Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions

imidazol97

Do the new coolants, like DexCool, have a smell as soon as there is a seep inside the heater core? It seems that it smells just as much when it gets on the engine or a hose outside the passenger compartment. I would think you'd get that "scent" even with a pinhole leak.

Something that helped with the plastic catalyst film was leaving the windows open slightly when the car is parked outside.

nippononly

leave the windows open - this will allow the plastic to off-gas out the windows and then...no film!

badgerfan

Yeah, but when a rainstorm happens along, then you have more problems.

Or if a car thief happens by, then not only do you have no film, you have no car!

nippononly

I was kinda' talkin' about a crack, not all the way open!

andrelaplume

I'll try cracking the windows once the warm weather comes...on the outside chance there was a pin ole leak...how would I know...is there a test the dealer can do or do you just wait for the pin hile to become larger?

badgerfan

They could certainly pressure test the cooling system, however if it is a really tiny leak, pressure may not bleed down fast enough for them to notice. If they are patient and run the pressure test long enough, maybe they could detect a very tiny leak, but I would still bet you just have plasiticizer fog. It is quite common.

gamehen

nippononly,

Thanks for the info. Toyota dealership quoted me $1220 to do this job for both axles. Said left one cost $400 and the right one $440. Said 5 to 6 hours of labor costs. Told them this was outrageous. Called around. Pep Boys said they can do this job for around $170 per axle, labor included.
Original Toyota parts are outrageously expensive.

bronzemaxell

i replaced my 94 v6 camry both axials for $110 at a corner shop, they used remanufactured parts and took the old ones back 3 years ago, and no problem yet, and my 93 camry also making slight cracking noise when making u turn, and another shop want $300 for both axials including labor, but they said they will use toyota parts, the boots didn't crack or leak, so i will keep driving until i hear more noticeable noise.

according2me

Most places like Autozone, Pepboys,etc have the refurbished units for less than $80 per axle. Even the Toyota dealers can offer new and refurbished units. That quote they gave you was outrageous.

I guess they don't want to be in the repair business with that kind of pricing.

tinkmeister

New to the board; very helpful, though. I've been experiencing the whiplash problem when dropping into drive from reverse; worse when cold (and on cold start, RPMs REALLY up there!) I also have a pretty prominent surge/lag problem; seems to lose power completely for a sec, then "grab." Apparently this is NOT unusual for the 2003. Other than that, I love the car, but it CAN be a safety issue in heavy city traffic ... I can just see me ramming someone when the acceleration takes hold. Any suggestions would be MUCH appreciated ... but I'll let my dealer know I'm NOT insane...

1violinist

Linda,

It's normal to have high RPM in cold starts because the engine is designed not to shift into higher gears until it's warm enough. It actually protects the engine. Try warming up for a couple of minutes before you drive off.

The lag/surge problem is another issue. Have your dealer check the transmission. Make sure you have an ATF (automatic transmission fluid) appropriate for below-freezing temperature.

Good luck!
Tony

rubicon52

Actually, the quote of $1220 from a Toyota dealer doesn't surprise me. I had the boots on my 95 V-6 Camry replaced at the dealership recently and I remember them telling me that if the cracked boots were not replaced, the CV joints would fail and that it would cost $1200 to repair. Not saying this isn't a high price, just confirming the estimate given to you.

kendrasuejones

I, too had similar trouble with brakes, my original post was last year, page 47, #948. I was alarmed with the brakes failing--no brakes. Glad I was veering into parking lot--& no people, cars, etc. to hit. Took back to dealer, said it checked out fine. Then the brakes would sink to the floorboard while stopped at a red light; couldn't get the toe of your shoe under the brake pedal. Kept taking it in, kept checking out okay.
Called Georgetown, wrote lots of registered mail--have file two inches thick. Finally got tired of renting cars when have to travel on business, so dumped it at a $7,000 loss at 1800 miles. The kicker is, I got a call from the next buyer, wanting to know why I got rid of it. How they got my name, number, etc., don't know. Told about the brakes, and would be happy to show my file. Get this--when they asked the dealership why the mileage was so low, they told her it was a repo. hahahahaha AND I PAID CASH! I had a Toyota in the past and was very happy with it, so . . . Toyota makes a heck of a good car, but if you get stuck with a problem, you are on your own. I even told the regional manager that I was getting rid of it, and would Toyota work with me toward an Avalon? They wanted to sell me an extended warranty!
Another Toyota for me? Not in this lifetime.

brakeaway

I, too, had problems with my brakes collapsing to the floor while idling and having to push to the floor to stop the car. I got rid of the car and now am looking for a replacement. I ask myself if the brake problem is due to the antilock brakes? I had a 4 cylinder Camry with two front disc and two drum. Now what do I do next? Buy another car with antilock brakes or not? And what car can you buy besides the Camry or Honda Accord which is too loud for me. I also found that when I had the Camry and started to stop, no matter how gentle I put on the brake when the car finally stopped, the back end really pushed forward and jerked you a lot. Why?

sandman46

We've had 4 Toyota's, a '93 and '96 Camry, and a '88 and '96 Corolla. The brakes on all these cars have sucked! For some reason, Toyota brakes go almost to the floor when fully stopped, the modulation is terrible. My wife and kids refuse to drive my '96 Corolla because of the brakes, eventhough I had them replaced within the year.
The wife's '01 Altima has great brakes which catch quicker and have much better modulation. As we are in the market to replace the Corolla, I really want a '03 Corolla, but will not get one if the brakes feel the same as our previous Toyotas. A shame really, because I really want the new Corolla...kinda looks like a baby Lexus!

The Sandman :-(

camrysev6owner

Bought my car 4 months ago. Starting to hear a very quiet ticking noise when idling if I turn the audio system off. Also, I am starting to hear some intermittent humming noises from the brakes before I come to a stop. I have heard those noises earlier on and they were really loud. But then the noise was gone so I ignored it. Not it's back but way less noticeable. As well, the steering wheel shakes a little when I apply brakes. Most noticeable when applying brkaes to slow down when exiting the highway on a ramp. Should I mention these problems to a dealer?

toyboy98

Great car, weird complaint. Whenever I accelerate hard in this vehicle, I smell exhaust fumes for a few seconds..I have done this on a completely open road with no other vehicles around so I know it's not another car. It only does it, when I kick it hard..never under normal/gradual acceleration. Any ideas?

nippononly

yeah - I was thinking of $500 per side, or $1000 for the whole job, so the $1200 quote doesn't surprise me.

I was however pleasantly impressed that the Pep Boys could do it for $170 a side - that is a good price. I hope you take it, I mean, replacing the half axles isn't rocket science, so the Toyota dealer is pricing itself right out of the market.

onlyimports

Heard the tickling sound on my V6 while idling some time ago. Lately I didn't notice it anymore but I didn't turn off the radio to check it. Maybe it's gone after the first oil change. I don't have the brake problem as you mentioned. I've heard of brake rotor warping on this particular model and maybe you have the same problem too. By any means, complain to the dealer and have it fixed because this is not normal in new car and Camry. Good Luck.

xbbuster

When I rotated the tires on my '02 LE at 6000 miles, some of the lug nuts were so tight that I had to use a breaker bar and a cheater pipe to break them loose. Others came loose with less than 80# torque which is what the dealer says they should be. This is the way the car came from the factory. Could be a source of warped rotors?

petrnyc

"Should I mention these problems to a dealer? "

.... NO ! keep it to yourself .... better yet you must fix the problems on your own...

curwel

I agree with the messge several back. If you have a problem with your Toyota, you're on your own. After owning a Toyota for nine years and with the same clutch, my next Toyota's clutch failed after the first year. The second clutch failed after one more year. Toyota calls it "normal wear and tear." I can't even sell it. I would never pawn off a bad car. Goodbye Toyota. I'm open to recommendations on new brands.

camrytimes2

Clearing the check engine light is easy without having to disconnect the battery. Simply remove the underhood ECM fuse for about a minute and then reinstall it.

nippononly

Honda is a good bet to try out - they make some of the best manuals in the business, and they build a much higher proportion of them than Toyota does...

gonkraz

I'm a long time Toyota owner. 10 yrs for a Corolla, 13 years for a Camry, 12 years for and x-tra cab smaller pick up. Really debated between the new Accord and the 03 Camry and you guessed it. Now have a 2003 4 cyl.XLE in the garage for 12 days. 1hr after purchase returned to have someone look at the lens over the clock (scratched/flawed) to be told "I'm busy now". Nice eh. Did return and they had to replace the entire clock. Ok, good but now the dash panel isn't seated right. No gap on left, big gap on right. Also, when I got home the HomeLink no longer works. Called and drove back and dropped it off. Told today the HomeLink is defective (worked fine before they fixed the clock) and the dash is just the way the car is put together. (Not before they fixed the clock). Don't want to be pessimistic but this is scary. Glad I bought the Platinum Extended. But it doesn't help if you get "it's not perfect, but that's how the car was put together". Never had all the bells and whistles before and as they say... more to go wrong. Hope I don't have near the other problems start up that are on this board. Overall, nice car. One complaint (outside of above) boy you feel every bump in the road. I will say, a friend bought the Accord and is saying the same thing about the bumpy ride. Stiff ride on all but the best roads. Anyone have the contact info for the upline people. You hear sometimes the company will send out a tech that will wink twice, stand on one foot and fix things the dealerships swore they couldn't.

lugwrench

Good luck with the installation of CV joints at Pep Boys. Wait till they are installed then notice the ride quality of your Camry. You will be very disappointed with the quality of the product.

mca2

Any one got a chirping sound when the engine is cold? It sounds like its coming from the fan side of the engine. After the cars is driven for about 20 min. the noise is gone. I only hear it when im stopped or in park. I have 40K miles is this normal?

jtbruin

I just bought an '03 le, no abs or anything. When i brake and as it approaches a complete stop, i feel a slight vibration. It is light, but nonetheless i feel it. IS this normal? I have about 700 miles on the car and didn't brake too hard during the first 200 miles. IS this vibration thing something that will go away or is there something wrong with my brakes? thanks

armtdm

Thew oil light, now htat you have the noise good luck. I vote for oil pump!. Extremely serious situation to dirve with a calnking noise and light on.

As to chirping, just a belt that heats up after a few minutes and the noise dissappears. Try cleaning the belt, the OTC belt lubricants sometimes work, most of the time make it worse. try to wipe the belt as best you can with a cloth and see if that helps.

castleowner

Took in the 02 camry LE 4cyl for 1 year service.

I mentioned the frequent sulfur whiff and that I have never ever ever been able to get the spectacular fuel consumption numbers in the brochure ever since I bought the car. In fact, if I drive the camry expecting the same average acceleration as my Gmv6, it actually uses more fuel in city driving. I drive them both interchangeably.

Dealer replaced the MAS sensor, and said they measured 5.8L/100km. This was two weeks ago. Also said something about too much fuel causing sulfur smell etc. Well, the fuel consumption hasn't changed so far, almost seems to have worsened.

Also, both drivers have noticed that the camry LE now runs and accelerates rougher, or seems to have less torque on acceleration.

Can anyone provide some explanation for this. If I traded off fuel economy for smoothness & torque, maybe the dealer should have asked me which one I prefer. Haven't had any sign of sulfur smell yet, but may be too early to tell..same for fuel consumption.

xbbuster

The treatment you're getting from the service department seems to be standard Toyota policy. If there is something wrong with your car and the dealer doesn't think they will get paid by Toyota to do warranty work, they will just say, "It's normal". If you are expecting satisfaction from a Toyota zone rep. Forget it. They're just puppets mouthing the "It's normal" routine. You have a better chance explaining your problem to a Wal-Mart greeter

somakandan

Lately I have started to notice a slight stiffness in the power steering of my 92 camry.

Any ideas?

The pwr steering fluid level is within range, though.

Do you think a power steering flush and fill helps?

Also I don't hear any noise while making a turn, though.

somakandan

Lately I have started to notice a slight stiffness in the power steering of my 92 camry.

The pwr steering fluid level is within range, though.
Do you think a power steering flush and fill might help?

Also I don't hear any noise while making a turn, though.

Any ideas?

nippononly

on that '92?
If you hear the steering pump whining loudly when you turn the wheels with the car stopped (ie more than normal) the pump may be beginning to go. Also, the turning should have linear effort, it should not be easy to turn, and then all of a sudden get a lot more difficult as you continue to turn.

If you have no pump whine and this thing has a lot of miles on it, the rack itself may be getting worn. Cross your fingers it is not that - that is more than $1000 for most Toyotas.

kyim67

Has anyone have the head gasket replace on a similar Camry? If so, how much did you pay?

armtdm

I thought that I may have had a problem on my 92 V6 so I inquired about prices. Dealer said a minimum of $1500 and an independent said "don't waste your money" He said that they have had bad experiences with doing the head gasket and then something in the lower end going bad soon after. Suggest dumping the car due to the cost of this repair on an engine over 100,000 miles. Under 100,000 he would do it. Assume a 90 model has over 100,000.

wain

Had an oil leak from the timing belt cover of my 4 cyl Camry at 105k miles. Took it to a SE Region Toyota dealer i have used before with past good results. i had the seals replaced, and the water pump, and the timing belt and the accesory belts. Tune of $680 or so.
When they gave me the car back it had a very low idle speed and almost no power. i only drove it a block but power was so bad I went back. The mechanic had left. Another mechanic said to me " I told him it was 3 teeth off". he then changed the distributor timing to get it to run and i had to come back the next day to have it fixed.
Who were they having work on my car? A trainee?
I paid steak prices for hamburger.

rev4

I thought I had rattles...sounded sometimes like coming from the passenger door pillar...sometimes from the center post around the radio...........WHAT I DISCOVERED WAS THAT MY METAL FRAMED SUNGLASSES WAS MAKING THE SOUND IF I DIDN'T HAVE THEM IN PROPERLY IE WITH THE LENS FACING DOWN....ANYWAY, I EXPERIMENTED AND THE "RATTLES" ARE GONE...

canoe2

My mother has 95 Camry with the problem of vibration at idle speed.
From her description, the steering is vibrating at idle speed, as soon the RMP above 1000, the problem goes away. Also she mentioned, the RMP was fluctuating at idle (750 RMP).
Anyone knows the fix ? Thanks in advance

rubicon52

On the Solara forum, someone posted that his Toyota mechanic advised him NOT to use synthetic automatic transmission fluid in his Solara because synthetic ATF causes problems with these transmissions. Has anyone else heard this?

nippononly

sounds like you may have dirty injectors, or other possible fuel injection problems. There are many possibilities for a rough idle on older cars with lots of miles. Try running a couple of bottles of that fuel injector cleaner through it first, to see if that cleans up the problem at all. Techron is a good one.

branch15_5

My 95 Camry 4 cyl has 168K miles on it. The engine runs like a top except for the stalling problem. Here are the details:

The stalling only occurs after I have been running at highway speeds (55 mph or higher) for 5 minutes or more. Then, after I exit the highway or come to a stop, the rpm's drop below normal, the car starts to buck (like it's only hitting on 1 or 2 cylinders) and then it cuts off. It starts right back up, and then isn't a problem. The warmer the weather, the worse the problem (with the temp below 50 degrees, it doesn't happen). Another symptom: If I don't have to stop right after getting off the highway, the problem occurs whenever the next stop happens.

I can avoid the stallout by putting it in neutral and revving the engine briefly to about 4K rpm. But that's a bit of a pain.

The repair shop suggested unplugging the EGR valve. I did that for a week, but the problem didn't go away.

There are no engine codes showing up.

This seems to be a fairly common problem, judging from the alt.toyota groups, but NO ONE seems to have a definitive answer. Possibilities per the alt groups are fuel filter and throttle position sensor.

The repair shop has suggested replacing the fuel filter (no guarantees from them that it will be fixed by this), which is relatively inexpensive, but I've read on Edmunds that that can be dicey, and isn't even recommended by Toyota.

I'm at a loss for ideas. Any help would be appreciated.

canoe2

nippononly, thanks for your suggestion.
Unfortunately, that she had tried fuel injector cleaner, but no improvement!

us_eagle

Just find out that my 99 Camry with about 80k on it are using more than half quart oil each 3000 miles. I always change oil my self since the car was new. And found no smoking. Any suggestion?

b1rd0g

I just picked up a 1996 Camry 4 cyl. with 36K miles on it. Interior is brand new. Exterior paint needs some TLC (clay bar and wax). I did the trunk and the engine hood...looks brand new now.

Anyway, the windshield washer pump does not work and the fuse is good. Any know where it's located and how to fix? Thx.

b1rd0g

I just picked up a 1996 Camry 4 cyl. with 36K miles on it. Interior is brand new. Exterior paint needs some TLC (clay bar and wax). I did the trunk and the engine hood...looks brand new now.

Anyway, the windshield washer pump does not work and the fuse is good. Any know where it's located and how to fix? Thx.

andrelaplume

I know this is the CAmry problems forum and I own a Camry but the issue is with a '6 Rav. My wife's RAV makes a weird electrical/buzzing(?) noise when you hit theturn signal stalk. In fact if you hold it down without engaging it all the way it sounds awefull. Everything IS working though. Any ideas what this is and more importantly what is the $$$ damage!

richn2

I will keep this short. I am trying to determine my next car: Mazda6, Accord, Camry / Solera, or Avalon. THe list was alittle longer (Acura TL,Saab 9.3) but they fell to the waste side..Premuim Gas yekes. I have been reading all the different boards for the past 2 months. I have also been researching the different cars for atleast the past 4 months. I am now more confysed then when I first started.
The Mazda6 group says the only issue with thier new car is the sunglass holder and the heated seat not getting that warm.
The Toyota forums is all over the place with issues.
The Accord forum will note 1 issue while somebody says it's either not true of problem has been resolved.

All I would like to know if possible is what are the main problems with the 2003 Accord and are they either fixable or livable.

BTW Im not here to slam any 1 car just want to select the best for my family.
Thanks in advance.
Happy Holiday to all.

bronzemaxell

i have a very similar problem with a 93 camry, stick shift, has been running great great, then engine stalles coming to a stop, this normally happen after driving it for a while, took it to the dealer, and they suspect it is EGR at fault, o2 sensor, while they were fishing around, and took it back serveral time telling them the car still stalled, finally i left the car there, and took them a week to find out it is the coolant temperature sensor malfunction. while the engine is cold, the ECM will tell the fuelpump to pump more gasoline to the engine, and if the engine is warm up, pumping too much gas at low rpm will flood the engine. after they replace the coolant temp sensor, everything is working fine again.

jtbruin

i also spent about 2-3months doing research on those three cars, minus the avalon. My situation may not apply directly to you since u have a family, and i only have me. i was also on a limited budget, so didn't choose many options.

anyways, i ended up buying a camry LE... here's what i thought about each of the others.

1) mazda 6i(AT) - weak acceleration from a stop, good handling, pretty nice interior, nice size, great exterior, reasonable price... but i personally don''t like to rev high and turn out of cornes quickly, so the 6 just wasn't right for me at this point. you need to get a stick to enjoy this car

2) accord lx(AT) - overall very good, almost as quiet as the camry, nice interior, good handles, nice size.... BUT i just could not stnad the back of the car and would not be happy with seeing that car. the exterior is the ONLY reason I did not get an accord (and plus i wanted something different, my brother had the 96 accord).

--> i got the camry because i think it as luxurious as i can afford right now,looks elegant, and good accelaration... what i don't like: the car is too big, i like smaller cars, and the size is the one complaint i have. it isn't very good at handling. but it is a small price for the amount of comfort and luxury that you get. hope this helps you. good luck!