2007 Toyota Camry Problems and Repairs

wwest · October 2006

I don't know that previouly I have ever proposed that a "soft" initial application (actually RE-application) of the throttle would/might help to alleviate the problem.

That thought arose as a result of thinking, in detail, of the issue of octane having a positive effect. Higher octane having a positive effect made absolutely no sense to me initially.

captain2 · November 2006

irregular behaviors can actually be induced by manipulating the throttle in certain ways.
this is confirmed not only by my own experience but also in Toyota's own TSBs for both the 5 and 6 speed. About a year ago on an Avalon site thread, this even went as far as a 'survey' of owners with and without the 'problem' and exactly how they pressed the accelerator, and even physical modification of the throttle position relative to its sensor. If you don't already, concentrate on a foot position with the ball of your foot about 2/3 up the pedal and keep even pressure on the pedal.

gmontagew · November 2006

If you got the impression I was referring only to you about how certain throttle manipulations can induce or alleviate these response peculiarities,that wasn't intended. But you have talked about exactly that concept in the past, in other threads, along with others who debated the idea that some peculiarities being reported could stem from the way throttle was applied. That concept is not new to these discussions.
I don't want to discount reports of extreme situations some say they have experienced, but your (and other's) theory could confirm that answers to people's experiences may, in part, have something to do throttle application technique.
It could mean that what some are saying about DBW systems, ie they require getting used to because they are different, may be one reason for this phenomenon.
I haven't experienced any of the anomalies, nor have others. Their apparent randomness, and that only a few are reporting problems, might add credence to the theory that human factors may be involved to some extent.
Like many others, yourself included, I'm just speculating.

wwest · November 2006

"...add credence to the theory that human factors may be involved..."

First of all the direct answer to that is:

Of course..!

Unless you've taught your dog to drive you to and from work each day.

The real problem is that with respect to this newly defined/discovered charactoristic (assuming truth of the theory), gas pedal "rate of application", human ergonomics appear to operate inverse to the expectations of automotive design engineers.

The purely human side of this equation is quite simple. In an airplane when you decide it is time "go around", "do over", one of the things high on the execution list is quick and firm re-application of engine power. Not "slow and soft" re-application, which would clearly be counter-intuitive to the circumstance.

Yes, the same urgency doesn't really often exist in an automotive environment, but the raw fact is that it sometimes does, and it has now become quite clear that the human factor, the natural human instinct to move quickly and decisively in seemingly life threatening situations, will randomly result in an adverse circumstance to the driver's desires.

And yes, you can raise the argument that these aren't really life threatening situations, yet again, but you can't tell me you haven't had times of this nature wherein your heart ended up in your throat, as all of us with any reasonable level of driving experince have.

The simple fix would be to replace the gas pedal return spring with a "forcing" torque type servomotor and program it to provide a more extreme level of force against initial depression when foot pressure is (re)applied immediately or shortly after a lift-throttle upshift event.

But again, why not just modify the firmware so that DBW allows the engine to quickly respond, to at least a minimal level, to gas pedal pressure in this instance? Do these events happen often enough that the resulting brief period of clutch slippage in the higher gear would be so detrimental as to result in premature transaxle failures?

A complete puzzle.

gmontagew · November 2006

Unless you've taught your dog to drive you to and from work each day.

I tried, but he's too busy right now doing my tax return!
Kidding aside, your gas pedal mod theory might be yet another answer.

pkr1 · November 2006

I talked to a dealer and he replied that as of September the transmission problem has been fixed and it was a problem with the computer.

I am ready to buy the Camry. Can someone confirm if Toyoto has acknowledged this problem and fixed it.

Thanks

PK

jofallon · November 2006

I would suggest you test drive the actual car they want to sell you and put it in some of the situations described in this thread. I have an LE manufactured in the first week of October, and I'm not at all sure I have the fix. I might trust the service department to answer the question relatively honestly, but I'm fairly sure I wouldn't trust anyone in sales that much.

wwest · November 2006

If this was a software problem and has existed since the 2002 MY Camry then Toyota has some pretty poor programmers on staff.

For how many years have I heard, when the airplane I just boarded has a delayed take-off due to some problem, the crew, once it's fixed, comes over the PA and tells us it was a simple black box failure/repair.

I have even had occassion to watch the engine nacelle opened and the engine fuel pump changed out and in the end...

Well, you know...

Maybe my theory is all wet but everything I know and have seen indicates a serious transaxle design shortcoming resulting from the programmers trying to do something with hardware without knowing that the hardware was incapable of the function(s).

Typical.

redcam1 · November 2006

I understand what everyone is saying about throttle manipulation I appreciate the info about how the DBW works. However the issue I have is that this car did not exhibit this behavior when I first test drove it or for the first few hundred miles. Now it seems to happen more frequently. There is always some of the flare when shifting from 3rd to 4th at around 30-40 MPH. I will see the dealer this week and I will have some pointed questions. What concerns me most is that this behavior seems to be getting worse. If it were just my foot I don't think that this would be the case.

silverstar · November 2006

Speaking for myself, my October built car has transmission problems.

Please see my post above #2281.

I dropped off my October built, 6cyl, Camry at a Toyota service dept. today. I have about 350 miles so far on it so far. I experienced transmission slipping problems from day 2 or 3. It slips out of Drive at very low speeds (5~7 mph) and re-engages with a thud, most notable when cold or after sitting for a few hours. It also hesitates to shift into Reverse for at least two or three seconds and engages with a thud.

On cold mornings the transmission refuses to up-shift past 3rd or 4th gear. The service tech told me that was intentionally designed aspect of the transmission. "It will not up shift to 5 or 6 until the trans-axel fluid warms up." You buy that? I don't. No other automatic I've driven in the last 30 years EVER behaved that way.

However, I have not experienced the 30-40 mph throttle flare others have written about but then I have only 350 miles on my car so far. Something to look forward to?

For what it's worth my dealership is sympathetic and courteous though seemingly 'surprised' at my troubles and have given me a loaner car in the interim.

silverstar · November 2006

Continuing my post #2300.

The mechaninc said that the problems I was describing sounded like what happens in older tranmission when the transmission fluild is low. However this is a brand new one. I think this is a 'sealed' unit with lifetime fluid. So unless there was not enough to start with - what else could be wrong?

Maybe the some gizmo (ATF pump perhaps) that maintains fluid pressure inside is faulty or under-specd.

As an aside - my question to the group: I understand a little about lemon laws - dealership get three trys at fix this before we can go down the lemon-law isle. But can you tell me, is there a 30-day dis-satisfaction money-back law
in any state?

kdhspyder · November 2006

There is no such law in the US... not even a 3 day right of recision like in buying a house. when it goes over the curb you own it. Now as a gesture of good will some stores will 'unwind' the deal quickly but once it's in the state's computers for titling it's a mess and not likely to happen.

mdelrosso · November 2006

FYI...Anyone experiencing the '07 Camry transmission problem, which is a possible loss of 2nd or 6th gear,needs to call Toyota at this number 800 331 4331 and report it. Prompt #2 explains the problem, identified as a fastener in the v6 transmission clutch pack. According to Toyota, that is the root of the problem. They will direct you to your dealer for repairs. This problem has been resolved on latest built models. If you are experiencing this problem, stop wining about this issue and have it repaired.

hondatotoyota · November 2006

I'm new here. I just bought a 4-cylinder LE. I love this car overall. I noticed if I brake down from 50 - 60 mph to a full stop, I can feel a very subtle downshift at 30 mph. In the first few times, I thought it was the road. It feels like the brake slipping a few millisec. I have the similar experience with my 96 Corolla. Is this a sign of bad trans?

The only other problem I noticed so far is the plastic molding on top of the front passenger seat doesn't go all the way to the ceiling and leave a hole at one corner.

jamiecar · November 2006

Living in Canada, we probably use the heat in our vehicles, to some degree, at least 8 months of the year. With the heater engaged, I noticed lately that once the vinyl dash and plastic mouldings/pieces heat up, they begin to creak and rattle terribly. Has anyone else experienced this? The expansion from the heat must be causing pieces to rub together making me wonder about the quality of the materials. Sorry, had to vent....... these annoying rattles drive me crazy! :mad: BTW, this only happens when the heater is on and not during the hot days of summer???

jbollt · November 2006

On cold mornings the transmission refuses to up-shift past 3rd or 4th gear. The service tech told me that was intentionally designed aspect of the transmission. "It will not up shift to 5 or 6 until the trans-axel fluid warms up." You buy that? I don't. No other automatic I've driven in the last 30 years EVER behaved that way.

Silverstar...this can be a normal condition. I have had several cars that exhibited this. It is designed to help the engine warm up quicker, which allows the emission control equipment to do job quicker. The worst emissions are when the car/engine are cold. Not allowing the trans to get into the top gears for a few minutes keeps the engine reving higher, and under more "load" which assists it in getting to normal operating temp quicker.

The other behavior you mention I can't address.

torn8o · November 2006

Ok, I bought a 2007 Camry SE in April. Occasionally I hear a fairly high-pitched whining noise somewhere on the left-hand side of the car. It's getting worse lately. It's intermittent... happens maybe every 10 seconds or so and lasts generally a couple seconds. Thing is, it's not really a whining sound; I'm not sure how to describe it, it is almost like a whimpering animal. LOL.

I mainly hear it right as I'm either leaving the house (e.g. backing out of the driveway), or as I'm getting home. Other than that, I rarely hear it. It isn't tied to the brakes, or to a particular gear (e.g. reverse). I told the dealer about it at my last oilchange. They couldn't replicate it, so they didn't know how to try to fix it. Supposedly they checked the brakes and they were fine. I've had friends in the car, and they hear it too if everyone shuts up and listens. It's quite distinct, and extremely annoying. I have 6,000 miles on my car and don't think I should have to put up with this. Moreover, I'm worried that something is mechanically wrong with my car already.

Anyone have a similar experience or have any ideas on what it could be?

gbabaluk · November 2006

Hi Jamiecar;
Yes, the same thing has happened to our 2007 SE. The rattle seems to come from the passenger side somewhere around the windshield(defrost vents) where it meets the dash. I am taking the car in on Nov 21 for it's first service and I have let them know about it. The first question the service manager asked was did it start since it started getting colder!
I'll keep you posted.

rmayer99 · November 2006

You might want to check out the list of TSB's (somewhere else on this forum). I just saw something that was specific to fixing noises where the windshield connects to the frame.

Rob

cappy4103 · November 2006

Actually, I have heard of transmissions not shifting into overdrive until the fluid reached a certain temperature. This was the case in my 2002 Dodge Durango. I brought the issue to the attention of the service advisor at the Dodge dealer at the time, and he told me that the transmission failing to upshift into over-drive when cold was by design. I subsequently verified this information either online or in my manual. So, as far as the tranny failing to upshift when cold, it would appear that your service advisor is being truthful with you. I can't offer any feedback for you in regard to the other issues your transmission is displaying.

07xle · November 2006

Ha!!!!

The transmission downshifts from 5th to 4th at about 28 mph.

redcam1 · November 2006

I believe that the issue with not shifting quickly when cold does have something to do with the design of the transmission, the engine and the computer. I have heard of other new cars, specifically the Xb not upshifting into OD until warmed-up. Could be something to do with the fluid viscosity and internal transmission pressures. A bit disconcerting when getting on the highway though I'll bet. I personally haven't seen this complete failure to upsift in my car.
My issues lie with the clunky shifting and the flares. Interesting thing in my case is that the flares and the very noisy shifts occurs for me when accelerating gently at lower speeds, not when I'm accelerating harder. When I get on the gas I have not yet had it fail to respond. Sometimes if I'm in a higher gear at low RPMs it will downshift with a slight clunk if I accelerate aggressively, but I would expect that out of any car save a few of the ones in the Professional ball-players salary range.
I will give the dealership time and chances to fix it. I really do love driving the car when it is acting right, which is still the case most of the time.

ken74 · November 2006

To all who have taken the time to report their Camry hesitation issues to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), thank you. You contribution has made a difference. If you have not yet done so, please know that it is important that you contact NHTSA and file a complaint. I can assure you, it is not a waste of time. To all who have taken the time to report their Camry hesitation issues to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), thank you. You contribution has made a difference. If you have not yet done so, please know that it is important you contact NHTSA and file a complaint. I can assure you, it is not a waste of time.

For those of you who have filed with NHTSA and have been contacted by an investigator, please take the time to respond with the requested information.

I have personally spoken to a NHTSA investigator concerning this issue and he agreed it appears to be a real safety issue. However, to properly gauge the problem, NHTSA needs to hear ALL complaints. If you are still having a hesitation issue with your Camry which is unresolved, file a complaint with the NHTSA. Dont let Toyota get away with the standard The vehicle is performing normally BS. Thank you for you time.

Once again, you may file a complaint using one of the following:

 By Phone: 1-888-327-4236
 Via the Web: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

silverstar · November 2006

Many thanks to:
kdhspyder for reply re: dealership takeback.

and to
cappy4103, jbollt and redcam1 re: the cold shifting behavior.

My dealer called back late today and said that my car was ready for pickup - apparently it was like a quart low in tranmission fluid (I think that's the quantity he mentioned on the phone but I may have been mistaken, I'll know for sure when I pick up the car tomorrow). How did that happen in a brand new 'sealed' tranny?

As to the tranmission not shifting up to 5 or 6 when cold. (I get 4300rpm at 50mph) he reiterated that according to Toyota techs, it was intentionally 'designed' to not shift until the fluid was warmer. Sigh! While this may actually be true, not having experienced this ever before - I don't like it. My current Infiniti does not do this and my Dodge van does not do this and this morning, the rented Seinna Van did not do this. So this must be new to the 07 Camry.

I am guessing the gears for the 5, 6 lockout, it could be a 4,5,6 lockout. It is hard to tell what gear really the car is in, so when the car warms up, I'll try the triptronic and see the rpms in the different gears at 50 mph. If someone has already done this and cares to share their knowledge/experience of the RPM numbers at 50 or 60 in the different gears in the 6cyl 6speed transmissions - constant speed mode, I'd appreciate it.

silverstar · November 2006

I am probably mistaken about the source of your car's noise, torn8o, but there is some reference to an occasional, intermittent whining motor noise, even when car is off. It is related to the fuel vapor venting mechanism/motor. I read this somewhere in the operator's manual, but can't remember the exact page at the moment.

drjames · November 2006

You know the funny thing is i've heard of the tranny fluid being low already.. and once topped up, the poster said it made THE difference. So, happy motoring.

gillesmtl · November 2006

I have had my TCH since june and I have been hearing some knocks/rattles from the dash recently. You may be right about the relationship with the heater. I will watch this more closely. As for the "creaks" (sounds like rubbing pieces of polystyrene together), are you aware of the simple fix for the center console ?

silverstar · November 2006

Thanks drjames.

Unfortunately: This fluid top-off did NOT fix my problems - made it worse in fact.

Now the transmission disengages completly while at a dead stop - say at a red light - tranny slips out, engine flares to 1100~1300 and then re-engages with a thud. Happened three times in three blocks. (my foot was on the brake of course otherwise I would have had conjugal relations with the car in front of me.)

Second thing, taking a corner slowly (again under 10 mph) tranny completly disengages, engine revs and then engages hard enough to chirp the front wheels.

And third, the infamous 30~40 mph engine flare finally surfaced for me. I was talking an on-ramp (10~15 percent grade?) to a bridge at 28~30 mph with traffic all around - the tranny slipped and the engine raced to over 4000+ and slammed into some gear hard.

A couple of these problems are new to me. They had not happened before I turned the car over to the service dept. a few days ago.

I returned to the service dept. The service tech who helped me earlier went for a test drive with me - guess what - not one problem - AAAARGHHH!

I went in to talk to the Customer Satisfaction Rep. and explained the history of my problems. He and I went for another test drive. This time the Reverse did not engage when I put it in reverse (YAY!) and when gently going around the corner the transmission slipped out and re-engaged hard. (YAY!) Mind you all this happend under 20 mph. I did not do ANY acceleration stuff. Unfortunately, I could not duplicate the 30mph flare but by then he seemed convinced that the car had issues.

So they said they will have some big muky-muck field tech look at it - I'm back in a rental courtesy of the dealer. I am considering trading over to another new Camry - surely they don't all have these problems, or to an Avalon - do they have the same tranny problems?

captain2 · November 2006

had my Avalon for 40k and 18 months now and the answer to your question is no and yes. It is a 5 speed and it can be induced into a hesitation when reapplying throttle from a lower speed, along the same lines as apparently what the 4 cyl. is doing. No slipping or indescivenss at all, simply that delay (maybe 1-2 seconds) under that one condition.
I would buy my Avalon again withour reservation, simply the most comfortable, powerful, and economical car I've ever owned - but maybe not if it had the new 6 speed - it sure sounds like that are more bothersome 'bugs' than in the 5 spd.

jetjockg · November 2006

To the folks with the 2007 Camry transmission hesitation goto http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/FREE/61016020/1024/L- ATESTNEWS The comments in this forum have finally attracted attention of the media. Maybe Toyota will get their head out of the sand and take care of their customers now. I agree with you about contacting NHTSA. To the obvious Toyota supporters in this forum Yes I know the article talks about record sales of Toyota Camry. That is because the public did not know about the problem. Now maybe more people will.

torn8o · November 2006

Thanks for the suggestion silverstar. I'll look into this.

newxc90fan · November 2006

I have recently noticed on my 07 XLE that when the passenger door is closed the spacing between the dash and front door has about a 1/4" larger gap compared to the near seamless drivers side. The passenger door closes tightly and I am not experiencing any wind noise. I brought it up with the dealer and their reply was that it was built that way and there is nothing they can do. I don't want to adjust the door as the factory seal will be disturbed. Does anyone else see this in their car? Has anyone had a different experience at their dealer?

jeffjeff · November 2006

Ken 74,

Thanks for providing this information. I'm not a frequent poster on this site, I have just been reading this forum for the past few months. However, I own a 2007 4cyl Camry and I thought I was alone with the transmission hesitation issues I've been experiencing. After reading all of these postings related to this vehicle I felt compelled to post so that others who have hesitated in the past will come out and voice their concerns for all to see.

The hesitation problems started for my car a few hundred miles after purchasing it late August '06. Initially, I did not think anything of it, just passing it off as the car breaking in and that it would clear itself shortly thereafter. However, since the first time it happened, it has happened every day that is driven. When coming to a stop to cross intersections, it hesitates severely for approximately 2-3 seconds before gradually accelerating. Thank goodness, I have always crossed intersections long before I see approaching vehicles because I have to take this into consideration before making the decision to stay or go especially with this vehicle. Sometimes when you need to accelerate quickly to merge into traffic or change lanes, the car lags before gaining power to safely make a maneuver. When coming to a slow stop to make a turn and then accelerating immediately thereafter, the car lags and then shifts forward quickly which makes the car very unpredictable and sometimes tricky to control. In stop and go traffic, it's the same thing, press the gas, it goes nowhere then when it does, it jumps. This is very irritating in stop and go rush hour traffic. Even despite having the TSB EG056-06(Software Flash)procedure done earlier this week, the very next day, the car hesitated severely when crossing the same intersection every morning that I cross for my daily commute to work.

I've owned only Toyota vehicles and I've never had a problem with any one of them until this one. Something is definitely wrong with this transmission and I hope Toyota addresses this issue very soon as it makes the everyday driving experience very nerve racking and unpredictable. I never thought I would say this, but I have honestly had thoughts of trading this vehicle in for a sedan from another prominent vehicle manufacturer.

mqs · November 2006

hello jeffjeff.

i had a 2004 camry 6cyl auto trans and it had EXACTLY the same problems as yours. i felt it was a safety issue for me so i traded in the car for an Acura... why Acura? Because i read the RAV4 was having the same issues too so......

there are times when you need to accelerate ASAP and i never had confidence in my Camry during those times. had exactly those same lag issues when you floor the accelerator and then nothing......... dealer said nothing was wrong and it was normal.

Anyway, VERY happy with my Acura. I used to love Toyota's (and still respect them as a brand greatly) but will not buy until these issues are cleared up (also this Camry had more rattles than any other previous toyotas i've owned combined). BTW, Toyota seems to be acknowledging they're having problems based on too rapid growth according to recent news articles.

In the interest of fairness, the 2001-2003 Acura MDX's had horrible transmissions. it seems that the problems were isolated to those early MDXs (Toyota transmission problems seem to span different models and even next generation models) and it seems Acura is replacing those transmissions for free even after warranty. It seems all manufacturers screw up every so often..... best of luck.

jetjockg · November 2006

I have a 2007 Camry le with the same spacing problem except mine is just the opposite with the large spacing on the drivers side. I guess they build the cars your way on even days and like mine on odd days because I know your dealer wouldn't lie! My dealer did alot of work on my dash also because of uneven seams. 7 other Camrys at my dealer had similar problems. I thought Toyota had good quality control. I was mistaken!

nvbanker · November 2006

Toyota is in just as much disbelief as we are about this broad application problem. It so rarely, to never, happens to them, that it's hard to accept. Eventually they will, however, just as Honda finally did with their transmission problems in the Accord/Odyssey a couple of years ago, and will be fixed and adjusted for their customers. I know that's little help for all of you right now, you must just persist with your dealers until they scream at Toyota loud enough to make it happen.....

Be kindly in your persistence - remember the Toyota dealer didn't MAKE the car, they are just an authorized reseller of the car and service point. They have to yell at the manufacturer, as they are the actual customer of Toyota, we aren't. We think we are, but actually, Toyota doesn't give a rip about us, it's their Dealers who buy their cars. That's their actual customer, and that's who they'll listen to. We are only the Dealer's customer, and it's they who need to care about our satisfaction - so be nice, but persistent in demanding that your car be fixed. And good luck to all.

drjames · November 2006

Actually, Acura/Honda had/has transmissions that span across many products including the mentioned MDX, Accord/TL/TSX, Oddessey. That said, My battery in my old 2003 MDX died just after two years, and guess what. Acura's Warranty for the MDX model that year? Two years.

wwest · November 2006

"..Toyota is in just as much disbelief as we are about this broad application problem..."

NOT...!

NEVER.

Toyota has been well aware of the problem, and in GREAT detail, since its initial inception late in the last century. The problem is that they have been avoiding providing a definitive answer or fix because of the HUGE number of vehicles out there in the marketplace that would need a complete transaxle upgrade.

Initially, 98-99, the problem was pervasive only in the Lexus FWD product line. But they were reluctant to do a recall on the Lexus due to the high potential for loss of prestige to that marque that might be incurred.

So the problem was inadvertently propagated into the entire Toyota FWD and front biased AWD product series.

Puzzling, because at the moment Ford seems to be the only manufacturer that's been willing to step up to the plate and provide a solution.

"..Be kindly in your persistence - remember the Toyota dealer doesn't MAKE the car, they are just.."

Edmunds would delete my post if I said just what comes to mind on reading this statement.

In the process of buying a car from ANY US dealer you will be asked to sign a form wherein you acknowledge that with regards any warranty issue, "The selling dealer has no responsibility to the buyer whatsoever."

That's because many years ago all US dealers lobbied their local state governments to release them from any liability because they were only, JUST, the selling entity.

So don't go asking me to cut any US dealer any slack on this matter.

chuck28 · November 2006

Hello, I have the V-6 SE Camry I want to let you know I have had the valve body replacement that did'nt fix the rpm flare and then a trans replacement 3 weeks ago that helped for 2 weeks and then the flare came back. Dose anyone know of the sure fix yet?

Also does anyone notice the loud wind noise when on the highway? I also notice the windshield does not have the rubber molding around it as the avalon, solara, highlander does. I was on my cell phone talking and the person I was talking to said it sounded as if I had a window down. This is very anoying. Does anyone have a solution? Thanks

drjames · November 2006

Chuck28, the "missing moulding" around your windhield is NOT missing. Toyota engineered a better way that doesn't require that strip wich also increases the aerodynamics.

As for the pervasive wind noise you are experiencing. Let the dealer look at the door seals. My SE is very quiet. As for talking on the phone while driving... Don't you know that's dangerous?

But if you're using the handsfree/bluetooth speakers while the moonroof is open, others have noticed the "window is open" noise. Solution then would be to close the moonroof when using bluetooth and/or DON'T drive and talk on the phone at the same time. lol

drjames · November 2006

hey wwest, what model of Camry do you own? I4 5A or V6 6A? Just wondering what your experience with this car is. Hesitation or shift flare.

chuck28 · November 2006

Hello drjames, thanks for the advice. I can asure you the windows and the sunroof were close though I like your humor. I'm suprises you find your se quiet though that may encourage me that mine can gwet better though I feel no drafts in the car. I've noted the avalon has a thicker molding on the side widows also than the camry. Itr's almost seems as if your want more luxury and quietness you have to up grade to a avalon or lexus. My problem is that you should'nt have to pay 5 to 10 thousand more for a car that thay only has $100 of upgrade molding.
How about your trans? whats up with the RPM Flare fix. Should I wait for a fix or have them put a 3rd trans in?
Always appreciate your info. LOL

redcam1 · November 2006

I read the owners manual and it states that overdrive is locked out when the car is cold. It is my understanding that 5th and 6th are your overdrives. My car appears to have the flares from when shifting from 3rd to 4th. This occurs between 30 and 40 under light to moderate acceleration. I took it to the dealership yesterday, and they have ordered a new valve body for it and in the meantime have re-programmed the shift point. The problem still occurs when cold, but is not as pronounced. I will let you know what the results of the valve body change are.
DOn't know what the RPM numbers at 50-60 in different gears are off hand. Check the owners manual as I do remember seeing something about gear ranges in it.

Took the

nvbanker · November 2006

DON'T drive and talk on the phone at the same time. lol

What exactly do you think car phones are for, drjames??? LOL.

wwest · November 2006

Me, own a Camry...?

My mother's name wasn't Barbara.

ray_h1 · November 2006

They're for the convenience of taking calls and calling in the car when it's safe to do so. Anything (car phones, in-dash DVD players, etc.) not directly involved with the business of driving is both an unnecessary as well as dangerous distraction while underway. If drjames is a practicing physician with emergency room experience, he's likely treated patients who ended up in his care directly or indirectly because of such a distraction.

camryusa · November 2006

With my experience with three different Toyota service centers is that they can't be trusted. I found that the mechanics would skip steps and the service advisors would do anything just to get you out of there. Of course this is probably because they do not get paid as much for warranty repairs as they do for paying customers. There attitude is different when you come in on a non-warranty repair. How different? Well they actually look for things that they can fix.

How incompetent are they?
1) Putting way more air then recommended in my tires just to get the malfunctioning low tire pressure light to come off.
2) Reusing broken valve stems and not following Toyota's recommended procedures when changing tires.
3) Changing one tire with a different model number and tread while leaving all the other once the same.
4) Over inflating or under inflating tires.
5) Using such lines as we are afraid to touch your car because of the lemon law. Wait for a month for Toyota to send someone here.

They need to stop being so arrogant or in a few years they are going to be seeing the word bankruptcy. All the service advisors have that well to common arrogant smile on their face. The only reason Toyota became so popular was because of the whole quality image. Once they lose that image, GM will destroy them.

nvbanker · November 2006

They're for the convenience of taking calls and calling in the car when it's safe to do so. Anything (car phones, in-dash DVD players, etc.) not directly involved with the business of driving is both an unnecessary as well as dangerous distraction while underway. If drjames is a practicing physician with emergency room experience, he's likely treated patients who ended up in his care directly or indirectly because of such a distraction.

Yes, and drJames has probably taken and placed more calls in his "Camry" than anyone else I know.....

How about Lighting a Cigarette? Should we make that illegal while driving? Sipping your Starbucks? Putting on makeup? None of that is illegal.....

Meanwhile, to get back to the topic, I'm alarmed that Toyota has first year woes on the Camry - you don't expect that from Toyota, and usually buy with confidence, first year or not. This is very distressing... very distressing indeed. I like the Camry - personally, I think it's the best in it's class, and the easiest to drive. The Honda is much smaller inside, and stiffer in all aspects. Rides rougher, much more sporty. If you like Sporty, that's great. But I'm too old for sporty, I like the easiest car to drive possible. WITH, an integrated, voice activated and bluetooth cellphone.

silverstar · November 2006

I read the owners manual and it states that overdrive is locked out when the car is cold. It is my understanding that 5th and 6th are your overdrives.

Reply to #2333-redcam1, Thanks, I should read the manual more carefully. Anyway that would explain the overdrive lockout.

I'm still not happy about it, but it is nice to know that it is a design feature, and not a design failure.

So apparently the objective is to warm up the engine and tranny parts and fluids quicker so that the car can get to a more fuel-efficient mode as soon as possible.

Basically, reading between the lines I get that it is acceptable to have a cold engine rev higher (over 4000+) for a few minutes and use quite a bit more fuel in the process, because over the long run, the car will save more fuel.

In my specific case. I have a 15 minute morning drive to work. About 2 miles highway and 2 stop-n-go miles City. I wonder if I'll ever see the benefit of this programmed choice.

Given how sedately I drive anyway, that is the only time I see the rpms so high - well then and when the engine flared and re-engaged the other day. :sick:

wwest · November 2006

I strongly suspect that the primary reason upshifting into O/D range is delayed is so the catalytic converter will be heated to optimal operation temperature, 800F, a LOT quicker than otherwise.

2007 Toyota Camry Problems and Repairs

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