Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions

commish1 · February 2005

I have called Toyota to register a complaint. Hopefully if customers call they will recall the car! The number is 1-800-GO-TOYOTA. Please call and register your complaints. This is the only was things will get done.

commish1 · February 2005

It's actually better to contact their corporate office @ 1-800-331-4331 Ext 3. They will open up a case file and "investigate". The operator told me there has been some complaints already.

commish1 · February 2005

You can also file a comlaint at www.autosafety.org.

anajfix · February 2005

I have a 95 camry V6 le with 185K miles and have starting replacing the original motor mounts. I've replaced the dog bone & the one in front which goes underneath the radiator. Now I'm buying the bushing which goes on back of the engine which stabilize the back of engine from vibrating. I have not replaced the final one which hold the transmission yet..which I will be last one. Unfortunately all are dealer parts. Let me know which you have purchased? Dealership gave me copy of diagram of all its parts (motor mounts).

vippper83 · February 2005

Same problem here (se v6) I have done an extensive search online, printed out over 20 pages of testimonials and articles about the problem, and filed many complaints. I am going to toyota and the dealers. KEEP ON COMPLAINING, the more records the better. They will fix it if we are persistent. Don't "hesitate" (like our faulty tranny's).

slim2 · February 2005

My 1998 Camry had an antifreeze with a 5 year life, according to the local gargae. My 2002 Camry manual recommends changing it every 2 years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first. Anybody know the reason for the reduced lifetime between the two models ?

210delray · February 2005

...doesn't know what it's talking about. My '97 was on the same 2 year/ 30K change schedule, according to the maintenance manual.

Unless your garage changed out all of the old coolant in your '98 and replaced it with long-life coolant (5 years or 150K, whichever comes first).

slim2 · February 2005

Thanks. I thought the dealer had said the 98 came with Toyota Long Life antifreeze as well (link below) and it had a much longer life than I had expected. This would suggest the '98 came with the Toyota Long Life and the newer 2002 doesn't ? I can't find what the life of the Long Life is. Could it be 5 years ?

http://www.street-toyota.com/TPC_ServiceOrientedChemicals.asp?Sit- eName=street-toyota

autoguy1 · February 2005

So when I was starting to think about getting a new sedan, I notice my 1995 Camry w/72912 miles is rusting. Mainly on the doors and not the body.

My question is if I put touch up paint over the rust, would it have any problems later. i.e Should I remove the rust or have someone remove it first before I protect the bare metal?

andy28 · February 2005

I dont know whats going on but I recently changed the rear brake pads and rotor on my 2002 Camry XLE. Now whenever I brake at slow speed, there is thud thud noise coming from the rear. I can't make anything of it.

Any suggestions....Thank you.

gsamaritan · February 2005

my friend has 1997 camery with check engine light on. the light has been on since he bought car... over 2 years ago. wants to fix now. just took car to dealer and they put on computer. they said needs new egr valve. he replaced valve $300.00.... no change,light still on.

went back to dealer.

dealer said "it could be a thousand different things"

took car to auto zone, they say car is giving error code #po110.

they say he needs to replace intake air temp. sensor. cost = $80.00.

is this his next move?

anybody have any ideas?

just hate to see him throw money away w/no fix.

dan bitman · February 2005

Hello ,

I have a 98 Camry LE 4 cyl bought almost new in 2000 ( 14000 mi)

Since then, I am keep having a very annoying and loud rattle coming from frt passenger side wheel house.

I noticed the rattle is louder on winters,and generally the first miles, at low speed, when the car/suspension is still "cold". After warming up, rattle is not that loud , but still annoying on low speed, bumped road.

Went to a trusted mechanic, thinking that frt. rt strut/ suspension are at fault. But got negative!

There is nothing loosen underneath and struts are OK

Can not hear the noise when car is parked and I am jumping up and down on the front bumper to rock the car.

I 've seen posted on this site that struts usually need replacement @ +100k. My Camry only has 55K, belongs to my wife which is a very carefully and conservative driver.

I hate to see the dealership disassemble the entire door panel for this, and charging hundreds.

Anyone else had this and know what to expect, or even what the fix is?

You can reply directly to my e-mail varsity96@yahoo.com

Would be appreciated

Thank you!

Dan

PS. Posted this message on Camry Rattles, but noticed no activity on that forum lately. Sorry if posted here too, but this is also a Camry problem.

210delray · February 2005

You cannot paint over rust. The rust will come right back.

The rust has to be removed completely, then the bare metal primed and painted.

hallage · February 2005

After I got my timing belt replaced by a garage, the check engine light was on with code P0420. I filled up my tank with premium Shell and put in a bottle of Techron fuel additive and the light went off. Next fill-up I put in regular gas as usual and now the check-engine light is back on with the same code. Any ideas? How could changing the timing belt have caused this?

I have 114,000mi. '96 Camry 4cyl.

Thanks.

autoguy1 · February 2005

Thanks!

buffalonickel · February 2005

January 05 the dealership called me to bring in the Solara and they had it all day. They took the moonroof apart and put in some new parts as well as adding some kind of special grease to the cabling. This problem precipitated a service report so it is prevalent amongst a certain set of VIN's. However, the problem of the shuttering when opening seems pronounced in hot weather. We expect that in a few weeks we will see if what the dealer did is a fix or hocus-pocus.

B

buffalonickel · February 2005

What you guys describe here reminds of the old automatic transmissions when the bans slipped. The car would sit and slowly move like an old dog getting up in morning.

"Oh! What a feeling!"

B

jbkennedy · February 2005

I have a 97 with 80K and what you are experiencing is that the rubber strut bushing is loose and making noise. I have the same problem and silicone spray at the top of the strut hosing helps. Long term, you will need to replace the bushing when you really need to change out the struts.

max57 · February 2005

I have just picked up new 05 camry le v -6 and have noticed some hesitation

at stop light, blogging down and rough idle..Just wondering how your service dept.is treating your complaints and-or has it been resolved..Please e-mail me directly if you can,I plan on visiting the service department and would like to come armed with info to counter their arguments.Thanks for letting others be aware of theproblem that exists..Do you of any tech notices that address this problem Thanks max

commish1 · February 2005

I've been there and they will tell you that your car is running fine and it is the new drive by wire technology. After pressing them they will tell you that there is no fix and you have to hope there is a Toyota fix for it. Good luck with that! After two visits and a ride with the "guru" technician it was admitted that there is a hesitation and there was nothing that they could do. I then called Toyota and registered a complaint about the car (see my earlier posts on the number to call). They then called the dealership and the servive mgr called me to set up an appointment with him. After both of us driving the car, he admitted that there was indeed a problem but there was no fix for it. He told me he was going to send me the letter he was sending Toyota (still haven't received that yet...go figure). Keep going to the dealer and keep making complaints with Toyota! That's the only possible way this may be resolved. When I called Toyota they acknowledged that there were a lot of complaints about this!

curlyq · February 2005

Hello Karen and All:

I have a small refundable deposit placed on a 2005 Solara SE Sport 4cyl Automatic. Has anyone experienced the hesitation problem in the 4cyl Solara or Camry? How about the left pull problem? Your prompt feedback will be greatly appreciated!! Curlyq

210delray · February 2005

2004 Camry sedan 4-cylinder, 4-speed auto, drive-by-wire throttle, 12,700 miles.

steve-o2 · February 2005

I have a 2005 SE Camry 4cyl Auto. No hesitation problems at all. No left pull either. Car has 16" wheels with Disk all around and I have notice on slight hills with the cruise on say 70 the car likes to down shift into 4th (5 sp auto trans) and sometime 3rd to hold the speed. Seems a bit agressive. Car has a tight holding for speed and doesn't like to go too slow. Anyone else experiancing this? Living in Iowa driving to WI happends 6 or so times on the way to my folks. Love the car, only have 2k miles on so far. Did break in the engine including going 45 mph in 2 and enging breaking to help the rings seat in. Toyota states engine is broke in however I would rather be safe. Plan on keeping like our other car. 1990 Honda with 210k miles still going strong.

vippper83 · February 2005

hey all, Good news, i hope. My mechanic told that toyota is aware of the probelm, and their would be a fix, and that they will stand behind it. Lets cross our fingers and hope to get the 06 updates in out 05's. I asked him what he would do if he were me. He said, KEEP complaining. I printed out, now about 50 pages, of testimonials etc., I was armed with that. Good luck, keep checkin in..

snoozeulose · February 2005

I just purchased a new 05 Camry SE V6. This is my first Toyota. I assumed that buying a Toyota would be a treat compared to buying a GM and going back to the dealer on a continual basis. What possible problems should I be expecting?

210delray · February 2005

Virtually none, despite all the whining here.

(Based on my very favorable experiences with 1997 and 2004 Camrys). Of course, the 2004 is just a baby, but the 1997 went 111K miles before I sold it (to get side airbags on the 2004), and was FAR, FAR more reliable than the 1990 Mercury Sable that preceded it.

ezshift5 · February 2005

...maybe like "mine" (1 n)

....2000 SE V-6 here. 70k. Really surprised at fuel efficiency: personal best thus far 37.5 highway OR - CA (downhill)

Mostly 25-27 around state capitol area...
Usually 31-33 highway.

Dealer offers 19.95 oil/filter change...book says 7500 mile intervals.

Second Toyota (First was Supra Turbo....had closure issues with that one..hard to let go!! ez

xbbuster · February 2005

Good Luck with your new car. It should be trouble free as one would expect with a new Toyota. BUT,,,,when you do take it back to the dealer for something that you believe is just not right, Expect a run around and answers like "Don't worry about, your under warranty" or "they all do that" or "I had my best guy look at it and he couldn't duplicate the problem". That last one is the old "wear you down treatment". Not very many cars are perfect but I would expect to be treated with a consideration after spending $23,000.

carcruiser · February 2005

I just purchased a new 05 camery and the brake pedal seems soft when I apply it and takes longer to stop at times. ,also the hand brake has too much play. Brake fluid is up to snuff. My friend has an 04 and he has the same problem he states thats the way the car is. I also have a 01 camery and to not have this problem. Help

tarhe54 · February 2005

Have just purchased 2005 Solara SLE V6. I really need a trailer hitch for a motorcycle trailer but can't locate one. It appears that the frames for the Camry and Solara are identical. Can I order a Camry hitch and be reasonably certain that it will fit the Solara? Thanks.

rlam · February 2005

How can I remove the rear seat of a toyota camery for repair?

dan bitman · February 2005

Hello JBK ,
I really appreciate your advice.
I am kind of novice on this, could you please detail a little bit where that rubber bushing is on the strut:
is it on the top or bottom of the strut? Is this bushing visible in the wheelhouse, or wheel needs to be removed first ? Do I need accees to clean that rubber bushing or just spraying freely?
Took a look in the weelhouse and only saw the strut and that accordion type rubber protection.....
Thank you very much in advance.
Dan

jet1234 · February 2005

I just purchased an '05 SE. Has any one had issues with "unusual" static while listening to FM? I had an '01 LE and didn't hear or notice as much static as I do in my '05 SE (I have just the normal stock AM/FM/CD player). Someone suggested to me that sometimes a really good radio picks up everything, including static, and that maybe the cause. A few radio stations are fine, but while listening to a lot of the others (serving the same region) I hear crackles and pops especially when a lot of music or noise is being broadcast (as opposed to moments of silence between ads or songs). Any one have a clue?

(Also, as an aside, while my Camry SE experienced jerkiness during early mileage that bothered me greatly, it has seemed to calm down a little. I feel it also drives different probably b/c it is a 5-speed (first gear doesn't do much, but once it hits second, you can take off), and, I feel, is akin to adjusting to a different controller when playing or video game or something of the like. Overall, the SE is slowly growing on me, especially when you put the pedal down).

mbjd · February 2005

I'm brand new to this site and joined to see if I could find other new Camry owners experiencing rear suspension noises. I just bought a 2005 Camary V6 LE and have the awful rear suspension noise. I've had it into the dealership 4 times now. First 3 times, couldn't find anything wrong. Last time (this past week), they changed the upper strut mounts and I still have the problem. The noise seems to be coming from the right rear. Like the rest of people experiencing this noise, really cant notice it on the freeway but during slow speeds going over small bumps, its annoying. What did the dealership exactly do to fix your noise?

christinap · February 2005

I have a 2002 XLE with 76k miles that I bought only a 2 days ago. The problems that I have experienced after driving only a few miles are:

1) vibration of the steering wheel with braking at speeds 50mph and higher.
--> used car manager says that the front rotors are out of shape. He offered to resurface, but I have heard that the newly designed rotors are of better quality. Should I beg for new rotors while the deal is still hot?

2) Awful noise in front over bumpy roads. Very loud road noise and even small potholes (common in Detroit) make the car sound as if it ran over a huge boulder.

When I hit these constant bumps on old worn highways, it feels like I have less control, which could be a huge problem during michigan winters!

What is the problem? Used car manager says that they will check out the struts and will split the cost of new ones if necessary. Does this sound like a fair deal?

3) light vibration felt in accelerator pedal usually at low speeds or when stopped.
-- Is that going to be a problem?
Otherwise the car is a dream. The ride is not as quiet as I would like it to be, but should I expect it to be as quiet as the newer model Camrys?

Thanks for your much needed feedback!

xbbuster · February 2005

I have an '02 LE V6 (first year of the drive by wire) that I bought new with the hesitation complaint that others are reporting on their '05's. I've complained to the dealer, called and sent letters to Toyota, and even gone out of town to different dealers. I get the same answer.....Nothing wrong, not unsafe, they all do that, don't worry etc., etc. I talked to a lemon law lawyer and he said that Toyota is different than GM. Toyota will not settle, they have a legal department that will aggressively fight a suit in court. So it's not easy $$ for a lawyer. He also told me that the dealers know this and will not make a repair attempt, because if they do it would be considered an attempt to repair a defect. Besides they also know they would not be reimbursed by Toyota under the new car warranty.

mag3 · February 2005

I have an 1998 Toyota camry with about 57k. In the past 4 months I always need a jump to start the car. I took it to a mechanic and he rebuilt the alternator and also changed the plugs. Bought new battery from Sears and still giving me the same problems. I need jump to start. Can anyone help?

mag3 · February 2005

What is a flywheel??

vippper83 · February 2005

To all PO'ed SE v6 owners (and es 330's, highlanders and Sienna) I was told by my dealer (for the second time) that there would be a fix in the next 6 months. He said his ears are bleeding with these complaint (good), and its unfortunate they got the electronic thing wrong, but they are working on it. Consumer reports knows about it, so does edmunds, it is spreading, and no ones going to buy these models anymore if they dont fix it before the '06's come out. GOOD LUCK. KEEP COMPLAINING.

coastdriver · February 2005

It's nice to see that I'm not alone!

I now have 2,500 miles on my new SE. The transmission/hesitation problem is very frustrating... and it's not getting any better.

That, along with the uncomfortable stiff seats and the terrible noisy tires are driving me crazy!

Now I wish I would have bought the new mid-size Tacoma truck. (Heck, my Camry rides just like a truck!) I asked my dealer about switching to a new quieter tire... no such luck. They won't do it.

Looking forward to the tranny fix......

coastdriver · February 2005

Do other Toyota models (with the V6 engine) have the same transmission/hesitation problem as the SE Camry?

Highlander? Sienna? Solara? Tacoma truck?

WHY WAS THIS ANNOYING PROBLEM NEVER MENTIONED BY ALL THE AUTO MAGAZINE WRITERS? HOW COULD THEY NOT FEEL IT?!

I am already thinking about trading my '05 Camry. Or maybe I will wait, and see if Toyota can get this defect fixed in the '07 model. And I think this electronic transmission problem is definitely a "defect."

I have never had this hesitation/jerk problem with any other Toyota vehicles I've owned. And it is ridiculous that Toyota has allowed this problem to continue since 2002/2003 and won't fix it?!

Thanks for all the updates on this problem.

1violinist · February 2005

Yes, it's been reported by owners of Highlander, Sienna and Solara -- also Lexus ES330 and RX330. There's a new forum dedicated to this problem in various models:

KarenS, "Engine Hesitation (All makes/models)" #1, 6 Jan 2005 11:11 am

steve-o2 · February 2005

I just installed Hidden Hitch. They make the hitch for Toyota. Model #90650. Check with Hidden Hitch Web site to make sure this will fit your car as well. 3 bolts on both sides. (1 is the heat shield bolt) I had one bolt that had tape covering the hole. Took ~ 15 min. to install. Make sure you put the heat shield over the top of the hitch. Always want the hitch in direct contact to the car's frame/uniframe. Installed on a 05 Camry SE. Item is a Class II Hitch. I called Hidden hitch and talked to the engineer to verify differences of Model 90649 and the new model 90650. I went with the 90650 because of extra contact point on the passenger side but either will work fine. www.etrailer.com is where I found the cheapest $. Also get the plug in wiring harness no splicing needed. Unplug and connect T connector to both sides and your hooked up.

steve-o2 · February 2005

Flywheel is located in between the engine and transmission. Your starter uses this to start (gears on flywheel used by the starter to turn engine over). It is used to keep the engine running smoothly object in motion tends to stay in motion. Keeps the car from having spikes of power and then no power. Hope this helps answer your question.

SM

steve-o2 · February 2005

Seats are stiffer to give the seats more support in cornering. Did you test drive a SE before purchasing? Hope your other problems are fixed.

alphonsus · February 2005

I purchased 2005 SE a month back and since the day one this car is a guzzler Gives me just about 6.5 kms a liter! Besides the acceleration is sluggish and too bad. I had very dangerous encounters on highway ramp. Brought this to the notice of Toyota Dealer - the answer is normal - it takes 6000 kms for the engine to break in. your vehicle is perfect. Complained Toyota Company. No response in the first 10 days. I spoke to the GM of of Toyota Dealer - the answer is - it is normal. The high consumption is due to the weather condition of -30 C. Incidentally, I had a Camry 2001 exactly the same car which gave me an average of 9 - 9.5 kms on city roads. Has anyone have any suggestions or possible reason for this pathetic performance?

bobcui · February 2005

Thank you guys. Finally I got my 04 Camry fixed the Jerky Low Speed Shifting. Simple bring over the TSB printout and leave the car there for a day. My car is running great now. Try it if you have the same problem.

sigi · February 2005

I have replaced the tires on the car with BFG Traction TA's. The Original tires were Michelin M&S and they only got to 35000 km they were rated for 60000 km. Even with the new tires in bad weather conditions the back end of the car swerves from side to side. It is giving the impression that it going out of control. If you reduce the speed to 40km it is fine. Meanwhile everyone is passing you going a 100km on the freeway. The dealers have no idea what the problem is. They are reccommending a wheel alignment. I do not think this will help since the back only follow what the front is doing. Any suggestions?

snoozeulose · February 2005

I just bought it a couple of weeks ago. It has the trim package (body moldings) I have noticed a rather irritation whining noise or vibrating sound coming from the driver's front portion especially at low speeds (city driving) the problem goes away at highway speeds. Almost sounds like wind blowing over something loose and rattling. Before I go to the dealer Also noticed that the tires seem to be thumping like they are out of balance when you first start off after sitting over night. Just wondering if any other owners have experienced this? I would appreciate a little feedback?? Thanks

moeharri · February 2005

Can you point me to the specific TSB that you found dealing with the shifting problem? Thanks!

Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions

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Toyota Camry: Problems &amp; Solutions

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Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions