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2007 Toyota Camry Problems and Repairs

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Comments

  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    There is a recall involving the optional all-weather floor mats on ’07 Camrys and the Lexus twin. There have been some complaints of the floor mat getting stuck and jamming the accelerator pedal down, resulting in some people supposedly accelerating out of control.

    Here is the funny part – it is NOT a design error, it is pure negligence (I would say either laziness and/or stupidity) on the part of the person that put the floor mats in the car.

    The all-weather floor mats that I purchased in February specifically state that you should not use them on top of existing floor mats. They also tell and show you that the floor mats should be secured using the two clips. Guess what – some people are ignoring and/or not reading the simple instructions, so some of these people have the floor mats getting stuck under the accelerator.

    How about a recall of all hammers – it seems that some people are hitting their fingers instead of the nail head!!!!
  • gainesmbgainesmb Member Posts: 17
    The plastic anchors, that came with the original floor mats when I purchase my 2007 Camry V6 LE, always pop loose from the floor eyelets (Not the floor mat eyelets). I do worry that this may be an issue for my wife someday. Have you heard anything about a fix because the existing floor mats do not anchor properly? I am going to the dealership saturday and want to be well informed if such an issue does exist.
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    Your situation is not the recall. I have no problems with mine, and yours is the first I have heard.
  • chuck28chuck28 Member Posts: 259
    Thanks teamtbo, my problem is that I don't have the 4 fixes yet to qualify for the lemmon law. I have two for sure( valvebody and trans) The dealership dosen't want to be proactive it trying to duplicate the flare problem. They do there best to say it is normal or say they couldn't duplicate. It take a lot of my time to try to go back and forth to the dealership to get them to duplicate a problem that may or may not happen at that one test drive.
    Pray for us!
  • djm2djm2 Member Posts: 712
    Good Morning Chuck28 & Distraught:
    I am sorry to hear about your problems with your vehicles. I also own a 2007 V6 XLE Camry. For some reason, I do not have the problems listed on these sites. Maybe it is my driving style, or the "luck of the draw" in that I did not get a poor quality vehicle, or maybe my problems will develop at a later date. (That is why I purchased a top of the line Toyota 100,000 mile extended warranty, and I have the Toyota dealer perform all the service.)
    Sometimes in life, we all need to stand back from the problem, and look at it from a "fresh view point". With regards to the issues on the 2007 Camry, we have owners who have a problem and who taken their vehicles in for service to the dealer, and the service department cannot duplicate the problem, or they state that the vehicle is operating as designed! Instead of banging your head against the wall, and trying to get Toyota to admit to the problem, and the dealer to recognize the problem, rather, take a new approach by advertizing the problem to the "buying public". Take you vehicle to car shows and hand out flyers describing the issues and your service experience to date. Place magnetic signs on your vehicle. Get newpaper coverage! Look at it this way, ---- you are not getting any help at the present time from either your dealer and / or Toyota, so why not advertize this fact, and your experience as a customer. If the vehicle is "operating as designed" then there is something wrong with the design, and as such, it is not safe to operate! Give the manufacturer the credit that they deserve. If I had a vehicle that had this problem, I would have my vehicle at every local car show, and I would share my feeling with anyone who would listen! As a consumer who paid a large amount of money for a "so called quality product" I have no loyality to any company who does not stand behind their product when an issue develops. Ask yourself this question; ---- Do you think any company really cares about the individual customer? You would like to think that they do care, but what they truly care about is their image in the marketplace, the bottom line, and any legal action that might occur as a result of a malfunction of their product. If I had one of these problem vehicles, I would be "pro-active," and I would take the fight to them in the form of publicity. Just think about a newpaper picture of you and your vehicle at a car show describing your service problems with this new / high quality product with it's problems that no one can fix! Yes, a picture is truly worth a thousand words!
    Just one man's opinion. Lots of luck! ----- Dwyane :shades:
  • teamtboteamtbo Member Posts: 78
    Chuck,

    Sorry for the long post.

    Are you able to reproduce your issue fairly consistently? If not, you should try studying exactly when it happens so you can reproduce it for them. Yes, I know this takes a lot of time and effort. However, if you don't, then you will just have to live with your car the way it is. Think about things like:

    1. Is the car cold? How long has the car been running when the issue occurred? Maybe take a stop watch and start it right when you start the car in the morning.
    2. Is the a/c or heat on?
    3. Are you going uphill, downhill or on flat ground?
    5. What gear is the car in?
    6. How fast are you going?
    7. How much throttle?

    The first time I brought my car in for the shift flare, I was naive enough to think that they would really try to reproduce the issue on their own. NOT! I had to leave the car overnight again (to allow it to cold soak) and meet the shop foreman the next morning. Yes, a big pain in the rear. He drove the car and I told him what type of road conditions to drive the car on and how much throttle, etc. He was able to reproduce it! The next time, I dropped it off again and they said they would try and reproduce it. Nope. I let it sit over night again but this time the new shop foreman let me drive. I was able to reproduce it for him. The last time, yesterday, I had to force them to allow me to reproduce it again - it took a lot of effort to get them to agree. I told them I wasn't leaving until I reproduce it with the shop foreman. Bingo - I was able to do it again - thank God!

    I just want to encourage you (and others) to not rely on the service dept. to reproduce it. They do not necessarily have your best interests in mind. Go down there, ask them to let you drive it and show them. Also, video it if you can. They are going to do everything they can to not allow you to reproduce it once you get close to attempt #3 and #4....and if you do, they will do everything they can to prevent it from being documented. Trust me! MAKE SURE they document on the Repair Order that the shop foreman or whoever confirmed the issue and the details. You will need very good documentation if you ever go to arbitration or file a lemon law suit. If you are able to reproduce it for them but it isn't documented on the Repair Order - you wasted your time because there is no proof. I helped word my last Repair Order to say "Shop foreman went on test drive, confirmed shift flare @ 500 rpms with the A/C on and driving on flat ground..." Now they tell me they need to call the Field Technical Specialist @ Toyota on Monday and see what he recommends because the service department has tried everything they know of (new tranny in March and TC007-07 reflash 2 weeks ago). The next attempt will be #3.

    And yes, I will pray right now that you will able to reproduce your issue for them.
  • chuck28chuck28 Member Posts: 259
    Thank you Teamtbo, you hit right on the head. I've gone through exactly what you have described.
    Thank you for your encouagement. I will continue to try to find the time to get the dealership to duplicate it.
    I hope you have a good out come with your car issues. Please keep us informed?
    Thanks again, chuck
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    you don't need a diagnotics tech at the dealership to duplicate nor witness the phenomenon to have objective information to present to them so they can speak with corporate on what to do, or so you can provide to your lawyer so he can get you out of a vehicle that toyota can't seem to repair.

    in theory, all you need is a laptop and an on board diagnostic scanning tool with a laptop interface with appropriate software for capturing data, and a little motivation to experiment.

    in a few forums that were marked READ-ONLY where we've been discussing engine hesitation for years it seems now, i suggested people buy an item like this:
    http://www.obd-2.com/

    and specifically, see the toyota-specific parameters you'd have access to if you bought this thing:
    http://www.obd-2.com/toypida.htm

    so you hook this device up to the car and laptop, and you drive, you capture the relevant signals and you unfortunately experience the:
    1) engine hesitation to throttle input
    2) shift flares
    3) excessive shifting with cruise enabled
    4) ... insert your problem here ...

    now, you go another step further and you plot the data in Excel and stick it in PowerPoint or some free plotting tool (if you don't have MS Office). Or, post the data on Edmunds, and let people help you plot the data.

    check out this poor person's dilema and the poor response from thier dealership:
    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0e6cd4/56

    perfect application of the product i'm mentioning, yes?

    As they say, where there's the will, there's a way. :shades:
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    user777,

    Do you have a set of these connectors and software? or know of someone who does?
  • camryazcamryaz Member Posts: 1
    terr,

    I am experiencing a similar problem w/ vibration in my 07 Camry XLE. Happens @ 40-50 MPH and @ 70-80 MPH. This vibration has been present since I took delivery 15 months / 17K miles ago. I have endured this vib every day... talk about a severe irritant. The dealer and the Toyota field rep diagnosis has been all over the map from tire rotation to excessive road force to alignment to Camry design. I have opened a case w/ Toyota Customer Service and have escalated this to the Toyota Dist Mgr. Currently I am waiting for the decision.

    Up to this point, the Toyota recommendation is for ME to replace all 4 tires and have the vehicle aligned stating that I caused the problem (no data to support this position). I know better because of people like you. It concerns me greatly that a company like Toyota will not stand behind the quality of the product they deliver to the consumer.

    Based on everything I have read, this appears to be a sub-quality tire issue that is occurring industry wide (tires delivered on new cars). I am thinking about engaging a consumer advocate group soon!

    CamryAZ
  • acco20acco20 Member Posts: 211
    I know it is to late now, but if you learn from this experiance you, and others who are reading this, will benifit. NEVER sign any paperwork at time of delivery, without a test drive. Take the car on an extended drive on local streets and especially on the freeway where you can feel the cars reaction to faster speeds and control over highway roads at highway speeds. I went through a similar problem years ago, and never again. If you find something wrong, they will tell you,"no problem" we will take care of it, "sign here". I say, "fix it". I will be back to sign and pick it up after it is fixed. JMHO.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    no, but i saw an engineer at work using one to diagnose a CEL on a Ford Van. It can do that too. Even though I drive Hondas, I'm thinking of getting one to learn more about engine and transmission control.

    What is so attractive about this reader, it that it doesn't just read codes and reset the light. it can capture and save parameters to a laptop while someone runs the engine (or drives).

    What is even better, more appropos to this discussion is the VERY rich Toyota specific parameters it can capture. Did you look at the list? :shades:
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Yes, looked at the list.

    I'm really wondering how the software looks, and how often it samples the data on the bus. In order to be effective at troubleshooting, I would think the software would allow you to select some number of parameters that you want to display over the period, and then time stamp with other operating parameters such as speed, shift points, rpms's, etc.

    If the software allows you to graph, as well as output as a common deliminted file that other applications could use, then that would be really useful.

    I could see uses for anyone who works on a number of vehicles (get all 3 of the adapters)....or a person who was trying to gather statistics for a hard-to-capture/hard-to-diagnose problem.

    The software capability is the real important buy/no-buy decision point for me.
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    yes, you see the value of this product!

    as i understand it, it can do all those things.

    documentation and a trial download are available.
    http://www.obd-2.com/#download

    and you can contact the author (with questions):
    http://www.obd-2.com/about.htm

    looks like the author isn't taking questions during Octoberfest (sept 22-oct 2), but you could write him for specifics.
  • wheelinwilliewheelinwillie Member Posts: 2
    After 6 visits to our Toyota dealer regarding low engine oil and excessive oil consumption, Toyota engineers in Japan basically said it's normal and to look in the owners manual - page 291. To my horror, it says: Oil consumption-max 1.1 qt. per 600 miles. Does this sound "normal" to anyone out there? Does your Camry consume 1 qt. of oil every one thousand miles? Has anyone heard of a new car that burns so much oil? not to mention a Toyota.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    I never in 30+ years of owning/driving cars with over a million miles on our vehicles, have ever had to add a quart of oil between oil changes (always done between 3K to 5K, usually between 3 and 4K). I always keep vehicles at least 10 years, so have a mixture of new/old vehicles, a mixture of American and Foreign, a mixture of gas and diesel....typically putting 100-150K miles on the vehicles.

    So my personal practical experience differs from that published acceptable consumption rate. Some believe that oil consumption is fine, I'm not in that camp.

    Other than selling the car however, not sure that there is anything you can do about it (unless you have something wrong in the EGR area). Rebuilding engines to fix oil consumption is an impractical option.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    that 1.1 seems to be the going rate between most manufacturers even though I know of no one who would want to own one of them.
  • toby33toby33 Member Posts: 3
    We are experiencing the same thing. It almost feels like a surge when braking or even coasting at low speeds. We see the shift about 1300 to 1000 rpm. Did you ever hear from anyone on this? Did you get it fixed?
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    find your PCV valve and remove it if it's easy to do so. shake it back and forth; you should hear a rattle. if not, it could be stuck and contributing to oil consumption.

    google
    pcv valve oil consumption
  • rrajarraja Member Posts: 7
    Hello,

    6 months ago I bought toyota Camry 2007 LE. Recently a month ago noticed 2 small cuts and cloth tear on the roof-headliner cloth. This is located in the box area where we keep sunglass and lights are . the cuts appear on cloth on outside the box curve. These cuts were not there when we bought the car. But somehow it came up recently not sure how this happened. This is not a normal area that we use like car seats. This is on roof interior in head liner cloth. Took it to dealer, they didnot accept it as material issue or any part issue. They suggested some external tool made the cut while I argued something pushing from roof near the moon roof area to cause stress on the cloth and causing the tear. They said no and said they cant cover it as warranty for change.

    Would like to know how to handle this. Does bumber to bumber warranty cover this? We are so baffled as it doesnot appear to be a normal wear and tear and it is occured in roof interior location.

    What options I have?. Dealer is pushing me and saying as goodwill we will do the band-aid patch work as free.

    Please suggest.

    Thanks in advance,
    Raja
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    He should be able to take a couple of minutes and pull headlining apart there and see if there is something under it that could have done the damage. I would make sure they do it while you are there and if nothing there I guess be ready to pay the piper.
  • peligrosopeligroso Member Posts: 42
    Hi all,I was here back in april complaining about vibration issues on my 2007 camry le v6 and car wandering and steering looseness.I came here in this forum and someone gave me a link to a tsb of some steering and allighment problem.I had printed it out and showed it to the dealer and indeed the tsb appled because my car was wandering.I looked everywhere on the camry forums to find that link,but can't find it.I think its tsb ST005-01 related to the allighment,but not to sure if thats the right tsb number.Can someone here please find it and send me the link so I can print it and show it to the dealer again.My car is 2007 toyota camry le v6.The reason why I need it is because I'm having the same problem including vibration in the front left and rear left at steady speeds.The tsb stated that the tie rod needed to be adjusted,but when they did the repair they did'nt check it and only did the allighment.It states on my repiar receipt the an allignment was performed,but nothing about a tsb being performed or tie rod adjustment.This was done back in april and now I'm having the same problems.I want a link to the tsb again because I need to print it and show it this time to the field tech specialist.The dealer refuses to acknowlwdge any problem at this point.So now its going to the field tech specialist.

    To be more detailed about my problem,I have now 5400 miles the vibration and can be felt on the front left side and rear left side of vehicle.It only hppens when you drive the car at constant and steady speeds.I mean like dirving it at 40 miles or any sppeds and drive it at that speed without accelerating and the car will exhibit a vibration that can be felt on the front left side and a little on the rear left.I had the same problem at 250 miles back in april and they did a roadforce balance and it was gone,but it seems to be back.The allignment was done also.The front and rear allignment was off,rear camber settings were way off.And this pissed the heck out of me because the car was three days brand new and starting having such problems.

    Now the dealer refuses to admit that there's a problem.He drove the car and did feel the vibration,but said it was normal.I know its not normal.Three friends of mine drove it and felt the same thing.So I left the car there and they said they would take a look at it.I came back to pick it the same day.They said they switched wheels from two brand new camry's.One with alloys and one with hubcaps with the same tires.My camry has the hubcaps.They said that there was no vibration felt with either two,except when the alloys were put on the car starting drifting to the right.That's weird to hear.He said that my car was driving better with my wheels.

    Its hard to believe that my with 5400 miles drives better that a car with 0 miles and brand new wheels and tires.I got the feeling that he's trying to prove that there's nothin wrong with my wheels and tires and what I'm feeling is normal.It seems like that is a tire problem,maybe defective tires or out of round.By the way I have the michelin mx4 tires.

    In the end we made an appointment to get the toyota field tech specialist to come down.So basically I also need your guys advice of how I should be prepared when he comes down.Do you have any input and advice related to this issue.What should I do next.Also I already complained to 800 toyota complaint and experience.They documented the issues ans said they would send it to the customer liason at the dealership.I spoke with her at the dealership a week ago and she was very nice and helpful.She told me to wait for the field tech specialist to come and see what he says first before approaching a lawyer or going into arbitration.And to make sure I'm there when the tech specialist comes down and go along with him on a drive to pinpoint the problem.I just hope when he comes down he can be helpful.I have all the repair receipts and want to show him that there is an issue becuase the same problem appeared in the past and was acknowlwdged by the dealer at the time.I want to show him the tsb if you guys can help me find it.I need to show him on the tsb that a tie rod needed to be adjusted because am skeptical that the dealer even looked at it.Not sure if the tie rod has has anything to do with the vibration issues.But I guess it would be helpful ti show the tech when he comes down so maybe he can check it.

    So please guys can you help me ? Any advice of how I should proceed when the tech comes down or what the problem is.Also please help me find the link to that tsb again.And sorry for the long post.I just thought it would be helpful to be a little detailed about the whole problem.I will check later or you can send me the link at mannypeligroso at yahoo.Thanks
  • eddiecruzeddiecruz Member Posts: 18
    I list of all the 2007 camry TSB's can be found here:

    http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=180105

    I have a 2007 SE V6 with the same exact problems as you have on your vehicle. I have just over 16K on my car and have lived with the problem of loose steering and wandering at freeway speeds. One thing that did help was to lower my tire pressure to 28 all around. Mileage suffers but at least I can control the car better.
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    ST005-01

    I had posted it earlier, but here it is again
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Here's the link: rts3, "Toyota Camry 2008" #58, 9 Oct 2007 8:11 am.
  • mmogabmmogab Member Posts: 11
    I experienced this down shift that you described. The dealer reprogrammed my transmission and it seems to be working fine now...I have only driven it about 600 miles since I had this performed with 11,000 on the car. My 2007 V6 XLE also had a major slippage when I accelerated around 5000 miles. The dealer and Toyota Customer Service out of California pulled the transmission and replaced it with a new one.

    If your Toyota dealer can't find a TSB on this issue, call the Toyota number in CA at 800-331-4331. Even though I have had my car in the shop 3 times in 11,000 miles regarding the transmission, the customer service has been good and they even threw in a free accessory for me for all my trouble -- trunk lip (spoiler). Don't be afraid to ask them for a spiff especially if you have been having continued problems on this transmission issue. Toyota is well aware they have a major customer service nightmare with these transmission problems and they want their customer's happy. Good luck.
  • asandyasandy Member Posts: 1
    Hello,
    My 2004 4 cyl w/ auto (50K mi.)feels like I'm on the rumble strip when changeing from 1st to 2nd gear. RPM between 2500-3000, duration is 1 - 2 seconds, feels like it is slipping a bit at the same time. This only happens when upshifting and only between these two speeds. If I step on the gas hard it does not happen. The service tech says they all do it. But I own a '99 and a '03 as well and they have no similar problems. Any ideas?
    Thank you!
  • phollandpholland Member Posts: 4
    I RECENTLY PURCHASED A NEW '07 CAMRY. IMMEDIATELY UPON LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP ON AN INTERSTATE TRIP, I NOTICED A "TREMOR" OR "SHIMMY" IN THE STEERING WHEEL FROM 70+ mph. I CARRIED THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER WHO REBALANCED THE WHEELS AND SENT ME ON MY WAY. IT DID NOT HELP. THE ORIGINAL DEALER SENT ME TO ANOTHER DEALER TO TRY MY LUCK THERE. THEY KEPT MY CAR 2 AND ONE HALF DAYS, REBALANCED THE WHEELS TWICE, CHECKED ALL THE SPECIFICATIONS, SWITCHED MY WHEELS OUT WITH ANOTHER NEW CAMRY, TEST DROVE IT 36 MILES AND CALLED ME THAT IT WAS READY. WHEN I GOT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT THE CAR STILL HAD THE PROBLEM BUT "IT MET ALL TOYOTA SPECIFICATIONS AND THE NEW TOTOTA THEY COMPARED IT TO DID THE SAME THING ON A TEST DRIVE. I'M SORRY BUT WE HAVE DONE ALL WE CAN DO".

    I CALLED TOYOTA IN CALIFORNIA AND REGISTERED A COMPLAINT. A WEEK LATER, THEY CALLED AND SAID "THE DEALERSHIPS CERTIFIED THAT MY CAR MET ALL TOYOTA SPECIFICATIONS" AND NOTHING FURTHER WOULD BE DONE BY TOYOTA.

    IT WOULD APPEAR THAT ALL 2007 TOYOTA CAMRYS ARE DOING THIS IF MY CAR MEETS TOYOTA'S SPECIFICATIONS! WHAT GOOD IS A WARRANTY IF THE CAR DOES NOT PERFORM TO NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS WITHOUT AN ANNOYING "TREMOR" WHEN ON THE INTERSTATE, NOTWITHSTANDING PREMATURE TIRE TREAD WEAR. I AM TOTALLY FLABERGASTED. MY ADVICE, IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING BUYING A CAMRY, TAKE IT ON THE INTERSTATE AND GET IT UP TO 70-80 MPH AND MAKE SURE YOU DON'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM. FOREWARNED IS FORARMED! I DOUBT I WILL BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA.
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    1. Please do not use all caps. Very hard to read.

    2. Take to a different dealer. My '07, like 99% of them, is smooth at 70+.
  • bluesebluese Member Posts: 2
    I bought a 2007 Camry SE at the end of May and after about a 1000 miles started noticing an engine "lifter" knock when the engine was cold. The knock is most noticeable under light to moderate acceleration from 1500 to 2500 RPMs, and goes away (mostly) when the engine warms up. It was fairly loud inside the car, and seemed to be getting worse, so after 2200 miles, I took it in three weeks ago to the dealer I bought it from. The service manager and his head mechanic agreed there was a knock, and the mechanic talked to a district tech rep, who mentioned something about a "known issue" with piston slap in some of the V6 engines. The dealer service department wouldn't do anything more, and suggested I open a Case Number with Toyota Care to have a Field Tech rep come and inspect my car. I've looked on several forums for anything engine related, but haven't seen anything yet. None of the TSBs posted on the ToyotaNation forum for Gen5&6 Camrys seemed to apply (have already had the ECU reprogram without much difference, in my opinion). I'd like to hear from anyone else who has experienced the same sort of engine knock problem, and what the resolution was. I got rid of a 98 Malibu V6 with the same sort of engine noise and I don't want to continue listening to the same sort of noise with a brand new car! My inspection is Friday, and if anything of interest comes out of it, I'll post an update.
  • gbabalukgbabaluk Member Posts: 70
    Hi Bluese:
    I too have a similar "knock" on my SEV6 which is almost 18 months old. As you say, it goes away when the car warms up.
    I haven't noticed it for a while but the car has about 13,000 KM which is about 8K miles and it may be to the engine being "broken-in".
    Let us know what happens on Friday.
  • phollandpholland Member Posts: 4
    Sorry about the all caps - hope this is better. I have taken the car to two dealerships already. Very time consuming. In addition to the "tremor" problem, the last dealership damaged all four of my allow wheels on their balancing machine and had to have a technician polish them out - more time away from work! I'm fed up with dealerships and Toyotas. By the way, how do you know 99% of the '07 do not have this problem?
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    Estimate based on all the # of people reporting this issue in is website and TN website - yours is the first that can't be fixed I guess.

    Some cars from all makes have a tire out of balance, or a bad tire. These cases are not common, but it happens and is easily corrected.

    It's not like 50% have your problem, maybe worst case it's 1-2% have the problem, what do you think? It certainly not "ALL" as you imply. Good luck with your problem!
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    You may need to have your tires balanced on a special machine called a road force balancer, search the forum for previous discussions and links. Don't remember which of the Edmunds forums it's in, might be tires.

    It basically puts the equivalent weight of the car on the tire while it is balancing, and solves many of the 'tougher to balance' problems.
  • chuck28chuck28 Member Posts: 259
    Hello,I too have a knocking sound which sounds like a lifter when the engine is cold. It very noticable at low speeds and cold engine. I have just noticed thisa few weeks ago and was wondering what it may be. My car has about 12,000 miles on it. It is a V-6 SE 2007 Camry.
    Please keep us informed.I'm sorry you have this problem but it's good to know I wasn't the only one thinking it was a problem. Let's see what Toyota will do witrh this one. I have already gone through the mud slinger with my Transmission which they can't get right.
    Thanks agaian for your post.
  • zaken1zaken1 Member Posts: 556
    In my 27 years as a mechanic, one of the most embarrassing experiences I ever had was when a client asked me to listen to a knock her Celica was making when it was cold. This noise was LOUD. It sounded like a metal object was banging around inside the engine. So I told the owner "Don't drive this car one more block!!! Have it towed to the dealership for diagnosis under the warranty."

    Turned out the dealer fixed the problem by running some carbon solvent through the engine. The problem then disappeared, and the dealer advised the car owner to only use Chevron fuel. It seems the owner had been buying her fuel at cheap stations. Some cheap gas is just fine (I use it myself) but other brands don't contain enough cleaning compounds to keep the engine from building up excessive deposits. And those deposits then raise the compression ratio to the point that the engine knocks.

    One of the most effective deposit scavengers ever produced is called Techroline. Made by Chevron, it comes in a black bottle, in two sizes (large size for vehicles with large fuel tanks, and a small size for most imported cars). It is intended to be added to a tankful of fuel, and takes 50 to 100 miles to do its thing. Can be bought at most Chevron stations, and many auto parts stores. I've also seen it at Wal-Mart.

    There are also engines that develop piston slap while they are cold. Sometime changing to synthetic oil, or using a lighter weight of oil can improve cold lubrication. But piston slap is not necessarily abnormal, if it goes away when the engine warms up.

    Joel
  • chuck28chuck28 Member Posts: 259
    Hello Zaken,in all due respect I don't know why a new $30,000 car should be making knocking noises and should requre special aditives to make the car run better. also if this in normal why isn't Toyota putting this in the owner manual?
  • zaken1zaken1 Member Posts: 556
    There are two issues behind the weirdness we have to deal with in today's automobiles. One is that governmental legislation has established increasingly strict requirements for new vehicles to produce less emissions, while at the same time, maintaining or increasing fuel economy. These emissions laws also forced the gasoline companies to reformulate the fuel they produce. The new low emission fuels turned out to create less pollution, but they also had the side effect of leaving heavy deposits on valve stems and combustion chambers. And so the fuel companies had to add larger amounts and new formulas of deposit scavenging additives to their gas. Some companies additives work far better than others. Chevron, Shell, and Texaco are among the best fuels for controlling deposits. But some other brands don't work adequately in that respect. The car manufacturers have recognized this situation, and some of them have responded by publishing advisories about fuel brands and engine deposits. BMW set up specific tests to measure the amount of fuel deposits that were left in their engines, and then issued reports about which brands of fuel met their standards. Other manufacturers took different approaches to dealing with the fuel deposit problem. GM and Toyota dealers now sell their own brands of combustion chamber deposit cleaning additives. This is just one example of how evolving technology can create new classes of problems. Just a few years ago, such issues were unheard of, and would have been unacceptable to the public; but today, they are very real, and cannot be avoided. Because of the pressure to clean up the air we breathe, and now to stop global warming, changes are being made which do not always work as neatly as we'd like them to. As more information is gained about these changes, they will be revised and hopefully improved, but for now, this is something we just have to deal with.

    There are no perfect answers to the very understandable points you raised. Large companies feel a strong need to protect their image, and thus are reluctant to publicize the less attractive aspects of the problems and weaknesses of their products. But ask the Toyota service or parts departments why they now carry those bottles of deposit cleaning additives. Then you'll get the real picture.

    The new engine designs are also intended to work with much lighter weights of oil than they did even a few years ago. And oil chemistry is constantly evolving to meet these new requirements. It used to be that a single weight oil such as SAE 30 was appropriate for everyday use in most engines. But if you use a single grade oil in today's new model engines, it will often not flow adequately to the tightly machined spaces when the engine is cold. And that leads to knocking and wear. This is why the oil viscosity recommendations in new car owner's manuals now typically call for multi grade oils. 5W-30 or 5W-20 are the most common. And these light oils are now a lot stronger and more durable than they used to be.

    I hope this addresses the points you raised.

    Joel
  • djm2djm2 Member Posts: 712
    Good Morning Joel:
    Outstanding Post! ----- You are correct! ----Have a "GREAT DAY"! ----- Dwayne :shades: ;):)
  • eroc69eroc69 Member Posts: 56
    I am sure this has been posted but could someone post the proper PSI for the tires. Mine is an 07 VE V-6 and it has the Bridgestone Turanza EL-II...
    Second issue or ??? is how freakin long should they last?
    I have just a tick under 13,000 and the treads are less than half a fingernail. Pinky nail at that..
    These will not help me through the Pittsburgh winter.
    I think the treadwear rating is a 250 or 260. Thats HORRIBLE...
    Any advice on the lack of mileage on these tires
    Thanks
  • kiawahkiawah Member Posts: 3,666
    Correct tire pressure is listed on your drivers door jamb. For a 2007 LE 4 cyl, it is 30F/30R, and I have Michelins.
  • barroncbarronc Member Posts: 44
    I also have Michelins on my 2007 Camry XLE V-6 but I've already replaced the front two and the car had less than 10,000 miles on the odometer. I realize tires wear out quicker on front wheel drive vehicles, especially if the tires are the soft compound type. I normally set the tire pressure for both front and rear at 34.
  • dmathews3dmathews3 Member Posts: 1,739
    10K on front tires and they need replacing. Something is really wrong there or you bought so very soft compound tires. I have 12K on my wifes Caddy STS and they still look brand new. My 07 STS has about 10.8K and they also look brand new but it is 4 wheel drive if that matters.
  • toby33toby33 Member Posts: 3
    I called this number today and the person seemed to be telling me that this was normal operation. However, he did have a TSB number that he sent to my local dealer and told me I should hear from them soon. Thanks for the lead. I'll let you know what happens.
  • foxwood_21foxwood_21 Member Posts: 31
    I have a 07 4cy se and have 38k on my bridgestone turaza el ll I am going to replace them soon with goodyear triple treads
    had them on my last camry there great
  • djm2djm2 Member Posts: 712
    Good Morning barronc:
    I have the same vehicle, with the same tires. My Camry now has 17,000+ miles, and I rotate my tires every 5,000 miles.-----(The vehicle is serviced every 2,500 miles. This is simply my choice! When the vehicle is in for service, I specifically have the dealer check the tires for uneven wear and structural problems, because I travel extensively!)---- I do not have a "tire wear" problem with this vehicle. When you replaced the tires, did you have the Toyota dealer do a complete alignment of the vehicle? Something is wrong with your vehicle!!!!!!!
    Best regards. ----- Dwayne :shades: ;):)
  • 210delray210delray Member Posts: 4,721
    I think it's like gas mileage -- your results may vary quite a bit, even if the tire is the same brand on the same car. If you don't rotate the tires on a fwd car, the front tires will wear rapidly. Aggressive driving (hard acceleration, cornering, and braking) will also increase tire wear. I'm not so sure alignment these days is the factor it once was, but certainly if the alignment is off, this will accelerate tread wear, as will improper wheel balance (much more common than faulty alignment).
  • phollandpholland Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for your post. Toyota performed the "Road Force" balancer as well as switched out my wheels for wheels from a new 2007 Camry and they said the steering "tremor issue is still there and they can do nothing else for me." A neighbor told me he once had a new car with this problem and it ended up being rotor(s) out of balance and when replaced, the tremor issue was no longer there. Does anyone out there have any information with regard to "bad rotors" and steering wheel "tremor". Shouldn't this be a warranty matter that a Toyota dealership would offer to check into?
  • phollandpholland Member Posts: 4
    I, too, have a cold engine knock on my new 2007 Toyota Camry 6 cyl. LE., and I live in the south. I shudder to think how loud it is going to get when it does get cold! Right now, I am trying to resolve a steering issue. I don't know if I will pursue the engine knock or not. It appears that Toyota does not want to take ownership of the myriad of problems they have created with this 2007 Camry. Assuming the cars are still under "warranty", perhaps they will be forced to do something about the engines when they freeze up, the transmissions fall out on the ground or the tires fall of the car.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Are you sure you mean to say "downshift"..?

    Traditionally, historically, automatic transmissions/transaxles would downshift into 1st gear just before coming to a full stop and that would result in a "seat-of-the-pants" feeling of sudden additional braking effects.

    Nowadays it appears that the downshift into 1st will not occur until the car has come to a FULL and COMPLETE stop.

    Since late in the last century the practice of "upshifting" the automatic transmissions as you coast down from 10-0 MPH or even 40-30 MPH has seemingly been adopted by Toyota, Lexus, and probably other marques as well.
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