Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

s852 · May 2001

Why are you comparing Camry and Civic instead of Camry and Accord?

flaca · May 2001

Go test drive a Jetta - and feel the differance. and than decide. I switched over to a Jetta after having 2 Camry's - now driving is fun again.

jimxo · May 2001

I believe late September will be the release date for the all new Camry.

There are some photos at www.mag-x.com

cliffy1 · May 2001

It is my understanding that the US plant will begin production in July for a mid-august release date. There is an "official" date that is usually 3 to 4 weeks later than when they actually hit the lots.

psha · May 2001

I am just confused as to which one to buy. Both are good

Statistics
Accord - 1998, LX, all leather 14K offering, black untouched 46 I miles driven, excellent cod.

Camry - 1998, LE 36K miles driven, no leather, antique sage color, excellent condition. asking 12K
No maintenance records.

I drove both of them, both are OK, camry gives steering vibration, I guess it is a wheel alinement issue.

Which one should i go for?? I case if i settle for the Camry, should i take it to the dealership to help me find out the condition, or a quick lube car mechanic is OK to identify any potential problems. Please help..... Early help appreciated..

Thanks Pat

ral2167 · May 2001

for $2000 difference, i'd go with the LE camry.....i assume both are from private sellers.... i'd look for another LE for $12000 that has no vibration tho... assuming you live in a populated area where it is relatively easy to locate 1998 LE camry's. it just seems to me that for $2000 difference, it's a no brainer to go with the camry LE over an accord LX, all other things being relatively equal.

warzonectx · May 2001

how fast do the toyota camry 2.2 liter go is it 120. can it go 125 if so email me or post it. my email is warzonectx@yahoo.com

morganh · May 2001

Help,

The driver's seat feels like I'm always at an awkward back slant, even when adjusting the electric seat on the LE. Lumbar support is terrible and I'm starting to have back aches as a result. Anyone else experiencing this problem, what can be done to correct?

I even checked out replacing the entire seat but the dealer says they're all made the same.

thanks

cliffy1 · May 2001

I've had a couple of customers with a similar complaint. Keep in mind that I sell a ton of these cars and only a small handful have problems. I direct them to local stores that specialize in back friendly products. Here in Northern VA, there are two that I know of that have everything made to assist people with uncomfortable seats or sensitive backs.

armtdm · May 2001

$1000 only a good deal if that is off of invoice not MSRP. Most ads are worthless as you know, only the final negotiations mean anythign!!!!!!!!!

By the way, Accord outsold Camry last year! As to the VW, well, their warranty is only 2 years and the dealers have very little to play with on price and some VW dealers are getting that BMW German arrogance as well

sbell4 · May 2001

August 14th (not confirmed yet but hide and watch)

rward99 · May 2001

According to R.L. Polk, for calendar years 97, 98, 99, and 2000 the Toyota Camry was the #1 selling American passenger car.

dplachta · May 2001

When I push the button to lock the doors, the passenger door lock just moves part way and I have to keep pushing the button 3-4 times to lock the door.

I'd like to fix this. Does anyone know what I have to do and how expensive it might be?

I have a similar problem with my '91 Previa.

Thanks for your help!

ral2167 · May 2001

bang on it

cliffy1 · May 2001

The rebates are off whatever you negotiate for a price. It is a direct payment to you from Toyota and has nothing to do with either invoice or MSRP.

What is your source on the Acord outselling the Camry. I was told that we came out the winner for the 4th straight year. If that is not the case, please let me know where I can find that information.

kenny19 · May 2001

Good to know that the $1K is between me and Toyota, not the dealer. I have been asking dealers in my OH area about the rebate offer for Camry CEs and some act like they know nothing about it. Now I can negotiate with better information.

cliffy1 · May 2001

There is one thing to watch out for. All Toyota rebates are regional. This means they can be different from state to state. I know that in CA, they have $1000 rebates on all Camrys. Here in VA (and MD, PA, DE and WV) we have $1000 on the CE and $750 on the LE and XLE. I would be surprised if OH didn't have something similar, but you will need to find that out from a local dealer. Call a few and just ask what the rebates are. Begin and end your conversation with that question.

smoejoe2 · May 2001

I am thinkin about buying a '97 Toyota Camry, 4cyl, 2.2l engine, it only has 35,000 miles for $11,200. I asked the dealer why the miles were so low and he said that it was a leased car (1 owner) and the person who leased it didn't drive it alot because the would have had to pay 20 cents a mile(after a certain # of mileage). It sounded suspicious to me so i checked on Carfax and did a title history. According to Carfax, the car was a rental car, and after that three other people owned it before it got to the dealer. Should I be skeptical about buying this car?, should I trust the car salesman after he lied to me and said it only had one owner? I know Toyota's are good cars but i don't want any problems down the road. I would appreciate any advice.

cliffy1 · May 2001

As lies go, that is a whopper because it is so easy to catch. I would be very cautious in dealing with them. Normally, I don't put much value in taking a car from a dealer to an independent mechanic, but I would in this case. Check for body repairs and frame damage. Also, have him pull the valve cover off to check for engine sludge. The Camry engine is very reliable in the long run, but if routine maintenance was not done, you could have serious problems.

flaca · May 2001

mine turned rotten at the end with only 46k miles.
Bad front struts
engine sludge
front tires wore out quick ( 3 sets of tires in 4 years)
3 batteries
starter died at the last day of lease -
If it hadn't being for the smoking (sludged engine) I would have accepted the other problems. But a low milage car - smoking - was a little to much for me to handle. (worn stem seals)

3pointstar · May 2001

I'd ask for $2K off the price. If not, avoid buying the car.

First, it was a rental car. I drive a lot of rental cars for business and I pound on them.

Second, it's had 3 owners. Three people owning and passing on a car has to raise a flag about its reliability.

Finally, '97 was the first year for the current Camry design. It is more likely to have problems than Camrys in subsequent years.

210delray · May 2001

It was purchased new over 4 years ago and has almost 69K miles now.

Other than accident damage (one deer hit + one parking lot incident), outside of routine maintenance (oil, filters, fluids, spark plugs, wiper blades), I've spent only a few bucks on it for replacement bulbs.

The OEM Michelin tires lasted almost 50K miles, including rotation of the full-sized spare.

I had 2 minor warranty repairs plus a biggie: the valve stem seals had to replaced at 57K miles (this last under the 60K powertrain warranty). There was also one recall to tighten the bolt that holds the steering wheel to the column.

This car has been MUCH more reliable over the same mileage than the new car that preceded it, a 1990 Mercury Sable.

wa2le · May 2001

I've changed the oil on my 2000 Camry every 3,000 miles and each time the oil plug seems to loosen by itself. One time it was half way out. I torqued that critter tighter'n a tick and it still happened. The service manager says that they have not noticed that on other cars. Anybody else out there noticing this?

truckdude1 · May 2001

is the camry reliable if we buy a 97thru a 01 camry with up to 70 k miles? we know its alot, but should we be suspicious of a 97 camry with only 5652 miles? from an old lady and her 3 kids? well we need to know how or what type of a camry you could buy for under 15,000$ with lower milage alloy wheels gold package and spoiler? please inform us on all you can, and will the 4 cyl engine suite three people and run up to 80 mph easily, plus 90% of our driving is local, so inform us if this is good.

rward99 · May 2001

There is a gasket that is supposed to be on the oil drain plug. Have you replaced it? Is it missing? It may be stuck to the oil pain.

Try replacing the gasket and see if this helps.

chilly1 · May 2001

I am looking for a little bit of advise on what to do and what my options might be.

Let me start out by saying that I have been a loyal Toyota customer for years. I also come from a Toyota family as I have close relatives and friends who work for Toyota across the nation.

I currently live in Boise, ID (just moved here) and my wife and I are in the market for a new vehicle. So we went to the local Toyota dealer here to test drive a few vehicle. We are not quite sure what we want.

When I spoke with one of the salesmen I explained to him that we wanted to test drive a Camry with a 5 speed manual. I wanted to try and drive both a 4 and 6 cylinder if possible. My wife and I are also interested in the covertible Solara and notice that they had one on the lot, and we were interested in test driving that vehicle also.

After explaining this to him the first question out of his mouth was "Are you paying cash or financing?" I responded back that "I didn't know and would not know until we had determined if we wanted to purchase one of these vehicles."

He then responded that he would only be able to spend an hour with me, and then he went to get a Camry for us to drive.

He came back with the most basic CE model. My wife and I got into the front seat with the salesman in the back. As I was driving out of the lot I mentioned to him that this seemed like a very base model and asked if he had any LE's with a 5 speed on the lot.

He then told me that you couldn't get an LE in a 5 speed.

I responded back that this was not true and that it was an option. After calling him on this he said "Well, it may be an option, but I have only seen 2 in the last year."

So I reponded back that "Well, even though you don't have it on the lot, you could find or order one from Toyota right"

This is when he told me the bold face lie "You can't order from Toyota and you have to by what is on the lot."

I promptly turned the car around and told him that I would not be lied to and that I would talk to his sales manager about his sales approach."

When we got back home, after having left the dealer, I called the sales manager. I have never been treated so rude.

Sales manager basically backed this guy up and told me that you can't order from Toyota. When I told him I order my last one from Toyota he changed his story and called it "preferencing". I explained to him that you can call it what you want but bottom line is I can order a vehicle with the option that Toyota allows and get what I want. The caveat is it has to been within the allowed packages.

He then told me that if I did this it would take 9-12 months to get the vehicle. I just laughed. He then began talking over me and yelling at me and basically wouldn't even give me a chance to talk. I will admit I did loose my cool at one point and asked him to "shut up for minute so that I could talk." Not to smart on my part, but I was very angry by now. I told him that I intended to take this further.

His response was "And what do you think is going to happen. I have been here 18 years and there is nothing you can do about it."

So here is my question. Is he right, can I do anything about this. I really want a Toyota, but these guys are the only game in town and even though I could by from some another dealer I would still have to deal with these guys when it came to service. I am not sure I want them to get a dime of my money.

I know there are a few Toyota employee's who frequent this board and I would be interested in knowing what my options are at this point. Do I just say "oh well" and go buy a different manufacturer?

Sorry for the rant, but this is really bothering me.

sebring95 · May 2001

Sounds about like my run in with Toy dealers last month. This would have been my 5th Camry but I bought something else simply because the dealers were knuckleheads and the options I wanted weren't available. So far I'm more pleased with the other vehicle I bought more than any Camry I've owned.

I'm not saying I'll never buy another Toyota, but it's gotten worse (sales, service, and quality) since my first 1992 model. And I don't shop at just one dealer. Last month I hit 5 Toy dealers within a 1-2 hour radius looking for what I wanted and I was frustrated by every one of them. Only one was very downright rude, but the rest basically just didn't give a crap what I wanted if it wasn't sitting on their lot. They probably figured they would find a better job in the month or so it would take to deliver the car.

ral2167 · May 2001

i would think you can't order a toyota LE 5 speed now anyway cause i imagine they're making 2002 models now and not 2001, and the 2002 is totally redesigned.

plus you're in boise idaho which is in the middle of nowhere or white supremacists-- I imagine even in a city with 4 toyota dealers to choose from, you'd be hard pressed to find an LE 5 speed on the lot....

and why you'd consider buying a solara convertible in boise idaho when 4 months of the year the wind chill factor is 20 below is also confusing to this bronco... your moniker here of "Chilly1" seems to admit this

the dealer's doing you a favor by not having an LE camry 5 speed on their lot-- 5 speed mid-size sedans are brutal when it comes to trade-ins/resale-- you'll be docked thousands for having a 5 speed in a camry sedan..... stick with automatic... buy a miata if you wanna drive 5 speed, pal....

so while you may have some legitimate beefs with their demeanor----if he said you had to buy from the lot, i am not sure that is true cause they can do a dealer trade--- but since Boise is probably 800 miles from civilization, I doubt you want a new car with 810 miles on it... plus like i say, finding an LE 5 speed has got to be difficult-- the nearest camry LE 5 speed might be in chicago....

I'd say you owe them an apology with your lack of understanding as far as the the difficulty locating a camry LE 5 speed, and i'd write them a thank you note for dissuading you from buying a 5 speed LE ... you go back there and buy an automatic.

now, if you go with a solara hardtop, then a 5 speed I can see having-- although you'll be hard pressed to find one of those.... your beef is with the american public who have collectively eschewed the 5 speed manual in favor of automatics. we're a bunch of lazy so-and-so's-- a nation of crybabies.

the moral of this sad tale of woe?: you wanna live in rocky mountain time, you gotta pay the piper.

3pointstar · May 2001

I think you SORT OF owe the sales guy an apology. Toyota doesn't make a manual 5 speed LE model Camry unless it's a V6. Check out the link below.

http://www.toyota.com/html/shop/vehicles/camry/specs/camry_specs.html

As for being rude, the Toyota dealers aren't the greatest to deal with. If you want great customer service, I guess you could buy a Lexus ES300.

cliffy1 · May 2001

I really hate hearing stories like that. This kind of thing happens most in markets with little to no competition. The fact that this guy has worked there for 18 years with his attitude tell me you will not get very far complaining. I'm guessing you are not the first guy he has done this to.

If you want a V6 5 speed, your options are limited. Toyota makes extremely few of these and demand for them is low. Try e-mailing every dealership within a day's drive of you. You may even want to look into air fares to larger cities to expand your search.

Your post really does disturb me. Its guys like that that give guys like me a bad reputation.

s852 · May 2001

http://network54.com/Hide/Forum/message?forumid=58489&messageid=990480130

chilly1 · May 2001

I knew going in that the LE V6 in a 5 speed was harder to find. Because of this I would have been willing to pay more for the vehicle if he would have had to trade with a dealer. I know that when they trade like that that they are actually selling someone else's inventory and that the trade car from their lot does not get taken off of their inventory until it sells and the new dealer.

I also knew that with the 2002 redesign that I may have to have him "preference" or "order" (call it what you will) one of his 2002 allocated models in the options I was looking for. I was in no hurry for a car and was more than willing to wait until these were released later in the year.

None of this bothered me. I guess what bothered me, and looking back I should have handled it better, was that this guy tried lying and then back tracking when he found out I knew better. He already ticked me off when he only agreed to spend an hour with me because I wasn't willing to discuss the terms of the sale, cash or financing up front.

What also bothers me is that I could get this car in Denver from a friend of mine who runs one of the dealerships there, but instead I tried to support the local dealer and purchase a vehicle through him. I am not the type who is going to try and nickel and dime down a deal. If he would have been willing to give me a good deal on the vehicle I would have bought from him no questions ask. In case you are wondering, I would have said a good deal would have been 5% over invoice if he could get a 2001, and close to MSRP for a 2002.

I will admit that I didn't handle the situation as well as I could have and that I maybe should not have used such strong language. 3pointstar is correct in that I "SORT OF" owe him an apology for this (by the way I knew that the LE would have been a V6 I may have left that part out.) I guess I am just use to going to the dealer and being treated fairly and honestly. At least that has been my experience in the past.

I guess the bottom line is that I contacted Toyota today and filed a complaint. Nothing may be done, but at least it will be reflected on the dealers record.

s852 · May 2001

Just found out that the photo is probably of a Japan-only Toyota model and the US Camry will likely have a cheaper-looking interior.

3pointstar · May 2001

That is a sweet looking interior! Toyota totally lifted the wood trim styling off the current MB S-Class. I am in the market for a used S or LS400, but if the interior is as nice as in the photo (with the nav), I will be very interested! As for being Japan-only, I thought those were right-handed driver interiors? The photo shows a left handed driver interior - makes you wonder...could it be the new ES300???

ral2167 · May 2001

looks like the new 2002 camry comes with cable....

3pointstar · May 2001

I know it sucks. Just look at it this way. You did the right thing by filing a complaint with Toyota. There is no excuse for lying salesman, maybe ignorance, but not lying. If you decide to buy from the same dealer, maybe you can find another salesperson who'll treat you better. Plus, the Camry will likely be very reliable so you won't ever have to see the dealer again.

s852 · May 2001

If you look carefully, you will notice the picture is a mirror image. The gauges are backwards. It's a Japanese Toyota.
The new Camry interior will probably be more plain.

cliffy1 · May 2001

You don't owe an apology for anything. I'll defend many things dealers do since I am one myself, but if your description is even 50% accurate, you owe them nothing.

Having said that, I can sympathize a bit with certain aspects of what they did. At this point, they have no idea if Toyota will even build a V6 5 speed next year. Taking an order on something like that wouldn't make much sense. It will be two to three months before they can even "preference" a 2002. Still they could have explained that in a customer friendly manner. Its all in the presentation.

j_walker · May 2001

I just read a post from that site stating that the photo is a flipped image of the Toyota Mark II.

surfing19 · May 2001

Tell you what, if toyota puts a Navigation system in there 2002 Camry, I would buy the Camry over the new Altima or the New Accord.

drcsf · May 2001

I have been following the posts regarding this model. I own a 99 V6 5 speed LE. I had to visit 5 dealers in Baltimore/Washington to find it and it was the only one on any lot. It is indeed a rare model and even rarer in this last model year. Since 1997, Toyota produced less than 5000 V6 5 speeds. In 97 and 98 these were only offered as CE's. In 99 and 00 these were only available in LE's. 2001 has seen production drop to only about 1 per week!. So the difficulty in finding one at this point is real. Sorry, but it might just be too late to get a new one. The next model may not have a V6 5 speed at all. That said, I would recommend you check some used car sites like CarMax. If you can find one with low miles you most likely could steal it since the trade/resale is poor. Good Luck. Craig

jodar96 · May 2001

My 96 Camry with 51K miles is running great. On a recent 545 mile trip(with one tank of gas), it got 29.8 mpg at speed of 75-80MPH. I know it can do 30-32 if I drive at 65, but it is very hard to keep the speed down. At one spot, I let it climb to 110. The engine never got loud.

Everytime I see a 92-96 Camry with a single tail pipe, I say to myself these people don't know what they are missing!

The only WINTER complaint with this car(and its soft suspension)is its sliding side to side tendenecy on ice patches on highway. It scares the daylight out of me on icy interstate driving.

The car's dark green paint scartches VERY easy, and it is impossible to remove them.

fdthird · May 2001

A shame, but sometimes when you sell a product that everyone wants you forget how to be a good sales person and dealership.

In the 80's after having 3 Japanese cars (1 Honda and 2 Toyotas)I came back to American cars mainly because of the treatment I'd gotten from area Toyota dealers (3 within about 10 miles in metro NY)and the bull and lies I'd gotten from all three dealing with a problematic vehicle. One even put the car on a grease rack and smashed a ceiling mounted space heater through the windshield and then lied about it too!

My Mom is in year 2 with a 2000 Camry LE and although she loves the car, the dealer service has also turned her off!

As they say on TV, You Are The Weakest Link!

rward99 · May 2001

Nope, that's not the interior of a 2002 Camry.

s852 · May 2001

Yes, I know. I already posted a couple times that it turned out to be some other Japanese Toyota model.

rward99 · May 2001

>Yes, I know. I already posted a couple times that it turned out to be some other Japanese Toyota model

Yes you did... and I was agreeing with you.

jdarcy · May 2001

Why pay more for maintenance and repair at overpriced and frequently arrogant dealerships in the first place? There are so many Camry's on the road that good dependable independent shops are familiar with them.
I had a good experience with Thomasson Toyota in the Portland area on a cash purchase of a 2001 Camry 5sp.( $16,012 hard cold cash with value pkg. upgrade ). It was seamless and only took 30 min. to complete the transaction on the advertised special. I live in the Seattle area, therefore I will use only independent shops for service and repair. A local dealer tried to scam my dad on service for his '86 Camry.

armtdm · May 2001

I have an independent mechanic I trust you will gladly put on genuine Toyota Parts (which I order wholesale from a dealer in MI) for much less then local dealer. Recently did 120,000 miles service, all belts (timing,accessory), thermostat,coolant, water pump (with new, now required bracket, mine is a 92 with 134,000 miles now) platinum plugs, new ignition wires, fuel filter and front valve cover gasket (V6) for parts of $440 plus labor from independent of $400. Dealer wanter $600 just for the labor!!! For certain things the OEM route is the way to go, especially brake pads and water pumps etc.

rward99 · May 2001

As it stands right now, production on the new 2002 Camry is slated for the 3rd week of June. This is about a month ahead of normal schedule.

chrisatwood · May 2001

I recently purchased a 98 Camry LE v4 with only 9200 miles on it from a dealership. The car seems to be in perfect condition inside and out, but I have found that when I have passengers in the back seat the car tends to bottom out when I'm coming out of or going into an underground parking garage. And now my wife tells me that the car also bottoms out exiting her driveway at work when only she is driving it! Is this a common problem with Camrys? What does it take to fix it?

Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

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