2000 Toyota Camry XLE V6

mrgracey

It only took me 5 hours to get on Edmunds site? I have a 2000 Toyota Camry NO rust and 57 original Kilometres. The best car I ever owned no more of the big 3 trash for me!!! Toyota has made a couple of misstake here and there. Reading peoples thoughts on how to fix cars on Edmunds is very comical. How ever some people do no what they are talking about on this site. Now some people it looks like they don't think Toyota are a good car? I am 74 years old and seen the world go around many times and I study mechanic a whole lot over the years . Now the only basic problem people have with Toyota's is that hey take them back to the dealer ship to get them fixed. BAD mistake they charge BIG, BIG price to fix any thing. They up SALE all the time. When they change you oil they put in the cheaps oil and oil filter they can fined!!!! You go there because you think they know you car the best, well think AGAIN!!! Most all car dealer ships are the SAME!!! What you MUST do is find an honest Mechanic in your town or city, that's not easy but friends may be able to help you? However be careful friends think they have a good mechanic when they really are robbing them blind! Note: NEVER go any mechanic and tell him to fix what ever it needs. as our bill could be many$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and most likely most of the parts never needed changing in the fist place? Women are the most vulnerable as they no little a bout cars!

I have a very honest mechanic in my town he charged me $107. to safety check my 22 year old 2000 Toyota Camry when I bought off my friend it needed nothing. Most places Mechanic would say it needs many, many new part to safety check my car as it is 22 years old. Also 5 min. oil changes are one of the worst places you can go to get our oil changed they upsell for thing you do not need! and most of the time they do not fix anything ANYS, plus they put the lows price oil in your car that they can find. However they charge you for all the things that they did not do any ways!!! Oh when it comes boosting or re-charging your car battery Read the instructions carefully first. The things I told you are true and I hope many of benefit from these thing. AND STOP letting Mechanics and Dealer ships rob you blind!! MR gracey

thecardoc3

mrgracey said:

Reading peoples thoughts on how to fix cars on Edmunds is very comical. How ever some people do no what they are talking about on this site. Now some people it looks like they don't think Toyota are a good car?

Learning how to diagnose and repair cars is a lot more difficult than most realize. That's a problem we have been dealing with for generations and the reality is no matter how much someone knows, how much they study, nor how long they have actually repaired cars for a living there will always be something that they have never seen before. The best anyone can do is be competent at the essentials and then have proper service information to do research from when something new shows up.

mrgracey said:

I am 74 years old and seen the world go around many times and I study mechanic a whole lot over the years . Now the only basic problem people have with Toyota's is that hey take them back to the dealer ship to get them fixed. BAD mistake they charge BIG, BIG price to fix any thing. They up SALE all the time. When they change you oil they put in the cheaps oil and oil filter they can fined!!!! You go there because you think they know you car the best, well think AGAIN!!!

If you really want to be fair, you don't actually know what it costs for any business to provide service. If you don't know what it costs them to open their doors each day, then you also don't really know what they should be charging. As far as the choices and quality of the materials being used to service a vehicle, dealerships are generally pretty good at using the correct parts and fluids, not perfect, but usually pretty good. The top independent shops are also going to regularly use the highest quality parts and fluids. Its only when a vehicle owner shops price first that they open themselves up to the possibility of questionable materials.

mrgracey said:

Most all car dealer ships are the SAME!!! What you MUST do is find an honest Mechanic in your town or city, that's not easy but friends may be able to help you? However be careful friends think they have a good mechanic when they really are robbing them blind! Note: NEVER go any mechanic and tell him to fix what ever it needs. as our bill could be many$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and most likely most of the parts never needed changing in the fist place? Women are the most vulnerable as they no little a bout cars!

It's not easy to find a great mechanic/technician or shop. It's not that great of a career to have for someone to enjoy a great standard of living. It definitely has been getting better over the last five to ten years because the shortage of qualified technicians finally became so much of a problem that it couldn't be swept under the rug anymore.

I know a lot of women who are not only knowledgeable about cars. A number of them either are, or they are on the path to becoming great technicians. I stress to any young women technician to really work on their electronics training. That generally leads towards doing diagnostics and interior vehicle work where their average smaller size is an advantage over the guys. Being smaller they can reach many things easier and that makes them more efficient and makes the job easier.

mrgracey said:

The things I told you are true and I hope many of benefit from these thing. AND STOP letting Mechanics and Dealer ships rob you blind!! MR gracey

These kinds of statements work to make it less likely that a vehicle owner will have a talented, qualified mechanic/technician available to service their car for them especially when it needs something beyond regular maintenance. As long as people still think this way, the career just isn't worth the effort to learn and be a part of so most people who try it and could have been really good at it in ten to fifteen years leave for almost any other career. At 74 you are old enough to remember when there was a repair shop on just about every block. Now there are towns with only one or two and some with none at all.