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Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

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Comments

  • petlpetl Member Posts: 610
    I remember them well. It's too bad they were discontinued. Always wanted to buy one. I would like a "Toyota" 4WD car or wagon... not an SUV. The Matrix is OK. However, something based on the Camry would be more accommodating.

    There seems to be more interest in this type of vehicle (Mercedes will be offering 4WD in all there vehicles). Toyota offers most if not all of their vehicles in 4WD format in Japan. Some of them are pretty impressive. My favourite is the Caldina. This sports wagon is a beautiful peace of machinery (inside and out). From the pictures it appears to be based on the present Camry. I'm hoping they will bring it North America. No way.. it might cut into Highlander sales (Kluker V in Japan).
  • andrelaplumeandrelaplume Member Posts: 934
    Someone please save me the agony of searching through my manual!

    I have an 02 Camry LE. It seams the passenger door lock will not open all doors in the car...at times...is there a setting for this. Example: I leave the car while I run in to pick up a video. I lock the car behind me since the wife and kids are waiting in there, I throw my keys in my pocket, come back with a video, 2 popcorns and a few drinks, my wife pushes the unlock switch on the her (passenger) side to open my door...nothing happens....?
  • rutger3rutger3 Member Posts: 361
    I have a 99 LE 4 cylinder. Bought it and have it serviced at Muller Toyota in Clinton. Not sure what I will buy next, maybe 'downsize' to a Civic or Corolla. Or maybe an Accord or Mazda6 in midsize just for a change. Thought about the Prius which sounds nice, but they are not easy to get yet, and although the current govenment tax credit to income is about $2000, it still doesn't make up the $4000 difference when compared to the Camry. I think the government should chip in a bit more.
  • onlyimportsonlyimports Member Posts: 29
    Sound interesting! I always thought my Camry 03 SE V6 without VSC and TC is outdated among the new technology in some upscale cars as standard equipment. It always occurs in my mind how long this electronics gizmos will last. Probably now I'll have more piece of mind without them.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Your door locks are not in any way malfunctioning. It is a Toyota design that after the vehicle is turned off, the inside door lock buttons will become inactive after a time. Go ahead and try it with the car running- I'll bet money that you will ALWAYS be able to unlock the door using the passenger button. When you turn the car off, different story. Not sure why Toyota does this, but I remember inquiring about this in my parents 95 Camry, and they said it was NOT a defect, and simply the design.

    ~alpha
  • 93camry193camry1 Member Posts: 1
    I own a 93 camry v6 with automatic transmission and 65,000 original miles. I am the second owner and purchased the car when it had 10,000 miles from an elderly gentleman. I have taken excellent care of it, and it still looks new. I only drive it on weekend trips average 100 miles of hwy driving. I had the trans. serviced at 30,000 miles.Today I took the car in to get trans. serviced and mechanic showed me metal debris and shavings in the trans. pan, and said it would have to be re built, and if I had not seen the shavings and debris for myself I would have never believed it! I was shocked since I take such excellent care of the car ( service,maint,etc..)When I asked for estimate he quoted $2500.00 would be the max,possibly less,and that everything is done on site rebuilding etc..What would cause this problem and has anyone experienced this at such low miles ? Does anyone recommend installing a used transmission at a lower cost. The car still runs excellent,but for how long ?
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Sorry I didnt respond earlier to your post. Glad to hear that your 99 LE has served you well. I have not ever visited Muller Toyota, though I have heard of it. Before you go switching to an Accord or 6, you should definetly give the redesigned Camry a spin.

    We had two 4th generation Camrys- a 97 and an 00 LE 4A, pretty simlarly equipped, both leased, and both did well over the 39,000 miles we had them. Interestingly, our 97 USA built Camry had slightly fewer niggling issues than our 00 Japanese built model. My biggest peeve of this generation is the merely adequate power from the 4. It was fine for most circumstances, but you really needed to dig in with the go pedal for anything substantial, a detriment to fuel economy. The auto transmission did shift well; enough to maximize the power available. The 2002+ 2.4L offers much better response in all situations, especially passing, and our avg. fuel economy is better.

    ~alpha

    PS- Happy Holidays to all!!!
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Im not a big fan of Edmunds comparos, but I'll take a strong finish over a lousy one any day...

    The Camry just finished 3rd in a 10 car family comparison test. The tested model was the SE V6 w/ VSC/Side Airbags, Premium Pkg and a few odds and ends.

    Not a bad finish for a 3 year old vehicle.
    ~alpha
  • danielj6danielj6 Member Posts: 285
    I didn't know that Edmunds just did a comparo test. Where can I find it?
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    You can get to it from the Helpful Links box on the left side of the page.

    :-)
  • danielj6danielj6 Member Posts: 285
    You know, sometimes one looks and doesn't see. It was right there handy and easy to find.

    I also read "A Toyota Camry History" with great interest. I owned a 91 DX nicely equipped which I had purchased new in October 90. People used to come up to me in the street and asked me about the car. Paid $14500 with tax, reg. and lic.

    Best car I've ever owned. Seven years with no mechanical breakdowns whatsoever. It was somewhat underpowered while carrying more than 3 people, especially if the A/C was on. Paint scratched easily. Other than that, no problems.

    It was completely re designed in 1992.
  • beer47beer47 Member Posts: 185
    Anybody seen the Kia Amanti yet?????? I saw one recently and it looked very nice. Compare features and prices and it looks pretty sweet. I do not know how they will hold up but it seems they are like a toyota circa 1995. Good value for a good price. Comments..........
    BTW, Merry Christmas to all.......
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    The Amanti is a good choice if all you care about is features galore. I'd rather have a similarly priced Accord or Camry V6. The Amanti is bizarre looking to my eyes, and the interior is a CARBON COPY of the current generation Avalon. Not very original. The Amanti will be tested in an upcoming issue of CR, against the Saab 9-5, Acura TL, and Lexus ES330. I expect it to list for 5-9 grand less than those vehicles, but if this company wants to run with the big boys, then its going to have to prove its worth.

    ~alpha
  • danielj6danielj6 Member Posts: 285
    We'll have to wait and see how well this new Kia holds up over time. About 2 years should be sufficient time to prove dependability.

    I can just see CR's evaluation giving promise to the Amanti but kudos to Avalon. Kia, like Hyundai, do not keep value well. The Amanti may be as good as or better than the Sonata (different cars) but with all the rebates and terrific warranties, they don't compare to Camry/Avalon.

    In other words,we all know that Kia will have to labor long and hard to beat Toyota or Honda at their own game. I'm stating the obvious.
  • danielj6danielj6 Member Posts: 285
    I found Edmunds' test of 10 family sedans interesting, informative and an eye opener. There were surprises about the Sonata not being in the first 5, the Camry attaining only a bronze medal, Altima out of the best 3. The Mazda 6 in second place???? Interesting how low the Chevy scored! But the Passat in 5th place?
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Attaining only a bronze medal? Its in its 3rd model year, and not a drivers oriented machine as are the typical favorites of the automotive press. A very good showing, if you ask me. And for as much as the dumb Edmunds.com editors whine about the price of the Camry SE V6 being second only to the Passat, it was a whopping 4 GRAND less than the Passat, and the Altima 3.5SE would have been MORE EXPENSIVE than the Camry had it been similarly equipped with ABS, Side Curtains/Airbags, and Traction control....

    I really dont respect the edmunds.com test teams, and even the writing itself is much less compelling than that, for example, in Car and Driver. Still, as I said before, I'd prefer a strong showing to a weak one anyday.

    ~alpha
  • drmpdrmp Member Posts: 187
    I am comparing it to camry. If it is longer, would it fit into the camry? I wish they have the same seat rails since I find the camry's seat to be short and doesn't have enough thigh support. I remember sitting into a solara and elt more comfortable with good thigh support, but I need four doors. Toyota please listen up. Why is it so hard to have a long seat bottom like the prevous generation camry, or the current maxima, galant, mazda6, passat? I hope it's not one of the cost cutting measures.
  • petlpetl Member Posts: 610
    Actually the seat cushion is longer than in the 2 previous generation Camrys. They aren't as long as my 1986 but are longer than what was in my 1994. You can't beat the ones they had in Gens 1 and 2. The Solara does appear to have longer seat cushions. Heck even our Matrix has longer ones (so did our RAV). Go figure.
  • flyingcarpetflyingcarpet Member Posts: 3
    Has anyone test driven the LE V6 versus the 4 Cylinder? I've heard there's not a big difference and it's not worth the money to upgrade. Any opinions out there?
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    There is most certainly a difference. The LE and XLE Camry V6s offer 53 more horsepower and 58 foot pounds more torque, mated to a 5 speed automatic transmission, hit 60 MPH in the high 7s, while the 157hp 4 cyl needs about 9.2 seconds for the same task. The SE V6 is faster still, as its 3.3L is larger than the 3.0L in the LE and XLE V6 models.

    Don't get me wrong. The 4 is VERY peppy and offers an outstanding blend of performance/fuel economy- ours averages about 27/28 MPG depeneding on who in my family drives it, and where.

    You should test drive the two and make your own judgement as to whether or not the added zip and refinment of the 2 V6s are worth their premium in cost and fuel over the 4. All are excellent engines.

    ~alpha
  • dougb10dougb10 Member Posts: 185
    Drive and buy what you like. I have a 4 cylinder '03 XLE and it does the job very well. Lots of power to merge and pass, with outstanding fuel economy to boot. The extra cost for the 6 cylinder was just not worth it for me. All three engines are superb in my opinion, and you could not make a wrong choice. What finally sold me on the 4 cylinder, was the change by Toyota from a timing belt to a timing chain. I intend to keep this car for a long time and maintenance costs are very reasonable.
    The Camry may be boring to some, but I still have a grin on my face every time I drive it. Based on 11 months of ownership, this car has been absolutely flawless.
    Doug
  • jbolltjbollt Member Posts: 736
    We have a 2003 Camry SE 4cyl, which we have put 12,000 trouble free miles on in the last 10 months. We also drove both the 3.0 V6 and the 4 cly, and decided that the 4 was the obvious winner, in terms of purchase cost, and ownership costs, and INSURANCE costs. The 6 cyl would have been more expensive to insure, at least for us. The 4 cyl has more than enough power. The SE actually comes equiped much better than the LE, and includes some features not available on the LE, such as the sport suspension, and leather wraped steering wheel and shifter lever. All in all, a very fine automobile.

    We do have a 2003 Highlander with the V6. A decision not based on the power, but on potential low resale values on a 4cyl in this class of vehicle.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Excellent choices. However, I am truly glad that you opted for the V6 in the HL. The Camry's 2.4L engine, which is peppy and fuel efficient pulling 3100 lbs, feels MUCH different when its burdened by an additional 600-800 lbs. of SUV, and thats WITHOUT a load. Personally, I'd like to see the 2.4L option disappear on the HL, at least on the AWD models.

    Also, are you aware that for 2004, the SE V6 Camry now has the 3.3L 225hp and 240 lb. ft. engine that first debuted in the Lexus RX/Toyota Sienna? The 2004 HL also uses this engine, and here, it produces 230hp and 242 lb. ft. Just for your information...

    ~alpha

    PS- Where/from which dealer did you purchase your Camry SE 4A, which color and which options did you choose?
  • jbolltjbollt Member Posts: 736
    We bought our SE From Longo Toyota, in El Monte, CA...got price over internet, and it was a VERY good price, and the deal was one of the easiest and stressless car deals we have ever done, and we have done alot. Moon roof and power Driver's seat had become standard, by the time we bought, so we added 16 inch alloy wheels, and tires (of course) (Michelin), ABS, rear spoiler, and carpet/cargo mat set. Another of the big benefits of the SE vs LE, is 4 wheel disc brakes are standard, and not available on the LE. Added bonus, is the car is a partial zero emmissions vehicle, so the emmissions controls are extra special, and warranted by Toyota (IIRC) for 15 years. The car is Catalina Blue, with Taupe interior. This was our first choice of colors, as we felt the charcoal interior was too dark. This has a nice 2 tone look, Charcoal on the dash and door panel tops, and taupe on lower and seats. Very nice with the Brushed aluminum look guages and dash trim. The only item I miss, is the upgraded radio CD (would have liked a 6 disc changer), but it eveidently wasn't available in this zone. The car was produced in the good 'ole USA at the Georgetown KY plant. Oh, and I miss the auto on/off headlights of the previous generation Camry. Even the Corollas have them...Oh well..great car anyway!
  • masspectormasspector Member Posts: 509
    Listen to what he says, he knows his stuff, but I disagree that there is a noticable difference in the 4 cyl and 3.0 v6. I test drove both in May 03. I do mostly city driving on back streets. I saw no noticable difference in the short test drives that I took. And this was coming off a 96 v6 sable. If you have different driving habits you may see more of a difference. The 3.3 in the 04 se should show a big difference, but I have not driven one.

    alpha--any info on a HL update? will it be 05?

    doug--took the words right out of my mouth. he said exactly what I would have said. I love my 03 xle 4 cyl every time I get in it.

    jbolt--Order man, order! You said "The only item I miss, is the upgraded radio CD (would have liked a 6 disc changer), but it evidently wasn't available in this zone." You would think with the abundance of camry's out there you could find one you liked. I was just like you, I could not find exactly what i wanted so I ordered a car. I am almost positive that i have the only 03 camry xle 4 cyl that was originally sold in the SE with premium pkg HU and heated seats, side airbags, and floor mats only, LOL.

    I also miss the auto headlights in my sable. The camry has auto off headlights. If you leave the headlights turned on, will they come back on when you start the car the next time? this seems like a big drain on the battery if that is the case, so I turn mine off and on when I need them. FYI, auto on/off headlights is a feature in canadian camry's. Wonder why they did not make them std on US models. If you look in your owners manual you will see the auto on/off headlight stalk described. I was thinking of asking my dealer if they could install it in my camry. Anyone tried this or had it done?
  • armtdmarmtdm Member Posts: 2,057
    Okay, the engine and transmission runs fine yet you are being asked to have a tranny rebuild based upon metal shavings in the tranny pan.

    This is the classic rip off. Guess what, shavings are normal around the magnetic plug, perfectly normal. Is fluid burnt, smell burnt if no and operates fine then I would say this shop you went to borders on fraud. If you are concerned get a second opinion.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Glad to see you're still enjoying your XLE. I think one of the things that is central as to why you didnt feel a big difference with the 3.0L V6 is the somewhat agressive throttle tip in of the 2.4L, and your short drives in the 3.0 V6. The difference from the 2.4L to the 3.0 is most readily apparent in passing manuvers, IMO. As I said, the 2.4L was plenty fine for my parents, who are impressed by the cars overall refinement, ride, and impressive efficiency.

    In any case, I could have sworn that XLE Camrys in the USA came with auto on/off headlights, in fact, I am almost positive I remember our dealer told us the only Camrys of the new generation so equipped were the XLEs. Oh well, just goes to show that one cannot know everything.....

    :)

    Happy Motoring, and New Year...
    ~alpha

    PS- the Highlander has been updated with new available features and MINUTE styling changes for this, the 04 Model Year. A third row seat is now available, as are two row side curtain airbags with front seat mounted chest airbags. As I mentioned, the V6 is now exclusively the 3.3L. A full redesign should appear in fall 2005 for the 2006 model year.
  • canoe2canoe2 Member Posts: 128
    If you do a lot driving in city with light load, flat surface then I would pick 4 cyl for fuel economy. If you do a lot driving on highway with heavy load then V6 is prefered choice for passing quietness.
    For all V6's came with 4 disc brake, ABS and aluminum rims as standard (in Canada). You can not get 4 disc brake with LE 4cyl.
  • 94supra94supra Member Posts: 32
    The biggest single difference will be passing performance on a 2 lane road. The 4 does just fine around town or as an interstate cruiser. The 6 really, really helps when passing on a 2 lane road with a loaded car or in other situations where a burst of power is needed at speeds above 50. Acceleration can be as useful for accident avoidance as breaking. The new 3.3 in the SE should be even better if it doesn't suffer from any of the tranny issues under constant discussion on the ES boards.
  • andrelaplumeandrelaplume Member Posts: 934
    I have an 02 4 cylinder automatic LE. With two kids in the back, a wife in the front, on the highway and with the AC on I have had no problem passing when necesary. If you are looking for a race car may I suggest the Solara, if you want to play the part you might as well look it too.

    As far as fo the 6 being more quiet...temper the cars quietness with the fact that if you have the ultra quiet Conti tires your super quiet Camry will get noiser anyway when you replace those tractionless death traps with a decent gripping set of tires.

    I say go with the four and save on gas or get something that at least looks sportier!

    GOOD LUCK!
  • masspectormasspector Member Posts: 509
    These two excerpts are taken from toyota's canadian and US websites. The top is the canadian one, the US is the lower set of the two.

    S = Standard
    O = Part of Option Package
    A = Available as an Accessory
    N/A = Not Available LE LE V6 XLE XLE V6 SE SE V6
    EXTERIOR
    Aluminum Alloy Wheels N/A S S S S S
    Full Wheel Covers S N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
    Headlamps
    Aerodynamic Multi-Reflector Halogen
    Automatic Headlamp Control System

    LE Limited Edition SE XLE
    Aerodynamic multi-reflector halogen headlamps S S - S
    Aerodynamic multi-reflector halogen headlamps with blackout sport trim - - S -
    Daytime Running Lights (DRL) with auto-off feature S S S S
  • canoe2canoe2 Member Posts: 128
    I agreed with 94supra regarding the superior passing on 2 lane road (50ft truck!) with V6. There is only less than 10% saving on gas with 4cyl but remember that 4cyl is prone to vibration when after 60K
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    "Prone to vibration after 60K"? Says who? Maintain it, and it should be as efficient and run as smoothly for a a LONG period of time.

    You have 60K on the Toyota 2.4L that was introduce in the USA in Sept. 01? Now thats impressive milage.

    Like I said, either of the V6s are the choice if passing on two lane roads is paramount. Both are marginally smoother than the 4, but there is a clear economy trade off... the Camry is rated by the EPA at:

    23/32 2.4L 4 auto
    20/28 3.0L 5 auto
    20/29 3.3L 5 auto

    ~alpha
  • nw1997nw1997 Member Posts: 227
    I see were back on the discussion of 4 vs. 6. I have to agree with canoe2, the 4s do vibrate after a certain milage and 60,000 mark seems about right. My brother-in-law owns a 94 camry LE 4cycl, with abouth 90,000 miles and it vibrates significantly, he uses super unleaded gas and the vehicle is well maintained, but due to mostly city miles the compression is not as high as it would be if it was a 6 cycl. My uncle on the other hand owns an 84 Supra with about 750,000 miles. Put the car in drive and not one slight vibration. The 6's have some advantages than 4's and vice-versa. Alpha01, look at the Honda forum, I have just recently read several complaints on the 4 cycl 03 Accords, that they vibrate noticiably. My personal opinion, I would never go back to a 4cycl vehicle, the gas differences is not significant enough to have a four, unless it is a hybrid. Even so, manuf. will soon have 6 cycl hybrids.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    and I can tell you from driving a few of the current gen. Accord, that the 4s do vibrate more noticeabley than the Accord V6, as well as moreso than the Camry 4. I'm not really seeing your point, as the debate ongoing is the Camry 4 vs. the Camry V6s, so what does the Accord 4 matter?

    Additionally, the current Camry does NOT use the same engine as the one in your brother-in-laws 94 model, whose 2.2L 4, even when brand new, would not have been as smooth and refined as the newer 2.4L engine (which is NOT related to the old iron block 2.2 I just mentioned).

    Finally, the 84 Supra did NOT use a V6, but rather a straight six, and those engines are among THE MOST smooth available, used up until very recently in Mercedes Benz models, and still used in BMWs. So thats an invalid comparison as well, because straight sixes are inherently some of the smoothest engines available due to design, and a straight six is not an option in ANY Camcord.

    Just food for thought.
    ~alpha

    PS-Happy New Year! ( I hope everyone realizes that we are truly lucky to live on a continent where we can debate such minute details...)
  • profksprofks Member Posts: 12
    Andrelaplume:

    I have nearly 1,500 miles on the BF Goodrich Traction TAs and am enjoying them very much. With respect to the noise that you mention, I can only assume that the OEM Continental tires were whisper quiet, because the TAs still seem extremely quiet to me. My basis for comparison was the set of Michelins that were on the 03 Accord EX-V6 that I sold prior to picking up the 99 Camry LE. Now, part of the difference might be in the additional undercarriage sound deadening on the Camry, but even on a noisy stretch of the bypass that runs through town, the TAs seem much quieter.

    I do not want to put any Contis on for comparison purposes given your reports on their traction problems.
  • canoe2canoe2 Member Posts: 128
    Based on my experience on 89 Corolla and 95 Camry (4cyl), the vibrations are noticed at idle. The steering wheel is felt like electric palm sander. For the Camry, the dealer checked timing, changed engine mounts ... but they could not fix the problem. My theory was, when the engine had high mileage, the compression on each cylinder would not the same. The unbalance would cause vibration. If you have unbalance compression in 4 cyl engine vs. V6 engine, the 4 cyl would be more noticeable. Try on your car, remove one wire of spark plug!

    For the latest fuel economy can be found at
    http://pressroom.toyota.com/photo_library/display_release.html?id- =2004camry_s

    EPA ESTIMATED FUEL ECONOMY (mpg)
     
    5M 24/33
    4ECT-i 23/32
     
    5ECT-i 3.0-liter 21/29
    5ECT-I 3.3-liter 20/29
  • 2003sev62003sev6 Member Posts: 44
    I chose the V6 out of personal preference and the fact that the engine is pretty efficient for a V6 but don't let anyone tell you that you made a mistake buying the Camry with the 4 cylinder. This engine is smoother and feels as powerful as some V6's on the market today.
  • masspectormasspector Member Posts: 509
    I agree. Not sure how my car will perform at 60K but the main reason i went for the 4 over the 6 was the 3K price difference. I saw no performance difference in the engines, based on my driving habits. So it seemed like a waste of 3K. My 4 cyl xle has been just fine.
  • rmanuel1rmanuel1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 Camry. I have noticed that sometimes when you try to open the rear driver's side door from the outside the handle will extend all the way out, but the door will not open. On the second try it will normally unlatches the door. All suggestions would be appreciated.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    Thanks for the correction regarding fuel economy- I was basing my numbers off the 2004 Toyota Camry brouchure. I am wondering the reason for the change, and when the new figures were released.

    I understand and respect your points regarding the 4 cylinder engine, and I agree that inherently, 4s are more prone to vibration than V6s. HOWEVER, my point is the the current 2.4L in the Camry is perhaps the smoothest 4 cyl on the market, and your experience with an 89 1.6L and a 95 2.2L are NOT indicative of how the 2004 Camry 2.4L will behave post 60,000 miles.

    ~alpha
  • canoe2canoe2 Member Posts: 128
    The number 20/28 V6's mileage was for 2002 Camry with 192hp non-vvti. The 5sp and vvti helped in fuel economy number. If you look the number for ES300 2003 which has the same engine and transmission with the Camry, it should have about 21/29.
    For 2002 4cyl Camry, Toyota introduced balance shaft in this engine for reducing vibration. So the vibration may not happen in here (compared to 89 Corolla or 95 Camry).
  • canoe2canoe2 Member Posts: 128
    If the shield rubber caused sticky door, then use lubricant silicon on rubber. If mechanical latch does not release properly, try to use WD40 on moving parts.
    Hope this helps.
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    As I said, I based the 20/28 number on the 2004 Camry brochure which I received in Sept. 2003. I'm now guessing that must have been a carryover error, as I did notice that both the Avalon and the 02-03 ES300 had the 21/29 rating. Hopefully, the error will be fixed in the newer publishings of the brochure. (Its interesting that Toyota doesnt pay attention to detail in their brochures.... I've found numerous errors in others as well for this year... such as the Highlander's 3.3L shown as producing the correct hp & torque, but at the RPMs of the old 3.0L unit....)

    ~alpha
  • matrix6matrix6 Member Posts: 3
    HI
    I have a new 2003 toyota camry aspen green. It seems that clearcoat don't repel water and when the car is wet like in the morning or when it rains the water just embeds it self in the paint. Do you think Toyota should cover this under warranty and also is it wise to get it rotary buff.
  • garmrothngarmrothn Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a 2002 XLE in April 2002 and have regretted it since. I discovered this discussion in March 2003 after driving in my first winter with a car that won't shift at around 30-35 MPH (2nd to 3rd I assume). The only explanation from the dealership was to let the car warm up. I live in SC where it doesn't get extremely cold. I still find it difficult to believe that I need to let a car warm up before it will drive smoothly. Now it has gotten worse and will do the same thing in 70 degree weather. Between 35 to 40 MPH it won't shift and the RPMs are at 3.

    Other problems:
    (2) "Cold Shift Shock" - will give you whiplash when shifting from reverse to drive,
    (3) Odor problems - occasionally will smell like rotten eggs,
    (4) Rolls backwards - if stopped on an incline the car will roll backwards unless you accelerate quickly,
    (5) Clunking noise - when accelerating, something sounds like it has rolled to the back of the car (no - nothing is in the trunk!)
    (6) Rattles, rattles, rattles - depends on the day and the time, but everything has rattled on this car

    I got sick of dealing with a dealership that kept telling me the car was "normal". A few months ago with only 26,000 miles I tried to trade it and could only get $14,500 on a trade-in. Talk about sickening! The car rides good but is NOT worth the money. No doubt if I can ever get rid of it - it is my last.

    Has anyone seen any solutions to these problems - especially the transmission problem??
  • edmund2460edmund2460 Member Posts: 293
    My 03 V5 XLE has about 10K on the odo. I have had about 4 occasions in the past 6 months when I have smelled the odor of rotten eggs (Hydrogen sulfide I believe). If my memory serves they happened mostly before the engine got to norm. operating temps. Any one else with this experience? Could this lead to catalytic converter damage if it happens more often? Is there a potential problem here? I have never had this with any other car I've owned. Thanks
  • edmund2460edmund2460 Member Posts: 293
    Oops my earlier post should have said V6 XLE!!

    After I posted my earlier message I read your post and see you have the same problem with the rotten egg smell. DId you take this up with the dealership and how often did it happen. About the trans, there is a slight jerk in situations when you slow down and speed up again from 2-3 or maybe it is 1-2. I think there was some documenation about the 5 spd. Trans which is what I have not being as smooth as the 4 spd.
  • 2003sev62003sev6 Member Posts: 44
    I'm not sure about your rattles but the transmission issue that you talk about, I believe is a normal condition although the only way I could know is to drive your car to see if it is the same as mine. My owners manual makes mention to this situation that I experience and it only occurs when the car has sat for a long time such as over night. I also had this condition on my 1999 XLE V6.
  • petlpetl Member Posts: 610
    1) Transmission problem - This is normal. The transmission has to warm-up (even in warm climates). Something about an oil sensor reaching a certain temperature before the overdrive kicks in. It's actually a protection to prevent damaging the transmission. If the vehicle has sat over night, it is a good idea to let it warm up a few seconds before driving off. This allows the transmission and motor oils time to reach all the vital parts (cars are expensive and so are the associated repairs).

    2) "Cold Shift Shock" - will give you whiplash when shifting from reverse to drive, - The vehicle should come to a complete stop before shifting to drive from reverse. It's a good way to damage the transmission if you don't. I wonder if this relates to #1?

    (3) Odor problems - occasionally will smell like rotten eggs, - My 2002 XLE doesn't have it.

    (4) Rolls backwards - if stopped on an incline the car will roll backwards unless you accelerate quickly, - Normal

    (5) Clunking noise - when accelerating, something sounds like it has rolled to the back of the car (no - nothing is in the trunk!) - Don't have a clue.

    (6) Rattles, rattles, rattles - depends on the day and the time, but everything has rattled on this car - Have an occasional rattle in the windshield area which goes away when the car warms up. All that rattling sounds like my uncle's old truck when we use to take it out in the back country roads that had many potholes (never tried to avoid them).
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