2007 Toyota Camry Problems and Repairs

kiawah · February 2010

Not sure how anyone over the internet could shoot this problem with the limited symptoms you provided, over the people that have looked at it first hand.

Why did the dealer suggest the battery? Measured low voltage ?

Did you then not have the dealer replace the battery, but took it somewhere else to check the battery? If so, did they perform a full load test on the battery and alternator? This battery may or may not be the cause of your problem, but you are probably at (or close to end) of the useful life of that battery if it is the original. I have an '07 (actual build date on drivers door jamb sticker April of '06), and my battery needed replacing about 3 months ago. So you should be thinking of replacing your original battery anyhow as a preventive measure so you don't get stuck somewhere.

Back to your problem, could be any number of things. I would make sure the mass air flow sensor is clean as well.

notmybmw · February 2010

Hi, guys.

Dave, I was curious to see you mention the "mass air flow sensor". I've never even heard of this; what is it?

I have the exact same vintage Camry as you, and I, too, have been experiencing rough idle, strangely, ever since replacing my plugs and air filter about two months ago....which I thought would have smoothed things out, if anything.

Technology (and Toyota) works in mysterious ways!!

P.S. I'd be VERY surprised if the battery were the cause of Morley's problem.....especially if it's had no problem cranking the engine.....wouldn't you?

kiawah · February 2010

Mass Air Flow Sensor measures the amount of air flowing thru the throttle valve. The ECM computer uses this information to determine the fuel injection time and to provide the appropriate air-fuel ratio.

Inside the MAF is a heated platinum wire which is exposed to the intake air. By supplying a specific electrical current to the wire, the ECM heats it to a given temperature. The flow of incoming cool air cools both the wire and an internal thermistor, affecting their resistance. ECM computer reads this and uses this as one of the inputs to determine how much fuel to shoot thru the injectors. I'd expect a DTC of P010x for a MAF problem, if identified and detected by the computer.

In regards to the battery question, the OP indicated that the dealer suspected the battery. Could have had a low voltage at that time, serious amount of corrosion (which causes a resistance, dropping apparent voltage as seen at the fuse block), or who knows what other kind of problems given voltage affects many different sensors.....all used as inputs to the computer. If battery 'checked' by someone else, hard to know what or how they checked it.....and why that is now inconsistent with dealer feedback.

Given the age of the battery, I would start there first to make sure the battery and alternator and cable connections are absolutely known to be good and supplying a good stable voltage to the vehicle. As an example of the MAF above, the sensor could be providing a low output voltage. If you replace the sensor, the new one may also provide a low output voltage. The reason, the 'input' voltage to the sensor is too low to begin with. So start with a good known voltage as a base, and troubleshoot from there.

blueeyes3151 · February 2010

I Have a 07 Camry le with the 4 cyl. also. Did you ever find out your idle problem? Mine is ok when in park but has slight engine vibration when in drive with no ac on and then more if you have the ac on. The engine rpm's are at 750. Thanks for your help.

blueeyes3151 · February 2010

For about a year now my camry has had a slight engine vibration when sitting still and in drive with no a/c on. When the a/c is on there is a little more. It idles smooth when in park or neutral. The rpm's are at 750. Does anyone know what causes this? The car did not do this for the first 45,000 miles or so. Thanks for your help.

estlander · February 2010

I've recently started noticing the same exact thing on my 07 Camry with 36 000 miles on it. A lot of times it's the worn out motor or transmission mounts, but somehow i don't think that's what it is with our cars. They are simply not old enough yet, but with Toyota quality being what it is nowadays, you never know.

blueeyes3151 · February 2010

I did have to replace the top "dog bone" motor mount because it was cracked. The car now has over 70,000 miles on it and the vibration just came up slowly over the last year. It is slight when in drive and sitting still otherwise you never know it is there. In park the engine runs smooth.I don't think it is one of the other mounts because I thought these were fluid filled. The problem is how to determine if it is and which one. I also tried cleaning the throttle body but it did not seem to help. If anyone comes up with something let me know. Thanks

notbad6 · February 2010

I have a 2007 Camry that is leased. I do not feel safe driving this car anymore and fear for the safety of my family when they are with me. My lease is up in August and in light with everything going on what if any grounds do I have to stand on to turn my car in early so I can go buy a Honda. I was a loyal Honda driver for years but I really liked the new design of the Camry. I guess looks isn't everything. Thanks for any helpful info.

210delray · February 2010

You'll have to pay to turn it in early. Just get the recalls taken care of, and remember if the gas pedal sticks (which is highly unlikely), step hard on the brakes and shift into neutral.

There are a lot more unsafe things on the highway to worry about than sticking gas pedals -- how about drunks or distracted drivers around you in traffic? Tractor-trailers with out-of-adjustment brakes or exhausted drivers? Boy racers in a hurry?

sewcoolsue · February 2010

I also have an '07 Camry, and, like you, I feel concerned about this problem. That said, I took the car to my dealer, and they performed all recalls to date. For now, that's all I can do, and I'm choosing not to worry about it, God forbid something happens with the gas pedal, my family has been told by me to sue the hell out of Toyota.

210delray · February 2010

See my post above -- you're in far more danger from other factors than a stuck gas pedal, esp. if you've done the recalls.

notmybmw · February 2010

I've got almost 60,000 miles (100,000 Kliks) on my '07 and I haven't even bothered with the nuisance of taking it in for the gas pedal "fix". (My dealer, Performance Toyota, is so inept he'd probably make it happen sooner than later!) I'll do it before I sell it.........at 250,000 kilometres.

I've known how to....
1. Step on the brake
2. Turn the key off (to the first notch)
3. Shift to neutral
4. Pull off the road
5. Dial CAA/AAA
.......ever since I learned how to drive, 50 years ago. I'm not going to forget now, simply cause a recall notice went out after 6 people (out of 80 million Toyota owners) DID forget how to do these things!

Man up, buddy. Keep the car......and just keep your wits about you....as usual.

210delray · February 2010

With today's cars, it's better to put 3 ahead of 2. Reason: engines have rev limiters (so they won't self-destruct) and you won't lose power assist to your steering.

chuck28 · February 2010

I'm not sure how you can tell people to feel safe in their cars. I agree there may be other dangers to worry about but do you think you can tell that to the families of the victims that have died?
It seems there are always the same pro Toyota people on these always backing up Toyota. They have a big mess and tried to cover up problems and have continued to mislead Toyota owners including myself.
I can't tell you how many times I have taken my car to the dealer to complain about hard shifting, rpm flare,ect to only hear them come back to say the car is operating as normal.
It is almost laughable to think they though they can resolve this with floor matt recalls and gas pedals.
This is surely a electronic software issue and Toyota is has tried hard to deny that. The truth will come out soon and set us free!

210delray · February 2010

I regret ANY death on US roads, or in the world for that matter. Too many young people with promising futures are snuffed out this way, as opposed to other killers such as heart disease and cancer.

I'm just pointing out that this alleged problem with Toyota accelerators pales in comparison to many of the other ways you can die while driving. Again, 100 people died yesterday in the US alone from traffic deaths and 100 more the day before that. Where is the outcry?

If commercial airliners went down every single day with 100 deaths, you can be sure that no one would be flying withing a matter of DAYS. Yet the road carnage goes on, and state legislators make matters worse by repealing motorcycle helmet use laws, refusing to pass primary enforcement seat belt use laws, allowing heavier trucks on highways, disallowing red light cameras and photo speed radar, and raising speed limits on roads where it may not be appropriate. Not to mention the lax drunk driving laws in some states.

This is surely a electronic software issue and Toyota is has tried hard to deny that. The truth will come out soon and set us free!

Yes, a lot of people want to believe that because their home or work computers may lock up every day, but why would Toyota spend hundreds of millions in recalling cars for interfering floormats and sticky gas pedals with all the attendant bad publicity, if the "real" problem is still out there, waiting to kill the next innocent victim?

BTW, did anyone ever find the "real" killer in the murders attributed to OJ?

imidazol97 · February 2010

>BTW, did anyone ever find the "real" killer in the murders attributed to OJ?

210, you're not insinuating OJ killed them with a toyota that ran away with uncontrolled acceleration??

210delray · February 2010

LOL! Hows thing's going "in the mend" forum? Can't keep up these days with work.

gooddeal2 · February 2010

Well, you shouldn't be worry about drunk drivers also b/c it's only a small problem. About 11,000 people were killed in 2008 by drunk drivers. It's only about 30% if I compare to numbers that you provided: 100 people died/day * 365 days = 36,500.

210delray · February 2010

You are being ironic I hope!

Actually, I don't worry too much about drunks, because I'm not out in the wee hours when they are most common. I also stay away for the most part from heavily traveled high-speed 2-lane roads where only a painted line separates you from a head-on crash.

The actual number of traffic fatalities in 2008 in the US was 37,261, the most recent year for which fatality data are available (102+ on average per day). The greatest proportion of those who died (25,428, or 68%) were occupants of cars, pickups, SUVs, and vans. I'd expect the 2009 totals to be lower, mainly because of the recession. But obviously still way too high!

More fatality facts here.

Compare these huge numbers with 34 alleged deaths due to Toyota sudden acceleration in the last 10 or 11 years.

djm2 · February 2010

Hi Sewcoolsue:

I purchased a 2007 Toyota Camry XLE new in 2007. ----- I now have 58,000 + miles on this vehicle. ----- I would have more mileage on this vehicle, but I also have other vehicles. ----- I am sure that there are issues with this vehicle, but I have NEVER had any issues with this vehicle. ----- This vehicle is serviced by the selling dealer every 2,500 miles, (my choice!) ----- I have had the throttle plate cleaned at least twice during this mileage. -----I always warm up my vehicle in the cold weather prior to driving, (my choice!) ----- This vehicle has a fantastic pick-up, and it shifts without a problem. ---- I would purchase another Toyota product without hesitation! ---- NO, I DO NOT WORK FOR TOYOTA or a TOYOTA DEALER!

Best regards!
Dwayne :shades:

classic2010 · February 2010

Hi,
I'm new to this forum and I didn't realize that there are others out there who are having the same problem as we are. We are having problems with the transmission on our 2007 V6 Camary. It too,jolts and you can feel when the car is not in gear at times the car will hesitate moving forward and there are times when the gear sounds snappy,I would have difficulty shifting,the shifter lever would make a loud snapping sound when I would try to shift to drive or sometimes in reverse. There were on several occasions when I would start the car and the car will crank but wouldn't start. I noticed that our car was doing this when we first bought it and we took it to the dealer but the dealer is saying that there's nothing that they can do cause it's not showing the symptoms that I just described,they said unless we leave our car as their shop for an undetermined time. Anyone out there with the same issues or problems? What should I do? Our car only has 35k miles.

thetxstang · February 2010

I have a 2007 Camry XLE V6. Whenever the engine is cool, like first thing in the morning, it fires right up. When the engine is already hot, however, it cranks normally, but takes a good 2 to 3 seconds before actually starting.

A knowledgeable acquaintance of mine said it sounded as though fuel becomes too heat-soaked for the engine to fire up immediately, or that fuel pressure suffers when the engine is hot. I've taken the Camry into the dealership twice to be looked at, but both times it decided to be on its best behavior for the service writer and I was told there wasn't a problem.

Has anyone experienced this firsthand? If so, what was the resolution? Thanks.

My apologies in advance if this topic has been discussed ad infinitum. I did a search, but couldn't locate a relevant topic.

wwest · February 2010

Mostly correct, but..

With the engine idling or cruising with low/light engine loading the upstream oxygen sensor(s) is(are) the sole source of control of the A/F mixture. Under higher engine loads/loading, acceleration, the oxygen sensor signal goes out of range due to the need to enrich the mixture. With an enriched mixture the MAF/IAT (Mass Air Flow...Intake Air Temperature) sensor module is used to control the A/F mixture.

210delray · February 2010

If it's only 2 or 3 seconds, I wouldn't sweat it right now. Obvioiusly if it gets worse, then bring it in to a reputable mechanic.

I had an '80 Volvo that did this, but I'd have to crank it for something like 15 or 20 seconds, then wait for the starter motor to cool down, and try again. It always eventually started, but it was a pain. This car had mechanical fuel injection, not a carburetor, so it was advanced for its time. The ultimate fix was a new fuel distributor for nearly $500 in parts and labor back in '87 or so.

I have no idea if your car has the same issue, hopefully not!

thetxstang · February 2010

Thank you for the reply, 210delray. I realize on paper that 2 to 3 seconds may not appear excessive, but I neglected to mention that the sound the Camry makes during this duration is most unsatisfying. It's evident the engine is struggling to start and there's very much a pre-ignition sort of sound involved.

I also neglected to mention that this condition only occurs when the outside temperature is in excess of roughly 80 degrees. Unfortunately, 80 degree+ temperatures occur frequently in Austin, TX.

210delray · February 2010

Come to think of it, my Volvo only did this when it was hot also. No problems whatsoever in the winter. It took a long time for my mechanic to finally track down, and he graciously didn't charge me for all of the diagnostic time.

I'd say you'll have to have someone look at the car; it's hard to diagnose over the internet.

210delray · February 2010

Come to think of it, my Volvo only did this when it was hot also. No problems whatsoever in the winter. It took a long time for my mechanic to finally track down, and he graciously didn't charge me for all of the diagnostic time.

I'd say you'll have to have someone look at the car; it's hard to diagnose over the internet.

houston_man · March 2010

In addition to the accelerator and floor mat recall, I am hearing there will be an additional recall to replace the oil line as well. Anyone else heard this?

mmogab · March 2010

Yes. It is called a VVT-I Hose. Mine busted on the highway on 2/9 and I lost oil pressure immediately and my warning light came on. I also smelled oil due to oil spraying all over the engine. Pulled over and called tow truck. The next morning when the Toyota service opened they called me and told me the VVT-I Hose broke and happened to also be under Recall. I told them I NEVER received a communication. They couldn't explain either. Funny thing is I had just had it serviced in January at the Toyota dealership for it's regular oil change. You would think they would have their computer catch this by my vehicle VIN but it didn't happen. Call your Toyota dealer and get this fixed because it will fail and there is no good time to have your oil spray all over the road and your engine, not to mention being stranded on the side of the road.

210delray · March 2010

It was just announced yesterday as a "service improvement campaign" or similar wording. Letters will be sent to all owners now. It's not considered an official recall because it's not a direct safety-related issue.

Note to others: this affects only the V6 in 2007-10 Camrys plus the same engine in some other late-model Toyota vehicles including the Avalon, RAV4, and Lexus ES.

ca0412 · March 2010

FYI this is just a general post... Toyota says that vehicles that have a VIN starting with J ( XLE camrys basically) have the DENSO gas pedal which is unaffected byb the recall. Camrys with a VIN starting with a 4 or anything else but J, have the CTS pedal and are affected......Turns out I checked my 07 Camry SE v6 and although the VIN starts with 4, it has a DENSO gas pedal which has not gievn me any issues

barronc · March 2010

Yes, when i brought my 2007 Camry in to have the accelerator problem fixed they also replaced the oil line as well. The service manager told me there had been a recall on the oil line as well.

eroc69 · March 2010

WOW, I haven't been here in awhile and see what I miss?
I went last week to Toyo and asked what they are doing about the recall and what they are going to do for me. They said they need 3-3 1/2 hours to fix the gas pedal and also they found a new defect for the oil line. I said I heard and read they are going to pick up customer cars and give us a loaner, the service guy practically laughed{if he had a sense of humor, he would have} He said dont believe anything you read. He also hemmed and hawed about my 07 V-6 even being eligible for the recall. I almost lost it.
I told him my car doesn't slow down sufficiently enough and its been in there for that very reason. He said there is no problems with the efficiency of the braking system.
Wow, so I need to set up a time and sit and wait for 3+ hours. Lets see if it works but I cant wait till I get rid of this car. I know all cars have issues but this is scary

mmogab · March 2010

It shouldn't take that long to fix the pedal. When they fixed the oil line they also corrected the pedal too. They had my car ready in 3 hours and that included the oil line.
Will be hard to trade in these cars after they have taken a further depreciation on top of the normal decline in valuation. One other footnote, on my 2007 XLE-V6, my transmission went out at 5000 miles and was replaced and the engine started pinging like a cumins diesel around 25,000 miles. The local Toyota dealership couldn't figure that one out so they contacted Toyota in California and got authorization to replace the engine. Toyota offered me a 4 year / 100,000 mile Toyota Platinum Warranty with no deductible for all my troubles. I actually might buy another Toyota since they stand behind their products after the sale. I never received that kind of service when I drove other brands - but then again I never had to have a new trans and engine replaced.

johngf1 · March 2010

Toyota had very severe hesitation problems in 2007 Camrys. In my case I asked about recalls and was told that the problem was with the 6 cylinder Camrys. I suffered for 6 months until I found out about a "fix" for early '07 Camrys - thank God for this forum!
The fix worked on my Camry; however Toyota never notified owners of this problem and the related fix. I felt sorry for those who were unaware of Toyota's software solution and notified the feds who have yet to do their job and force Toyota to have a mandatory recall.

ledzepplin · March 2010

I must admit that I qualify for the Idiot Award-I bought 2 camrys. Instead of burning them I would like to sell them and get Nissan Sentras or Hyundais. Over the years my family has owned 6 toyotas and, luckily, we are still alive. :mad:

My question is what are these &$#@ worth? The 2005 has 30k miles and some scratches but is clean. The 2007 has 67000k and some dents and scratches and is also clean. My scan of the internet reveals that the resale values do not reflect the recent Toyota disaster. (the reason Tojo bows is so it is easier to kick him in the a_ _. My guess is that the 2005 may be worth between 10k-12k. I have no idea what the 2007 is worth. Any help would be welcome. Thanks in advance.

gooddeal2 · March 2010

Assuming they're LEs, my guess is 7-8K for the '05 and 9-10k for the '07.

tony108 · March 2010

Hello,

I have a 2007 camry 4cyl and I noticed that the coolant level was low twice last month. Brought it to the dealer today and they say that they have to visually see that the coolant is leaking even though there are some 'pink' residue around the water pump. I'm worried that the warranty will soon expire (120 miles left) and I might not be covered anymore when the water pump actually drips before they do the repair.
For consolation, they did the recall program with the auto idle back when you press the gas and brake at the same time and shaved the pedal a little bit.

zaken1 · March 2010

Have the dealership run a pressure test on the cooling system. This is a much more sensitive test than waiting for the pump to drip. If there is pink residue near the pump; I expect they'll find that the system doesn't hold pressure in a pressure test. And they can't equivocate about or dispute such a test result. However; if they try to tell you that some amount of leakage is "normal"; contact the Toyota regional Customer Service office.

tony108 · March 2010

Thank you for the advice zaken1. I will try to schedule a pressure test (if my mileage is still not over the warranty period by that time.) Mean while, I will just watch the level of the reservoir so my engine would not be damaged just incase the water pump decides to drip fast.

tony

knang8888 · March 2010

I have a 2007 Camry LE where the alarm goes off constantly. This is annoying problem. I notice the problem started when my hit 39K miles and the maintenance engine light is on. I took it to the local dealer and they are so busy doing the recall that they did not have time to check out the alarm. The results from google search show that some people had their latch and sensor replaced to solve the problem.

Any suggestions out there?

ledzepplin · March 2010

Went to local toyota dealer who I have heard is a thug. Wanted recall stuff done for the 2007 camry and needed only to have a paper saying work was done so I can sell this time bomb. When I picked car up there were 3 items on the invoice:
1. Carpet fixed. I had no carpet in the car so I asked the dealer what had been done and he said that the two plastic floor hooks had been installed.
These were in the car when I brought it in! I don't know what should have been done.
2.Accelerator pedal fixed. I had no way to check this. :sick:

3.Oil line repaired. :surprise: I didn't know that there was a recall on this but I told him that it had been fixed 2 mos ago by another dealer. I said that his "service technician" would certainly have known it had been repaired. I was told that this repair used the very latest toyota fix parts. Again I said why did you do this and was told, "We had to" :mad:

Draw your own conclusions.

houston_man · March 2010

I just had my 07 XLE looked at today, and your post was correct. My accelerator was not affected by the recall. They did, however, do the VVT oil line and floor mat issues.

roger_t · March 2010

I also have a 2007 4 cyl stick shift Camry, with 39k miles. Frustrating, I just replaced my wheels this morning (rusted silly, like others reported on this forum) and battery (my OE leaked acid and made a mess). While at the shop, I asked the technician to look for a leak, since I noticed a pinkish, oily drip in my garage. He tells me I need a new water pump. I said don't replace it, for two reasons:

My coolant color is yellowish. And it's not oily.
I think the only redish, oily fluid I have is the transmission fluid. I thought perhaps something was leaking from an upper area, and dripping near where he thought it was the water pump. He said the transmission oil level was ok.

Anyone here knows if the water pump has its own lubricating fluid and if it's red? Any suggestion / tip? The drip rate is perhaps 5 drips per night, so I'm considering riding this until a warning light comes on. Is this a good idea???

Thanks.

Thanks.

zaken1 · March 2010

There is no separate lubricating fluid for the water pump. It is lubricated by additives in the coolant that flows through it. The coolant in your plastic reservoir bottle may now look yellowish and not look oily (particularly if you have been adding Prestone or some other yellow/green aftermarket brand); but the Toyota long life coolant which was originally installed in your car is red and oily, and probably would look different to you if you could see it in the radiator. When a water pump leaks at 5 drips per night; it is nearing the point where the bearing will suddenly fail; which will create a massive leak and leave you stranded somewhere (probably in a very inconvenient place). Ignoring the sound advice you received from the technician, and instead waiting for a warning light to come on, is inviting a potential disaster. By the time the warning light comes on; the engine is likely to have already been severely damaged.

If you want to conclusively prove that it is a water pump leak; have the shop run a pressure test on your cooling system. When they pressurize the system; any worn parts will leak much faster than they do when sitting overnight. And this will disclose the location of the leak.

210delray · March 2010

Very good advice. The Toyota coolant is red as you say, and feels slippery, but because it's soluble in water, it's not a true oil. Transmission fluid is also red and is an oil.

If the red drips (yellow in your case if mixed with conventional coolant) are coming from the passenger (right) side of the car, then it must be from the water pump. The transmission and most importantly its oil pan, sit on the driver (left) side of the car.

kiawah · March 2010

power steering reservoir is on right side, dextron atf

210delray · March 2010

Oh yeah, forgot about that one.

There's always the smell test -- new transmission fluid (also used as power steering fluid) has a rather strong aroma resembling roasted chestnuts. Coolant has more of sickly sweet smell (and also dissolves in water).

kiawah · March 2010

Oh yeah, forgot about that one

LOL, The only reason I happened to know that myself, is my daughter wanted to review how to check the fluid levels this AM. Had the hood open, and she checked everything and said ....what's this one?

210delray · March 2010

Congrats to you; you must have taught her well!

It's hard for me to fathom most young women even knowing how to open the car's hood in the first place!

2007 Toyota Camry Problems and Repairs

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