Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

herbiedog

I recently purchased a new Camry. I know many of you will say I threw away my money but I also had the extra features done to the car. I had undercoating, fabric protection and paint protection done. My question is to anyone who also had any or all of these things done. The dealership gave me absolutely nothing that indicated that these services were done and what the protection covered and for how long. They said it was on the bill to show that I paid for it but that's it. Is this normal or did you get some material, certificates etc.

cliffy1

The paint and interior are hard to detect, but the undercoating is easy. Touch the underside of your wheel well. If you feel a tacky, tar like compound, it has been undercoated. If it hasn't, you can assume they skipped the other parts as well. BTW, I don't think this stuff is necessarily a bad thing to get, especially if you get warranties with them. The warranty should be in writing and generally is sent in the mail several weeks after application.

hallage

How's the quality of the leather seats that SE Toyota
provides vs Toyota. I assume they are different quality because they have it done themselves.

maxamillion1

Those factory alloy wheels look VERY nice for the Camry LE, much better than those found on almost all the Camry LEs in the SE region. How much do they retail for Cliffy? They really looked good on a Desert Sand LE with mudguards I saw today at BI-LO, not as good as the Altima, but good non the less.

alpha01

The ones that come as standard on the LE V6 (in the Northeast) and are allegedly available on the LE 4cylinder are the Beveled 5-spoke alloys, which to me look somewhat like the PREVIOUS generation Altima GLE alloys. Which alloys are the ones that are found on almost all LEs in the SE region? Ours are the Split 5 spoke alloys, and I like them better than the Beveled, which can be ordered as factory equp on LE 4s. (The Split are dealer installed).
~alpha

maxamillion1

I like those better than the Enkei(Sp?) that are used in the SE region. Cliffy, I have to really say that I am sorry about the bad wrap the SE region has been receiving,(from me) I just found a dealer in my area, who is selling the Camry at least BELOW invoice, and that's with tacked on options. Dick Dyer of Columbia, S.C.
I have to drive down there one afternoon.

Alpha,
Now, that I think about it, those alloy wheels do looks similar to those found on the previous generation altima (2000-2001). I still like those better than those ugly Enkei(Sp?) wheels, but that's just my opinion. Nothing ment by it or anything. Also, do any of the cars up in PA have accessories like splash guards, sunroof visors, etc. When I was in NYC, Baltimore, D.C., and Buffalo, NY last year, non of the Toyotas I saw had any exterior accessories. I at least want mudguards, I think they look nice for some odd reason.

alpha01

Max- I'm sure you'd be able to get accessories such as mudgaurds- thats why they are called accessories. They are easy for the dealer to install, and it is my impression that if your dealer doesnt have the accessory you want, they can obtain it fairly easily for you. I still don't know what you mean by Enkei wheels (I have heard of Enkei, of course, but am not sure which style they are on the Camry, since all the factory and accessory wheels have the Toyota logo on them). I think my favorite alloy for the Camry is the 16 in std. on the XLE V6 and opt. on the XLE.
~alpha

sandra16

I am looking at a 2001 Camry (low miles) at a Toyota dealer in NC. It is a Toyota Certified Used Vehicle. I am interested in extending the TCUV with the VSA. I asked the price and was told by the sales manager that he would include this with the cost of the vehicle. I need to know the cost (asked several times) so I can better negotiate the deal.

The salesman let it slip that business was very slow at this dealer right now. The car is priced a decent amount under Kelly Blue Book value and drove well. I tried calling Toyota to get price, but NC is under Southeast Toyota. The people administering the plan for my region were unable to provide either the cost of the plan to me or the cost of the plan to the dealer. Any advice? Thanks.

cliffy1

I've never seen the SE leather. Perhaps a person in that area could comment.

cliffy1

I'm not positive I understand your question. Certified cars have the 6/100K powertrain warranty. In order to "certify" the car with Toyota, the dealer pays something like $340. That includes the warranty, roadside assistance and qualifies it for new car finance rates.

Are you thinking about asking them to discount the $340 and not certify it? That can only be done if the dealer hasn't already done it. Some dealers certify the cars only when they are sold while others certify their whole inventory as they check them in.

BTW, I am not positive on the $340 figure, but that it what it was the last time I checked last year. It should be close though.

bklynguy

I'm interested in buying an XLE V6. Can I have HIDs installed ( the same as those found on the ES300 ) ?

doogiehowser

Hi Cliffy1,

Sandra16 and I are buying the Camry together. She is referring to the additional warranty you can buy for a Toyota Certified Used Vehicle that goes beyond the 6/100K powertrain warranty.

To help clarify, I copied this from the Toyota website:

"Toyota Certified VSA enhances your Toyota Certified Limited Powertrain Warranty by covering even more key components.Coverage is for six years or 100,000 total miles* (whichever occurs first) and is honored at any participating Toyota dealership throughout the U.S. and Canada.

If you're looking for peace of mind and lasting, cost-effective protection for your vehicle, look into a Toyota Certified Vehicle Service Agreement. Whether you plan to buy or lease, the cost of a VSA may be included as part of your overall finance contract and is available through your Toyota dealer only at the time of TCUV purchase. For more information about Toyota
Certified VSAs or any of the other valuable programs we have to offer, call 1-800-GO-TOYOTA or visit your local Toyota dealer."

How much should this additional Warranty cost?

If you could help us further, I would appreciate it. We were quoted $15,800.00 including this additional warranty for a 2001 LE with 15,500 miles, all standard features, and options of ABS, and Gold Emblems. Does this seem like an okay price?

We really appreciate your help.

cliffy1

That is called the "wrap" warranty. I'll give you some tips on this but I've got to warn you that I am a new car F&I guy and don't have a huge amount of experience with the used car processes.

First things first. If the warranty the dealer is offering is the TCUV wrap, the retail price is $850. It is *very* rare that this is discounted and many stores actually mark up that price.

Next, you need to consider other warranty options. The wrap has great coverage for cars that have already exceeded the 3/36K basic warranty. The car you are looking at however still qualifies for a new car warranty. The wrap is equivalent to the "Gold" level coverage which does not cover things like the CD player, thermostat, ignition wiring and a bunch of other stuff. What I am getting at is that you can buy the Platinum warranty that has been discussed here recently. For a 7/100K warranty, retail price is $1425 and you can scroll back a few posts to see what others have bought them for.

The next thing to think about is where you live. If I remember correctly, you guys are in the Carolinas. Those dealerships do not use Toyota for extended warranties other than for the TCUV program. You can also scroll back and see some of my warnings about aftermarket warranties.

I hope this helps.

tiger8

With xenons, the Camry XLE V-6 is virtually a Lexus ES300. Can aftermarket xenons be installed? Or will Toyota add them for '03? Maxima's already got them. They're filtering down from luxury to near-luxury to.. what have you, just like almost everything else.

dardson1

around about 1992 or 3 Toyota moved from the old square Camry to a beautifully sculpted round and smooth vehicle. For reasons I do not understand, Toyota dulled that cool, smooth, and round profile into a fairly boring-looking vehicle by the end of it's life cycle by re-squaring the body. We now have the new Camry. Thanks to Toyota's desire to raise the belt-line across the board the 02 Camry looks overweight. The utterly smooth, form follows function Camry of the mid 90's has turned into an overweight-looking vehicle with styling decisions that have absolutely nothing to do with function. It looks like it's trying too hard IMHO.

alpha01

But as a driver of a 2002, I can tell you that the new model is "descript" where as the previous cars were plain vanilla. I'd happily accept criticism (like yours, dardson) over the styling than get no reaction at all. Keep in mind, styling is delicate line with a car intended to sell as well as the Camry does. In my opinion, the car looks great in darker colors (and with stock alloys..of any type), but it does take on a bloated shape in lighter colors, which seem to exacerbate the surface area of some of the side panels. The front end styling is much improved and far different than in past years, and the high beltline, though in your opinion undesirable, contributes to a very solid, secure feeling inside the car. The Camry isnt out to break a styling mold, but this was is a much more dapper redesign than the 97, or even the 92, IMO... though the 92-96s have worn their age well, as far as family cars go. As with any car, the styling is not for everyone, but I think it its a classy shape overall that again will wear well.
~alpha

8u6hfd

It's possible (www.autolamps-online.com)

it's not quite legal, and the peformance may not be similar to the OEM HID's on the ES300

badgerfan

Am I getting a biased view by reading these postings that a lot of Camry buyers add some sort of extended warranty when purchasing their new vehicles? Is this really necessary, given the supposed much better than average reliability that Toyota's have?

I myself have never believed in extended warranties, feeling I would be much better off saving the cost of the extended warranty and using that money for any needed future repairs after the manufacturer's base warranty expires, which may not come up. My experience has been in general to be positive following this approach.

armtdm

Dealers are using the approach that the electronics in new cars are so complex and extremely expensive ($1,000 computer chips etc) that they are selling a ton of warranties. Plus, the ole Toyota sludge issue in my opinion has not been resolved as to a true cause. So, is it worth a warranty?/

I say no but I maintain my cars well and I won't purchase another Toyota. Have never had an extended warranty to date. Even if you have one, will they pay off?

badgerfan

If you look at the reliability of almost all new cars these days compared to the past, they are much better despite the increased complexity. Plus, routine maintenance costs should be pretty minimal too, compared to the past. For instance, tuneup requirements are almost obsolete.

So, in my mind, the biggest advantage of extended warranties is to the dealer, who gets to make money on the warranty by instilling the fears of the customer about complexity of the new vehicle.

george00

I fully agree that extended warranties are rarely worthwhile. I bought one years ago for a Mercury Marquis. The car was plenty of trouble, all right, but the warranty was a real pain in the neck to use - and in the end, I found that I had just about broken even (admittedly, that was a dealer warranty, not a Ford warranty, which probably added lots to the hassle factor). My dealer for my new Camry also gave me the bit about complexity and computers and even told me that the Camry is particularly prone to damage - after the sales people had been telling me how the Camry was the most trouble-free car on the market. I didn't buy any warranty and I don't feel I made a mistake.

hallage

ever get your driver's seat fixed to your satisfaction? do a lot of others on this board complain about their's? I tried to find, but it's too hard to search this board. I'm concerned about it. I guess I should rent the car before I buy.

george00

Well, the last of the 3 auto upholsterers I went to did improve the seat, but it's still far from ideal. In fact, I'm expecting 3 (no kidding) seat cushions from AutoBarn tomorrow and hope one of them will do it for me.

But otherwise the car's been great - smooth, quiet, responsive, excellent A/C (it was 106 here today, so that's critical), transmission so smooth I'm unaware of the changing of gears unless I'm pushing it to merge onto the highway near my home where the speed limit is 65 mph and most cars are going faster. I also have no idea what car I would look at for a better seat: I had been thinking about the Crown Victoria, but yet another Arizona cop was burned to death in one last week in a low-speed city accident - the Phoenix police department is canceling a $4 million order for CVs and is going to retrofit the ones they already have with a better gas tank (or gas tank cover) like the ones they use in NASCAR races. So if I were starting over, I'd probably still buy a Camry, though I would look at the Solara, which one poster here said was more comfortable.

Finally, should you rent before you buy? Absolutely - I sure wish I had.

exhausttip

If you own a 4-cylinder 2002 CAMRY and have run it for several months, you'd better check the inner side of the exhaust tip. More likely you'll find the coat is eroded. I have found this happened on several other CAMRY 4 cylinders as well as mine. I took the car to the dealership today. The service rep assured me the coat eroded is only a protective coat and nothing's wrong. Can I believe the service rep?

mpyne

i cant believe the dealer told you the camry was prone to damage? i would have told him if the car is so prone to damage why should i buy it then??
man what salesmanship,

mimi919

I just thought I would give my opionion on the extended warranty.
My (02)Camry Solara is 5 weeks old and I had to replace the electric control assembly for my climate control a/c...dealer listed the defect as control assembly has internal open...and by looking at the repair invoice I had to sign it appeared that repair was billed at approx. $500.00 dollars.
The cost of that repair alone was more then half the cost of my 100,000 mile Platinum 0 deductable extended warranty.(I realize that repair would have been covered under the bumper to bumper warranty but it could have just as easily gone bad after the mfg. warranty.
I feel that the warranty becomes more valuable for some then others based on this...lets say you bought an (01)stripped Camry CE with manual windows and seats,no keyless entry or sunroof and a standard transmission for approx.$18,000 dollars ...well the extended warranty will in no way be as cost effective for you verses the buyer of a (02)Camry XLE with dual power seats,keyless entry,sunroof,climate control a/c,anti lock brakes and traction control,4 power windows,ect,ect,ect...at a cost of almost $30,000 dollars...and the warranty costs the same for both Camry's.
So in my opionion the more toy's you have the more you need the extended warranty.
Just my opionion...
P.S. I love my Toyota

sam_beaver

George wrote: I'm expecting 3 (no kidding) seat cushions from AutoBarn tomorrow and hope one of them will do it for me.

Heh -- I tried to do the same thing. However (fortunately or unfortunately is for you to decide) they accidentally shipped me only one of the three. So I installed that one, a sheepskin cover, liked it, and two weeks later when they still hadn't gotten around to shipping me the other two I just cancelled the rest of the order. So, although it's possible that one of the others was even better, I'm satisfied with what I have and I saved return shipping costs on the two they never sent me.

sam_beaver

George writes: But otherwise the car's been great - smooth, quiet, responsive.

I agree. My one caveat is that the car is SO quiet that in a moderately noisy environment I can't tell if it's on or off. I've had THREE near-misses in less than 3 months in which I released the brake and shifted into reverse without actually starting the engine. Fortunately I wasn't on a steep hill any of those times.

And he writes: I also have no idea what car I would look at for a better seat: I had been thinking about the Crown Victoria, but (fire problem)...

That fire problem doesn't occur in older Crown Vics as far as I know. Our last (borrowed for two years) car was a 1994 Crown Vic with leather seats that were extremely soft and comfortable. But in general I'd say try for an older car; the trend seems to be hard seats lately across the board.

alpha01

What is this Crown Vic/Grand Marquis fire issue? I am too young to venture in those threads so, if anyone could debrief me here, I'd appreciate it. Is this just another overblown issue like that of the Toyota sludging? Or is it a real threat to occupant safety... or their wallets?
~alpha

skins54

Our 92 Camry XLE has the push button controls for regulating the outside/inside airflow. We noticed that the green light above the area for outside airflow began to blink on and off for a few seconds, stayed on for a few seconds then went off for good. This just started yesterday. The airflow is working fine and the air conditioner also working properly. The inside control air flow (max control) light works as does the flow of air. Any ideas as to what the problem may be ? Could the light just be bad or is this a warning of some sort? Last year the air conditioner switch light blinked on and off so we took the car to the dealer and found that a sensor went bad. Replaced the sensor and all was fine but keep in mind when that light quit blinking and went out for good the air conditioner stopped working and was producing hot air. In this case everything appears fine. Car just turned 60,000 miles and this has been one hell of an auto. Only thing I had to replace in 10 years was that switch, a set of tires, the pipe from the motor to the convertor ( my wife drives this everyday but not very far and it rusted out from condensation) and alot of time with polish since this thing is black and it looks as good as the day we bought it - well almost as good. Any help on the switch light would be helpful B/4 I take it into the dealer for repairs. Thanks
PS This car was made in Japan and after reading some of the reviews on the newer Camry...I may keep this one a little while longer!

carguy000

I was just looking at the NHTSA website, and I searched by car instead of searching for 2002 midsize cars. I was suprised to find that the 2002 Camry was given only two stars for the driver in a side impact. I don't believe this particular vehicle had the side airbags, but two stars is worse than the 2001s without side airbags.

Surely it's got to be a mistake. I'm hoping it is.

alpha01

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/2002MidS.html

I just checked this link, and there is no crash data for the Camry at all.

Even so, the Lexus ES 300 got 5 stars for the Side Impact, and I understand it had the Head Curtain airbags... but there is no way that an airbag could help the car jump 5 stars- in side impacts, the cars structure is of paramount.

~alpha

alpha01

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/2089.html

I just found the link that you must have used- something is very strange- Indeed, the Camry is listed as a two star side impact driver rating- horrible. But- there is no data listed for any of the injury measures, nor is there a picture of the crash test, which NHTSA has posted for every car they have tested in recent memory. The posting date reads 6/21/02.

I do not know what to make of any of this. I find a two star rating hardly palatable. I am interested to see what happens. I'll believe the rating when its posted with numbers- I find it hard to imagine that Toyota, knowing full well which crash tests its consumers look at, and having done so well in the IIHS test, would ignore the side impact test. This is very distressing, and suddenly, the new Accord is the most beautiful vehicle I have ever seen.

~alpha

coolguyky7

I clicked your link. I don't see two stars anywhere. Besides, if the ES300 did that well, the Camry would do just as well too. And besides, the Camry can be equipped with head side airbags too.

coolguyky7

but went with the Camry...look at this!

http://www.vtec.net//news//news-item?news_item_id=17782

Be glad you choose the Camry! Bad, bad, bad Honda!

alpha01

Yes, its nice that Camry can be equipped with side airbags- but this doesnt mean that those who do not purchase this option should be shorted on safety. Just my opinion, and I understand yours, but I will be devastated if my family is driving around in a brand new 2002 Camry with the crash worthiness of a sardine can. (Ours does not have the side airbag option).
~alpha

coolguyky7

Tell me where on that link that you see the Camry earned two stars. I just don't see it. Perhaps I am blind. There is no way the Camry did that poorly because even the Solara got 3 stars for the side impact front occupant. I would contribute that to the fact that it is a coupe where the front doors are longer and would be harder to make sturdy than shorter doors were there is less area to push inward.

dragonfire

I also went to your link and the stars seem to be missing. Maybe the web master updated the wrong web page. Anyway, I agree with coolguy... I would believe that the Camry should perform like the Lexus ES 300. I always hear that they are very identical vehicles. I truly hope that 2 stars is not the real rating even for individuals without the side curtain airbag.

bklynguy

I didn't see the new Accord in person yet but judging from the pictures, the styling of the exterior appears to be a mixed bag. It appears well built like a Passat.

I wish Toyota would add a IVES ( inVehicle Entertainment System ) to the XLE. It would keep the passengers in the back entertained with the DVD / video game system.

I wonder if HID/Xenon lights will be an option with the new Accord.

dragonfire

I just visited the site again and the ratings are back. 2 stars for the front and 5 stars for the rear. What's going on?? I know this model does not have the side curtain airbags, but this is pretty bad. 2 stars??? I wonder is if they are going to test one with the side curtain airbags also. Does anyone have any more info??

coolguyky7

Now that link doesn't work at all. I can't even get to the NHTSA home page.

dragonfire

I went back to the site and now the ratings are gone again? What's wrong with their web site?

kevin111

I do not care what the ratings say. The reason I can say this is because my '95 Camry was nailed on the passenger side (yes with me in it), and I only received minor scrapes from the air bags, and a slightly sprained back and neck. The car that hit me was going in excess of 40 mph when the collision happened!

The car was a V6 LE model
Otherwise -
1. The rear shocks are weak on Camrys. Mine was no exception. I noticed the back would lower even with two full-sized adults, to the point that if I went over any type of bump, it would bottom out!

2. When I rented a 2001 model, I noticed the same thing!

3. Otherwise, after 113K miles, the car was very solid with only replacing the rack-and-pinion.

Good car!

i_luv_toyota

Roughly 6:38pm EST at time of viewing.

"Side impact star rating: Front occupant=2 stars, rear occupant=5 stars."
"Rollover resistance rating=4 stars."

It also shows a picture of crash-tested 02 Camry.

kevin111

Except that it is a 1995.

kevin111

Even with 113K miles and 7 years old, I still received about 40% of what was originally payed for the car from the insurance company!

alpha01

I am very, very disturbed by the 2 star rating for the driver in the Side Impact Test. While the Camry is the top performer overall in the IIHS offset crash in its class, Toyota seems to have disregarded the importance of the common Side Impact collision. The important thing to note about the Side Impact Test is that it covers a broad scope of vehicles as these results can be compared across size classes. With that in mind, the Camry's score is even more disappointing, given that many smaller models manage at least 3 stars no problem. While it is nice that the Camry managed a full 5 stars for the rear passenger, this seat is often unoccupied.

My question is this- is there reason for concern? Is it possible that this test could have been anamolous? I am truly floored at these results, as I am reasonably certain Toyota would not want the bad press that goes along with such a low rating, and since they seem (or seemed) committed to making the Camry a safe vehicle, evidenced by the IIHS "GOOD-Best Pick" result, I am just really disappointed. (FWIW, I would still be willing to wager that the Camry earns 4 and 5 stars in the full frontal NHTSA crash as well.)

Thoughts? Comments?
~alpha

wmquan

As of this posting, the following link lists 2002 medium vehicles, and has the Camry as 2/5 stars side impact:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/NCAP/Cars/2002MidS.html

The page it links to also shows the 2 stars for the front side impact. The main culprit seems to be a high Thoracic Trauma Index of 92.

The vehicle tested did not have front side airbags. Nevertheless, _if_ these scores hold up, I'm scratching the Camry from my short list. It shouldn't need side airbags to do better than 2-stars in the front. For example, the 2001 Subaru Legacy wagon earned 4/5 without side airbags, and does similarly well in the IIHS tests. The aging Accord gets 4/4 without front side airbags.

The previous-gen Camry was 3/3 without side airbags. With side airbags, the front improved to four stars, without a good data measurement for the rear. I'd hate to think the new generation has weaker side impact protection than the previous one!

IIHS gives manufacturers the option to retest (with a redesign, if necessary) and withhold publication of the bad initial scores so long as they improve. I do not know if NHTSA provides the same option.

Can it be a fluke? Perhaps. I'm shocked it's so much different than the ES300 score. But it'll be interesting to see how Toyota spins this one. You can't trumpet the great score in one crash test and ignore a bad score in another.

wmquan

The front side airbags are much more likely to help the Camry in the NHTSA side-impact test, than the front & rear side curtain airbags.

Conventional front side airbags that deploy at roughly chest level serve to protect the thorax, and would thus reduce the thoracic trauma index (TTI) that seems to be the main culprit in the current posting of 2-stars-front.

Front & rear side curtain airbags would very little or nothing to the NHTSA test. Those types of airbags are meant for cushioning the head, and NHTSA does not even measure head injuries in their test. Part of the reason is that the barrier used in the NHTSA side-impact test is very low and doesn't do much up around the head. EuroNCAP side-impact testing does measure head injuries but typically shows no or low risks to the head when the vehicle is hit by >something relatively small<.

Side curtains DO become more valuable if you get hit on the side by something higher and bigger, like an SUV or minivan. That's when the head protection is really important since the vehicle's nose is significantly higher and towards one's head.

Unfortunately NHTSA uses a relatively low barrier in their side-impact test. IIHS claims to be working on a side-impact test with a more SUV/minivan-sized basher, and that'll certainly show the importance of side curtains. EuroNCAP uses the "pole test" to test head injuries with side curtain airbags (e.g. the less statistically likely scenario when you lose control and slide sideways into a utility pole).

lilybean

Cliffy, what is your advice about getting a good price on the 7/75,000 0 deductable warranty? Is there a *best* way to get a best price, rather than the $1100 bucks they'd like to make you believe is a flat/non-negotiable fee? I read your comments (post 3799) but could still use a little advice on *how* to get that great price you mentioned. What do I need to do? How can I avoid the inevitable "Oh nooooo, we *never* sell at that price" ploy?

Thanks in advance,
"Lily"