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i was going to mention however that if it were soley an ECU/TCU programming issue, it would most likely exhibit itself in all vehicles with the same engine, transmission, and control HW setup, right?
it's hard to say but apparently that is not the case because some people have reported ZERO problems.
although you bring in another factor, is their or other's vehicles a PZEV or not... another variable i guess.
there's driving style and a hardware defect as potential root cause in addition to Software / Firmware programming).
there have been a number of customers posting in other forums here at Edmunds complaining about hesitation in Drive-by-Wire throttle implementations which *it appears* have been greatly helped by changing how their foot made contact with the accelerator pedal.
evidently (i admit to not owning one of the affected vechicles so i ask patience on the part of the host and other forum readers) toe-tip drivers were the ones that tended to experience more severe hesitation...
if true this would suggest there is some mechanical non-linearity or slop in the pedal/sensor arrangement so that if you apply pressure from a certain direction, that force isn't linearly translated into a corresponding position change which the system acts upon.
this jerky shifting may be similar to that. it's hard to say, but if you've got one of these '07 Camry vehicles with a problem, this is something you may wish to try yourself.
at this point, perhaps it's transmission solenoid activated valves, perhaps it's transmission mechanical internal parts.
it's not fair for someone to just toss out a speculative theory, but if you get your solenoids replaced, your transmission replaced, and you still have an issue, i would tend to think a non-linearity in the accelerator pedal sensor, or throttle body position sensor (mid-range, not at the low-end) is a potential culprit.
it's hard to say, and I'm merely speculating and i admit this, and do not wish to stir up anything here.
but my point was this, I doubt it is the ECU/TCU "adaptive" programming problem with these select vehicles. That might exacerbate another issue (perhaps programming that isn't robust in the face of other sensor issues) - I think these people have some pieces of hardware which are not per specification.
if the solenoids don't fix it, and a new/rebuilt transmission doesn't fix it, ask is someone would test swapping out the accelerator pedal assembly and throttle body assembly.
then again, it could be a marginal ECU, or TCM, or perhaps another sensor like a faulty MAF sensor.
unfortunately, we don't have someone inside Toyota telling people what is at root cause of the problem.
anyone having issues with the hesitation problem with the manual (4 cyl) 2007 Camry? Being a manual, there obviously isnt an RPM spike but I do notice a bit of a hesitation and then slight surge once the car gets to 2500 RPM. It nothing big, just have to get used to the acceleration after switching from a 2000 Maxima SE. The power and acceleration is very good between 2500-4000 RPM so I guess that may be the reason. I also noticed that if I drop the clutch at a higher RPM when taking off form a standstill, that slight hesitation is basically gone so I guess that's how you have to drive the car. Just a little bit annoying since the whole thing with fly-by-wire was a quicker response when you step on the pedal. Overall, the car is awesome, the handling(SE) is tight and responsive and I get a lot of looks (Barcelona Red) and pointing from people. Just hate that people with the 6 cyl are having so much trouble when the Camry is such a great looking car. Good luck to all who are having problems and do be upset. My cousin owns a 2001 Accord that has had it's transmission replaced by Honda twice. The car is on its fourth tranmission and is in the shop again, 52K miles.
There's already a report from an '07 Camry owner on his second defective transmission-- in a lot less than 52K miles. The difference with Honda is, after only 10 reported failures they instituted a voluntary recall and followed up with a warranty extension for the vehicles affected. There has been no recall by Toyota, just assurances that the Camry is doing fine. Sounds a lot like their response to the sludging problems a while back (many of which they eventually covered, while still denying responsibility).
Every manufacturer screws up; the difference between the good ones and the second rate ones is how they handle the aftermath. Toyota is definitely looking second rate in this regard. From a report to the FTC on lemon law arbitration by a former Florida arbitration program director:
In the Florida state-run arbitration program, Ford, Hyundai, Subaru and Volkswagen as a matter of policy settled the vast majority of their cases. Chrysler and Mazda settled a majority of the cases, but, in many instances, did so as the time of the hearing approached. General Motors, Honda and Volvo settled approximately 30 to 40 percent of their cases. Isuzu, Mitsubishi and Nissan generally settled less than 20 percent of their cases, while Mercedes-Benz and Toyota almost never settled. Ninety percent of the settlements are "buybacks."
I'm confused why the issue still exists with new cars still on the lot.
If it is really true that only 160 cars were affected, why not just TSB those 160 cars?
Even if they don't know which 160 are affected, Toyota should at least test each and every new car on the lot (that were part of the batch of cars in which the defective trannys could have ended up) before they sell to consumers.
Otherwise, they are treating some of the consumers essentially as guinea pigs. They are selling cars, x% of which they fully know have a serious defect.
tomc14,
What is the date of assembly of your Camry? It should say on the door.
Even if they don't know which 160 are affected, Toyota should at least test each and every new car on the lot (that were part of the batch of cars in which the defective trannys could have ended up) before they sell to consumers.
jrock65,
The recent problems with the transmission (3rd to 4th rpm spikes of up to 3,500 rpms) do not appear until there are about 500 miles on the car. So a new car buyer won't know until he's driven the car 500 miles. I don't think anyone would want to buy a "new' car with 500 miles of testing on it.
My mother took delivery of an Aloe Green LE-V6 three days ago. When I ordered the car, I asked for a build date of May 2006 or later because of the transmission problem. At delivery we found out that the build date was April 2006 and that the car had been sourced from another dealer. I will be furious if there's a transmission problem on my 82-year-old mother's car. What is the build date of your car? The month and year are listed on the driver's door jamb.
My first Camry and great car but was very disappointed with the quality of lighting on low beam. Not much light and none to light up road signs and see ahead of the small spot lighted area just ahead of the car. This is very unsafe and how they can have a car like this I am very surprised. I took it back to the Dealer and they checked the Headlights and said all is to specs. I have already had near misses with 2 dear and tonight with a dog that I would have seen with my other car and truck. I drove the car in a city at night and the problem is not as bad as there is street lights. But I live in the Country and one of the features I had seen in Toyota was the great light the cars had at night. With these new and improved lights as a small hill or rise in the road is approached the beam of light on low beam gets smaller and smaller and there is no, what I have read is called scatter light to light much if any beyond to the relative small beam of light projected on the road. I knew these lights are not so very good so I drive slow like 30 miles an hour so as not to overdrive them. But this is still pushing the limit. People on the road that follow me are not going to understand this problem I have so I must get ready for quite a bit of road rage from other drivers. One driver followed me on my bumper of 10 miles or better speeding up and slowing down. There were places that the car could have passed but they just wanted to road rage me. I have thought of fog lights but they would be of little help to me as I have been told by a couple of lighting places. I could change the bulbs if I Knew if Piaa or Hella bulbs would really be of help and which ones are worth the money. Or I could try and put in the new HID system if I can find something that would work in a Camry 2007 le 4cy auto. The auto trans has a quirk too. When I stop on a hill slope at my wifes work to enter highway the trans slips quite a bit before it engages it does this everytime. Already got water spots from acid rain in the windows. Should have rainx it right away. Also got bugs on the front the dealer waxed it but the wax must be cheap and the bugs would not wash off. I would say forget the dealer wax and take it to a detail shop and get a good wax on the car so the bugs are not so hard to get off. On other cars I have had I kept them waxed and the bugs come right off. I did get a loaner car when the dealer checked the headlights and they were a little better when I got it back. But the lights low beam are not acceptable. If this is normal for this car can I claim the lemon law on this car as I see no other post on a problem like this.
My V6SE (still fine @ 400 miles) was built in June in KY. Since my wife is now driving it and putting on about 60 miles/day, I'm going to check out the tranny every other day.
Besides, the previous generation XLE already used the same 16-wheels and 215/60R16 tires that are now standard on the CE and LE (and remain unchanged on the XLE, except alloys are now standard on the 4-cyl).
Not to be facetious, but have you used the high-beams at all?
Surveys have shown that people are reluctant to use them when they should because of the hassle factor -- having to switch them on and off for oncoming traffic.
The 160 cars you mention is the subject of a question I asked TMSUSA last Friday (post #451) on the snap ring defect issue. The question was, if no build dates/serial numbers for cars with affected tranmissions are available (as TMSUSA states in his post #447), then how could Toyota know 160 cars were affected?
Perhaps TMSUSA will eventually respond. He's taking a few days off from responding to this thread, and that's fine -- we all deserve a break now and then.
In the meantime, I'll just speculate that, since lack of build dates/serial numbers seems contradictory to the idea of counting the 160 cars allegedy affected, the 160 number is no longer operative. That would lead to the conclusion that Toyota does not know how many cars have been affected and that the 160 number was, what, just a figment of someone's imagination?
Based upon the known transmission build problems thru April, and based upon Toyota can't (or won't) confirm that there is a problem by VIN #...........I would stick to your request for a May or later production date (or have you already taken possession?).
Since she's 82, I'd recommend the 4 cyl anyhow....it has plenty of power.
Now I've noticed three more problems with my V6 XLE. Although they appear minor compared to my transmission problem they are indicators of the decreasing quality with the Camry and my increasing disillusionment with my purchase.
1. The "MPG for this tank" indicator reads 2 mpg higher than I am actually getting (10% error). I measured mileage and gallons for 4 fillups and came up with an average to compare. (Either that or the mileage indicator is incorrect) but one or the other is not correct.
2. My speedometer reads 6% higher than my actual speed as measured by and independent GPS system. At an indicated speed of 50 mph on the speedometer, the GPS was indicating 47 - 48 mph. I first suspected this because driving at the same indicated speeds that I normally do, I felt like I was going slower and have been constantly tailgated since getting this car. The GPS today confirmed my suspicions.
3. My navigation display screed failed to switch from night mode to daylight mode when the headlights went off with my headlight setting at "Auto". I was driving for a half hour beginning at sunrise and the display remained dark after the sun was up for half an hour. I corrected it by switching the headlights to manual "on" then back to "Auto". So something is wrong with the control of that display. I believe it is all linked to the photo sensor at the front of the dash deck.
Although these may appear to some to minor problems, collectively they indicate quality issues with Camry. I am extremely disappointed with this vehicle.
I think those are tiny problems and they don't bother me at all. How do you know your independent GPS give you correct speed? Also, we all know MPG meter is slightly higher, about 1-2 MPG higher than the actual number.(Please check "Toyota Camry: MPG-Real World Numbers ")
As far as Nav display screen, you can check your dashboard brightness adjustment stick on the dashboard.(I don't know how to call it correctly) If you turn it to the maximum, the NAV and dashboard will stay in the day mode all the time. When you adjust the brightness a little bit lower until you feel "click", then NAV and dashboard will be in day/night mode.
I will try to maintain my composure during this notice, but keep in mind I just got off the phone with the Toyota Reps and things could not seem worse for me. I ordered a new 2007 XLE V-6 6-speed Camry, waited 8 weeks for it to arrive, and was extremely excited about it and paid almost $32,000 sticker. Within a couple of days of driving it sure enough the transmission started acting up and not shifting properly. I took it back to the dealer in a very timely manner and was told a new transmission was ordered. I also started looking online for Camry issues and sure enough found I was not alone, and Toyota had to have had knowledge of transmission defects in these models. (Certainly was not disclosed to me). I drove the car in frustration waiting for the new transmission, and then of course it arrives the week of my vacation causing our vacation to be severly altered, and plans to be on hold for travel until the end of the week when the car was to be repaired. I was told the repair would take 6 hours and I would have the car back the same day. hahaha. Late the same day I came to pick-up the vehicle and found it completely torn apart, learning that in order to change a transmission the integrity of the electricle system, computer system, engine componets, chassis and suspension, as well as many other interruptions of the "Factory" assembly had to be disturbed. Not only was I surprised to find this out, but of course my car was in no way going to be done this day. After working on the vehicle most of the next day, I was called to pick it up in the afternoon. I drove the car approximately "50" FEET until I noticed a SEVERE JERKING, MISSING, and what sounded like BACKFIRING and the car barely wanting to run. I immediately of course turned around, went straight to the manager of the service department and had him ride with me, and then drive it for himself. The car was of course then kept at the dealship for futhur analysis. I had been give unacceptable cars as loaners until this time, but now I raised serious complaints at this point and was given a 2007 Camry LE base model to drive. I have been in contact with my so called "Case Manager" who will not even return calls he had agreed to do, and he appears to have NO power to make ANY DECISIONS to make this right with me, seems to be only a person taking complaints, and recording them. Now time has passed, my car still in the shop (13 days this time, SO FAR AND STILL COUNTING), and now I learned they are waiting for a new transmission "AGAIN" saying the REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE !! I also learned the mechanic was out driving it and "BROKE DOWN" and the car had to be "TOWED IN". Lets see now, by my accounting (which I believe to be accurate by a quick count) I have owned the car 46 days now, and it has been in my possesion 30 days with 27 days of that not running properly, 15 days in shop SO FAR (and counting, still there), and weeks waiting on parts. The integrity of "MANY MAJOR COMPONENTS SYSTEMS" have been torn apart at least once, and going to go through another tear down. Oh yes, and a Rep who will not even call me back for days when he has agreed to do so.Why would I want this car anymore? Geee I have ask for a resolution to this, and feel it is far past time for Toyota to make this right for me, I have been offered NO RESOLUTION AT ALL. I feel severly DUPED by Toyota. Don R case #200605221759
Just curious - did your new Camry exhibit the infamous "160 car" 2-3 upshift problem or the unacknowledged 3-4 upshift problem? According to tmsusa, owners of cars that lurched & bucked on the 2-3 upshifts were to be given a choice of a new trannie or a new car. I've yet to read of anyone who's contacted Toyota's customer relations people coming away feeling anyone there even remotely gives a flyin' fig. Very sad.
You have just confirmed my worst nightmare! So far all that my dealer has done been relatively "non-invasive" (I hope) - resetting the ECT and the transaxle compensation code.
I maintain that once they've torn into the car to replace a transmission, that that is SO invasive that you no longer have a "NEW" car. The "purity" of initial manufacturing assembly is lost. There are numerous opportunities for things to not get put back together properly, or worse, unknowingly broken or leaving "latent defects". This has happened (see other reports in this forum). You are the second one (reporting in this forum) to have a defective transmission replaced with yet another defective transmission - either that or the service department totally botched the installation.
I have to take my car back in and I'm afraid that they are going to try to replace my transmission. My reply may be "You need to show me why that transmission is known to be good". It's an awkward position to be in because by law, I have to give them a chance to repair the vehicle but this is MAJOR surgery!! And the survival rate is not very good."
I may choose to live with my problem and delay until Toyota acknowledges a problem and that they have a fix.
I am a very unhappy customer at this point as I'm sure you are.
I wonder if Toyota is going the route of the "Big 3" US auto makers who back in the 80's and 90's, and to some extent still do, put cheap parts in their cars to save a buck. Look where that lead them. You can get better quality in a $15k Honda or Toyota than a $30K car or truck from Ford,GM or Chrysler. From what I have seen, they seem to be improving but are still a bit behind.
I work in the electronics distribution industry and one time had a person in my office from a HUGE well known mfr of electrical switches, pitching some of their new products and he mentioned how they refused to lower their price for FORD on some switches .001 of a dollar, yes .001 is what Ford wanted lower and they refused. The total order was for $26 million and the company walked away. FORD took their business elsewhere, probably to a lower quality mfr to save a buck so that the top execs could get a bigger bonus.(sore subject - company sent hundres off jobs overseas) I hope that's not what Toyota has done. I have the 4 cyl manual trans and so far I am very happy with the fit and finish of the car. This issue is one reason why I will only buy manual transmission cars. I have owned automatics in the past and know numerous people have/do and sooner or later as the car approachs 100K the tranny goes.
with my 2007 SE the interior materials, in my opinion, are of good quality and the finish is excellent however what makes me nervous is the quality of the hidden components, ie. engine, tranmission, etc. To have a ring be the problem, or atleast one of the problems, seems to me that Toyota opted for a cheaper mfr for these rings and probably other components which are now failing after approx. 500 miles or lesser quality raw materials they use to make this part(s). I can't believe its an assembly issue because if that were the problem, the cars would go bad from mile 1, especially with all the gears and components in a tranny, and almost everyone is having problems after 500 miles. Sounds like something is failing prematurely. I would definitely insist on 100K of coverage for the new tranny and engine for anyone who needs it replaced. I bought the 2007 Camry because of Toyota's reputation for quality but it certainly is taking a big hit with this mess. I didnt go for Nissan again(traded 2K Maxima for the Camry) because they use cheap parts in their cars. The check engine light kept coming on - max airflow sensor, ignition coils bad, need new O2 sensor, new flex pipe, new catalytic converter and this was before the car had 80K on it!! Lots of others were having the same problems. My fathers 2002 Altima has been recalled 3-4 times, I forget, he keeps getting letters. I have my fingers crossed on my 2007. I bought not only on looks but reputation. I hope Toyota doesnt change my opinion.
1. How do you know your independent GPS give you correct speed?
2. As far as Nav display screen, you can check your dashboard brightness adjustment stick on the dashboard.(I don't know how to call it correctly) If you turn it to the maximum, the NAV and dashboard will stay in the day mode all the time. When you adjust the brightness a little bit lower until you feel "click", then NAV and dashboard will be in day/night mode.
************************************************** 1. GPS (Garmin nuvi) velocity accuracy is 0.1 mph 2. My instrumentation illumination adjustment was not set clockwise past the detent position (full brightness) but was set to some level that was dimmer than maximum intensity. Regardless, the Nav display should have brightened to daylight intensity independent of where that switch was set. The buttons surrounding the Nav display might stay on but those weren't the problem. Turning the lights from Auto to ON and back correcting the problem also indicates that the panel dimmer switch is not the cause.
My speedometer reads somewhere between 5-10% high as measured by my GPS and running thru unmonitored radar spped indicators. I haven't had the chance to measure my odometer agasinst an interstate mileage yet.
Yes, the trip meter is 1-2 mpg high over actual mpg. Makes the drivers who don't check their mileage feel better, I guess.
Don't know about your NAV. If I had a NAV. I would look to see what triggers the illumination change.
In my Garmin, the illumination mode is changed by the time (Official daylight and sunrise time)
It's good to know it. Hmm..Toyota needs to do better job here.
2. My instrumentation illumination adjustment was not set clockwise past the detent position (full brightness) but was set to some level that was dimmer than maximum intensity. Regardless, the Nav display should have brightened to daylight intensity independent of where that switch was set. The buttons surrounding the Nav display might stay on but those weren't the problem. Turning the lights from Auto to ON and back correcting the problem also indicates that the panel dimmer switch is not the cause.
instrumentation illumination adjustment - Right, that's what I am talking about.
Did you check NAV options? I remember there is an option on NAV menu that allow you to turn on/off NAV day/night mode. If not, that's really a problem.
Yes ,My car was one that had at least problems shifting through 3rd and 4th gears with a rise in the RPM's. Now that it has been worked on, everything seems out of control and ran horrible. Donr
Your headlights are called projector lenses. I have them on my Mazda 3 and I have to say I feel very unsafe driving on a dark country road with low beams. On mine the low beam light , if they are the same design as Toyotas, has no depth, the light drops off sharply and in fact it is like driving in front of a black wall. On a bumpy road the cut off line from white and black bounces up and down and becomes very annoying. When approaching a hill the light almost disappears. You can upgrade to, I think they are called HID, not sure, that for my car would cost over $500 to install. Also the other alternative is to have the headlights aimed slightly higher, about a half inch or so. So for in the name of design and style Toyota as Mazda think it is more important than safety. So for those Toyota owners try driving on a very dark country road to see for yourself, low beams only.
As it turned out, it was pouring rain and no one had much patience to check out everything. I was able to find the April build date and carefully checked the exterior. The salesman pooh-poohed the transmission problem claiming that Toyota had already dealt with that. Since Mom lives out of state and the car looked great, we took delivery and hoped for the best. Two hours later, I sat in the back seat and found a major fit and finish issue with the console. The console had pulled out of position where it met the rug on the floor while the rounded edge at the top was nearly overlapping the adjacent piece. It's strange that the 'prep" crew missed that, isn't it? Now she has to take it to a dealer in her area to have it re-adjusted. Hopefully that will be the worst situation she has to deal with. The Aloe Green is a beautiful color that I would like to get on the SE.
My 07 Camry is at the dealer right now getting a new transmission. Because of the poor quality of the vehicle and the abysmal Toyota Corporate "Customer Service" (if you can call it that) I will never ever own another Toyota. Yes, it's my 6th and last Toyota.
If your 07 V6 Camry is currently ok, good for you. But I just wonder how long it will be before your transmission starts to act up and you are back here in the same boat as the rest of us.
Considering Toyota builds about 2,000 Camrys a day the percentage of people who bought one with tranny problems must be minimal. I own a 07' XLE V-6 Camry and my friend just bought one and neither of us has experienced any problems with our cars. Mine has over 1,000 miles on it and I have experienced zero problems and I doubt that I will.
"Considering Toyota builds about 2,000 Camrys a day the percentage of people who bought one with tranny problems must be minimal. I own a 07' XLE V-6 Camry and my friend just bought one and neither of us has experienced any problems with our cars. Mine has over 1,000 miles on it and I have experienced zero problems and I doubt that I will."
2000 per day. How many of those were V6's. Do you know? I do. The percentage of V6's built is surprisingly small.
Whew, 1000 miles. My transmission was problem free for that long. We'll see how long yours lasts. :lemon:
>day the percentage of people who bought one with tranny problems must be minimal
That's what they used to say about the 03 Accords when problems started being reported. Now it's a problem year. Not all cars are perfect forever. All cars have problems.
Interesting to note that even in times of rising gas prices, Toyota's Camry mix is running at its highest rate of V6s ever. Killerbunny, about 30% total is the last rate that I can recall off the top of my head. At 400K per year, I would agree that 120K isnt "surprisingly small".
Corton- my padre's 05 Legacy (purchased July 04) needed an engine rebuild after 10,000 miles. The car has been flawless since. That was 24,000 miles ago. He certainly hasnt crossed Subie off the shopping list for future vehicles. If you've had 5 other Toyotas and good experiences, why does this one bad experience- with a VERY early production, first year model with a first year drivetrain, mean that you will never for the remainder of your days buy another Toyota? I mean, I could understand this if the new tranny does NOT resolve issues. But that remains to be seen. If the replacement solves all issues and no transmission problems ever resurface over the remaining life of the car, your statement strikes me as fairly dramatic, at face value.
The 160 number in reference to the Camry snap ring issue on 2007 6-spds was a best estimate number calculated with what was known at the time. As some here have noted, this was a particularly vexing early production problem, difficult for us to match specific vehicles with a transmission that might have the suspect components.
There have been more affected units than that original estimated number but still very low incidents given the production to date of this vehicle. A countermeasure has been in place so that we know where the light is at the end of this tunnel. As noted in our earlier discussion thread devoted to the snap ring issue, one vehicle is too many.
Our collaborative efforts with our dealers and parts supply professionals continue around the clock with the primary objective of responding to all affected owners promptly and with sensitivity to the inconvenience and disappointment the snap ring issue has caused. With excellent availability now of new transmissions, a good number of these Camrys have already been repaired successfully, with their owners continuing on with the enjoyment of their new cars.
Should there be any significant change in the Camry snap ring service issue, we'll request that Edmunds re-open our original topic thread so that dialog specific to that can be moved to a dedicated area. Re the other transmission concerns discussed at length here as well as other "woes" appropriate under this topic, the forum is a great place to post, debate, criticize, speculate about everything related to this fine automobile that does not seem right. And while tmsusa can and will provide accurate information to the participants and ensure that important comments from them like our vehicles' real world performance or responsiveness of our Customer Experience Center team members gets forwarded directly to the appropriate business units for action, it is not appropriate nor our intent to engage in individual case discussions on or off line.
As a reminder, we recommend and encourage that our customers seek assistance from their Toyota dealers for concerns involving their Toyota vehicles. And our Customer Experience Center now has expanded service hours and a new online knowledge management tool to provide greater support to owners. The CEC can be accessed via the Toyota website or by telephone at 800-331-4331.
Here's an update on our transmission woes. Car's been in the shop since last Thursday (June 22). Today TMS called us (we hadn't initiated the call). They offered us a range of options on our car from fixing it w/ extended warranty to buy-back. Some would call that damage control, we look at it as a damn fine gesture at customer service and stepping up to the plate and dealing fairly with a potential problem to their image. We'll see how it all pans out.
I think the main issue, despite some of the complaints here, is with the new 6-speed transmission on the V6.
There are very few with complaints about the 5-speed on the 4-cylinder.
Regarding some of the other issues: 1. Having a speedometer off by 2-3 mph at 50 mph is not at all unusual. All of my vehicles have had some degree of speedometer error, more or less in the same range. Most erred on the conservative side, but my old '80 Volvo indicated 55 mph for a true 60!
Also, with those "your speed is" radar signs, unless you're pointed directly at the sign (possible in a left-hand curve), the indicated speed on the sign will always be slightly less than your true speed because of the angle between your line of travel and the sign.
2. Indicated average mpg is optimistic? Not a biggie, IMO; my '05 Camry XLE reads high by a couple of mpg also. This is my first car with the feature, so I have no frame of reference. But considering the instantaneous readout shows 99.9 mpg when descending a grade, it doesn't surprise me the average is high.
3. I'm not sure about the projector-type low beams being the problem for poor visibility, but if you're on a "dark country road," shouldn't you by definition be using high beams anyway? Ok, dim them for oncoming traffic and cars in front of you. I know I try to use high beams on dark roads as much as possible, even on divided highways where the median is wide so oncoming traffic isn't blinded.
4. Car never the same again after a major repair? Well, my '04 Camry LE was rear-ended while parked when my son had it in California. We had the damage appraisal done there, patched up the shattered left taillight, and drove it cross country to Virginia, our home. Total damage was over $4,000 -- it looked terrible, but it's all back together now and looks great (actually better than before because the rear bumper cover had some nicks and scrapes). A new quarter panel had to be welded in, the most intrusive repair, and there was extensive paint work done.
"Corton- my padre's 05 Legacy (purchased July 04) needed an engine rebuild after 10,000 miles. The car has been flawless since. That was 24,000 miles ago. He certainly hasn't crossed Subie off the shopping list for future vehicles. If you've had 5 other Toyotas and good experiences, why does this one bad experience- with a VERY early production, first year model with a first year drivetrain, mean that you will never for the remainder of your days buy another Toyota? I mean, I could understand this if the new tranny does NOT resolve issues. But that remains to be seen. If the replacement solves all issues and no transmission problems ever resurface over the remaining life of the car, your statement strikes me as fairly dramatic, at face value."
Good question if you have not had a chance to read the full thread. I'm crossing them off my list because of two major reasons.
First, Toyota is not treating me (and others) the same as some other customers with failed transmissions in their 2007 Camrys.
Toyota has two problems with the 6 speed auto transmissions in the 2007 Camry. The first is what Toyota calls a snap ring failure. The fix is to replace the transmission. For owners with this failure Toyota offers a new transmission, they will make one months car payment for you, and give you a free extended warranty, OR you can elect to receive a replacement vehicle from Toyota.
So far so good.
The second type of problem with the 6 speed auto transmissions on the 2007 Camry involve a problem shifting between gears, where the RPM's on the engine spike up markedly when the transmission shifts. The fix for this is to replace the transmission.
My car has the RPM spike problem. When I contacted Toyota and asked them to provide me with the same consideration that they provided the owners with the "snap ring" failure, they told me in no uncertain terms, NO WAY.
I then very nicely asked them why not, since a transmission failure is a transmission failure, and why does it make any difference what part inside the transmission failed? To them it is a big difference, although no one at Toyota could tell me why.
They are providing two completely different levels of customer service depending on what part inside of your transmission failed. I asked them why and their only answer was "it is a management decision".
I then had discussions with various "managers" and "customer service representatives" at Toyota Corporate and was treated very rudely and with disrespect. Not once but several times.
So in a nutshell it just as much about the poor customer service that I received after my car had problems as anything. Not at the dealer level but at the Corporate level.
I think it is reasonable to be treated fairly and with respect as I am a multiple time paying customer of Toyota Motor Sales USA. However, they don't seem to care at all about that.
So no more Toyota's for me. Ever. Not to be dramatic, but to speak with the only true power that a consumer has these days, with my wallet.
You said, ...Toyota is not treating me (and others) the same as some other customers with failed transmissions in their 2007 Camrys.
Toyota has two problems with the 6 speed auto transmissions in the 2007 Camry. The first is what Toyota calls a snap ring failure. The fix is to replace the transmission. For owners with this failure Toyota offers a new transmission, they will make one months car payment for you, and give you a free extended warranty, OR you can elect to receive a replacement vehicle from Toyota.
...The second type of problem with the 6 speed auto transmissions on the 2007 Camry involve a problem shifting between gears, where the RPM's on the engine spike up markedly when the transmission shifts. The fix for this is to replace the transmission.
Toyota's obligation under the factory warranty is only to correct the problem, if necessary by replacing the transmission. On the snap ring issue, Toyota chose to offer other options, including replacement of the car. This is their prerogative, and a nice gesture, but not a requirement.
What do you think GM, Ford, DCX, or VW would have done under the same circumstances? (I say this as having been burned by 2 of these 4.)
Corton, I appreciate your explanation and certainly don't envy your situation. I am glad you realized the validity of my question based on my pop's experience and did not take offense to it. Hopefully, the quality of the product after Toyota fixes your issue will sway your opinion after your ordeal is over.
Comments
i was going to mention however that if it were soley an ECU/TCU programming issue, it would most likely exhibit itself in all vehicles with the same engine, transmission, and control HW setup, right?
it's hard to say but apparently that is not the case because some people have reported ZERO problems.
although you bring in another factor, is their or other's vehicles a PZEV or not... another variable i guess.
there's driving style and a hardware defect as potential root cause in addition to Software / Firmware programming).
there have been a number of customers posting in other forums here at Edmunds complaining about hesitation in Drive-by-Wire throttle implementations which *it appears* have been greatly helped by changing how their foot made contact with the accelerator pedal.
evidently (i admit to not owning one of the affected vechicles so i ask patience on the part of the host and other forum readers) toe-tip drivers were the ones that tended to experience more severe hesitation...
if true this would suggest there is some mechanical non-linearity or slop in the pedal/sensor arrangement so that if you apply pressure from a certain direction, that force isn't linearly translated into a corresponding position change which the system acts upon.
this jerky shifting may be similar to that. it's hard to say, but if you've got one of these '07 Camry vehicles with a problem, this is something you may wish to try yourself.
at this point, perhaps it's transmission solenoid activated valves, perhaps it's transmission mechanical internal parts.
it's not fair for someone to just toss out a speculative theory, but if you get your solenoids replaced, your transmission replaced, and you still have an issue, i would tend to think a non-linearity in the accelerator pedal sensor, or throttle body position sensor (mid-range, not at the low-end) is a potential culprit.
it's hard to say, and I'm merely speculating and i admit this, and do not wish to stir up anything here.
but my point was this, I doubt it is the ECU/TCU "adaptive" programming problem with these select vehicles. That might exacerbate another issue (perhaps programming that isn't robust in the face of other sensor issues) - I think these people have some pieces of hardware which are not per specification.
if the solenoids don't fix it, and a new/rebuilt transmission doesn't fix it, ask is someone would test swapping out the accelerator pedal assembly and throttle body assembly.
then again, it could be a marginal ECU, or TCM, or perhaps another sensor like a faulty MAF sensor.
unfortunately, we don't have someone inside Toyota telling people what is at root cause of the problem.
Every manufacturer screws up; the difference between the good ones and the second rate ones is how they handle the aftermath. Toyota is definitely looking second rate in this regard. From a report to the FTC on lemon law arbitration by a former Florida arbitration program director:
In the Florida state-run arbitration program, Ford, Hyundai, Subaru and Volkswagen as a matter of policy settled the vast majority of their cases. Chrysler and Mazda settled a majority of the cases, but, in many instances, did so as the time of the hearing approached.
General Motors, Honda and Volvo settled approximately 30 to 40 percent of their cases. Isuzu, Mitsubishi and Nissan generally settled less than 20 percent of their cases, while Mercedes-Benz and Toyota almost never settled. Ninety percent of the settlements are "buybacks."
I'm confused why the issue still exists with new cars still on the lot.
If it is really true that only 160 cars were affected, why not just TSB those 160 cars?
Even if they don't know which 160 are affected, Toyota should at least test each and every new car on the lot (that were part of the batch of cars in which the defective trannys could have ended up) before they sell to consumers.
Otherwise, they are treating some of the consumers essentially as guinea pigs. They are selling cars, x% of which they fully know have a serious defect.
tomc14,
What is the date of assembly of your Camry? It should say on the door.
jrock65,
The recent problems with the transmission (3rd to 4th rpm spikes of up to 3,500 rpms) do not appear until there are about 500 miles on the car. So a new car buyer won't know until he's driven the car 500 miles. I don't think anyone would want to buy a "new' car with 500 miles of testing on it.
Either way, doesn't change the case that Toyota is selling some vehicles with the full knowledge that they have a major defect.
With these new and improved lights as a small hill or rise in the road is approached the beam of light on low beam gets smaller and smaller and there is no, what I have read is called scatter light to light much if any beyond to the relative small beam of light projected on the road. I knew these lights are not so very good so I drive slow like 30 miles an hour so as not to overdrive them. But this is still pushing the limit. People on the road that follow me are not going to understand this problem I have so I must get ready for quite a bit of road rage from other drivers. One driver followed me on my bumper of 10 miles or better speeding up and slowing down. There were places that the car could have passed but they just wanted to road rage me.
I have thought of fog lights but they would be of little help to me as I have been told by a couple of lighting places. I could change the bulbs if I Knew if Piaa or Hella bulbs would really be of help and which ones are worth the money. Or I could try and put in the new HID system if I can find something that would work in a Camry 2007 le 4cy auto.
The auto trans has a quirk too. When I stop on a hill slope at my wifes work to enter highway the trans slips quite a bit before it engages it does this everytime.
Already got water spots from acid rain in the windows. Should have rainx it right away. Also got bugs on the front the dealer waxed it but the wax must be cheap and the bugs would not wash off. I would say forget the dealer wax and take it to a detail shop and get a good wax on the car so the bugs are not so hard to get off. On other cars I have had I kept them waxed and the bugs come right off.
I did get a loaner car when the dealer checked the headlights and they were a little better when I got it back. But the lights low beam are not acceptable.
If this is normal for this car can I claim the lemon law on this car as I see no other post on a problem like this.
did you google it?
Besides, the previous generation XLE already used the same 16-wheels and 215/60R16 tires that are now standard on the CE and LE (and remain unchanged on the XLE, except alloys are now standard on the 4-cyl).
Surveys have shown that people are reluctant to use them when they should because of the hassle factor -- having to switch them on and off for oncoming traffic.
The 160 cars you mention is the subject of a question I asked TMSUSA last Friday (post #451) on the snap ring defect issue. The question was, if no build dates/serial numbers for cars with affected tranmissions are available (as TMSUSA states in his post #447), then how could Toyota know 160 cars were affected?
Perhaps TMSUSA will eventually respond. He's taking a few days off from responding to this thread, and that's fine -- we all deserve a break now and then.
In the meantime, I'll just speculate that, since lack of build dates/serial numbers seems contradictory to the idea of counting the 160 cars allegedy affected, the 160 number is no longer operative. That would lead to the conclusion that Toyota does not know how many cars have been affected and that the 160 number was, what, just a figment of someone's imagination?
Since she's 82, I'd recommend the 4 cyl anyhow....it has plenty of power.
1. The "MPG for this tank" indicator reads 2 mpg higher than I am actually getting (10% error). I measured mileage and gallons for 4 fillups and came up with an average to compare. (Either that or the mileage indicator is incorrect) but one or the other is not correct.
2. My speedometer reads 6% higher than my actual speed as measured by and independent GPS system. At an indicated speed of 50 mph on the speedometer, the GPS was indicating 47 - 48 mph. I first suspected this because driving at the same indicated speeds that I normally do, I felt like I was going slower and have been constantly tailgated since getting this car. The GPS today confirmed my suspicions.
3. My navigation display screed failed to switch from night mode to daylight mode when the headlights went off with my headlight setting at "Auto". I was driving for a half hour beginning at sunrise and the display remained dark after the sun was up for half an hour. I corrected it by switching the headlights to manual "on" then back to "Auto". So something is wrong with the control of that display. I believe it is all linked to the photo sensor at the front of the dash deck.
Although these may appear to some to minor problems, collectively they indicate quality issues with Camry. I am extremely disappointed with this vehicle.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I think those are tiny problems and they don't bother me at all. How do you know your independent GPS give you correct speed? Also, we all know MPG meter is slightly higher, about 1-2 MPG higher than the actual number.(Please check "Toyota Camry: MPG-Real World Numbers
")
As far as Nav display screen, you can check your dashboard brightness adjustment stick on the dashboard.(I don't know how to call it correctly) If you turn it to the maximum, the NAV and dashboard will stay in the day mode all the time. When you adjust the brightness a little bit lower until you feel "click", then NAV and dashboard will be in day/night mode.
I ordered a new 2007 XLE V-6 6-speed Camry, waited 8 weeks for it to arrive, and was extremely excited about it and paid almost $32,000 sticker. Within a couple of days of driving it sure enough the transmission started acting up and not shifting properly. I took it back to the dealer in a very timely manner and was told a new transmission was ordered. I also started looking online for Camry issues and sure enough found I was not alone, and Toyota had to have had knowledge of transmission defects in these models. (Certainly was not disclosed to me).
I drove the car in frustration waiting for the new transmission, and then of course it arrives the week of my vacation causing our vacation to be severly altered, and plans to be on hold for travel until the end of the week when the car was to be repaired. I was told the repair would take 6 hours and I would have the car back the same day. hahaha. Late the same day I came to pick-up the vehicle and found it completely torn apart, learning that in order to change a transmission the integrity of the electricle system, computer system, engine componets, chassis and suspension, as well as many other interruptions of the "Factory" assembly had to be disturbed. Not only was I surprised to find this out, but of course my car was in no way going to be done this day. After working on the vehicle most of the next day, I was called to pick it up in the afternoon. I drove the car approximately "50" FEET until I noticed a SEVERE JERKING, MISSING, and what sounded like BACKFIRING and the car barely wanting to run. I immediately of course turned around, went straight to the manager of the service department and had him ride with me, and then drive it for himself. The car was of course then kept at the dealship for futhur analysis.
I had been give unacceptable cars as loaners until this time, but now I raised serious complaints at this point and was given a 2007 Camry LE base model to drive.
I have been in contact with my so called "Case Manager" who will not even return calls he had agreed to do, and he appears to have NO power to make ANY DECISIONS to make this right with me, seems to be only a person taking complaints, and recording them.
Now time has passed, my car still in the shop (13 days this time, SO FAR AND STILL COUNTING), and now I learned they are waiting for a new transmission "AGAIN" saying the REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE !! I also learned the mechanic was out driving it and "BROKE DOWN" and the car had to be "TOWED IN".
Lets see now, by my accounting (which I believe to be accurate by a quick count) I have owned the car 46 days now, and it has been in my possesion 30 days with 27 days of that not running properly, 15 days in shop SO FAR (and counting, still there), and weeks waiting on parts. The integrity of "MANY MAJOR COMPONENTS SYSTEMS" have been torn apart at least once, and going to go through another tear down. Oh yes, and a Rep who will not even call me back for days when he has agreed to do so.Why would I want this car anymore? Geee
I have ask for a resolution to this, and feel it is far past time for Toyota to make this right for me, I have been offered NO RESOLUTION AT ALL.
I feel severly DUPED by Toyota. Don R case #200605221759
I'm not the first to pose this question, and to my knowledge it's never been directly answered.
You have just confirmed my worst nightmare! So far all that my dealer has done been relatively "non-invasive" (I hope) - resetting the ECT and the transaxle compensation code.
I maintain that once they've torn into the car to replace a transmission, that that is SO invasive that you no longer have a "NEW" car. The "purity" of initial manufacturing assembly is lost. There are numerous opportunities for things to not get put back together properly, or worse, unknowingly broken or leaving "latent defects". This has happened (see other reports in this forum). You are the second one (reporting in this forum) to have a defective transmission replaced with yet another defective transmission - either that or the service department totally botched the installation.
I have to take my car back in and I'm afraid that they are going to try to replace my transmission. My reply may be "You need to show me why that transmission is known to be good". It's an awkward position to be in because by law, I have to give them a chance to repair the vehicle but this is MAJOR surgery!! And the survival rate is not very good."
I may choose to live with my problem and delay until Toyota acknowledges a problem and that they have a fix.
I am a very unhappy customer at this point as I'm sure you are.
I work in the electronics distribution industry and one time had a person in my office from a HUGE well known mfr of electrical switches, pitching some of their new products and he mentioned how they refused to lower their price for FORD on some switches .001 of a dollar, yes .001 is what Ford wanted lower and they refused. The total order was for $26 million and the company walked away. FORD took their business elsewhere, probably to a lower quality mfr to save a buck so that the top execs could get a bigger bonus.(sore subject - company sent hundres off jobs overseas) I hope that's not what Toyota has done. I have the 4 cyl manual trans and so far I am very happy with the fit and finish of the car. This issue is one reason why I will only buy manual transmission cars. I have owned automatics in the past and know numerous people have/do and sooner or later as the car approachs 100K the tranny goes.
with my 2007 SE the interior materials, in my opinion, are of good quality and the finish is excellent however what makes me nervous is the quality of the hidden components, ie. engine, tranmission, etc. To have a ring be the problem, or atleast one of the problems, seems to me that Toyota opted for a cheaper mfr for these rings and probably other components which are now failing after approx. 500 miles or lesser quality raw materials they use to make this part(s). I can't believe its an assembly issue because if that were the problem, the cars would go bad from mile 1, especially with all the gears and components in a tranny, and almost everyone is having problems after 500 miles. Sounds like something is failing prematurely. I would definitely insist on 100K of coverage for the new tranny and engine for anyone who needs it replaced. I bought the 2007 Camry because of Toyota's reputation for quality but it certainly is taking a big hit with this mess. I didnt go for Nissan again(traded 2K Maxima for the Camry) because they use cheap parts in their cars. The check engine light kept coming on - max airflow sensor, ignition coils bad, need new O2 sensor, new flex pipe, new catalytic converter and this was before the car had 80K on it!! Lots of others were having the same problems. My fathers 2002 Altima has been recalled 3-4 times, I forget, he keeps getting letters. I have my fingers crossed on my 2007. I bought not only on looks but reputation. I hope Toyota doesnt change my opinion.
2. As far as Nav display screen, you can check your dashboard brightness adjustment stick on the dashboard.(I don't know how to call it correctly) If you turn it to the maximum, the NAV and dashboard will stay in the day mode all the time. When you adjust the brightness a little bit lower until you feel "click", then NAV and dashboard will be in day/night mode.
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1. GPS (Garmin nuvi) velocity accuracy is 0.1 mph
2. My instrumentation illumination adjustment was not set clockwise past the detent position (full brightness) but was set to some level that was dimmer than maximum intensity. Regardless, the Nav display should have brightened to daylight intensity independent of where that switch was set. The buttons surrounding the Nav display might stay on but those weren't the problem. Turning the lights from Auto to ON and back correcting the problem also indicates that the panel dimmer switch is not the cause.
Don't lose any sleep over it!
Yes, the trip meter is 1-2 mpg high over actual mpg. Makes the drivers who don't check their mileage feel better, I guess.
Don't know about your NAV. If I had a NAV. I would look to see what triggers the illumination change.
In my Garmin, the illumination mode is changed by the time (Official daylight and sunrise time)
It's good to know it. Hmm..Toyota needs to do better job here.
2. My instrumentation illumination adjustment was not set clockwise past the detent position (full brightness) but was set to some level that was dimmer than maximum intensity. Regardless, the Nav display should have brightened to daylight intensity independent of where that switch was set. The buttons surrounding the Nav display might stay on but those weren't the problem. Turning the lights from Auto to ON and back correcting the problem also indicates that the panel dimmer switch is not the cause.
instrumentation illumination adjustment - Right, that's what I am talking about.
Did you check NAV options? I remember there is an option on NAV menu that allow you to turn on/off NAV day/night mode. If not, that's really a problem.
If your 07 V6 Camry is currently ok, good for you. But I just wonder how long it will be before your transmission starts to act up and you are back here in the same boat as the rest of us.
2000 per day. How many of those were V6's. Do you know? I do. The percentage of V6's built is surprisingly small.
Whew, 1000 miles. My transmission was problem free for that long. We'll see how long yours lasts. :lemon:
Whew, 1000 miles. My transmission was problem free for that long. We'll see how long yours lasts.
About one third of all North American Camries are V6's. Not exactly "surprisingly small."
are the tranny problems being reported on this board for the 4 cyl or the V6?
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corton,
Let me know how your tranny change works out. I'm extremely concerned after the problems related by donr57
That's what they used to say about the 03 Accords when problems started being reported. Now it's a problem year. Not all cars are perfect forever. All cars have problems.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Corton- my padre's 05 Legacy (purchased July 04) needed an engine rebuild after 10,000 miles. The car has been flawless since. That was 24,000 miles ago. He certainly hasnt crossed Subie off the shopping list for future vehicles. If you've had 5 other Toyotas and good experiences, why does this one bad experience- with a VERY early production, first year model with a first year drivetrain, mean that you will never for the remainder of your days buy another Toyota? I mean, I could understand this if the new tranny does NOT resolve issues. But that remains to be seen. If the replacement solves all issues and no transmission problems ever resurface over the remaining life of the car, your statement strikes me as fairly dramatic, at face value.
~alpha
Tom
There have been more affected units than that original estimated number but still very low incidents given the production to date of this vehicle. A countermeasure has been in place so that we know where the light is at the end of this tunnel. As noted in our earlier discussion thread devoted to the snap ring issue, one vehicle is too many.
Our collaborative efforts with our dealers and parts supply professionals continue around the clock with the primary objective of responding to all affected owners promptly and with sensitivity to the inconvenience and disappointment the snap ring issue has caused. With excellent availability now of new transmissions, a good number of these Camrys have already been repaired successfully, with their owners continuing on with the enjoyment of their new cars.
Should there be any significant change in the Camry snap ring service issue, we'll request that Edmunds re-open our original topic thread so that dialog specific to that can be moved to a dedicated area. Re the other transmission concerns discussed at length here as well as other "woes" appropriate under this topic, the forum is a great place to post, debate, criticize, speculate about everything related to this fine automobile that does not seem right. And while tmsusa can and will provide accurate information to the participants and ensure that important comments from them like our vehicles' real world performance or responsiveness of our Customer Experience Center team members gets forwarded directly to the appropriate business units for action, it is not appropriate nor our intent to engage in individual case discussions on or off line.
As a reminder, we recommend and encourage that our customers seek assistance from their Toyota dealers for concerns involving their Toyota vehicles. And our Customer Experience Center now has expanded service hours and a new online knowledge management tool to provide greater support to owners. The CEC can be accessed via the Toyota website or by telephone at 800-331-4331.
There are very few with complaints about the 5-speed on the 4-cylinder.
Regarding some of the other issues:
1. Having a speedometer off by 2-3 mph at 50 mph is not at all unusual. All of my vehicles have had some degree of speedometer error, more or less in the same range. Most erred on the conservative side, but my old '80 Volvo indicated 55 mph for a true 60!
Also, with those "your speed is" radar signs, unless you're pointed directly at the sign (possible in a left-hand curve), the indicated speed on the sign will always be slightly less than your true speed because of the angle between your line of travel and the sign.
2. Indicated average mpg is optimistic? Not a biggie, IMO; my '05 Camry XLE reads high by a couple of mpg also. This is my first car with the feature, so I have no frame of reference. But considering the instantaneous readout shows 99.9 mpg when descending a grade, it doesn't surprise me the average is high.
3. I'm not sure about the projector-type low beams being the problem for poor visibility, but if you're on a "dark country road," shouldn't you by definition be using high beams anyway? Ok, dim them for oncoming traffic and cars in front of you. I know I try to use high beams on dark roads as much as possible, even on divided highways where the median is wide so oncoming traffic isn't blinded.
4. Car never the same again after a major repair? Well, my '04 Camry LE was rear-ended while parked when my son had it in California. We had the damage appraisal done there, patched up the shattered left taillight, and drove it cross country to Virginia, our home. Total damage was over $4,000 -- it looked terrible, but it's all back together now and looks great (actually better than before because the rear bumper cover had some nicks and scrapes). A new quarter panel had to be welded in, the most intrusive repair, and there was extensive paint work done.
Good question if you have not had a chance to read the full thread. I'm crossing them off my list because of two major reasons.
First, Toyota is not treating me (and others) the same as some other customers with failed transmissions in their 2007 Camrys.
Toyota has two problems with the 6 speed auto transmissions in the 2007 Camry. The first is what Toyota calls a snap ring failure. The fix is to replace the transmission. For owners with this failure Toyota offers a new transmission, they will make one months car payment for you, and give you a free extended warranty, OR you can elect to receive a replacement vehicle from Toyota.
So far so good.
The second type of problem with the 6 speed auto transmissions on the 2007 Camry involve a problem shifting between gears, where the RPM's on the engine spike up markedly when the transmission shifts. The fix for this is to replace the transmission.
My car has the RPM spike problem. When I contacted Toyota and asked them to provide me with the same consideration that they provided the owners with the "snap ring" failure, they told me in no uncertain terms, NO WAY.
I then very nicely asked them why not, since a transmission failure is a transmission failure, and why does it make any difference what part inside the transmission failed? To them it is a big difference, although no one at Toyota could tell me why.
They are providing two completely different levels of customer service depending on what part inside of your transmission failed. I asked them why and their only answer was "it is a management decision".
I then had discussions with various "managers" and "customer service representatives" at Toyota Corporate and was treated very rudely and with disrespect. Not once but several times.
So in a nutshell it just as much about the poor customer service that I received after my car had problems as anything. Not at the dealer level but at the Corporate level.
I think it is reasonable to be treated fairly and with respect as I am a multiple time paying customer of Toyota Motor Sales USA. However, they don't seem to care at all about that.
So no more Toyota's for me. Ever. Not to be dramatic, but to speak with the only true power that a consumer has these days, with my wallet.
Toyota has two problems with the 6 speed auto transmissions in the 2007 Camry. The first is what Toyota calls a snap ring failure. The fix is to replace the transmission. For owners with this failure Toyota offers a new transmission, they will make one months car payment for you, and give you a free extended warranty, OR you can elect to receive a replacement vehicle from Toyota.
...The second type of problem with the 6 speed auto transmissions on the 2007 Camry involve a problem shifting between gears, where the RPM's on the engine spike up markedly when the transmission shifts. The fix for this is to replace the transmission.
Toyota's obligation under the factory warranty is only to correct the problem, if necessary by replacing the transmission. On the snap ring issue, Toyota chose to offer other options, including replacement of the car. This is their prerogative, and a nice gesture, but not a requirement.
What do you think GM, Ford, DCX, or VW would have done under the same circumstances? (I say this as having been burned by 2 of these 4.)
Best of luck to you.
~alpha