Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions

tert

We've used the rear seat belt very few times so they look like new. But, for some reason the center and the driver's side rear seat belts are pulled all the way out and won't retract. A poor design if you ask me. Instead of paying over $100 each to replace them, can they be removed and the retracting mechanism reset so that they work properly?

niki1

210,
Took your advice, and compared my engine noise with the exact same engine and year as my Camry 4 cylinder 2005 with the CSM at the dealership where I purchased this Camry, and low and behold the CSM agrees that there is a problem with my engine, or as he stated a pully or belt. He will attempt to repair on Monday (4/25/05). Keep your fingers crossed.
Thanks
NIKI1

niki1

210,
One more thing. I would like to hear some of the horror story you mentioned about the Passat!! My wife and I just purchased a new 2004 1.8 Turbo manual shift for our son back in November of 2004, and of course he is making the payments. This car has just about everything, and to be honest this vehicle so far is flawless, from the ride, to the way it handles, no noise problems, very comfortable, great gas mileage, etc :shades: . Please let me know.
Thanks
NIKI1

niki1

Ezshift5,
Have you ever heard of a lemon?? Well I have purchased two of them so far in my new car adventure, and you should feel pretty good that you have gotten new vehicles with no problems!! My first lemon was re purchased by the dealership, and my second was re purchased by the manufacture after I took them to arbitration. The first vehicle was only three months old when the dealership re purchased, and the the other was four years old. This was a long drawn out process. I guess what I'm trying to say is, please don't judge what others are going through until you have experienced some of these problems for yourself.
Thanks
NIKI1

210delray

Seat belt retractors are not repairable. It sounds as though you will have to get the belts replaced, unfortunately. It does seem odd that they are stuck in the fully out position.

Do you have a trusted mechanic who can take a look before you have them replaced?

210delray

Glad to hear you've made some progress. An bent or misaligned pulley does seem to be a more likely source of the problem, not engine internals like valves or piston slapping! Good luck on Monday.

In my mind, the service tech or whoever earlier gave you that line about Toyota knowing about an engine problem but not of a fix ought to be fired on the spot! It sounds like you may be dealing with a less-than-competent (or lazy) service department, so I'd be on them like a hawk.

Regarding Passats, well, I know of 4 of them that gave problems to my co-workers, and our company only employs about 80 people. And if you check out the boards here, you'll find many more horror stories.

Just briefly on the 4: Number one, a 2001 with the 1.8-liter turbo 4, had the repeated ignition coil failures, which I believe VW has finally resolved with better parts. More recently, a small part on the turbocharger broke, but the design is such that the entire turbocharger has to be replaced. Luckily, VW apparently is going to pick up the tab for this several hundred dollar repair.

Number two: owned by wife of number one. It's a 2003 that failed to start one morning, apparently with nearly every warning light showing on the dashboard. It turned out to have a major electrical problem and I believe its main computer (central processing unit) had to replaced, again luckily under warranty. I think (not sure) that water infiltrated the unit.

Number three: a late model (newer than 2001 I think) owned by the son of our president-elect. This one apparently would die on the road for no apparent reason, and was repeatedly taken to the dealer for service. The car was ultimately dumped (I don't know if VW bought it back).

Number four: a 2002 wagon model with the 1.8 turbo 4. My co-worker's father generously traded his Passat for the son's 1997 Honda Civic, which the father in turn gave to a young relative for his first car. The Passat only had about 10,000 miles on it. This was my colleague's dream car, but it soon turned into a nightmare. There was a major water leak, with water somehow entering the glove compartment and front passenger floor.

The incompetent local dealer did some major disassembly of the car's interior in a vain attempt to fix the problem, and in the process did more damage to the car. The car was in the shop for something like 5 weeks. Ultimately, VW stepped in to buy back the car for the amount the father had originally paid for it (not including taxes, title, etc.). Now my co-worker is telling everyone about his :lemon: Passat and will never set foot in a VW dealership again. He now has an '04 Camry LE 4-cylinder almost identical to mine.

A little tip I learned from the VW boards and from the automotive press: The VW 1.8 turbo is subject to oil sludging under certain conditions. You must change the oil faithfully at 5000-mile intervals using oils specifically approved by VW (there is a spec number listed in the owner's manual). The interesting thing is that VW doesn't say outright that this specific oil is synthetic, and you can't use any synthetic, only the ones that meet VW's specs. It is a 5W-40 weight synthetic oil, but off the top of my head, I don't know which brands meet the spec. The kicker is that even some VW dealers weren't using the proper oil when customers' cars were brought in for service! (See why I don't trust dealers?)

Just a few words about "beach and moen." I think what he's saying is that there's an awful lot of whiners in these Camry boards, complaining about niggling problems. (I don't put you in this category, mind you!) Some of these issues could have been resolved before purchase, as I see it, with a thorough test drive. Why people don't test drive the car they plan to buy before forking over the money is beyond me!

Anyway, that Passat should be babied, and I'd recommend taking it to the dealer (hopefully a competent one) for all its service needs, just so you have a clear paper trail in case anything goes wrong. This is contrary to my usual advice to people to avoid dealers at all costs (except for warranty or recall work), but I think this car needs the documentation.

tert

Thanks for your thoughts on this. In that the seat belts are stuck fully extended made me think that maybe there is something I can do. If they were somewhere in between then it would be unlikely anything could be done.

I'll probably pull one of them off to see if there is something obvious, and, as you suggested, have a mechanic look at it. Maybe someone else reading this might have some experience in this.

Thanks... gm

niki1

210,
Thanks for all your advice. You have been very helpful!! I'll let you know what the problem was with the Camry, and thanks for the advice on the Passat. I'll be sure to get the correct oil, and have the dealership preform the maintenance. I will also be on the look out for the issues you mentioned about the Passat.
Thanks Again
NIKI11

toyomama

I've seen posts dating back to 2002 stating that the EGR Valve should be covered as part of the 1996-1998 Federal Emissions Control Warranty Enhancement, but has anyone on this board actually had their dealer replace the valve and cover it under this enhanced warranty? My dealership is feigning ignorance and Toyota Customer Support is only interested in sending me brochures on a new Toyota... Please help me save $400!! Thanks.

ricarey

Hi...I know a million people have had similar posts, but many of the solutions haven't worked. My 99 camry le 2.2 liter I4 has been having trouble cold starting for almost a year. It'll turn over but the idle will drop and die out causing the car to stall if it hasn't been run withint a couple of hours before (outside temp has no effect). No mechanic has been able to fix it(toyota didn't even want to try). I've tried premium fuel+cleaners, cleaning out the throttle body iac valve myself +professionally, and also replaced old spark plugs. I may replace the iac valve/motor just to rule that out as the problem...any suggestions? I've tried all the easy fixes people have had so far.

tomfitz1

2000 Camry 55k miles.

1. Dealership says timing belt to be replaced after 5 years? Or can I wait til 90k?

2. Windshield has been taken out and re-sealed 5 times, still wind sounds. Also, doors only close easily when a window is open. I wonder if the pressure is forcing out the windshield seal?

3. Very little ground clearance. I clunk on tall speed bumps. Is this normal?

ricarey

I can pretty much answer your speed bump question. I notice that my 99 camry can have some clearance problems. The springs determine the height of your car so you may want to see if they are sagging at all. The front of my camry has such little clearance that I need to drive up on blocks to fit under the car to change the oil. I tend to scrape the front end when entering parking lots that dip down or rise up. It also depends how many people you're carrying.
I replaced my timing belt at 104,000 miles...they said it was flopping around...but i hadn't broken down yet. You've probably got more time on your belt...but it's pretty cheap to have someone see if it's okay.

ricarey

I'm glad to hear I'm not alone...it never happened till i got different tires. I don't have traction control on my 99 either. The only solution I could find online is that water can get into the wheels and cause them to become unbalanced, which eventually corrects itself. It really does feel like the drive train when it happens, since it's only when I accelerate. I don't bother pulling off the road, because it does go away on it's own. Let me know if you discover anything else.

camwreck

I have taken my 1999 Camry 216CC 2.2 Liter L4 5SFE in for fluid changes and checks every 12 weeks. The "company" that was changing the fluids wrote "N/A" next to the differential every time I took it in to them. I didn't know about the differential. Then with 78,000 miles on the car, the transmission failed. Reason documented: insufficient oil in the differential. fluid level was between 1.5 quarts and was very dirty. caused metal on metal, metal shavings found in differential oil. Toyota said to fill the differential to the side plug. This was done. Then it was drained for measurement. Measured: 4 quarts. Owners manual calls for 1.7 quarts only. Toyota mechanics know to fill it to the side cap level. But the manual has a misprint and 1.7 quarts is not sufficient, causes transmission failure at the level of between 1 quart and 1.5 quarts. Has anyone out there "drained & measured" the content of a properly filled differential?

loucapri

didn't change my timing belt until it reached 105K miles (97 LE, 4 cyl)
it worked fine even before I had it replaced.

55k? I know the dealer is telling you to have it replace every 60K. But you know what I think? If a Korean made can run 100K without major tune-up. I think my toyota should at least last the same. I think 60K is a way for the dealer to make money. And don't forget by the time you want to have your timing belt replaced, most of the dealer will say "oh, you should replace your water pump too"

Cost? a $200 timing belt job will become a $700 works

ian721

You should have your water pump changed when you do your timing belt. It's the one time that you'll really have access to it.

The newer Camrys have timing chains -- something like 100,000 miles between changes.

shamjamal

I have a 1997 Camry and have clocked only 93,000 Klm (55,800 miles). I hear noise from my front struts. Had them checked and found they have oil leaking. This seems prematured repair. Have to replace them. Any one who has replaced them and can advise the best struts with reasonable price. Also if it is necessary to instal all 4 of them i.e.front and rear. I do not want to sacrifice the comfortable ride. Also the cost of replacement, labour etc.

niki1

June,
Thanks for the confidence booster on the Passat, and so far we got exactly what we paid for. Very happy with this vehicle! :shades:
Thanks
NIKI1

210delray

I had my timing belt changed at 93K miles on my '97 Camry. I elected NOT to replace the water pump. But I did replace the tensioner spring, crankshaft oil seal, and the 2 drive belts at the same time (all cheap parts).

The current Camry's timing chain (4-cylinder only) never requires regular changing, which is typically the case for chains as opposed to belts.

You don't have to replace all 4 struts, just the front two. I had the right front (only) replaced after crash damage. I used the Toyota OEM part, but had an independent shop do the installation. It cost around $200, including realigning the front wheels.

VW Passat: Glad you're experience is good so far, but be vigilant and don't skimp on required maintenance!

210delray

This was on the Oil Fiascos topic in the Maintenance board about the importance of using the proper oil in the Passat and doing the changes by the book (post no. 553 of 636 Re: altair4 [altair4] by micweb, 2/7/05).

I agree with Altair4, given all the hassles that other owners of other Passat 1.8 turbo have had with sludge, I think using the correct spec oil is best, and for that matter I would cough up the $60 to have it done at a VW dealer so I have iron clad documentation. I might skimp on other parts of the service, but $60 every 5,000 miles isn't too much for a $25k+ car.

lmacmil

Our neighbor just bought a 2005 Camry with about 10,000 miles from a rental car fleet. Yesterday while parked in their garage, the rear window shattered spontaneously. The dealer said they couldn't cover this under warranty because they tell what happened.

Anyone heard of this happening?

niki1

210,
I agree with you 100% on the oil issue with the Passat, and on having the dealership preform the task.
Thanks
NIKI1

loucapri

without any reason?

I can see why the dealer will not cover it because it just kind of hard to believe. Imagine you are the dealer and someone tell you that their rear window shattered by itself and ask you to pay for it, would you?

I guess it's some kind of unlucky even. Anyway, worst case is to call the insurance company and have them take care of that.

lmacmil

"without any reason?"

I should have said without any apparent reason. The car was parked in the garage, engine off, and no one was in it. I suspect some residual stress was present (from who knows where) and eventually the glass just gave out.

I wouldn't expect the dealer to cover this kind of event either. Hopefully their comprehensive coverage will.

junepug

Once upon a time I owned a VW Karmann Ghia. The rear window shattered for no apparent reason. The car was sitting in the driveway when it happened. The dealer replaced it under warranty. They said there was probably a weak spot in the glass and the heat build-up in the car caused the window to shatter.

rasberistoli

Has about 5k miles on it and constantly pulls to left. Front alignment is dead on. Switched front wheels as well. Service managers says it's due to the "sport tuned" suspension following the level of the road and smaller performance tires. Most of my driving is interstate so sounds like BS to me...I did read something about "steering torque" on another website though. Any ideas? I'm about two days aware from trading it back....

tresmith

Hello All,

I drive a '99 solara and my brake booster has a leak and does not give me adequate brake pressure. My mechanic says that a new booster from the dealer is $800. Yes 800 bucks!! And that's not including labor. Does anyone know what I can do to save money on this job. My mechanic says that I can buy one used or rebuilt for cheaper. My question is couldn't the leak be fixed? The booster isn't bad. It just has a leak somewhere. My mechanic wants me to replace it but I would hate to have to spend so much money on something that could be fixed.

If anyone has any info or insight on how I should deal with this problem, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.

bc42k5

I have a 99 camry ce and i was driving along the interstate at about 70-75 {i live in alabama} and without notice the car stopped running. i lost all power except electric. I pulled over and tried to start it again and it wouldn't crank. It only has 84,000 miles on it and i had the timing and drive belts replace at the toyota dealership in february. After it died all the dash warning lights were on. What could have happened?

86toy4x4

Help.....I just bought a 93 Camry SE with the V6 engine..It ran a bit rough so I replaced the plugs - wires -cap - rotor and put in a can of injector cleaner and it started running somewhat smoother for a few days. Then my wife drove it to work , running fine but when she left work the car started up and ran for 3 seconds and died ......... then continues to do that. I dragged it home and started checking for problems.... changed the fuel filter which seemed to help for a short while, got it to run for almost a minute although not well.Now were back to the 3 second thing.... any ideas?
Thanks, Dave :confuse:

hwilliams3

Dave - Had a friend who had your problem on an old Dodge Colt. He finally had the gas tank inspected. Found a japanese newspaper page inside. It would float up to the suction and stop fuel flow. Believe it or not!

sherrycp

We have a '96 Camry and I'd like to replace the brake light bulb. I can't figure out how to access the area. The manual shows 3 "screws" but you can't grab onto them to unscrew them. Any tips on getting them out?

lmacmil

A booster leak is very difficult to find. There are just too many possibilities. And even if you find it, it might well be non-repairable (a internal seal for example.) It must be a pretty significant leak if you notice it in normal driving. Are you sure it's not just the checkvalve in the front shell (where the hose connects to the intake manifold)?

I would try a junkyard first although you won't know if you are getting a good one unless you can start the engine of the car you're pulling if from. I'd be wary of a rebuilt unit. The two shells are lanced together and aren't meant to be taken apart and reassembled.

mdwoman

Hi,

Where do I buy a replacement hubcap (1) cheap?
Thanks,

tresmith

lmacmil - I assume it is a pretty big leak because I can hear the air rushing when I press the brake and I don't have the brake control that I used to have. My mechanic did not mention the checkvalve. He really didn't spend that much time inspecting the booster but he could also hear the leak when I press the brake. Before I do anything I'll have my mechanic inspect the checkvalve.

You said to stay away from rebuilt boosters but I found one online that comes with a three year warranty. What are your thoughts on that?

86toy4x4

HMMMMMMMMMMM I'm trying to avoid opening up the gas tank.....I checked the pressure on the fuel tank with a tester and that seemed fine, so I seem to be getting plenty of fuel now.... checked the coil and that's fine... started checking all the sensors but my ohm meter doesn't seem to be too trustworthy so I bought a good one online and when that arrives , I'll do all that over again. So do they make those newspapers outa rice paper or what?,I believe thats some tuff paper to still be floatin.
Dave

210delray

Try eBay, a salvage yard, or a place that specializes in selling used hubcaps (they exist!).

rutger3

Just bought an 05 LE . After a few days, can't seem to find a comfortable postion in the drivers seat. I did not notice this on my test drive, but did after I drove it an hour or so. Now it is driving me crazy. Anyone else experience this ? What has Toyota done to the seat??? I sure hope it gets better in time. Damn, why didnt I notice this before I bought? This is very aggravating, as I spent a lot of time researching cars. Maybe it's just me?

leesa2067

Check eBay.com.

:shades:

kirspin

I am having trouble with the electric locks on my wife's 2001 Camry Sedan, the Car seems to lock itself after I have unlocked the doors, it even locks the doors when I am inside the vehicle, anyone have any ideas??

moeharri

I'm not sure exactly what's happening to you, but I have an 05 Camry and if you use the remote to unlock the car, but don't open a door within 30 seconds (or so), the car will relock itself. I found it annoying at first, but now like the feature as I know that I don't have to worry about hitting unlock when I walk away from my car...it'll just lock itself anyway.

Maybe you could provide more info on how it is locking when you are in the car--is the car running or is it just after you get in, etc.

kirspin

Tks for quick reply, when I was sitting in the Car, it wasnt running, I hear a noise or high pitched whistle when this happens, first I could not unlock the Car with the remote Key Fob,thought it was a dead battery, changed it at Radio Shack it then worked fine for two weeks now its not working again, tried the spare key and it worked fine,so guess I am back to the Key Fob,maybe the battery Ipurchased was not the right one? anyway will have to do some more checking in daylight tomorrow,. will report what I find on here, tks again Kirspin

lmacmil

"I assume it is a pretty big leak because I can hear the air rushing when I press the brake."

If you can hear it, it's probably the rear seal which is not serviceable. I don't think you'd hear a leak coming from the checkvalve because it's in the engine compartment.

The reason I am wary of rebuilt boosters is because most boosters have the front and rear shells crimped together during assembly. If they are taken apart and recrimped, some strength will be lost. It's possible Toyota boosters are made differently, I haven't looked that closely at the one in my Camry. I'd like to assume that someone remanufacturing this critical safety device knows what they are doing but you never know these days.

roye1

I have a 2001 Camry LE that pulls to the left. Always has. I run top of the line Michelins on the car. I have the tires rotated every 5k and get a 4 wheel alignment.
I have 130k miles on the car and am on my 3rd set of tires. The car has never been in an accident. I think the left pull is design defect. I have learned to live with it.
Sorry

roye1

I have been driving my new 05 XLE now for 1200 miles. The auto headlights are behaving in a strange manner. The headlights are very slow to turn on. That is to say, most of the cars around me are already running with their lights on, tempting me to manually turn my lights on. Eventually, the lights turn on but later (or darker) than I would consider turning them on.

On the flip side, in the early morning as the sun is coming up, my auto headlights are very slow to turn off. I am usually wearing my sun glasses by the time the headlights turn off.

Is there any adjustment on the sensitivity of the auto headlights?

kirspin

Whatever caused this problem its now Clear, Every time it now works okay, I ecehecked the the Key Fob and its now fine, crazy eh! kirspin

lmacmil

Haven't had my 05 SE long enough to notice but my 2000 Olds was the same way. It could be completely clear early in the morning but with the sun low in the sky, the lights would be on. Conversely, it could be completely overcast and even raining in the middle of the day and often they wouldn't come on. I think there is a lot of variability in these sensors.

victorc

Could be alot of things. Could be your Computer, your Modulator( Which I truely think it might be), Transmission Computer, Timebelt Broke or not making contact, ..... Take it to Toyota. Let them deal with it. Good Luck

niki1

Roy,
I also own a 2005 XLE, and I read the manual on the headlight issue, and it does say to keep the sensors clean and free from any obstructions. If you feel there is a problem call your dealership, but I'm sure you will get the standard response. If you don't already know the standard response I'll spell it out. Response: THIS IS NORMAL, AND THE VEHICLE IS PREFORMING AS DESIGNED!!! LOL!!! Good luck!!!
NIKI1

roye1

Try Hubcap heaven.

I replaced a wheel cover on my 2001 camry LE for only $35. It was brand new.

bizeemom

I have a 1996 Camry with 175k. This week the brake warning has flashed on and off. Generally "on" during early morning driving and/or warm-up. It will intermittently come on and go off. Brakes were replaced about 3 years ago and I'm wondering if, perhaps, the brake pads need to be replaced?

I don't have an owner's manual for this car. I bought it used in 2000. I have a regular mechanic who keeps it running -- it's a GREAT car, only minor problems over time but I do regular maintenance so I expect to keep running it for years.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated before I drag it in and have the mechanic look at it -- small shop so I lose the use of the car for at least a day.

Thanks!
:confuse: