Rear Strut Replacement Toyota Lexus

How to replace the rear struts on a Toyota or Lexus sedan.

Procedure is similar for the Lexus ES300, ES330 and ES350, Toyota Camry, Solara, Avalon, Corolla and maybe the Yaris.

The rear MacPherson struts are attached to the knuckle via two 19mm bolts. The stabilizer linkage, ABS wire and brake line need to be disconnected from the strut to free it at the bottom.

To access the three 12mm bolts holding the strut to the body, the rear seat must be removed. The bottom cushion pulls up, while the seat back is bolted in with 4 12mm bolts. Removing the side panels and deck tray is not required.

Having a 12mm ratcheting wrench helps with accessing the strut bolts. Air tools are not required but make the job a lot easier.