Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions

210delray

Don't use Fram! From everything I've read on these boards, they are junk. The Purolator L14477 is the correct one to use. I don't know about the NAPA filter.

One thing I've learned with the Purolator vs. the Toyota OEM filter is that the Purolator has more rounded off flutes, which makes it harder for the cap-style oil filter wrench to get a good grip for removal, if the filter is on a little too tight. (It's hard to tighten the filter by hand because of clearance problems, so it's tempting to use a wrench, which I no longer advise -- see below.)

The OEM filter has better defined flutes which ensure a better grip. I learned the hard way, so I'm only going with OEM filter from now on! They really don't cost that much more. And I'm only going to tighten them by hand.

If you do hand tighten, be sure to check for leaks after you've run the engine for a short time after installation.

ops1

My 93 Camry with just under 155K miles died while driving earlier today. It had been making very loud clackety noises (for lack of a better description) and I was planning to bring it to my mechanic later today. My mechanic's initial reaction (after towing the car) is that the timing belt went, but he is not sure yet. I replaced the timing belt at 68,500 miles and 126,000 miles. If it is the timing belt, does that mean my engine will be damaged? or just my wallet?

210delray

The Camry 4-cylinder is a non-interference design (at least on the 1992 and later models), so if the timing belt breaks, there should be no engine damage. However, that "clackety " sound could signal something more serious. The only time my timing belt broke (on a 1980 Volvo, also prematurely, like yours), there were no noises beforehand; the car just died.

ops1

If it is the timing belt, then it definitely failed prematurely. Most likely it was caused by something else. I should know in the morning. The car does not owe me anything at this point, but I was hoping to get something on a trade-in.

mjtian

I replaced my '93 around 100,000mi. The guys at Firestone found a crack and I had a mechanic friend replaced it before the car pooped on me. She is still kicking strong at 115,000mi. But I did not realized any noises beforehand. Thats the reason I get professionals to change my oil even though I can myself. But I am pretty much useless on any major repairs. I hope my '93 will last me 2 more years.....keeping my fingers crossed.

mjtian

Thanks 210delray, I figured the guy at Midas was honest as he did a good job with my breaks. I just wan't 100% sure at the time, plus I think the estimate was around $200 and he said it was not a safty issue but rather annoyance.....well, I think I've about had it with it and will check into fixing it soon. Thanks again.

yied

Hi all,

I just bought a Camry SE 5spd AT in May. My cars is around 3k now. My car has some strange problems that I am not sure if they are suppose to have in a new car. My camry doesn't accelerate fast. When driving on freeway, when I slow down from 70 mph, the car would never speed up again, it would stuck on 50 mphs no matter how hard I press the pedal. When going on 20-40, the car jerks. When going up a little elevated hills, just a very slight elevation, the car would stuck on 40 and never speed up again, no matter how hard I press on the pedal, even a corolla able to pull through w/o any dramatic slowering. The brake also feel very lose, I always over shot, the car slide unless I floor the brake pedal. I am not sure these problems are suppose to exist or there's a problem w/ my car. Just wondering does anyone experiencing this kind of problems on a new Camry?

loucapri

I agree with the others, don't use FRAM.

I used to change my own oil and use FRAM until I went to a toyota dealer for an OEM (with discount coupon). Man, you can tell from the cut out displace they show, the OEM one is way better than the cheap-o-paper FRAM.
For a dollar more, go with the filter from your toyota dealer.

If you still wonder, go buy both and cut them open to see the different yourself.

imidazol97

I had used Fram, but I read the tests on bobistheoilguy.com site about oil filters and brands. I tried the Purolator One and I could tell the oil stayed clearer longer into my usually oil change cycle. I have a few Frams I will use on the older car, but I'll use the Purolator filters on the new one.

210delray

This all sounds very weird, and frankly, I don't understand what would cause this behavior. I recommend you take the car back to the dealer and have a service manager ride with you while you demonstrate these items. Otherwise, I don't think they'll believe you.

You didn't say which engine you have, the four or the V6.

I have had both an '04 LE 4 and an '05 XLE 4, the former with the 4-speed auto and the latter with the 5-speed auto, and have never experienced any problems like yours.

kevinxzh

I have 1999 Camry. I used to fluch radiator and change coolant by myself with generic green color one.

I just read article recommending red coolant, toyota brand.

What should I do? Change back with expensive red coolant, toyota brand.

Any suggestions?

gsquare

I own a 2003 Camry that has a problem with the drivers seat. The seat pops and moves every time I start and stop. Toyota says this in normal in their seats. I went to the dealer 5 times and nothing was done. The dealer acknowledges the movement, but says it is normal. This movement is very distracting when driving. I bought this car based on Toyotas' reputation, but am now considering selling the car. The quality is not what I expected.

mcdawgg

Completely remove all coolant (total flush, not a drain and fill). Replace with Toyota red - it is only a little more expensive, but worth it. Your chances are very high that will never have a problem with your cooling system if you stick with Toyota Red and do a drain and fill every 30,000 miles. Also, use distilled water.

210delray

This is not normal. Do you have a manual or power seat? I'd recommend another dealer if the car is still under warranty.

Or you could ask the first dealer to pull a 2003 Camry from their used car lot, and I bet it won't have the problem. It'd be interesting to see what they say.

210delray

If you're going with the Toyota Long Life Coolant, it can be left in longer than 30K miles.

For 2004-05 Camrys that are factory filled with this coolant, the first recommended change is at 5 years or 105,000 miles.

For an older Camry, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to keep it in that long, but certainly more than 30K miles is okay.

mcdawgg

For '99's, the owner's manual states to drain and fill every 30k or two years.

210delray

Yes, but the '99 still used the standard red Toyota coolant, not the Long Life variant. I had a '97 with the standard coolant, and switched over to (orange) Dex-Cool at the 60K mile mark.

I'm not sure in what year Toyota switched to the Long Life coolant -- maybe with the Camry redesign of 2002?

droe

I own a 1999 Camry 4 cyl automatic with air with 65,000 miles on it. Within the last 30 days I have noticed a change in the idle speed so much that it will sometimes die when starting cold in the mornings up to 3 or 4 times. After starting the idle speed does not seem to change. There seems to be no high speed choke when starting cold. How could this have changed do you think this could be the IAC valve?
Can you help with any ideas???

leob1

I leased a 2005 Camry SE 4 cyl 5 sp back in April of 05. I expected all the quirks to be out of the car considering they are just about ready to build a new body syle. Well, here is whats gone wrong in 3 months.

1. Sunroof started making noises (needed lube and adjustment).
2. Passenger door developed a bad rattle.
3. Drivers seat began sounding like an old sqeeky couch(Is there a weight limit?!)
4. Shifter housing needed replacement...very loose while in gear. I should add, that it was like that from the beginning and dealer denied something was wrong the first time. I brought it in to fix the rattles and they said it needed new housing, after I drove it for 3 months.
5. The chrome exterior window trim developed tiny rust spots which had to be buffed out.

Despite those quirks, the engine is great and so is the mileage...easy to go 450 miles before light comes on in mixed driving. However, I am somewhat disappointed in Toyota's interior quality as you might expect after the rattles. This car was built in Japan; June of 04 I believe.

edevine

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if I could get some assistance on trying to figure out what is wrong with my car. The a/c when I turn it on gets really cold but after about 20 minutes or less. The cold air just stops and returns to the normal tempature (outside). My camry is a 1995, le. I understand that the owner manual says that if the a/c turns off by itself then it is a fail/safe which means something is wrong with the compressor or drive belt. Obviously I'm on the edge of having no idea what I'm talking about, so please if you know what may be wrong let me know. Thanks!!!

normdata

I owned a 2000 Camry and recently I noticed that the rear bumper paint finish has faded lighter than the rest of the car. I have seen the same problem on other Camrys on the road as well. It seems like Toyota had the rear bumpers painted at different places than the rest of the bodies. Has anyone notice this and should Toyota be responsible for re-painting this ? Thanks

pavlovsdog

Hi I bought a used 2002 Toyota Camry with 19000 miles and have a question. When I bring my toyota to a quick stop (as opposed to a slow stop) the engine will vibrate for about a second and then idle smooth again. I had this checked out by a toyota master technician before purchase and he said that it is the computerized idleing. It will idle just one click higher than it should in certain situations. He said in no way is this harmful to the vehicle, and it cannot be fixed. He claims this is just something you deal with having a 4cylinder as opposed to a 6. Although I do not believe that it cannot be fixed(it's probably just not cost effective to them), do you think this is a fair assessment? It really isn't that big of a deal, but I was just curious if anyone had any inuput.

Thanks

toyotaken

If it's blowing cold, you don't have a leak in the system. So there are a couple of things that it could be that I would check first. First is to check the serpentine belt to make sure that it isn't slipping/cracked/glazed. It may be that as it gets warm, it slips more and isn't allowing the compressor to work though I don't think this is likely. The second is to have the system checked to see if it's freezing with the humidity. I had a Camry a few years ago that when it got VERY humid, it used to freeze up the compressor and I used to have to let it sit for about 30mins for it to thaw for it to work again. Similar experience to yours in that it worked fine for 30mins-1hr then fan would work, but it wouldn't blow cold.

Hope this helps.

Ken

210delray

First of all, did you buy your car new and was the bumper cover ever damaged and repainted? Some of those other cars with mismatched paint that you see could be refinish jobs from a body shop.

If your bumper was never damaged, it's still possible that the factory paint on the plastic cover could change color faster than the paint on the sheet metal. But I would expect the front bumper cover to exhibit the same problem. I'm pretty sure (but not absolutely certain) that the body and bumper covers are painted together on the assembly line.

With a 4-year-old car, I highly doubt Toyota will pick up the tab for repainting the covers. Also note that it's tough to get new paint to stick properly on a cover without extra care, and I'd rather have factory fading paint than dealer or body shop peeling paint!

210delray

I haven't noticed this on either my 2004 or 2005 Camry 4-cylinders. I don't think it's normal as the tech is trying to claim, but on the other hand, it doesn't seem to be serious enough a problem to spend any more money on.

210delray

Sorry to hear about your problems, but there have been complaints of squeaks and rattles in Camrys, especially the first year of the current generation (2002).

My 2004 had a few minor rattles that largely went away on their own, and my 2005 has been very quiet. Regarding item no. 3, a co-worker weighs about 280 pounds, and his 2004 Camry developed a squeaky driver's seat, plus the outer part of the seat cushion started to wrinkle up (not just the fabric, but the foam inside). Both problems I think were exacerbated by his weight.

Regarding item no. 5, I'm puzzled because I'm pretty sure the "chrome" exterior trim is just chrome-plated plastic. Nobody uses metal anymore on such trim, the only exception being bumpers on pickup trucks. My Nissan Frontier, for example, has a chrome-plated all-plastic grille and headlamp bezels.

iowajean

I have had problems with my ignition locking and not being able to turn it to start the car. Has anyone else had this problem? Could this be related to the security system? Any ideas? I have only had the car 6 weeks.

toyotaken

What you're probably having happen is the steering wheel lock if you're parked on an incline. If you are, and the car rolls forward/back it may pull the wheel over some. When this happens, it may make it difficult to turn the key in the ignition. Next time this happens, wiggle the steering wheel a bit either direction and it should solve the problem.

Ken

iowajean

My car was parked level. The last time it happened was yesterday. I was not able to turn the steering wheel; it was locked, with very little "play" in it. I also tilted it up and down. I called the dealer, who sent out a mechanic. He played with the steering wheel and then locked it at the highest tilt. This freed the ignition. He didn't know why the ignition locked or why he was able to free it.

normdata

Yes, I bought my camry new and have never had any accident. I noticed more and more camrys, any color, having the same problems. The rear bumpers must be painted somewhere and now the color is changing faster. I am just wondering if other Camrys owners noticed the same thing.

jbp805

I know this should be a very reliable vehicle - but we've had I'd say more than the average number of problems over the years. Only 70,000 miles, 1998 Camry LE, very consistent with routine service.

We've had to replace the front strut, the brakes system, and recently (2 weeks ago) spent $2000 on the car when blue smoke started coming out of the exhaust and oil was getting into the engine. The starter has also been replaced twice (part of that recent $2000). Now, I hear a noise from the rear strut that sounds all too familiar from when the front one had to be replaced - and all we do is drive around town! I keep hoping this car will be as reliable as it should be, should I give up?

We got an offer of $4500 from one of those used-car memega stores.... should I get rid of it before something else major happens? On the other hand - have I replaced all the problem areas and now it should be good as new? The dealer thinks it is in "good shape now" - what does that mean??

Thanks for the help!

john86

My driver's side front directional lamp bulb is down to one filament and I want to replace it. I can easily remove the lens on the passenger's side of the car but can't get the lens on the driver's side free to get at the bulb socket. I've removed the plastic locking fastener holding the front of the lens to the chassis. On the passenger's side, the back of the lens then pops off and I can get at a plastic slot type fastener behind the lens which I can then free with a screw driver. On the driver's side, the back of the lens seems to be fastened some place else so that I can't free the lens enough to get at any of the fastenings hidden behind the lens.
What's the trick to get at the bulb?
Thanks. john 86

210delray

The lens is attached in exactly the same way on the driver's side. If you've already gotten the top plastic fastener off, you need to pull straight forward by hand on the lens, if you can't get your screwdriver in there. It will take some force, but it will come off.

aaronh1

Hi! I have a 2003 Camry XLE that has started making a noise when when having to turn the steering wheel sharply in one direction or the other. It seems like the noise is just heard inside of the car since someone outside can't hear it. Although the problem just started a couple of weeks ago, it is starting to do it more often. It sounds almost like a grinding noise (like something just needs lubed up). Here are the times that it will occur:

1) Pulling into a parking space and having to make a sharp turn into the spot.
2) Backing out of my garage, I pull out and back the car in either direction. When I turn the wheel the other way (i.e. It's cranked one way and I have to turn the wheel so it's straight), I hear it making the noise as I turn the wheel.
3) If I am parked somewhere and just turn the wheel back and forth repeatedly, it will make the noise some.

Since the car is out of warranty, I was wondering if people could give suggestions of thinks I can look at (vs. spending the money to bring it to the shop). Thanks!

toyotaken

The sound you're hearing is probably the power steering pump. When turning a car's wheel quickly, it is not uncommon to hear a "squeeling" noise from this as it tries to keep up. This can become more pronounced the the serpentine belt which provides power to the power steering pump is slipping. I would have them check this first before taking the power steering apart.

Hope this helps.

Ken

210delray

I'd keep it at this point, unless there is another compelling reason to upgrade. For example, I sold my '97 Camry on eBay last year for $4300 (with 111K miles) to get a 2004 Camry with side airbags, a very important consideration for me.

Based on what I got for my '97 a year and a half ago, I'd say the $4500 offer is too low, as yours has far less miles.

I had the blue smoke problem also -- twice. The first time it was fixed under warranty, and the second time I just let it go -- and disclosed the problem to the buyer on eBay.

It's not really that serious -- the valve stem seals harden up and let accumulated oil from the top of the engine leak down into the cylinders while the car is parked overnight. Once you start the car, the oil gets burned and the blue smoke comes out. Once the car is running, it won' t emit blue smoke again, until the next morning (at least that's the way mine was).

loucapri

unload it.

In my opinion, once you start to see a problem in your car, everything starts falling apart.
Yes, you can hope you already did all the major fixes but reality is 'it's just the begining'.
However, since your 98 only have 70,000 miles, $4500 is kind of low. Maybe you can sell it yourself, should be around $5800-6500?

Or drive it for another 3k miles and see how it goes.

iowajean

I took my 05 Camry in to the dealer and had it checked. They found the shift interlock out of adjustment and adjusted the shift interlock cable. Hopefully this will solve the problem.

aaronh1

Instead of a "squeeling noise" (like I remember hearing when a belt slipped on a different car), it sounds more like an "errr" noise as I turn the wheel. The problem has definitely become worse over the past week or so.

brekal

Does the noise sound like its coming from high in the steering column - like just behind the airbag? I have the same noise - just have not taken it to the dealer yet. I have read in other places where they spray lubricant in the steering column to get rid of that noise.

zetnet

Exactly where are the sunroof drains? Do I have to remove anything to access them on my 97 Camry? Also where do they drain out?

Thanks!
Zetnet

andrelaplume

Seems I never have these issues except at the dealer...

Anyway, had car in and asked for a tire rotation. They called and said the rear brakes were wearing fine but were out of adjustment and if left unattended would cause the front to wear quicker. $36 to readjust. I said fine but then started to wonder...I never heard of an adjustment and noticed no problems while driving. On the other hand the car has 34K miles and the opriginal set of brakes.

Anyone ever have this or can explain what they might be doing....

210delray

Do you have rear drum brakes? They usually exhibit minimal wear, even at high miles. They're supposed to be self-adjusting whenever you reverse (or use the parking brake).

But for $36, I wouldn't sweat it.

brekal

I have an 03 4cyl auto that does a similar thing. I kind of thought it went the other way though, and allowed the idle to momentarily drop too low. Sometimes I can provoke the car into doing this by creeping with the brakes on and little if any throttle - almost as though it is unsure of what to do with the idle. I notice this mostly when low speed jockeying into and out of the garage. I attributed this to the throttle-by-wire / engine controls, and have not worried about it.

brekal

I had mine in around 50K for a brake check, and they recommended the same thing - rear brake adjustment. They did no other work on the brakes, and it came back with a higher pedal and radically different parking brake feel - enough to convince me there is something there. If I remember the owner's manual, it just has a minute thing like "check brakes" at some of the intervals, and this is apparently what is being done. I think it cost around 50 clams where I was.

typesix

Rear drum brakes on many Toyotas are supposed to adjust for wear when parking brake is applied, which may not work when after several years or mostly by owners not using the parking brake.

cartrouble3

not sure about a good solution to your problem but just to make ya feel better I drove my new 2005 Camry LE for a day and the ABS and Braking light came on I took it back to the dealer and now the dealer has had it 6 days they have informed me the part is on back order I'm begin to think I need to look into the Lemon Law for Georgia

ANY ONE KNOW ABOUT THE LEMON LAW FOR GA
thank ya

dshah1

I'm new to this, but was hoping you all could help me out. I have a 2003 Camry, and today as I got into my car after turning the alarm off, I noticed that my headlights, the lights in my dashboard, the time clock, and even the lights in the gear were all flashing, and making the sound as if I had my hazard lights on. I didn't have them on, nor was my signal light on or anything. So I drove home, and periodically through my drive the lights would flash and the sounds would take place, and then they would stop, only to start up again. Even after I turned off the car when I got home, the problem still persisted. Finally, when I pressed the alarm button, the problem stopped. Any clue what the problem might be?

r0de099

I just want to know how much it usually cost to replace a sway bar bushing on the rear.Im taking my car to the shop this weekend so i have an idea how much.THANXX...

cold_in_town

I bought the extended warranty for 7y/75K from dealer including the car rental. now I called the service department to let them check the rattling of my car, they said I can not get the rental free since it is rattling. is this right?

I just bought the car 10 days ago, so depressed by this.

Thanks for any inputs.