Is there a way to change the sensitivity of the 2012 Camry steering? Most cars have a "dead spot" when the car is going straight down the road where the steering wheel can be turned 1 or 2 degrees in either direction before the front wheels actually turn. The 2012 Camry does not have that, and as a result, it is more difficult to drive in a straight line, especially on the highway. As it is now, a 1 degree movement of the steering wheel changes the direction of the car, and requires an adjustment in the opposite direction. Can the software be improved and updated?

 

Welcome to electric steering. As far as I know all hybrids use electric steering. Otherwise how would the power steering pump work when the engine shuts off. E-steering can help improve the mpg due to less drag on the engine. Driving on the highway the E-steering causes very little drain on the battery.

Just like power steering, if the electric steering goes out your then on manual steering for safety.

I had problems with my new Camry XLE TCH till I aired my michelin tires up to 40 psi cold. I can now steer straighter with less effort when driving on the highway. I would recommend 38 psi cold on other brands of tires. If you car still rides too rigid due to the winter air which causes the shock absorbers to become stiffer, try 35 psi.

 

I never noticed I had a steering problem with my 2012 TCH until I read some posts complaining about the steering. And yes sure enough when you focus on it, the problem is exactly as you describe. It does not really self center, and any tweak to correct it results in some oversteer.

It seems to me that it needs more toe in on the alignment. However I suspect the real problem is in the electric steering, and the fix is not that simple. It probably does not hurt to complain to Toyota. At minimum they need to hear the complaints. I've seen no real fix reported in posts I have read on it.

 

After driving my '07 TCH for a few months I thought the steering had that walking feeling like it just wouldn't go in a straight line. I figure it was just to much toe-out. I requested a full alignment which they did as it was well in warranty.

The tech drove my car to the back side of the building and slowly took it inside a bay. I walked outside the building where he had pulled my car inside and up on the alignment rack. I watched as he set up the all-wheel alignment. All went well on his first printout although the front wheels were right on edge on the toe-in limit. I could not figure how it acted just like a toe-out problem in the older cars. This was really bothersome when driving at highway speeds.

The tech showed me the before printout. He made a adjustment to the steering rods and the next printout read a 0. Now the car did not tend to walk (right-left) with me when driving at highway speeds, up to 50 mph was fine.

I don't think the '07 or '12 TCH steering is designed to self center like our earlier cars with power steering.

My advice if your in warranty request a no-charge front end alignment check. If your car is out of warranty, would be to find a popular front-end alignment shop or use the dealer although I would compare prices.

 

07 does not have conventional power steering. Has electrical assist PS. Not fully electrical, yet.
I have no idea why someone will want a dead spot in the steering, unless moving from GM products, where you become habitually used to huge dead spot and overcompensation.
I drove mine 40 miles today, and paid very specific attention to her on the FWY. she tracks exquisitely straight and takes pinky gentle tug in any direction, for her to respond. By far, best feeling steering I ever had. The only time she wobbles R-L, and just a scoash, is when in sharp turns and at low speeds. At high speeds - steering is dead smack on. Love it.

 

I also used to enjoy that slack place in the steering with all those GM cars I owned over the years. Going to the '07 TCH was like driving a crisp sports car. After a few months I became used to it especially after the dealer touched up the front end alignment.

 

I think having a dead spot in the middle of the steering is different than having a self centering action. My old Ford F150 has never had great steering. You can turn it quite a bit in either direction and it doesn't turn. I find it more annoying than the Camry because of the dead spot. I like that the Camry is tight and has no dead center slop. But, the problem I find is that it turns easily but does not stop turning by itself. I call that over steer. So, then you have to correct the over steer by turning the other way. Same problem again, it keeps turning. The result is that there is no slop but you are always correcting while you zig zag (slightly) while going down the road. It is fine in corners where you are really turning. I don't find it over steers there. The problem is when you are trying to go perfectly straight down a straight highway.

 

they might have caster set to do that. I have no idea what is that people want. Since 1993, we had about 23 cars, this is by far the best steering I ever experienced. I simply let go off steering wheel today doing 65 on FWY (keeping this thread in mind) - and she keeps tracking straight for half mile or so. Did it several times. Not sure. I guess, everyone has his or her preferences. I wouldn't want to change anything in my steering. Maybe stiffer sway bar, but at 75 000 miles, it's about time to replace end link bushings anyway.

 

I rented an '11 TCH for a weekend last year and a '12 TCH this year, before finally buying one in June. I found the steering in the '12 to be somewhat more "connected to the road" than in the '11.

 

Thanks for the replies.

The steering still feels strange to me. It is overly sensitive at highway speeds. Moving the wheel 1/2 an inch results in a sudden lane change. At first I thought it was wind blowing the car around. I suspect a software change would fix this. Since I cannot change the software, I will try an alignment. I think increasing the caster angle would help.