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Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

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Comments

  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    It is a splash guard. You can remove it temporarily without hurting the engine; it just keeps water from splashing into the engine compartment in wet weather. I think it's made in two halves -- a left and a right.

    It's held in place mainly with plastic clips which have to be pried off. I believe there's a few small bolts holding it too. You'll likely have to replace one or both halves -- these should be readily available at a Toyota dealer. Plan on buying some replacement clips as well, because these tend to get damaged as you pry them out.

    On a long shot, you might try a salvage yard, but the odds of finding a decent, undamaged one are low.
  • shyguy06shyguy06 Member Posts: 3
    !!

    It happened to me yesterday

    I banged bumper on the side and it had a 6 " dent
    after an hour it is gone!!!
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    The sun heating the plastic can do that!
  • metalibrarianmetalibrarian Member Posts: 29
    They are creating cars that cure themselves...let's see what happens when we have engine or tranny problems...
    just kidding...delray is right...he usually is...see my original story...
  • shyguy06shyguy06 Member Posts: 3
    I know what you are saying

    but in my case
    it was night
    and car was parked inside garage
    at it was 65 degrees! :)
  • updj1updj1 Member Posts: 3
    Just got a Toyota Certified 2005 V6 XLE and noticed two annoying things. First during acceleration I feel a noticable vibration coming thru the gas petal, often around 15-20, 25-30, 35-40 miles per hour. If I park the car and rev the engine I barely feel it if at all. Are these speeds when the car is shifting? Also I noticed that if I take my foot of the brake pedal quickly it snaps back with a thud that can be heard from the back seat. It seems like I can jiggle the brake pedal a bit, too. I don't remember other Toyota brake pedals doing this. I took it to my local Toyota dealer last week and they said everything was within spec and the vibration was caused by the road/tires. I don't buy this at all! Any ideas?
  • updj1updj1 Member Posts: 3
    OK I figured out that the gas pedal vibrations occur specifically when the tachometer is between 1800-2200 RPM. Consistently. And what I meant on the brake pedal is that it seems pretty noisy if you take your foot off it quickly.
  • david2017david2017 Member Posts: 2
    The 2004 camry I have is a lemon, I drive it to work everyday, put 12k mile on it per year. Right after the 3 years, 36 thousand miles, The tires could not pass the virginia safety inspection. The battery went dead on the road on a hot day in the summer 2007 on little river turnpike and could not be jump started. The worst happened yesterday evening that the gas pedal had no response at all. It was tolled to the dealership and I was told that I have to spend over $700 to replace the accelaration pedal assembly. during the year I had to add coolant ... I had a 1999Honda Accord and it did have any problem before 70k miles.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Well, except for the accelerator pedal issue, nothing else is really all that unusual. 36K miles out of a set of tires is a little on the low side, but figure 40-50K mikes on average. Batteries can fail catastrophically -- the original one in my Nissan Frontier blew its caps off at the 5-year mark. (I heard a muffled explosion, with a little smoke coming out from under the hood.) How much coolant did you need to add?
  • david2017david2017 Member Posts: 2
    Toyota Customer Relations pick up the bill of the part this time. I pay for the labor and I appreciate it. Talking about the tire, the life span of 2004 Camry original equiped is 1.6 times the standard. While on the market, most of the tires are normally 4X the standard. the coolant reservior went empty in about a year. I need to check the radiator pressure. I have another 2004 car the coolant is always at the right level for 4 years.
  • updj1updj1 Member Posts: 3
    I took the car in for service a second time for the vibration problem and my local servicer told me they called a Toyota tech at the factory and that the vibration was inherent in some models of this year but there is no fix for it. Hard to believe.
  • tpulaktpulak Member Posts: 44
    I replaced my rear drum pads at 104k miles. I still had no problems with it at that time, but I replaced it any way to be on the safe side. Now my camry is running, with hardly a problem, at 117,00 miles.
  • tpulaktpulak Member Posts: 44
    Compared to other mid sized sedans, the Camry's seats are kind of uncomfortable, mainly because there isn't much thigh support, or back padding, as a result, the Camry is okay to drive for 15 minutes, but when on a vacation, you might have a sore back. ( Same thing happened to me, When we were on a trip to Dallas, all the way to San Francisco, I had a sore back, and actually, because of that, the trip took 3 days longer!) Consider the Accord for more supportive seats. The are very comfortable, in my opinion.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Probably one of the weakest points of Toyotas for years....though I can't understand why.
  • edmund2460edmund2460 Member Posts: 293
    My 03 V6 XLE has about 56K on it. Belts have been replaced and a CV half axle (boots leaked). Early on it had a steering wheel squeal which had to be lubed several times. So I'm a little disappointed that this hasn't been the 'perfect' car that you are told to expect when you go shopping for one...

    My question is about the trans. Right from the beginning I have had a downshift (or is it upshift) jerk. When I slow down and come slowly to almost a stop and then have to accelerate, if I don't press the accelerator very gently, I can experience a jerk. I know if I take it to the shop they won't find a problem because it's not consistent. Has there been any documented problems with this transmission?

    PS: I would agree with the comments about the seats. They do need more comfortable seats. On the other hand compared to our previous Fords the other interior comfort features are above average. The climate control features are great. My wife drives the car and she loves the heating system. On the coldest day the car warms up very fast compared to what we used to drive.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    "..I experience a jerk..."

    Sounds as if you're describing a "form", effect, or maybe partial fix, of the 1-2 second transaxle downshift delay/hesitation. For more details see the Camry TSB issued in the spring of '03.
  • phoenixlnphoenixln Member Posts: 2
    Hi Edmunds Camry Forum members – this is my first post.
    I have a 2003 Camry XLE 4cly, my first Camry that I purchased used at 46k miles certified and I really like it but the heater core just leaked and coolant is all over the driver’s carpet all the way to the back floor. Car now has 62k miles but two months ago at 60k miles I took it to a non-Toyota local shop to get the coolant flushed. I didn’t put two and two together at the time but after that service I noticed a ‘running water’ sound under the driver’s side dash after starting. It would eventually go away. I now know from other posts and forums that the noise was probably air in the heater core. I’m not sure it caused the leak or if it was the green antifreeze they used instead of Toyota red, but when I called for estimates, two local Toyota dealers said that it was very unusual for a Camry with just 62k miles to have this problem. The non-Toyota shop I eventually had the car towed to, which is different then the one who did the flush service, said they had not seen it at that low of mileage either. So the question is did the shop that did the flush cause the problem by leaving air in the lines or by using green antifreeze? This is going to set me back $1,000 and if that’s not bad enough, I’m hoping the carpet can be cleaned enough to not smell antifreeze.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Yes, it is extremely likely that the shop left an air bubble, or two, in the coolant system. But what is more likely the cause of the leak is that they somehow over-pressurized the system and literally "burst" the heater core along one of the seams.

    Or did they maybe replace the radiator cap with a higher pressure, too high, one..??

    PS: My '92 LS400 used the factory original coolant until a few years ago at 100k plus miles when it started appearing a bit murky.
  • edmund2460edmund2460 Member Posts: 293
    If there's a software mod, should I ask for it to be applied? This is not a hesitation,but a distinct jolt. It only happens when I slow down to about 15 mph and then if I apply the accelerator fairly quickly it jolts into the next gear. I had this on another car once and the sales mgr. while checking it out called it a 'positive shift'. It's not consistent and if I take care to accelerate v. slowly and smoothly it won't happen.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    There is definitely a TSB that applies to your Camry.
  • phoenixlnphoenixln Member Posts: 2
    I can’t say what procedure or chemicals were used to flush the system, but given the low mileage and the fact that Camry’s are arguably one of the more reliable cars on the road, I’m leaning towards shop error. Of course, I could be the unlucky one who got the Friday afternoon version of the heater core installed but given the dealer’s response I don’t think it happens very often.

    The flush shop also didn’t give me an option with the green antifreeze. Not that two months and 2k miles using green instead of red would make a difference, but they basically precluded me from making a goodwill appeal to Toyota to possibly go halfers on the cost since we currently own three Toyotas. Once I told the dealer it was green, he said too bad. I’ve also asked the current shop that’s doing the work to save the core so I can inspect it, but my thinking is that I still can’t prove it was shop error. Looks like I’ll have to eat this one.
  • don72315don72315 Member Posts: 7
    Hi, my mom who is getting up in years is needing another car.
    She will never drive it on a highway and lives in a small town.
    We were thinking about a good used camry.
    Here are my questions,, a man in her town has a 98 or 99 camry with 28k miles and wants $8500 for it. When I run the blue book values on it he seems to be asking about 2000$ to much.
    Is there any way this could be a good value??
    My brother thinks it is and I think it isn't.
    Any good reason to pay extra??
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    I'd be very skeptical that a 9- or 10-year-old car would have that little miles on it. It's possible, but not very likely. I wouldn't pay over book unless the car proved exceptional in every way, which means it would have to be throughly checked by an independent mechanic.
  • don72315don72315 Member Posts: 7
    Thank you,
    There were a few things that have made me question the actual miles of this car.
    While I was looking at it I was blabbing about how my wife puts about 50K miles per year on her camrys,, this man told me he used to put that kind of miles on his cars, before he retired.
    I have known people who would disconnect the speedometer/ odometer to conceal the mileage.
    also the tires had been replaced and it looked like they had a fair amount of wear on them.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    IMO - here are your possible scenerios, and your options:

    1) The heater core was defective from the factory that supplied it to Toyota in the beginning, and it was likely to breech soon anyway - the flush may or may not have sped up the process. YOUR OPTIONS?: the car is out of warranty, and the manufacturer has no obligation to guarantee the car forever. Although this is unusual it seems, and not really justified - stuff happens, and they most likely won't, as they don't NEED to step up on this one.

    2) The independent shop did actually damage the core by over pressurizing somehow, and blew out a weak spot that may never have breeched otherwise. One thing for sure is; by switching you from Dexron (pink) coolant to Glycol, you are assured of having Toyota back out of any implied obligation they may have felt, because you had someone other than a Toyota authorized dealership work on the car. All bets are off now, and converting the system from pink to green stuff, is not recommended for a variety of reasons. They did screw you with the dealer by doing this though, at the very least, whether or not they blew out your core, or it just blew out itself. YOUR OPTIONS: If you really want to fight this - ask the dealer to give you some type of documentation relative to the reason Dexron is used as the coolant in the first place, and why it should not be mixed or changed over to Glycol. Then take this to the independent shop and hold them liable for the expense of changing out the core under the premise that had they refilled with Dexron as they should have, the dealer would not have known that an independent shop did the flush, and MAY feel some obligation to help you. But as it is, they are off the hook, and you are screwed. Ask the independent shop to fix the heater core free, or for a substantially reduced price due to their negligence.
    Frankly, why a shop would refil with glycol is beyond me, there is no reason for it. Just lazy, or hate cats. Who knows.

    3) You have no recourse with Toyota now, because their baby was doctored by neanderthals who are color blind - your only recourse is with the independent shop. You could sue in small claims court for damages, being the cost of the core repair. You'll likely win something, if you care to push it to that level. BUT, in the event this falls under a "Stuff Happens" column, ie: We'll never know why it blew, it just blew, and perhaps nobody is to blame, hey, you drive a car that is out of warranty, plan on a few fixes once in a while. If you lease, or always drive a new car under warranty, you don't have these headaches, but you pay a price for it too.
  • phil2246phil2246 Member Posts: 4
    My 2003 steering wheel squeeks when its turned. I guess it needs some oil but where should I spray it?
  • camry2k5camry2k5 Member Posts: 38
    I have an '05 Camry LE. In the morning while I warm up the engine, a strong smell of coolant comes from the exhaust. When it is warm I can't smell it anymore. Is there a leak somewhere? Any inputs, thanks.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Does the fluid level, COLD fluid level, in the reservoir go down day after day..??
  • camry2k5camry2k5 Member Posts: 38
    The fluid reservoir is not in the full level, a little higher than low. I have not done or refilled the coolant. I guess it' about time to drain and replace with the red Toyota coolant but still something tells me the odor is related to a leak somewhere. Thanks.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    Actually, the Toyota red coolant is an extended-life coolant, which is supposed to be good for 5 years or 100K miles. I'd take off the radiator cap (make sure the engine is COLD, first thing in the morning is a good time) to make sure your coolant level isn't dropping.

    It doesn't sound like it is, because the level in the coolant overflow reservoir isn't going down.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    It doesn't take much anti-freeze to result in that sickening-sweet odor. Make a mark on the reservoir with the engine completely cold and then check it in about a week.
  • camry2k5camry2k5 Member Posts: 38
    The coolant is almost at L level. If the life is 5 years so it's just ok to add more of the red coolant and will closely observe how fast it loses it.

    Thanks for your advice. :D
  • donnyrosedonnyrose Member Posts: 11
    I recently took my car into the shop because it was leaking coolant. One and half weeks and $2,600 later here's what happened to me:

    Intake Manifold was leaking
    Head Gasket was leaking
    The head bolts were stripped and needed to be re-threaded!!

    For a bonus, I also got to replace the water pump and a couple of belts.

    Aside from a broken thermometer a few months ago, this is the first problem with my 2003 Camry LE 4 cyl. It has 130,000 miles on it.

    This hurts... where did the quality go...

    Has anyone else had this problem??
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    You're welcome. Just add a little more of the premixed Toyota red solution (50% antifreeze and 50% water) right from the bottle. That's what I've done for both of my Camrys -- they only lose very small amounts of coolant.
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    When you say "thermometer" do you mean the thermostat? If so, did the engine overheat? That may have caused the damage, although I wonder if your mechanic stripped the head bolts.
  • camry2k5camry2k5 Member Posts: 38
    I had just refilled the reservoir up to the Full level. I will observe how fast it loses it. It is a bit high than full due maybe to the high temp coolant that went back to the reservoir. The jug of 50/50 Toyota coolant is so expensive. Got it from the dealer for 24.10 otd.
  • donnyrosedonnyrose Member Posts: 11
    I replaced the thermostat about month before the issue with the intake manifold and head gasket. (The temperature reading should be at the middle once the car is warm, and it was running low for about a day or so when the check engine light went on.)

    The intake manifold/head gasket problem started about 30 days later. The first symptom was that I started to hear "slushing/gurgling" noises when I was accellerating from a stop (most pronounced when going up a hill). In retrospect, this was from a combination of the coloolant leaking and air pockets being introduced into the coolant from the leaking head gasket.

    The car overheated (to just before the "red" line) only once and only for about 1 minute. (It had lost enough coolant for this to happen -- and I accellerating up a steep hill at the time.) When this happened, I also noticed that there was no heat coming in through the vents. I shut off the car immediately. I doubt this small amount of overheating contributed to the problem.

    If the mechanic is to blame for stripping head bolts (which I doubt), that was only $500 of the $2,600 bill.

    By the way, two more interesting things:

    - the leak was pretty slow. I heard the slushing/gurgling for 1 week+ before the coolant was low enough for a serious overheating problem. Also, at first the mechanic only replaced the intake manfiold. For about another week I was monitoring the coolant level. It took about 5 days to go from the "fill line" to the bottom of the reserve. That's when I took it again and replaced the head gasket.

    - the Toyota dealership told my mechanic that he's sold 13 intake manifolds in the past month.

    So my advice: if your 2003 (or similiar year) Camry is leaking coolant, either trade your car in now, check the intake manifold and head gasket, or both.
  • donnyrosedonnyrose Member Posts: 11
    Hi, take a look at my posts for the past couple of days. I had the same symptom and the and the answer was a costly repair including replacing the intake manifold and the head gasket.
  • asi12asi12 Member Posts: 46
    I have 2005, I4 camry. I drive like 5000 miles per year. I have this car for about 3 years and it has now 15000 miles on it.

    How often should I replace cabin air filter and air filter and which brand Toyota or K&N?

    Any suggestions about time intervals for changing coolant and transmission fluids?
  • metalibrarianmetalibrarian Member Posts: 29
    Okay, all-knowing folks...when does one change one's Camry's iridium spark plugs? i've got 56k on my 04. What the deuce is iridium, anyway? Is there an iridium futures market on Wall Street? I jest. But my wife's 98 Windstar has 86k and its platinum plugs are the originals...
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    At least 100K miles, maybe 120K miles -- check your maintenance manual. Iridium is an element and another rare metal, and it's more durable than platinum in spark plug use.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    At 210,000 miles I should probably check the condition of the spark plugs in our '95 LS400.
  • mgranishmgranish Member Posts: 1
    I have a 4 cyl '98 Camry LE, after a hard rain the entire floorboard is soaked (yes, the windows and sunroof were closed). The drain plugs are secure and there are no visible water marks anywhere in the interior except in the upholstery on the floor. We're not talking damp, we're talking puddles. I have not put it up on a lift yet but I get the oil changed about every other month and nobody has said anything about a big hole in the floorboard. I know the leak is not coming from the AC or anywhere around the steering column or pedals, has anybody else experienced this problem?
  • jandrews1jandrews1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi . I just changed my brake pads on my 2000 Camry two days ago. This would be my second time doing this but when I got home today I noticed brake fluid around my tires on both sides. I didnt dispose of any brake fluid like I hear Im suppose to do when I change them. After applying the C clamp to both sides I also noticed that the tank filled up. Im afraid If I keep driving that I will have no brakes ......Can anyone help me?
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    This hurts... where did the quality go...

    What's the deal here generally. Seems like everybody is whining that their car should never break down. It has 130,000 miles of trouble free service on it. It has served you well. Sure, it would be great if it never broke, but lots of variables go into the history of the car, plus, it was nearing the end of its lifespan anyway. If you run a car over 100,000, things may happen.
  • camry2k5camry2k5 Member Posts: 38
    Coolant Level has not changed at this time from the level when I refilled in Feb 18. Thanks there was no major problem but could be just evaporation from the time I bought the Camry in 4/30/05.
  • kaosbigkaosbig Member Posts: 2
    Hi, how are you doing? I don't know if you will get this, or not, but I have been experiencing the "surging" problem with my 2002 Camry SE V-6. I only happens at 40 mph, and only with the cruise control on. Did the cruise have anything to do with the problems you saw? I had it to an independent mechanic I trust and he mentioned the "update" to the ECM that Toyota issued. So, I took it to a Toyota dealer. They told me it was a tire that had a belt shift. I mentioned that would be apparent at more than just one specific speed, with cruise on. He said they would force balance the wheels and go from there. This in spite of the fact I took a copy of the recall, oops, "update" with me. Naturally, I had them do nothing. Note to self, no purchases from there, no service there. Next, took it back to the dealer the car was purchased new from in '02. They said it was a brake caliper. I said again, why only at 40 and only with cruise on. Well, after much debate, and I actually kept my temper, didn't lose it, I convinced them to search for another alternative, since they said the car has had all the updated codes done. I pointed out the car was purchased in April of '02, and the update wasn't issued until August of '02, how could it have been done already. He had some song and dance for me. Anyway, what they think it is now is the air/fuel ratio sensors. Has this been something that will cure the problem, or should I really push for the ECM to be updated based on the notification Toyota sent out?

    I would appreciate any input you have, since you seem to know a lot about the situation.
  • geffengeffen Member Posts: 278
    I'm thinking of buying an 06 Camry with 40K miles on it with the 2.4 engine, are there any issues from the 2006 model year?
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    None that I'm aware of, and I've been very satisfied with my 2004 and 2005 4-cylinder Camrys, which are essentially the same as the 2006 model.
  • andrelaplumeandrelaplume Member Posts: 934
    I have a 2002 Camry with about 66K miles on it. Its oil is changed faithfully four times a year, mostly at a delaer but at times at my local tire shop. I thought I noticed a few times over the past month that when starting in the garage in the morning, blue smoke coming out the back that lasts for a few seconds? Is this normal? Could I have just never noticed it before. The car is still under my platinum warranty. Ideas?
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