problem that is not being taken care of. Have you been in an accident since you bought it or hit a really bad hole?
Look up or somehow acquire the alignment specifications for your vehicle. Bring a copy to an alignment shop and give it to them. Tell them you want a computer printout from the alignment tool for comparison to the OEM specs. If they decline your request or tell you it cannot be done simply move on to the next shop.
Original equipment tires are nto known for lasting very long. My wifes original tires on her CRV were gone at 22k miles. You need to get an alignment at a good reputable shop, not walmart or even the dealer. Dealers are not good alignment places. I would say you probably have a suspension problem that is not being taken care of. Have you been in an accident since you bought it or hit a really bad hole?
No, I never had an accident, but I bought the car from Enterprise. It had 18,000 miles on it, but I had it checked very carefully by a mechanic. It was also still under the factory warranty of course. I have to say Enterprise was very accommodating when I complained about the tires and sent me to Tire Kingdom where they had an account. When I bought the Falkens, Enterprise split the cost of the invoice. Turned out one of the original tires had fix-a-flat in it. Also, I never noticed when I bought the car that 2 of the original Goodyear tires had been replaced with Sigma Shadows. The car ran okay for a few months, so I guess it's very sensitive as mentioned in another comment. Perhaps I need to get that 3 year alignment package sold at various tire shops like Tires Plus, Firestone, Tire Kingdom, etc. I'll take your advice and use a shop rather than the dealer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lux Hauler
Look up or somehow acquire the alignment specifications for your vehicle. Bring a copy to an alignment shop and give it to them. Tell them you want a computer printout from the alignment tool for comparison to the OEM specs. If they decline your request or tell you it cannot be done simply move on to the next shop.
Last year I went back to the Toyota dealership where I had my alignment and did get a printout. They insisted everything was fine, but that was over a year ago. Maybe I'm not getting the alignment checked often enough. I think now one of the wheels is out of balance because the steering wheel shakes at high speeds, although it depends on the road. My last car never required more than 1 alignment every 2 years and the tires lasted for 50,000 miles until I ran over a nail. (something that was very common in FL because of all the construction)
Last edited by justNancy; 02-17-2010 at 09:39 PM..
I own an older Camry...just love it.
My strutts have been replaced...brake pads etc., alingment every 2-3 years.
Always buy my tires from Sears, they have Michelins on sale quite often, can't go wrong.
I should probably spend a little more to get good tires, although I thought the Falken were good after reading Consumer Reports. I've read on other sites that they don't wear well. Michelins are great tires, at least from my previous experience driving other vehicles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bobman
maybe your car's the same, or maybe the first shop didn't do it right.
however, I do notice you say you have had the wheels balanced, but don't mention the alignment being checked ? These are different things.
Maybe they didn't check the alignment when I had my wheels balanced. Perhaps I should have requested it. I did get my last oil change and tire rotation at a tire shop, however.
I want to mention that the plastic thing under the front of the car that protects the engine from dust was dragging on the ground and someone tried to pull it out. I stopped him and went to the dealer to get it repaired (no charge) I wonder if that could have affected the alignment. It looks as if part of it is hanging again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by texdav
My wife has a 2004 Camry with no such problems.It going on 6 years with zero problems. Its possible that youhave suspension problems other than that I would think.
I hope not, but I've also wondered the same thing.
Thanks to everyone for your comments. It's so hard to put everything into a post without writing a book!
I don't think the answer is trading it in, since it's only a 2006 with under 40,000 miles on it. I am simply overwhelmed because I have medical bills and I'm now being hit with a $600 charge for tires, balancing, alignment, etc. I also know I need brake pads and suspect the rotors are warped as bobman mentioned in his post. I skipped the expensive 30,000 mile service, since it was $399, although I had what they called "the minimum" service performed at the dealer. I get regular oil changes of course.
Last edited by justNancy; 02-17-2010 at 09:21 PM..
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