Toyota Solara Problems and Solutions

yoda3

I have a 2001 Toyota Solara. It has about 65k miles. About a month ago I started to hear a "clanging" sound in the rear. I brought the vehicle in to my trusted mechanic and diagnosed the problem as worn struts and mounts. 650 dollars later I have new struts/mounts but the sound is still there. The mechanic can't figure it out, so I got a second opinion... they can't figure it out either? Anyone have this problem or similar?

barkins

My 2004 Solara makes an odd whine noise when accelerating in 2nd gear. I heard the noise 2 days after I bought the car, spent months taking it from dealership to dealership and non of them could tell what it was.

I've grown to ignore it, but still curious to find out if anyone else hears this noise.

You need to drive in a quiet area and accelerate from 0mph into 2nd gear and onward to 3rd.

waregul

I purchased a 2006 Solara convertible two months ago. First time owner of a Toyota and so far I am pleased with it. However,the rear head rests pose a problem with blind spots. I checked with my dealer and asked about having them removed. Was told they were bolted to the back seat.
Has anyone found a solution to getting rid of these head rests? :confuse:

waregul

I recently ordered the RaggTopp Cleaner kit from AutoGeek. Including shipping $ handling it was $37.98. I originally did a Google search for "RaggTopp Cleaner" and found it listed under "RaggTopp Convertible Care" with Auto Geek. Have not used it yet but anticipate good results based on everyone else's endorsement.
Am I the only one who finds the lack of visibility in the back of my "06" convertible bothersome?

Claires

Am I the only one who finds the lack of visibility in the back of my "06" convertible bothersome?

There's a discussion about the Solara's headrests/visibility issues here:
Toyota Solara Headrests

moms_max

I'm posting here, because you wouldn't see it in the other location...
I went to solaraguy.org and there were photos of stripped-bare rear headrests in either an '05 or an '06...they do contain an opening that COULD have been upholstered around - like they decided to do in the '07s, :confuse: but the entire unit was welded into the back seat frame, so removing them isn't possible. Nor would you want to - as the posts in the 'headrest' area mention, they are rollover protection. I considered an '07 for the visibility reason, but didn't like the front & rear bumper redesigns. There is a guy on the solara.guy site who is trying to organize a group of 25 or more Solara owners for a group purchase of a back-up sensor system that doesn't have to be drilled into the bumper, probably about $250. A bad scrape will cost more to fix - I'm definitely interested!

waregul

Thanks for the information. I am interested also in the back-up sensor system. This has been such a problem for me that whenever possible, I pull forward in a parking area so I don't have to back up. Toyota is a fine car, but they definitely missed the boat on this particular design.

dbyron

Hi,
I'm replying to your msg concerning back-up sensors.
I went up on solaraguy and couldn't find anything, but am definitely interested. If you have any further info, I sure would appreciate it.

Thanks
D. Byron

moms_max

I know the solaraguy site is pretty confusing....and they have some kinda glitch in the thread so you can't reply to the guy who is trying to put this all together. But I've emailed him and let him know there's a few people here who are interested.

When he lets me know how to proceed, I'll post his info here and you can contact him. Try these links for the original discussion/explanation of system/photos
http://www.solaraguy.org/viewtopic.php?t=26933
http://www.solaraguy.org/viewtopic.php?t=27456
Good luck!

Claires

Why not invite him over here to post the info?

moms_max

Oh boy...a "duh" moment...
Great idea...sorry I didn't think of it!

dbyron

Hi,

Just checking in to see if there's been any updates I messed on the back-up sensors. You can contact me at mycsilver@excite.com.

Thanks

Dave

harrybush00

I have a '02 Solara with less than 25K miles. I also had the case of the clanging noise coming from the rear when the car had about 10K miles. The dealer told me they had to tighten the rear struts and sure enough, it went away. But, 1+ year later, the sound is back. Not as bad as before, but still there when braking hard or accelerating during cold starts. I'm also hearing a squeaking noise coming from the rear, but hard to tell if it's related.

Has anyone had any problems with the side windows rattling when it is half way down? My driver's side window rattles around quite a bit when its partially open. There is also a buzzing noise when going over grainy roads when the window is closed. =(

So much for that Toyota reputation. I've had problems with my seat constantly squeaking for a long time, but was finally fixed by the dealer under warranty after about the 5th visit!

dbyron

HI,
when I first bought my Solara Conv SLE I thought it had a pretty bad vibration problem. I tried Toyota for an explanation, but apparently there wasn't one. So...I took
it upon myself and I changed not only the wheels, but the new tires. Since then, the vibration I felt has diminished to the point I can live with it and be satisfied. I put bright chrome 17.5 wheels on it and have received numerous compliments over the wheels and the pinstriping. It was definitely worth the extra outlay of cash.

Claires

You've probably noticed new discussions appearing all over the forums. What's happening is that we are closing generic, everything-in-one pile discussions like this and creating smaller discussions that deal with specific areas of interest. You'll find a number of discussions listed at the top level of this group: Toyota Solara

When you're ready to post, please check the discussion list there for the appropriate discussion to post in. If you don't see a discussion that fits your question or problem, feel free to create one. We can deal with accidental duplication of topics as things progress.

While you're at the top-level, don't forget to click on "Track This Group". That way, you'll be able to track all of the discussions that are already here, as well as any new ones as they are created.

Using the "Read New Posts" link will mean you won't miss anything on the Solara board. If you see a discussion that doesn't interest you, all you have to do is click on the "Remove Track" link within the discussion.

Thanks for your understanding and help in making this group a great resource of information for Solara owners!