Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions
This discussion has been closed.
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Took your advice, and compared my engine noise with the exact same engine and year as my Camry 4 cylinder 2005 with the CSM at the dealership where I purchased this Camry, and low and behold the CSM agrees that there is a problem with my engine, or as he stated a pully or belt. He will attempt to repair on Monday (4/25/05). Keep your fingers crossed.
Thanks
NIKI1
One more thing. I would like to hear some of the horror story you mentioned about the Passat!! My wife and I just purchased a new 2004 1.8 Turbo manual shift for our son back in November of 2004, and of course he is making the payments. This car has just about everything, and to be honest this vehicle so far is flawless, from the ride, to the way it handles, no noise problems, very comfortable, great gas mileage, etc :shades: . Please let me know.
Thanks
NIKI1
Have you ever heard of a lemon?? Well I have purchased two of them so far in my new car adventure, and you should feel pretty good that you have gotten new vehicles with no problems!! My first lemon was re purchased by the dealership, and my second was re purchased by the manufacture after I took them to arbitration. The first vehicle was only three months old when the dealership re purchased, and the the other was four years old. This was a long drawn out process. I guess what I'm trying to say is, please don't judge what others are going through until you have experienced some of these problems for yourself.
Thanks
NIKI1
Do you have a trusted mechanic who can take a look before you have them replaced?
In my mind, the service tech or whoever earlier gave you that line about Toyota knowing about an engine problem but not of a fix ought to be fired on the spot! It sounds like you may be dealing with a less-than-competent (or lazy) service department, so I'd be on them like a hawk.
Regarding Passats, well, I know of 4 of them that gave problems to my co-workers, and our company only employs about 80 people. And if you check out the boards here, you'll find many more horror stories.
Just briefly on the 4: Number one, a 2001 with the 1.8-liter turbo 4, had the repeated ignition coil failures, which I believe VW has finally resolved with better parts. More recently, a small part on the turbocharger broke, but the design is such that the entire turbocharger has to be replaced. Luckily, VW apparently is going to pick up the tab for this several hundred dollar repair.
Number two: owned by wife of number one. It's a 2003 that failed to start one morning, apparently with nearly every warning light showing on the dashboard. It turned out to have a major electrical problem and I believe its main computer (central processing unit) had to replaced, again luckily under warranty. I think (not sure) that water infiltrated the unit.
Number three: a late model (newer than 2001 I think) owned by the son of our president-elect. This one apparently would die on the road for no apparent reason, and was repeatedly taken to the dealer for service. The car was ultimately dumped (I don't know if VW bought it back).
Number four: a 2002 wagon model with the 1.8 turbo 4. My co-worker's father generously traded his Passat for the son's 1997 Honda Civic, which the father in turn gave to a young relative for his first car. The Passat only had about 10,000 miles on it. This was my colleague's dream car, but it soon turned into a nightmare. There was a major water leak, with water somehow entering the glove compartment and front passenger floor.
The incompetent local dealer did some major disassembly of the car's interior in a vain attempt to fix the problem, and in the process did more damage to the car. The car was in the shop for something like 5 weeks. Ultimately, VW stepped in to buy back the car for the amount the father had originally paid for it (not including taxes, title, etc.). Now my co-worker is telling everyone about his :lemon: Passat and will never set foot in a VW dealership again. He now has an '04 Camry LE 4-cylinder almost identical to mine.
A little tip I learned from the VW boards and from the automotive press: The VW 1.8 turbo is subject to oil sludging under certain conditions. You must change the oil faithfully at 5000-mile intervals using oils specifically approved by VW (there is a spec number listed in the owner's manual). The interesting thing is that VW doesn't say outright that this specific oil is synthetic, and you can't use any synthetic, only the ones that meet VW's specs. It is a 5W-40 weight synthetic oil, but off the top of my head, I don't know which brands meet the spec. The kicker is that even some VW dealers weren't using the proper oil when customers' cars were brought in for service! (See why I don't trust dealers?)
Just a few words about "beach and moen." I think what he's saying is that there's an awful lot of whiners in these Camry boards, complaining about niggling problems. (I don't put you in this category, mind you!) Some of these issues could have been resolved before purchase, as I see it, with a thorough test drive. Why people don't test drive the car they plan to buy before forking over the money is beyond me!
Anyway, that Passat should be babied, and I'd recommend taking it to the dealer (hopefully a competent one) for all its service needs, just so you have a clear paper trail in case anything goes wrong. This is contrary to my usual advice to people to avoid dealers at all costs (except for warranty or recall work), but I think this car needs the documentation.
I'll probably pull one of them off to see if there is something obvious, and, as you suggested, have a mechanic look at it. Maybe someone else reading this might have some experience in this.
Thanks... gm
Thanks for all your advice. You have been very helpful!! I'll let you know what the problem was with the Camry, and thanks for the advice on the Passat. I'll be sure to get the correct oil, and have the dealership preform the maintenance. I will also be on the look out for the issues you mentioned about the Passat.
Thanks Again
NIKI11
1. Dealership says timing belt to be replaced after 5 years? Or can I wait til 90k?
2. Windshield has been taken out and re-sealed 5 times, still wind sounds. Also, doors only close easily when a window is open. I wonder if the pressure is forcing out the windshield seal?
3. Very little ground clearance. I clunk on tall speed bumps. Is this normal?
I replaced my timing belt at 104,000 miles...they said it was flopping around...but i hadn't broken down yet. You've probably got more time on your belt...but it's pretty cheap to have someone see if it's okay.
it worked fine even before I had it replaced.
55k? I know the dealer is telling you to have it replace every 60K. But you know what I think? If a Korean made can run 100K without major tune-up. I think my toyota should at least last the same. I think 60K is a way for the dealer to make money. And don't forget by the time you want to have your timing belt replaced, most of the dealer will say "oh, you should replace your water pump too"
Cost? a $200 timing belt job will become a $700 works
The newer Camrys have timing chains -- something like 100,000 miles between changes.
Thanks for the confidence booster on the Passat, and so far we got exactly what we paid for. Very happy with this vehicle! :shades:
Thanks
NIKI1
The current Camry's timing chain (4-cylinder only) never requires regular changing, which is typically the case for chains as opposed to belts.
You don't have to replace all 4 struts, just the front two. I had the right front (only) replaced after crash damage. I used the Toyota OEM part, but had an independent shop do the installation. It cost around $200, including realigning the front wheels.
VW Passat: Glad you're experience is good so far, but be vigilant and don't skimp on required maintenance!
I agree with Altair4, given all the hassles that other owners of other Passat 1.8 turbo have had with sludge, I think using the correct spec oil is best, and for that matter I would cough up the $60 to have it done at a VW dealer so I have iron clad documentation. I might skimp on other parts of the service, but $60 every 5,000 miles isn't too much for a $25k+ car.
Anyone heard of this happening?
I agree with you 100% on the oil issue with the Passat, and on having the dealership preform the task.
Thanks
NIKI1
I can see why the dealer will not cover it because it just kind of hard to believe. Imagine you are the dealer and someone tell you that their rear window shattered by itself and ask you to pay for it, would you?
I guess it's some kind of unlucky even. Anyway, worst case is to call the insurance company and have them take care of that.
I should have said without any apparent reason. The car was parked in the garage, engine off, and no one was in it. I suspect some residual stress was present (from who knows where) and eventually the glass just gave out.
I wouldn't expect the dealer to cover this kind of event either. Hopefully their comprehensive coverage will.
I drive a '99 solara and my brake booster has a leak and does not give me adequate brake pressure. My mechanic says that a new booster from the dealer is $800. Yes 800 bucks!! And that's not including labor. Does anyone know what I can do to save money on this job. My mechanic says that I can buy one used or rebuilt for cheaper. My question is couldn't the leak be fixed? The booster isn't bad. It just has a leak somewhere. My mechanic wants me to replace it but I would hate to have to spend so much money on something that could be fixed.
If anyone has any info or insight on how I should deal with this problem, I'd appreciate it.
Thanks.
Thanks, Dave :confuse:
I would try a junkyard first although you won't know if you are getting a good one unless you can start the engine of the car you're pulling if from. I'd be wary of a rebuilt unit. The two shells are lanced together and aren't meant to be taken apart and reassembled.
Where do I buy a replacement hubcap (1) cheap?
Thanks,
You said to stay away from rebuilt boosters but I found one online that comes with a three year warranty. What are your thoughts on that?
Dave
:shades:
Maybe you could provide more info on how it is locking when you are in the car--is the car running or is it just after you get in, etc.
If you can hear it, it's probably the rear seal which is not serviceable. I don't think you'd hear a leak coming from the checkvalve because it's in the engine compartment.
The reason I am wary of rebuilt boosters is because most boosters have the front and rear shells crimped together during assembly. If they are taken apart and recrimped, some strength will be lost. It's possible Toyota boosters are made differently, I haven't looked that closely at the one in my Camry. I'd like to assume that someone remanufacturing this critical safety device knows what they are doing but you never know these days.
I have 130k miles on the car and am on my 3rd set of tires. The car has never been in an accident. I think the left pull is design defect. I have learned to live with it.
Sorry
On the flip side, in the early morning as the sun is coming up, my auto headlights are very slow to turn off. I am usually wearing my sun glasses by the time the headlights turn off.
Is there any adjustment on the sensitivity of the auto headlights?
I also own a 2005 XLE, and I read the manual on the headlight issue, and it does say to keep the sensors clean and free from any obstructions. If you feel there is a problem call your dealership, but I'm sure you will get the standard response. If you don't already know the standard response I'll spell it out. Response: THIS IS NORMAL, AND THE VEHICLE IS PREFORMING AS DESIGNED!!! LOL!!! Good luck!!!
NIKI1
I replaced a wheel cover on my 2001 camry LE for only $35. It was brand new.
I don't have an owner's manual for this car. I bought it used in 2000. I have a regular mechanic who keeps it running -- it's a GREAT car, only minor problems over time but I do regular maintenance so I expect to keep running it for years.
Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated before I drag it in and have the mechanic look at it -- small shop so I lose the use of the car for at least a day.
Thanks!
:confuse: