Hey people, I have a friend giving up their 2003 XLE V6 fully loaded for a good price. I can sell my 2003 SE V6 and don't have to pay for any differences. Their car have approximately the same mileage as mine, around 50000km. My SE V6 doesn't have the leather package. What I would be getting with the XLE V6 are auto dimming mirrors, auto climate control, leather seats w/heated seats, backshade, and a softer ride. But then I would be giving up the sporty look with the spoiler, black out headlights and grille, and silver gauges.
I find that the SE's ride is too bumpy and the XLE will probably have a more enjoyable ride.
Oh one more difference is that my Camry is assembled in Japan and theirs in North America.
Another relatively cheap thing to replace is the wires. I had a similar problem with one of the cars that I gave my son. It didn't fail as soon but did something similar, where it just died. If he waited a while it would typically start OK. Replacing the ignition wire set fixed the problem. I had given him two cars, an 86 Camry and a 93 Taurus so I can't remember if it was the Camry or the Taurus.
I own a Camry SE V6. I have problems with acceleration. You go to accelerate and the car takes a second to go. You can put the car in low and drive about 10 miles an hour. Take your foot off the gas and then punch it nothing happens. I feel this is a unsafe car. Going to pull out into traffic you have to worry if when you hit the gas if it will go. Toyota has replaced the 5 speed automatic transmission. Same problem. They replaced the computer. Same problem. They told me the last time after re setting the computer to granny it for 20 miles and it should set itself. Well guess what, Same problem . I am fed up that nothing can be done to resolve this problem and now looking into the lemon law because I feel this car is unsafe. If anyone knows how to solve this problem that would be great.
I own a Camry SE V6. I have problems with acceleration. You go to accelerate and the car takes a second to go. You can put the car in low and drive about 10 miles an hour. Take your foot off the gas and then punch it nothing happens. I feel this is a unsafe car. Going to pull out into traffic you have to worry if when you hit the gas if it will go. Toyota has replaced the 5 speed automatic transmission. Same problem. They replaced the computer. Same problem. They told me the last time after re setting the computer to granny it for 20 miles and it should set itself. Well guess what, Same problem . I am fed up that nothing can be done to resolve this problem and now looking into the lemon law because I feel this car is unsafe. If anyone knows how to solve this problem that would be great
My 2002 Camry 4cyl SE has 50,000 miles and today I noticed a whine when I am turning the wheel either right or left. I am going to have my mechanic look at it this week and I am going to try to look for a TSB on the issue. If anyone out there has had the same problem,or known of any one having this problem, could you please post the details as to what, if any TSB covers this. The car is steering fine, but the noise is quite noticeable and I'm worried my rack may be starting to go. It doesn't seem to be a noise from any parts rubbing in the column, but it may be. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
Opening a case with Toyota did nothing except I got a call from the dealership's "Customer Relationship Manager" and he was very unhelpful, discourteous and impolite .
According to him :
His Reply: He can put me in an Avalon as it has more horsepower and would satisfy the kind of acceleration I need. Camry 6 cylinder goes 0-60 in 9.8 secs.
My reply and question: I said, I just need reasonable acceleration not a racing car's acceleration.
I asked him if it has to do with horsepower then how could a 4 cylinder car beats my 6 cylinder with more horsepower ? .
His reply : Oh!!, because 4 cylinder car has more torque.
My question: I said, please compare the specs of any 4 cylinder car with 6 cylinder camry and see yourself which car has more torque ?
His Reply: Oh!!! Camry 4 cylinder has more acceleration because it weighs less then 6 cylinder.
Also, You can do these things to improve acceleration:
My reply : I totally disagree with you and I will call you later and disconnected.
I got so frustrated with him that there was no point in discussing the matter further with So called Impolite "CustomerRelationship Manager" who did not understand anything.
I urge everyone having problem to write your reviews.
Camry 4 accelerates faster than 6 ? 4 has more torque than 6. I think your Customer relation manager either is a moron or thinks you are one. If I were you I would contact Toyota's regional manager and would describe the nature of the conversation. You absolutely do not need a turbo or supercharger for a car that has 210 hp and 220 lb ft of torque. The specs I have seen for the V6 camry is 0 to 60 in the mid 7 seconds and not 9.8 seconds. Even the 4 cylinder Camry accelerates faster than that. I own a 2003 Camry V6 and I never had any problem with acceleration.
I am pretty sure there is a TSB. I had the same problem. It required that they somehow lube the steering wheel. If your dealer pleeds ignorance, I'll pull my paperwork and see if I can the TSB number.
I've had my Camry for a year. I had it to three dealerships complaining about a very bumpy ride. I took it in to a new dealer for a oil change. I mentioned my bumpy ride to them. They told me no trouble found. The interesting thing is my bumpy ride is gone. The car appears to handle better and the ride is no longer bumpy. Does anyone have any idea what dealer might have done to correct problem? They will not tell me.
Maybe the service tech lowered the air pressure! Seriously! There are many stories about cars being delivered with tires in the 40+ PSI range which greatly affects the ride. I know when I had my oil changed in my Olds last weekend, the tech pumped the tires up - without ever checking the pressure before - and I let out about 5 pounds before I left!
Get yourself a GOOD tire pressure gauge, keep it in the glove box or console and check your pressure at least once a month. Don't go with a cheap $2.99 pen-type gauge, spend a few bucks for an accurate one with a dial or digital read-out.
Hello, I have a 2004 Camry SE with 2,700 miles on it. From day one there has been a loud thump when going over bumps in roads. Feels like whole car is jaring. Took car to deal and they said it was probably 2 things. I had a small dusting brush hanging in the net in the trunk...it was that....and also I have a chrome frame around my tag and that was doing it also. I find it hard to believe that this car is this cheaply made that these little things can do such a noise. They said they check something on the rear and it was tight. I took brush out and frame off, still does it. Anyone have ANY suggestions or fixes. I really am hating this car! I have check tire pressure, doesn't improve even though they were over inflated. Thanks for any help.
Yes, spare is tight. Feels like something is definitely loose that is thumping. Will take the car back to dealer next week. Hope can get it fixed soon. The road I travel on daily has about 15 ridges which it does.
If you do a search on this discussion for rear noises, you'll see what other owners had experienced. On my girlfriend's 2002 Solara, we had to take it back to the dealer twice. The first repair was just tightening the rear strut bolts. After we picked it up, we turned right back and had the tech take a ride with us. He heard the noises and ordered new rear struts and rear rear strut mounts.
Bill, I am having EXACTLY the same problem. Going in to dealership on 08/20/04 for FOURTH time! The last time they reprogrammed the trans. No help. There might be something called a valve body that might be bad. If it is not fixed after this time I will file with Toyota. I don't care if not many people have complained about this problem. I will DEMAND they change the trans or give me a new car. I kind of remember you posting about this before.
My 2004 Camry SE 6 CYL is extremely bumpy. I wish you new what they did to fix it. My car goes in shop on Tuesday for loud noise when go over bumps. You can feel the thump so hard it vibrates into my drivers seat. Very anoying.
I took my car to Team Toyota in Langhorne PA. They had car for only half hour. They told me they found no problem with bumpy ride. After they were done with my car it rides the way it should. When I went in my air pressure was 28 all around. When I left it was still 28 all around. The only thing that seems different is the car seems to sit a little higher in the rear. They told me nothing was done to my car. Good luck with your SE.
It only happens after extended high speed (interstate) driving. It doesn't happen every time--but the car very often sputters for a second or two before regaining "composure." Any thoughts out there? Thanks!
I had the same problem with my '92 Camry XLE V6. Almost every time I would exit off the turnpike, the car would start to idle very slow and stall. I finally took it to the dealer and they made some sort of adjustment in the transmission. It didn't eliminate the problem, but made it less likely to stall. I kept the car for 10 years and about 150k miles.
I filed a complaint with Toyota on Autust 3, 2004. They told me that no other 2004 Camry 4-speed automatic transmission owner has filed a complaint. I took the car to the dealer TWICE so far. On August 14, a dealer technician rode with me for 30 minutes, but (darn) I could not get this problem to occur (intermittent jerky shift from 1st to 2nd). The dealer told me that Toyota does not have a Tech Bulletin on this problem. I think the only way to get Toyota's attention is to get everyone with this problem to file a complaint with Toyota. I will post again the next time I take the car to the dealer.
I recently took my car to the dealer for its 15k service (basically oil change and systems check) last week, and noticed the engine was somewhat noisier (especially when accelerating)and vibrated a bit more (especially when stationary). Is there anything that the techs could of did/forgot to do during this procedure to cause any of these things? I took it back the other day and the shop forman took me around for a drive in it and explained to me nothing was wrong with it, and that the vibrations are normal for this type of engine. I didn't really notice the problem as we were doing the drive test, so I couldn't really say anything about it... The car seems to be fine in the higher gears though. Any ideas?
FWIW: you didn't happen to replace the battery recently did you?
my wife owned a mitubishi manual hatch-back with fuel injection. the battery died and the car wasn't driven for a few days. we replaced the battery. we noted that everytime we came to a stop the car stalled. i tried driving it on the highway and everytime i got on the exit ramp and let my foot off the pedal, the car stalled.
really puzzled, i called a local Firestone repair center and they ask me: "does it have fuel injection"? I say yup. They say - go out to the parking lot, turn the car over and let it idle 20minutes to reprogram the idle settings.
that did it.
not sure that's your problem - but was amazed myself that a tiny little hatchback had the "smarts" (???) that it needed to have engine parameters re-trained when the battery was replaced.
the tricky part was riding the accelerator, clutch and brake at the same time to avoid the stalling.
Hi there , has anybody seen a passenger Airbag Cover separate from the Dash? My car is a 2002 Camry and i noticed the Pax Airbag cover starting to separate...The thin Plastic around the failure seam has broken causing the cover to lift up and expose the foam underneath.I have owned Toyotas for years..and there is no excuse for the dash to crack in just 2 years on a new car.Is this covered under warrenty? Looks like the whole dash has to be replaced. The dash has been covered everyday from the Florida sun by a dash cover.
Has Toyota come out with a fix for the spongy brakes on the new Camry. The brakes work but it seems you need excess pressure to really get the car to stop in a hurry.
When i stop at a stoplight with my foot on the brake..the car somtimes revs up a bit causing the vehicle to lurch forward slightly..kinda feels as if somone bumped you from behind...Any similar events out there? (2002) Camry.
My 20 yr old son sits in his '90 Corolla 4cyl for 30-45 min at time idling, with the air on listening to music and reading. What is this doing to the car? (I know what it's doing to my state of mind!!)
My car was at dealership this past Friday and half day Saturday. This is the 4th time. Drove with technician for 20-30 minutes. Of course it did not fail. Everything checks out on the computer. Toyota refuses to do anything or even acknowledge that there might be a problem. I told them I will start writing letters and sending email. I made it clear to the dealership that I will not go away. I personally know 2 Camry owners and they are not experiencing the problem we are. The tech mentioned that it might be normal for the lock up torque converter to act this way. I said give me a rental car, at Toyota's expense, for 2-3 days to see if that car does it. Guess what....they said they can't so that. It would not be the first time a car manufacturer tried to hide defects. I am expecting calls from 2 Toyota people about this situation. Will keep you posted.
milowilli, are your "spongey brakes" a relatively recent occurance? If so, you may need to have the brake system flushed and refilled with fresh DOT 3 or 4 fluid* - particularly if your locale is humid. Brake fluid is a glycol ester and "hygroscopic" - meaning the stuff absorbs water like a sponge. When that happens the heat of operation will vaporize the water content into bubbles temporarily. Since the bubbles consist of a compressible gas (steam), a spongey brake pedal feel results. After release and some cooldown, the steam condenses and is reabsorbed back into solution in the fluid. It's a vicious cycle from then on. Left unattended too long, corrosion in the stainless steel line is even a possibility.
*DOT 4 fluid has a higher (desirable) boiling point than DOT 3 fluid, but either are generally allowed by the car manufacturer. The price difference is negligible.
hollage, your son's habit is doing nothing beneficial for that car. At idle, the engine has to be fed disproportionately more fuel than would be expected for its rotational speed. This results in two immediate conditions - cylinder wash off of the oil coating, and fuel contamination of the crankcase oil as raw fuel is forced by compression stroke pressures past the rings. Idling at a stop sign or light is harmless since the car will soon be in motion and crankcase temperatures will evaporate whatever little fuel wash takes place and route the vapors through the PCV system for burning in the engine. But idling an hour at a time? The young man is patently self-indulgent. (But, on whose nickel?) Police cars and taxis get this kind of treatment and are usually auctioned off by the agencies or companies after two years because experience has taught the maintenance departments that keeping them longer will result in disproportionate mechanical expenses. (When you see taxis more than two years old, they're usually either owned by the drivers or operated by marginal companies.)
After driving for about 20 minutes and longer ,if i shut off the car it cant start again until about half an hour and sometimes longer. tried to get it sorted out but so far unsuccessful. When i turn the key in the ignition the the engine doesn't even turn over ,it is as if everything is dead.
I traded my excellent 97 XLE for a new 2003 XLE. Both V6s. I hate the 2003 and plan to trade in for a new Mazda or Outback. I make tht mistake of ordering it withou the chance to test drive, assuming it was at least as good as the 97. Its just a pile of crap. Jerky tranny,very sluggish acceletation, ilegible dash data--odo, cruise indicator, even the gas guage is in an awkward place. The only thing I like is the motor is quiet, and it tracks well. we do a lot of highspeed interstate driving and lots of short intown trips. Its OK on the interstate , but struggles to climb any hill, or just accelerate on the flat . The factory rep agreed the tranny was trash and the installed a new program. Now its just old trash. (12000 miles) Ted
Hi there 2002 camry owners..I noticed that the pax airbag cover on my car and several i looked at is separating. Th airbag has a built in failure seam (so the airbag can blow thru the dash in an accident) I noticed that mine has ripped on the top seam and the dash foam is exposed. the cover has lifted slightly on th top too. (Look at it from the outside passenger side thru the windscreen and look at the top seam)..almost all 2002 models here in Florida that i looked at are ripped open and the foam is exposed. I took my car to 2 dealerships here and they said that it was normal..Now come on...the car is 2 yrs old and it wasn't like that when i bought it. I think Toyota knows of the problem but is brushing it aside as a lot of cars are involved. The fix is a new dash $2000.00..so you can see why they are trying to brush it aside. Kindly check your airbag cover(Pax side) and let me know..i am very curious.From what i see if this is left as is with the crack the dash will start to distort and look like a mess, and when the warrenty runs out you will have to replace the dash at your cost...so check it out.
I have a 2004 Camry that is having a trans problem. Note post 2471. It would appear that Toyota does not want to fix defects in their cars. The problem with the airbag cover just confirms my suspicions. We must all keep filing complaints about our Toyota problems. I read an article in last Sundays newspaper about JD Power ratings on Camrys. They have slipped about 3 or 4 notches down in quality. Gee .... how can that happen....I wonder....
I would go with the XLE. The ride is softer and quieter, more like a luxury car!
I have found components in N America-assembled car seem to have short lives compared to those assembled in Japan. I have a 89 Japan Camry. The shock absorbers and radiator are still original at 250K miles, whereas the 93 US Camry's shocks and radiator were shot by 100K.
THIS IS A 2WD AND THE BOOK SAYS THE 2WD AXLE IS HELD IN BY 6 NUTS AND THE 4WD BY 6 BOLTS. MINE HAD 6 BOLTS. I DROPPED THE BALL JOINT ASSEMBLY, PUSHED THE AXLE OUT OF THE HUB, REMOVED THE SIX BOLTS AND I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET IT TO MOVE ABOUT 1 INCH AND IT WILL NOT COME OUT. I HAVE CHECKED FOR SNAP RINGS AND SET SCREWS AND I CAN'T SEE ANY. THE REPLACEMENT AXLE AND THE REPAIR MANUAL SHOW THE AXLE WITH A FLAT END THAT BOLTS UP. THE ONE I'M TRYING TO REMOVE HAS THE INNER BOOT AND HUB THEN IT DROPS BACK DOWN TO A SHAFT WITH A SEAL THAT GOES INTO THE BEARING KEEPER. WITH PRYING IT OUT THE 1 INCH ALL THE FLUID HAS DRAINED OUT OF THE TRANSAXLE AND THE HALF SHAFT WILL NOT COME OUT. WHAT DO I DO? ANY HELP WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
It is time to change the front brake pads and rotor for my 99 Camry again. I never use any non OEM parts before. My car now has 100k on it already. So I am think about to use non OEM rotor and pads this time. What do you think?
I don't want to get ripped off, and I'm looking for opinions. Here are the symptoms:
"Chuff" sound, not real loud, gets faster as I go faster of course....steering wheel shimmy that is more apparent at low speeds....pulls to the left under moderate to hard braking....
During the last month I have had the rotors machined and new pads put on, as well as a new CV axle on the driver's side. None of the symptoms change when I rotate the tires. Any opinions out there?? Could a tie rod be doing it? Or a ball joint perhaps? The car is an 89 Camry V6 wagon. Thanks in advance!!
Hi Steve, I have a somewhat similar problem with my Camry 93 sedan (msg. #2433). I changed the tie rod ends but nothing happened. Put on new tires, did alignment, etc. As a matter of fact, I was intending to do what you already did on your Camry. Nobody so far has a solution or at least a theory. I guess I'll go on changing things hoping for the better. I'll keep you posted on any info I might get on your problem. Chavo.
Comments
I find that the SE's ride is too bumpy and the XLE will probably have a more enjoyable ride.
Oh one more difference is that my Camry is assembled in Japan and theirs in North America.
Would you do the trade if you were me?
If he waited a while it would typically start OK.
Replacing the ignition wire set fixed the problem.
I had given him two cars, an 86 Camry and a 93 Taurus so I can't remember if it was the Camry or the Taurus.
1) Car cuts off sometimes when A/C runs.
2) No lights on intrument panel or radio
Could low idling cause 1 and bad fuse cause #2?
According to him :
His Reply: He can put me in an Avalon as it has more horsepower and would satisfy the kind of acceleration I need. Camry 6 cylinder goes 0-60 in 9.8 secs.
My reply and question: I said, I just need reasonable acceleration not a racing car's acceleration.
I asked him if it has to do with horsepower then how could a 4 cylinder car beats my 6 cylinder with more horsepower ? .
His reply : Oh!!, because 4 cylinder car has more torque.
My question: I said, please compare the specs of any 4 cylinder car with 6 cylinder camry and see yourself which car has more torque ?
His Reply: Oh!!! Camry 4 cylinder has more acceleration because it weighs less then 6 cylinder.
Also, You can do these things to improve acceleration:
1. Replace Cylinder Head.
2. Replace Cam
3. Install turbo charger
4. Or, Install supercharger
My reply : I totally disagree with you and I will call you later and disconnected.
I got so frustrated with him that there was no point in discussing the matter further with So called Impolite "CustomerRelationship Manager" who did not understand anything.
I urge everyone having problem to write your reviews.
Seriously! There are many stories about cars being delivered with tires in the 40+ PSI range which greatly affects the ride. I know when I had my oil changed in my Olds last weekend, the tech pumped the tires up - without ever checking the pressure before - and I let out about 5 pounds before I left!
Get yourself a GOOD tire pressure gauge, keep it in the glove box or console and check your pressure at least once a month. Don't go with a cheap $2.99 pen-type gauge, spend a few bucks for an accurate one with a dial or digital read-out.
Deke
Just my $.02
Deke
I am having EXACTLY the same problem. Going in to dealership on 08/20/04 for FOURTH time! The last time they reprogrammed the trans. No help. There might be something called a valve body that might be bad. If it is not fixed after this time I will file with Toyota. I don't care if not many people have complained about this problem. I will DEMAND they change the trans or give me a new car. I kind of remember you posting about this before.
Steve
I filed a complaint with Toyota on Autust 3, 2004. They told me that no other 2004 Camry 4-speed automatic transmission owner has filed a complaint. I took the car to the dealer TWICE so far. On August 14, a dealer technician rode with me for 30 minutes, but (darn) I could not get this problem to occur (intermittent jerky shift from 1st to 2nd). The dealer told me that Toyota does not have a Tech Bulletin on this problem. I think the only way to get Toyota's attention is to get everyone with this problem to file a complaint with Toyota. I will post again the next time I take the car to the dealer.
my wife owned a mitubishi manual hatch-back with fuel injection. the battery died and the car wasn't driven for a few days. we replaced the battery. we noted that everytime we came to a stop the car stalled. i tried driving it on the highway and everytime i got on the exit ramp and let my foot off the pedal, the car stalled.
really puzzled, i called a local Firestone repair center and they ask me: "does it have fuel injection"? I say yup. They say - go out to the parking lot, turn the car over and let it idle 20minutes to reprogram the idle settings.
that did it.
not sure that's your problem - but was amazed myself that a tiny little hatchback had the "smarts" (???) that it needed to have engine parameters re-trained when the battery was replaced.
the tricky part was riding the accelerator, clutch and brake at the same time to avoid the stalling.
My car was at dealership this past Friday and half day Saturday. This is the 4th time. Drove with technician for 20-30 minutes. Of course it did not fail. Everything checks out on the computer. Toyota refuses to do anything or even acknowledge that there might be a problem. I told them I will start writing letters and sending email. I made it clear to the dealership that I will not go away. I personally know 2 Camry owners and they are not experiencing the problem we are. The tech mentioned that it might be normal for the lock up torque converter to act this way. I said give me a rental car, at Toyota's expense, for 2-3 days to see if that car does it. Guess what....they said they can't so that. It would not be the first time a car manufacturer tried to hide defects. I am expecting calls from 2 Toyota people about this situation. Will keep you posted.
*DOT 4 fluid has a higher (desirable) boiling point than DOT 3 fluid, but either are generally allowed by the car manufacturer. The price difference is negligible.
The gears on your starter are worn. Sometimes they are stuck on the fly wheel, therefore not turning the engine over.
Replace either the starter or the flywheel and the car should start
I have found components in N America-assembled car seem to have short lives compared to those assembled in Japan. I have a 89 Japan Camry. The shock absorbers and radiator are still original at 250K miles, whereas the 93 US Camry's shocks and radiator were shot by 100K.
"Chuff" sound, not real loud, gets faster as I go faster of course....steering wheel shimmy that is more apparent at low speeds....pulls to the left under moderate to hard braking....
During the last month I have had the rotors machined and new pads put on, as well as a new CV axle on the driver's side. None of the symptoms change when I rotate the tires. Any opinions out there?? Could a tie rod be doing it? Or a ball joint perhaps? The car is an 89 Camry V6 wagon. Thanks in advance!!
Steve
I have a somewhat similar problem with my Camry 93 sedan (msg. #2433). I changed the tie rod ends but nothing happened. Put on new tires, did alignment, etc. As a matter of fact, I was intending to do what you already did on your Camry. Nobody so far has a solution or at least a theory. I guess I'll go on changing things hoping for the better. I'll keep you posted on any info I might get on your problem.
Chavo.