2007 Toyota Camry

imidazol97

I find that the miniscule fraction of owners who happen to frequent discussion groups has a fraction of them with problems. That's a good enough sample for me to believe there is a large number out there either unnoticed, misdiagnosed as driver problem or driver learning, or put off by the dealer as no symptoms found, etc.

kyrpto

"Toyota also didn't admit any problem with sludging. The dealers never heard of any problems and the fault was solely with the customer's oil change pattern--not the motor, was what the customers were told."

I just keep looking at the CR owner's ratings, and participating in their forums, and owners are just not experiencing the volume of transmission complaints some posting here would lead others to believe.

The sludge buildup has been acknowledged.

kdhspyder

If so, than why did the CEO of Toyota find it necessary to publicly apologize in both August 2006 and January 2007 for the number of recalls.

That had nothing to do with the Camry. It was on other vehicles mainly in Japan which went back into the mid-90's.

This is a Camry board and there are no recall issues on the 2007 Camry trannies. None.

I know it makes some feel warm and fuzzy when Toyota admits to making less than perfect vehicles which is fine. It doesn't concern this Gen Camry though.

kdhspyder

That's your perogative and understandable as well. Statistics just don't show this to be as serious as you'd like it to be.

It has to be dealt with and solved certainly. But with over 600,000 vehicles having been delivered the number of complaints just gets smaller and smaller as time goes on. What that indicates to me is that Toyota had satisfaction and performance issues on this model in it's initial year and when the customer brought them up Toyota jumped on them and have since made them go away. Life goes on. In 3 years it will be a first-model-year issue.

beantown

Steve:

I have had similar behavior problems with my '07 camry. Brought it in for service and they confirmed that there was a faulty speed sensor. They mentioned seeing this in "several" '07 camrys as well. You may want to ask your shop about this possibility.

I won't get mine back until later today, so I don't know if it's truly fixed yet or not, but I'll be sure to let you know.

imidazol97

>Statistics just don't show this to be as serious

Spoken like a true salesman.

stevemp170

Are you a fellow Bostonian? Yours is the first reply that actually refers to a physical problem with my car. Thank you!
Why didn't Toyota tell me about it or replace it in my car? I contacted NHTSA and filed a report and the next day my phone rang. He was very helpful and had some questions for me; evidentally there are a number of documented complaints about similar problems with these cars, but he said they are mainly hearing from Lexus 300 (350?) owners with six cylinder engines. That model is the "sister" of the camry. Please keep me posted; I get the feeling Toyota will not come clean in this one. Steve

user777

it's good to hear that when you've filed with the NHTSA -they've quickly contacted you via follow-up for additional details.

i personally am not sure how a vehicle speed sensor could be at root cause per stevemp170's post, but then again, these electronically controlled systems are so complex, we really need an independant body to collect evidence and investigate issues with manufacturers. the systems are beyond many of us to comprehend and unwind their behaviors and failure modes.

i'm still thinking throttle body or accelerator pedal assembly issue.

regards.

jack47

Statistics just don't show this to be as serious as you'd like it to be...

Unless you're one of the "statistics".

kdhspyder

As I said in the prior post it is something that exists and needs to be resolved to the satisfaction of the drivers involved. But it is not a pandemic as some ( who would like to see the Camry disappear into midair ) would have you believe.

Subject to further data it seems to have been a first-year-model issue that's moving into the past.

imidazol97

>it seems to have been a first-year-model issue that's moving into the past.

Weren't there trans problems with the ES and Avalon versions of fly-by-wire tranmissions/engine powertrains? That doesn't sound like first model year; they've had two trials on the chassis to iron it out.

user777

you know the issue with accelerator lag with various Lexus and Toyota models has been around and discusse here on Edmunds well before the '07 Camry.

kdhspyder

It's been around since the early part of this decade with the Solara and the Highlander then the ES and the Avalon and then Camry. In each case the new tranny was an innovation over the previous model. The 6 spd in the Camry is nothing like the 5 spd in the Avalon, neither are like the initial dbw ones in the Highlander and Solara.

That's the key, initially the new iterations seem to take some time to either acclimate themselves to the owners or vice versa or Toyota makes some software patch to improve the performance.

Does anyone hear anything about Highlander or Solara issues anymore? [ note I have both ]. Has the Avalon issue passed into the realm of solved-first-year problem? I believe so. I also believe that this will be the case with this 07 Camry as well. Time will tell shortly.

BTW there don't seem to be any such issues with the dbw 6 spd tranny on the new Tundra.

wwest

Now really sure but I think the Tundra is either RWD or 4WD. With RWD there is no need to alleviate/reduce engine compression braking via upshifting upon full lift throttle events.

ccmike

Love this car....

Here is the deal....any feedback is welcomed.

SE V6 with Leather Package, Mats, and Lip Spoiler
MSRP - 27,153 (Including Destination)

I paid - 24,280 (Invoice $24,050) - $230 over invoice

I called up the dealership here in the Atlanta area (Cobb County Toyota) and asked for the internet sales manager. I gave him the number above that I was willing to pay and within 45 seconds he said we can do this. I did call on 5/31 (i.e. end of the month and did buy my 02 Camry SE from them as well....which I mentioned). The only negotiation was the trade in on my 02 SE V6. I wanted another $500 but I thought they were being very fair (It had a few cosmetic dents, over 100k miles and some ECT issues - which didn't act up on the test drive). The phone conversation took less than 3 minutes and the whole deal once I got in the dealership was done in 30 minutes, including the used car manager's test drive. I did it with him, which I recommend. So, I got the car for 17,980 plus taxes and title. The financing took a little bit longer because I was putting in my business's name but I was out 90 minutes after walking in. I think the dealership was professional, courteous and seemed to want to re-earn my business as a return customer. Just as note the best deal I could get from another delarership was $2500 dollars higher (I think they thought I was buying on emotion).

Please give me any feed back you might have. All in all, I think it was a win-win deal.

berrytree3

Sounds like you got a good deal. Most people expect to get a great deal at the end of the month, so business can be slow at the beginning of the month. I did all my research at the end of May, but I did my final negotiation on June 1.

The deal I got was $500 below invoice. I bought the 2007 Camry XLE, fully loaded, with NAV.

What I did was jumped on a few Toyota dealer websites. Most sites state that they will match or beat any offer. I found a dealer offering to sell the car to me at invoice, then I found another dealer offering to beat any deal by $500. I showed these two deals to a third dealer (the only dealer that I actually took a test drive with, and got this great deal. $28,000 plus tax, title,...

boli74

Last year the 2007 came out at the end of July. Does anyone know if the 2008 will come out at about the same time this year?

kiawah

Not sure what 2007 model you reference, which came out at the end of July....but it wasn't the Camry. I probably had 5K miles on mine by July. 2007 was the announce year, and came out substantially early.

kdhspyder

Yep this 2007 model was launched on about Mar 10th last year.

jtkingiv

Can I have sway bars installed on my 07 Camry LE? Rides ok but floats and leans when taking connors.

blnewto

Going on toyota.com I select XLE, then V6, and the MSRP is $28,640, then it automatically selects "Option A" and bumps the MSRP up to $30,180. option A is as follows:
Details for Option A - $1,540

- 50 State Emissions (FE)
- Heated Front Seats (Requires Leather) (HD)
- Smart Key System [11] (SK)
- Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) w/ Traction Control (TRAC[3] (VS)

Is this just a glitch in the system? I really don't need heated seats & the Smart Key system, and I'd much rather just get a "standard" XLE-V6. Any clarification would be apreciated, thanks!

210delray

This is probably not a glitch. Toyota has 12 regions in the US, and if you read the fine print on the web site, it will say something like "all options and option packages may not be available in all regions." So in your region apparently, the "base" XLE V6 is not available.

You can work with your dealer to buy out of region (some are reluctant to do this), or you can check directly with dealers in the appropriate region

One way to find out if the "base" XLE V6 is available in any region is to type in zip codes for the different regions. My state VA is in the Central Atlantic region, which includes MD and DC.

I'd avoid both the Southeast Toyota and Gulf States regions if at all possible because both are semi-independent distributors who tack on extra fees and "mandatory" options. The states included are all the coastal ones from NC to TX, plus AR I believe.

jaxs1

Since leather is already standard, why would anyone want unheated leather seats on a car in that price range? The seat heaters should really have been standard equipment on the XLE V6.
VSC should also really be standard, which only leaves the SmartKey as fluff. Not that bad when you are spending around $30K anyway.
I think they are just manipulating the MSRP to look lower by making these features optional on their top of the line model.

210delray

I'd agree that VSC should not be passed up. It's been shown to be a vital safety feature.

blnewto

Thanks for the info, and after reading the fine print I guess a "base" XLE V6 isn't delivered in our region. I'm actually not ready to buy the car for another 6-8 months, so maybe this is all a mute point in case Stability control, heated seats and the smart key are stnadard for the '08 models. Anyone know if this may be the case~It would seem traction & stability control would be standard as it's becoming much more the norm. And I've only had one leather equiped car before and it didn't have heated seats, so maybe I don't know what I've been missing

mingum

I am considering this car but the dealer didn't have a Camry with the factory heated seats, they do them all after market. They told me that none of the heated seats heat the back as well as the butt. Is that true? My Accord heats the back and butt on the driver side.

Thx

mark_wny

Most reports I get say that the I-4 is a touch under-powered, so I'm leaning towards the V-6. Of course, the V-6 has great gobs of power, given the modest size & weight of the Camry. Just wondered if any of you have found the V-6 to be a mismatch - causing torque steer or other problems common to over-powered front-wheel drive cars.

gpalz

I came upon a Certified Pre-Owned 2007 Camry LE that comes very close to what I am looking for.

The online listing makes no mention if the car comes with the Vehicle Stability Controll(VSC) w/Traction Control(TRAC) Option and No bodyside molding is present in the pictures.

Can the dealer install the VSC option and add the body molding or are these factory only procedures?

Thank you for your time and words.

George

kdhspyder

No, VSC/Trac are factory installed only. Bodyside molding can be done by anyone including yourself.

milkyway1

I'm considering purchasing a 2007/2008 Camry. My understanding is that it comes with a smaller spare tire. Since I make pretty long trips, I am thinking about purchasing a full size tire (+Wheel ofcourse) and throwing it in the trunk.

My question: Would that be possible? Would the full size spare fit in the trunk ?

kiawah

It would certainly fit in the trunk, whether it would fit in the spare tire well underneath the trunk is a separate question.

Visually it appears that it would fit in the well as the diameter measures large enough, whether it is deep enough not exactly sure.

I think you'd need someone to actually pull their tire off and put it in there, to be 100% certain.

andy82471

If you think the I4 is too little and the V6 is too much, you can always get the hybrid, which is more powerful than the 4 but less than the 6. Plus, it gets better gas mileage than both.

jaxs1

He could also drive the car and find out if it has enough power rather than going by "reports." I haven't heard that the 4 cylinder is underpowered. It was fine when I test drove it even with the weight of the fat salesperson in the passenger seat.

210delray

Agree, there's no shortage of power in either of my Camry 4-cylinders, so I'd recommend a test drive first. (The older one was driven across the country with 3 people and a very full load of cargo -- no sweat going over the steepest mountain passes.)

"Fat salesperson" LOL!

mark_wny

thanks guys for the feedback

mcdawgg

I agree with 210delray - 4 cyl '07 Camry.

lmacmil

No such thing as "too much power" although "more power than you need" is a possibility. If you currently drive a 4, you should be happy with the Camry 4. If you currently drive a 6, you probably won't be happy with any 4 cyl unless the extra mileage is really important to you. Good luck.

gpalz

Just purchased a new 2007 Camry LE last week and I love it. I noticed at the dealership that some Camry's randomly have a cover that covers what appears to be the exhaust manifold attached to the front of the engine. Mine did not come with a cover. My car was mfg in Kentucky in 06/07. I was told thats how the cars ship from the factory. I thought it was strange.

Any thoughts on this?

Below is a picture I found showing the cover:

210delray

Other than appearance, it really makes no difference. (The cover gets as hot as the exhaust manifold anyway.)

Why there is a difference, I don't know.

mcdawgg

The picture you posted looks exactly like mine.

wwest

My guess would be that absent the cover the paint on the hood just over the area would begin to look a bit "tarnished" after a few years.

Maybe it's only installed on cars with paint colors that are a bit more subject to heat "tarnishing".

210delray

But all Camrys have hood insulation, plus there's a fair amount of space between the exhaust manifold and the hood.

One possibility is that the PZEV vehicles (extra-clean emissions) don't have the cover, based on what a CA buyer or two said. Other states have the same tougher emission regs, and it's not illegal to sell a PZEV vehicle in a state with looser emissions rules.

What the cover has to do with PZEV though is zilch.

alkan

Hi everyone, I just bought a 2007 Camry V6 XLE -- any do(s) & don’t(s), please share with me.

Thanks,
AL.

wwest

Yes, don't get caught out in it in a ice or snow storm, DANGEROUS.

rsantan1

Mine has a cover that says V6 on it with a toyota emblem. Must be just the v6's.

rsantan1

I agree. Test drive a 4cyl & 6cyl and decide for yourself. I have an Black SE V6. I love all the power. It does have torque steer but you get used to it. Just put the pedal down and hold on tight. Actually my daughter and wife drive it and have no issues with the V6.

acco20

what are the dangers, anything about this particular car?

kdhspyder

Don't be scared. This is only one person's opinion. To counterbalance that I've driven FWD vehicles in snow and ice for the better part of 40 yrs in the Northeast and I've never, ever, even once had an issue with it. Drive smart and you shouldn't have any problems.

kdhspyder

This is one of the best iterations of the Camry ever. It's my favorite.
..the 2.4L is rock solid
..the 3.5L may be the best V6 on the road, or close to it
..the vehicle has 7 airbags standard
..VSC and Trac are optional at your descretion.
..the fuel economy on both engines are right at the top of the spectrum.
..resale values are solid.
..it requires almost no maintenance!! :surprise: oil/filters every 5000/6 mos...that's about it. Airfilters, brakes, tires, wipers at your descretion.
..plenty of room front and back

Dangers? Falling in love with it and never giving it up. OK, a slight exageration.

jaxs1

VSC is very difficult to get on 4 cylinder models.
It is not available at all in most locations. I know VSC is listed as an option for 4 cylinder models, but they are rarely produced and you cannot special order it for one vehicle.