Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions

scoti1 · January 2006

falcon2,

Toyota has issued a technical service bulletin to address the transmission lag problems. I can't say whether a bulletin has been issued for '06 models yet, but you may want to check with your dealer.

scoti1 · January 2006

mak750,

Since you got the free fix, I assume you were able to prove reasonable maintenance. What were your oil change intervals?

(BTW, I think the campaign is for 8 yrs unlimited miles and it does not include all Toyota models, but quite a few, like Camry, Avalon, Highlander, Sienna, Celica and some Lexus models as well. There is an old discussion forum here that goes into some detail on the problem - just search Edmunds for "sludge").

bildow · January 2006

Good morning,
I saw your problem about putting your camry in reverse I talked to my transmission shop and he said that if nothing popped and your engine died you might have gotten by with out any problems. The other person who also answered your question about this problem was to change out your transmission fluid
and keep it changed every 20,000 miles. When I change mine I use mobil one synthetic transmission fluid you can use this fluid up till the 2002 camry which has a special fluid for the transmission. :shades:

camelia · January 2006

I do not have a V6 but the brakes always felt as if they were not adjusted correctly. I took the car to the dealer several times because the brakes you did not feel as firm as other vehicles but they told me that Toyota's had a soft touch to them!

steved4 · January 2006

hi folks, my 2001 camry with 110,000 mls intermittantly rough idles then cuts off usually when coming to a stop..there is no code and no ck eng light so t/s is difficult.. i have sprayed out the intake manifold/throttle body, took off and cleaned the EGR valve but no help... the car idles and start normally otherwise but there are those times it just shuts down when stopping..will appreciate all the help..thanks..

wwest · January 2006

Clean the idle air bypass port/channel and then disconnect the battery for ten or 15 minutes to force the ECU to relearn the idle air bypass control solenoids charactoristics.

If the above doesn't help then replace the idle air bypass solenoid and repeat the battery disconnect procedure.

camrysucks · January 2006

YES, I have had problems is my 2002 Camry V6 brakes. Very soft, until last month I had to push the brake all the way in to even brake. So I took it to the toyota dealership, b/c still on warranty, and they resurfaced the rotors, replaced the brake pads and I think the brake fluid (ran me about $300) Got the car back and the brakes were a little less soft, but squeaking, like a bird was in my engine, and also like brakes squeak when your brake pads need to be replaced. I took it back for the third time, and they re-did the work for no charge. But, now a week later, the brakes are still squeaking. I had a '93 camry that was amazing. I have hated the ABS on this '02 camry, at times it feels dangerous. Be wary, apparently I am finding out that camrys have several problems, including suspension problems, which might have caused my tires to wear so bad I have replaced them once, and they need replaced again. My car has 53K miles, but I have taken care of it and that is mostly highway miles, I bought it new.

crimson63 · January 2006

My wife calls me at work, said the heater wasn't getting warm. She looks down at the gauges and the temp was in the red. She pulls over and sees oil leaking out from under the car. After work, I go to check it out. There's oil blown all over the back of the engine, no coolant in the radiator. I add 1 quart of oil to get the level back up to a safe level and crank it. The water pump has gone bad, but the motor sounds fine. Due to lack of funds, I have it towed to my shop at home so I can maybe repair it myself. My question is, Where did all this oil come from? Bad head gasket maybe? As soon as she saw there was a problem, she pulled over and shut it down so maybe it won't be too serious. I'll try to post a pic later, any help would be greatly appreciated.

crimson63 · January 2006

mak750 · January 2006

Hi! I hadn't put 5,000 miles on my Solara since my last oil change before I took it in to my Toyota dealer. By the way, since they practically removed everything under the hood repairing and replacing things, they called to ask me if I'd like to have my belts replaced for the cost of the parts only. Since my car had 83,500 miles on it already, I had that done too. All in all, I'm glad I took my car in. Anybody who feels they have the same problem should go to their Toyota dealer. You have nothing to lose (except some time) and a lot to gain. I don't know about the 8 year-unlimited miles you mention. I just wrote what the manager at the Toyota service shop told me. BTW he did say the oil should be changed every 5,000 miles not 7500. My car drives like a dream. I love my Toyota!

bpsmicro · January 2006

I'm surprised nobody else has responded.

You disarm by pressing the Unlock button on the key fob. You'll get two beeps from the car. If memory serves, you can turn off the auto-arming feature, but the exact procedure depends on which system you have installed (RS3000 or RS3200). I'm guessing the latter.

Are your key fobs rectangular, or more eliptical shaped?

Brad.

gerta · January 2006

My mom has a 99 Camry with 70k mi, and last week the engine absolutely died. Loud noise, then steam and all the dash lights on. The mechanic indicated the engine is truly dead, though the cause seems unclear -- engine was very clean (no oil gelling) and timing belt still fine. Now it needs a new engine. Does this sounds familiar to anyone? Is there some problem to look for, esp if it's a known problem where Toyota might pitch in for repair? It's out of warranty, but it's such a strange (and expensive!--CA emissions system) failure on a relatively healthy car. I'd like to make sure there isn't some familiar design flaw at play here.

Thanks, all.

crimson63 · January 2006

notice the oil blown around on the right side of the pic.

imidazol97 · January 2006

> So I took it to the toyota dealership, b/c still on warranty, and they resurfaced the rotors, replaced the brake pads and I think the brake fluid (ran me about $300)

If it was under warranty, why would you have had to pay for _anything_ they did? $300!!!

camrysucks · January 2006

Of course, the work needed wasn't covered under the warranty!!! I will never buy another Toyota extended warranty.

haefr · January 2006

No manufacturer covers brakes beyond the first year/12,000 miles. They're considered normal wear items, just like filters, spark plugs, hoses, belts, etc. That's also true of extended warranties purchased from the dealership.

camrysucks · January 2006

Yes, this is true. But I now wonder if there is something bigger wrong with the breaks that should be covered under warranty that is causing the breaks to be so soft and to squeak even after two new sets of brake pads and twice resurfacing the rotors. I talk to the dealer again Monday morning. :mad:

gmorken · January 2006

Ran into something simular on our 2001 Camry LE 4cyl with about 75,000 miles. Engine bent a rod and engine had to be replaced, oil was less then 1 qt low - no gelling, slight engine knock just kept getting louder and louder over a very short period. Castrol oil changes every 3000 miles. Car spends 90% of time in city driving at 35mph to/from work.

We own a 2001 Avalon XLS, 2001 Camry LE, 2006 Avalon Limited, & 1995 Camry LE with no other problems ever other then this engine replacement last summer.

jellis · January 2006

I am helping a friend replace the right side axle assembly in a 97 Cambry. I think an LS, although I doubt the version of Cambry matters much. The Hanes Manual says remove the locking nut on the bottom of the transmission supporting collar and the retaining key. Support the intermediate shaft and remove the axle. We have tried all manner of force and can not seem to free the axle after these simple steps. Looking at the new part it appears the axle rides in a carrier bearing supported by the front rear transmission mount. Yet when we pried the rear protective cup off of the transmission mount we see the outside of the bearing race spinning when the transmission is in nuetral. I would have thought that outside part of the bearing race around the axle shaft would have been frozen in the supporting cup of the transmission mount. This has me confused because we can't see anything holding the axle in place. Does anybody have any ideas? Both my friend and my self are baffled. Thanks in advance for any light you might shed on this problem.

camry20056 · January 2006

Hi,
I took delivery of a brand new 2006 camry LE. Guess what?
When he opened the hood to explain me the parts, we saw rust on the metal structure between the engine and the radiator. I don't know what is called, it gets hot and it looks like four pipes merge and go down and there a spark plug like thing attached on top. He called the manager and she said that is "normal". It was late sunday evening and they were short of staff, I did not insist. I feel it got rusted because of defective part, probably not coated properly. Did any one experience this? Please help.
thanks

lightfootfl · January 2006

Certainly doesn't sound right to me, but I am not a mechanic. Personally I would take it back and compare with others on the lot. If it is the exhaust system, then it does get hot and can show rust much earlier than just about any other part. But for a new delivery item, I would certainly check it out.

user777 · January 2006

i believe that would be part of your exhaust manifold assembly (you got a 4 cylinder vehicle?), perhaps you are looking at a heat shield, and the thing that looks like a "spark plug", probably an O2 sensor to determine if the vehicle is properly burning the fuel post-combustion (by taking measurements from the combustion gases on their way to the Catalytic Convertor and the muffler).

in that location, i would imagine you'd have on the metal, some blueing or slight discoloration due to heating after the vehicle is driven some. not owning or seeing the vehicle, it's hard to say what you are looking at exactly. are there any other signs of rust on any metal structures surrounding the engine?

pxk · January 2006

I brought mine in August 2005. In the warm weather I get 28 miles to the gal. Was expecting the 34 listed. Was told it is a larger engine and that 28 was good. I lve in New England and with the cold weather I'm getting 25 mpg now. Anyone else getting the EPA recomeded mpg.

Thanks.

hoosier · January 2006

I have a 1998 4 cylinder Camry LE - 134,000 miles - I recently changed the spark plugs and noticed that oil is leaking into the #1 cylinder (I noticed it for about the last 50-60,000 miles. Now the engine is burning an extra quart of oil between oil changes. The engine seems to run smooth, though.

I think it's either the valve guides or piston rings in this cylinder. Does anyone have an estimate as to how much it would cost to install new piston rings and/or valve guides on a single cylinder?

Thanks in advance,

Hoosier

Thanks

210delray · January 2006

This is the exhaust manifold, and as part of the exhaust system, it's made of steel and can't be painted because of the extreme heat. It will tend to show surface rust early, but this is nothing to worry about. The part should easily last the lifetime of the car.

camry20056 · January 2006

Yes, it is the exhaust heat shield. It is discolored and has rust on it. It is brand new 2006 camry v4 with 9 miles on the odometer. Everything else under the hood is fine. And it runs fine. But why the rust? What do I do?

thanks

camry20056 · January 2006

Thanks for your post, it came up just before I posted reply to older message. so it tends to show surface rust early. Do they clean it every couple of months or so?

thanks

ragdollgirl · January 2006

I am used to having a Ford vehicle with the numbered keypad on the driver's door. I could start the car to warm it up, lock it and shut the door, and then open it with the keypad. Now I have an '05 Camry and I really miss this feature. Sometimes I like to warm the car up, but I never want to leave it unattended with the keys in it. I tried to lock the car when I got out with it running, but I couldn't. Then I went and got my spare keys and tried to lock it with them, but no luck. Does anyone know if there's a way to do this?

Mr_Shiftright · January 2006

Latest news from the Detroit Auto Show on the new lineup of Camrys, right here at the Edmunds blogs:

http://blogs.edmunds.com/.ee8e56c

wwest · January 2006

Use the driver door lockset once all the doors are closed.

210delray · January 2006

Despite what wwest reported above, I don't think there is a way to lock the doors with the key still in the ignition, whether the car is running or not. The purpose, obviously, is to minimize the likelihood of locking yourself out of the car. (Of course, if you leave your keys OUT of the ignition, but on the seat or console, you can lock yourself out.)

The dealer MIGHT be able to disable the feature, but I know of no way to do it yourself. If you do have it disabled, I'd recommend always having a spare key in your pocket or purse.

210delray · January 2006

Despite what wwest reported above, I don't think there is a way to lock the doors with the key still in the ignition, whether the car is running or not. The purpose, obviously, is to minimize the likelihood of locking yourself out of the car. (Of course, if you leave your keys OUT of the ignition, but on the seat or console, you can lock yourself out.)

The dealer MIGHT be able to disable the feature, but I know of no way to do it yourself. If you do have it disabled, I'd recommend always having a spare key in your pocket or purse.

210delray · January 2006

Despite what wwest reported above, I don't think there is a way to lock the doors with the key still in the ignition, whether the car is running or not. The purpose, obviously, is to minimize the likelihood of locking yourself out of the car. (Of course, if you leave your keys OUT of the ignition, but on the seat or console, you can lock yourself out.)

The dealer MIGHT be able to disable the feature, but I know of no way to do it yourself. If you do have it disabled, I'd recommend always having a spare key in your pocket or purse.

stevez3 · January 2006

Suggest you don't go to Toyo dealer for your problem-they will only install toyo brakes.
Go to a good mechanic and have him[or her]install Carbon Ceramic brake pads.NAPA has them.
They don't squeak and are quiet and have minimal dusting.
I have 2 '96 Camrys and would never install Toyota brakes.

bpsmicro · January 2006

I'm betting if you used a spare key to lock the door after hopping out, it'll stay locked (that's the same as locking with you on the inside, which you can definitely do).
However, I'd bet that any "electronic" method (button, key fob, etc) would not allow you to lock the door, for the previously mentioned reason of minimizing the risk of locking yourself out.
Of course, now you need to carry two keys around.

Brad.

mmatt · January 2006

Did you get this running? Mine just did the same thing!
Thanks,
M

mmatt · January 2006

Car ran fine yesterday then I washed the motor. It ran fine so I parked it. When I got into it the next day. It started fine for aprox 3 min then it died and has not ran since. There is no blown fuses. I am not getting any spark. I installed new wires and plugs since but still no go. I'm gonna buy a cap and rotor tonight.

mmatt · January 2006

Peter Pan,
Mine is doing the exact same thing! I'll try the coil tonight!

sandradee · January 2006

Alright, enough of the personal issues, let's get back to the real problem at hand - our cars hesitate & jerk. Toyota accepts it as "normal", it is status quo for them and they don't appear to have any intentions of fixing it or changing it. We all agree that the problem seems to be with the 3.3L V6 5-speed automatic and the drive-by-wire "technology", although, how they can call it technology when it doesn't work better than the old method is beyond me. Hesitation wasn't acceptable 30 years ago, so I can't understand why it is OK now. Toyota doesn't care, it is status quo for them. I don't like the feeling of slogging through mud when I accelerate or the herky-jerky shift changes where the computer just can't make up its mind what gear it wants to be in. :lemon:

kelsee88 · January 2006

I have an '02 4 cylinder Solara. I took the car to an independent for a fuel injection cleaning & now have a check engine light on which they say is a P0420 code for the catalytic converter performing below threshhold. I had the catalytic converter replaced at 50,000 miles while still under warranty. The car is now at 105,000. I was just wondering if faulty fuel injection servicing can cause these issues. The check engine light appeared about 3 days or so after cleaning. Any input appreciated!

wwest · January 2006

Worth a try.........??

For those of you having hesitation problems you might try applying a (VERY) light touch with your left foot to the brake in instances where you foresee the possibility of a quick return to "acceleration" mode.

The 2004 RX330 Lexus shop manual indicates that the transaxle will drop out of O/D the instant the brakes are applied. So just maybe it might prevent the upshifting of the transaxle during brief periods of coastdown.

The engine/transaxle ECU firmware appears to be sensing that the driver wishes to go into cruise mode when the gas pedal is released or slightly released (coastdown..) and therefore it quickly upshifts to attain the best fuel economy.

If instead you "apply" the brakes the ECU firmware is more likely to assume your wish is NOT to enter cruise mode but to slow the vehicle. It might therefore leave you in the current gear or maybe even downshift.

mmatt · January 2006

Peter Pan,
Thanks!! I bought a $40 Coil at AutoZone (instock) and a cap & rotor while there and it started right up!! Thank you thank you thank you! Car purrrrs like a kitten again!! This is my first Camry and my favorite body style too. I've had 6 Hondas (all very good cars) but I think this Camry is my favorite! Roomy, quite, decent performance, and good gas mileage too.

sharkssn591 · January 2006

How do I get the radio identification number? I have the "type 3" radio in a 2006 camry se. The manual says select channel 000. How is this accomplished?

scoti1 · January 2006

Edmunds set a new forum for discussing this problem. Not much activity yet, but it is a good place to open and entertain this discussion.

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.efe9615

haefr · January 2006

"I recently changed the spark plugs and noticed that oil is leaking into the #1 cylinder (I noticed it for about the last 50-60,000 miles."

I wouldn't jump the gun about re-ringing. There may be some sealing issues with the old sparkplug that came out of that cylinder - especially if it hadn't been properly torqued in the first place. The tube into which the sparkplugs are inserted are sealed from the cylinder head's oil flow by rubber O-rings. At that mileage, one or more of those O-rings may have failed. Assuming the worst, though, no ethical mechanic would install new piston rings on just one piston, nor would he/she install new valve guides and valve guide seals for just one cylinder. If it's happening on one cylinder that you can observe, it's happening on the rest, though it isn't obvious, yet. New piston rings won't seat properly against a glazed cylinder wall, either, so the cylinders would have to be re-honed at a minimum. If wear is sufficient, the cylinders would have to be re-bored oversize and new pistons and rings installed. In short, you may have a minor problem that can be solved in one afternoon in your garage, or you may have a major problem. If you have a trusted mechanic, consult him.

red041669 · January 2006

just recently my 2002 camry se was jerkying on acceleration..and the check engine light came on, i've got it diagnoise and the code was po770..shift silonoid e was the prob, but also i've check the transmission fluid and the fluid was a nice color red...the way it should be.right? but aways i've took it to the shop and they said that not only the silonoid e was bad but also the fluid was brown and black...?? so i would need a whole new transmission....how could this be..ive just check it fluid before i took the car to the shop and it was fine...are they trying to rip me off in buying a new transmission? or should i just get the silonoid fix and forget about it...something sounds fishe...someone please i need advise

kprince · January 2006

My 98 Toyota Camry sputters / hesitates when driving with constant gas at low speeds - especially around 40 mph. The car runs fine in idle, park, when coasting, when accelerating, and at higher speeds (60 or over). Dealer thought it was the spark plugs, but we got those changed and it didn't make a difference. Any ideas what could be causing sputtering like this?

210delray · January 2006

I meant to reply sooner.

I looked at my Camry's 4-cylinder engine. It occurred to me that your heat shield covering the exhaust manifold might be missing entirely. This is a thin, shiny steel plate that serves as a kind of "guard" to prevent you from touching the hot exhaust manifold. Of course, the heat shield gets hot also, but not as hot as the manifold itself.

You mentioned seeing 4 pipes merging into one, but this is not easily discernible with the heat shield in place.

I'd check other Camrys at the dealer to see if yours is in fact missing the shield. It should be no problem under the warranty to install one if in fact yours is missing.

The rust on the exhaust manifold is okay -- it's just on the surface and generally won't cause any problems for the life of the car.

user777 · January 2006

You mentioned seeing 4 pipes merging into one, but this is not easily discernible with the heat shield in place.

good point. i can't remember if you can actually see the pipes exiting the cylinders, but they converge into one, and i thought that happened in the area covered by the shield. but, this was what i remember seeing on '03s. perhaps it's changed since then?

lutzymindless2 · January 2006

Hello, just purchased a 2002 solara V6 with 25K on it. I am hearing a whining noise that appears to be coming from the rear of the vehicle. It goes up and down with speed, almost like a manual tranmission would sound in gear, but not nearly as loud. I can hear the engine and it is not that. The only other thing I could think of was a wheel bearing, but since this is coming from the rear of the car and those wheels do not move, steering to hear for a difference in sound will not help. Any ideas/similar problems?? Thanks, Jason

Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions

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Toyota Camry: Problems &amp; Solutions

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Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions