Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions

guevinj · April 2003

I have had a front-end vibration problem with my '98 Camry LE 4 cyl. that NO ONE has been able to solve. I'm hoping someone here on the board can offer some insight/suggestions.

In February, I purchased four new Toyo all-season tires, had them mounted and computer-balanced, and had a 4-wheel alignment done on my car. When I got the car back, it pulled to the left, and there was a distinct "wobble" vibration in the steering wheel, coming out of a turn and also at highway speeds over 60 mph. After several unsuccessful trips back to the tire dealer to have the balance and alignment re-checked, I turned to a local Toyota dealer. They ruled out bad axles as a source of the problems. As an experiment, the Toyota dealer put 4 new tires from a new Camry (with its new rims) on my car, test-drove it, and found the car tracked straight, with no vibration. They said there was either a problem with the tires I bought or with the rims.

I went back to the tire dealer with this info. The tire dealer determined that the tires were fine, but all the rims were bent to some degree. They assured me that replacing all four rims would take care of the problem. I did replace all the rims, and believe it or not, I still get a vibration, and the car still pulls to the left!!

I am completely at my wit's end. I've replaced all four tires, all four rims, had the car aligned and balanced, and the vibration in the steering wheel remains. I've spent more hours in these shops than I care to count. I never had any vibration or alignment problems before I had these new tires put on. Does anyone have any idea what else could be causing these problems?? Thanks for any help.

imidazol97 · April 2003

Did the tire dealer move the front tires left to right to see if that affected the lead in the steering?
Then did they move the backs to the front to see if that affect the wobble and shaking?

If the car was okay with the new car wheels on it, the problem is not in the car. Had a friend where (a tire discounter store) put the wrong size on LeSabre to replace a damaged front tire.
Have you checked that all four tires are same size?

guevinj · April 2003

No, the dealer has not crossed the front tires, nor put the backs on the fronts. I will go back again and have them try that. However, I don't understand why there should be any need to do this, with 4 brand new tires and new rims that have been set up to spec in both balance and alignment. If everything is new and in spec, shouldn't it be vibration-free no matter what tire is on what axle? The tires are all the same size, P195/70R14, and the air pressure is 30 pounds in each one. I can't imagine where the wobble in the steering wheel is coming from if the rims are, in fact, true (not bent). Might there be a steering problem causing the vibration?

armtdm · April 2003

After playing with this problem for a year now we still have it.

Only occurs when engine is warm
Only happen in gear not in Park
Only happens when sitting at a light or stopped for at least 30 seconds or longer.

Go to press the pedal and it won't move then you apply more pressure it jump starts.

If the throttle body was dirty I assume it would stick in park as well? Linkage seems OK. Why only in gear?

Has anyone solved the sticking gas pedal in a Camry V6?

shimmer · April 2003

I know of a 1992 camry thats motor went bad at 158000 miles I do not know why but they replaced it with a 1996 factory rebuilt motor it is in good shape other wise I owned a camry back in the early 80's but have not had one since. I have seen some complaints on the camry on these pages but none realy on the 92's I am considering buying this car for 3,200 with the new engine and 4 new tires if anyone has anything to say about the 92 year or the difference in motor's or the price I am considering to pay please let me know it would be greatly apprieciated

8u6hfd · April 2003

1/2 quart every 3000 miles

You're fine. When it's 1 quart every 1000 miles, then you should be worried

8u6hfd · April 2003

I had the same problem in my cousin's 1999 Acura TL (dealership maintained), throttle body cleaning cured most of it. I still need to go back and clean the spring and linkage also with some throttle body cleaner.

paul29 · April 2003

Your tire/s may be out of round and need to be remounted on their rim/s to bring into spec ( can be checked on the balancer ). A tire mounted out of round will give the same effect as a tire out of balance . The procedure imidazol97 gave to correct the "pull" works almost every time assuming everything else is in spec .

gonkraz · April 2003

03 XLE
Does anyone else have a problem with getting zapped when they get out of their car. It only happens on the drivers side. I've tried touching different parts of the car to avoid the VISIBLE electric charge that comes off the door. Different shoes don't help. I actually had the service writer come out and witness this. He said he was quite impressed but had no answer or help to offer.

canoe2 · April 2003

Try to use ESD strip wire, attach it to metal part of the car and hang it back bumper.

stnick · April 2003

Try a product called "Cling Free" spray on the seat fabric. It's sold in most stores. Ladies have bought it for years to spray on clingy dresses and the like. I used to use it on a Ford Ranger that had a big problem with that, especially in winter. I don't notice it too much on my 03 XLE. Nick

imidazol97 · April 2003

If the air in your region is low humidity right now, the problem may go away as the humidity increases. The Scotchgard spray may also help with static (read the can label) along with
cling free.

I found the clothes I had on affected how much charge was built up. The static is formed when two nonconductors are rubbed together. Polyester pants and nylon jacket on cloth seats in a Buick gave a good shock when humidity was low in the winter. Hold on to the door handle (if i t's metal) as you move across the seat. The might dissipate the charge as you move.

gonkraz · April 2003

xbbuster Mar 27, 2003 9:54pm
I've always had that film issue with my 90 Camry. It only happens when the AC gets run a lot. I've already noticed it on the 03. I think it's because the auto climate control almost always puts the AC on to give you "dehumidified air".

nhp5 · April 2003

I have a 2001 Toyota Camry, 4 cyl. It has 32000 miles on it.
Lately I have noticed that it uses about a quarter of oil every 2000 miles. The Toyota service tells me that it is normal, but I have a hard time to accept that. Has anyone had a similar experience??

reece70 · April 2003

I pulled into my driveway and stopped the car. with my foot on the brake I put the car into reverse. the next thing I know the car shoots forward, slams into my front porch, goes up the first two cement stairs, knocks out the iron railing, goes down into the driveway,up onto the grass and finally stops back in the driveway with my foot on the brake the entire time. I had the car in for service that morning to check the brakes and transmission. the abs came on on dry pavement twice and the car would lunge when it would shift gears. the dealer told me nothing was wrong with the car. toyota has also told me nothing is wrong with the car. anyone else having this type of problem that is a huge safety issue?

canoe2 · April 2003

Is your car equipped with 4 sp or 5 sp ?
If it is a 4 sp, this design should have been proven reliability for many years.
Could you be able to reproduce the problem ?

xbbuster · April 2003

Whatever is causing the windshield film, your lungs are probably getting a good coat of it too. Of course Toyota would say, "It's normal"

nippononly · April 2003

old cars do that because the HVAC system is leaking a little bit, which causes the film. That is not such a good situation for your lungs, I would imagine...

of course, sometimes the interior plastics are still off-gassing, which can also cause this film.

camrysev6owner · April 2003

I've been complaining about brake rattles before on my 03 Camry SE V6. Now it's getting worse. I can actually see my hand shaking while holding on to the steering wheel when applying the brakes. And that doesn't only happen when I am braking from high speeds. I don't push my car to the limit, had been treating it really good. Sounds like warpped rotors to me. Will get it checked out.

Meanwhile, I see a lot of erosion on the disc brakes. The discs are filled with what looks like rust. But it had been a really bad winter here in Canada, and I know it's normal for disc brakes to get the erosion like this (Because I see that disc brakes from other cars are like this too). Just wondering if it has to do with the vibrations when braking? And my friend told me about disc brake cleaner available on the market. Would it really help in cleaning the disc brakes?

I've also noticed a new phenomenon with my car which I am not sure if it is a problem. Sometimes when I accelerate harder than normal (for example, accelerating when going up a hill), I hear irritating noises from the engine on top of normal engine noises. It's really hard to describe, but it sounds like driving a manual car and accelerating hard in a high gear when the car is slow. I've never noticed the noises when I was using Octane 92 fuel. But I was told by experts in this forum that it was fine to use Octane 87. Any comments would be appreciated regarding this phenomenon.

IN RESPONSE TO PRIOR POSTS...
Windshield Film Issue - I've had that in my old 97 Camry. And I see it in my 03 Camry also. I thought all cars have the film. I just use anti-fog to clean it up and it lasted for over 2 years with my old car. It made it seem like the car was glassless!

denbigh97 · April 2003

I've got a 96 Camry LE (4 cylinder) with 58,500 miles. Whenever I cold start it, it would make a pinging noise. The noise would go away once the engine is warmed up. I'm thinking it might be dirty fuel injectors or needs a new timing belt (I just had a tune up 2 months ago). However, if it was dirty fuel injectors, then theoretically I would be getting the pinging noise whenever the car is on. So I'm thinking it might just be needing a new timing belt and tensioner. Can anyone provide some insight? Thanks! BTW, my local Toyota dealer wants $225 for a timing belt replacement and new seals, but no tensioner. Is that a descent price or a ripoff?

alcan · April 2003

I go through lots of brake cleaner when servicing brake systems. It's an aerosol used to remove fine metallic grit from rotors and drums after machining, and grease/oils from friction materials after installation. It won't delay corrosion of the rotors.

xbbuster · April 2003

Anyone experiencing a clunk or jerk in the transmission on an '02 or early '03 V6? After starting the car, backing out and then putting it in drive. That's when there is a noticeable jerk in the car. It won't do it again unless the car has been setting for a few hours.

armtdm · April 2003

The 225 is not a bad price, just under 200 is better.

Neither the belt not the injectors should cause pinging IMO. More likely a timing issue, grade and brand of gas.

But if it does not ping when hot and under load I am not sure I would be too concerned about it.

bgtees · April 2003

I'm currently shopping for a used car, one of the cars on my list to look at is the Solara. I've found several 1999-2001 models that are either SE V4, SE V6 or SLE in the mid-teens. Most of them are between 30-50K miles.

I know this thread only exists for people who are having problems, which is a small percentage of all owners, but I'm just curious how reliable you would consider the Solara to be. I also wanted to get an idea of any known problems I should keep any eye out for. I'll be running a CarFax report on any car I consider.

The other cars I'm looking at include the Honda Accord Coupe, the VW Jetta and the Honda Prelude. Thanks.

canoe2 · April 2003

Driving Camry V6 LE more than one week, the brake pedal was felt spongy. The Toyota specs for pedal clearance is 2.5" with engine running and depressing 50Kg. Probably when I applied less than 30Kg, the pedal clearance was less than 1" !
To bring the car to stop from 30 mil/h, it does not require much effort on the brake pedal but I am not comfortable with the pedal travel distance.
Is it the design issue in new Camry for everyone or just myself ?
Any feedback would be appreciate.

bluenose1 · April 2003

I recently purchased a 1993 4 cylinder Camry with 75,000 miles. I've

Everything seemed fine until I noticed a dramatic drop in oil (1 qt in 1,000 miles) and began seeing a blue/black cloud of oil in the rearview mirror about once a week. The clould appeared after driving for awhile, stopping for under an hour and starting up and accelerating. No smoke if only a short drive. Everytime I tried to get the car to smoke (ie. idling, accelerating), no luck.

A mechanic I spoke to said it didn't sound like rings or valve seals and recommended I change the PCV valve. I did so 3 days ago and just noticed a big puff of smoke after driving for an hour.

I've been reviewing your message boards about sludge and valve seal problems but have a couple of questions. Is this what I have? Was sludge a problem for '93 4 cyl? Is it most likely a valve seal problem? What about rings?

Thank You

Mark

nippononly · April 2003

doesn't sound right for rings or seals to me either...

FWIW, the sludge issue only affects 1997 and later camrys with the 2.2

does your car make "little clouds" right after start-up? Or does it blow a little smoke all the time?

What you have described sounds very random the way you have described it.

bluenose1 · April 2003

It's nice to know I've at least eliminated the "sludge" issue. Thanks.

No, there's no smoking when I start it up (valve seals) or when I'm driving along (rings). It's just a massive cloud of blue smoke (although today I wasn't sure it wasn't black and blue) after it has warmed up. It lasts for about 3-5 seconds and then stops. I've also been watching my oil level and the decreases seem to coincide with the smoking (not surprisingly!)

I was hoping that the PCV replacement was the issue, but it now looks like I'll have to have a compression test done and it nothing there, then a replacement of the valve seals.

ron_toy · April 2003

My 02 V6XLE had started surging when accelerating, especially at lower rpm's. Had dealer check and said it was fine. After 2 weeks, the check engine light came on and dealer found the air/fuel sensor was bad. Cured problem and mileage is looking better. Over 10,000 miles and car is still great; have small rattle when cold in dash (dealer cannot hear it) and trying to determine if bad enough to go after. Sulfer smell has improved with different and higher octane gas.

st_pu · April 2003

Dear all, in case of accident with injuries, car detail breakdown or flaw, any other serious problem with your car, please go to NHTSA address http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/ and fill complaint form. This way NHTSA will request answer from manufacturer. And makers will fix problems soon, and increase quality of cars.
NHTSA have great database with various complains about each car http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/complain/complaintsearch.cfm.
found same issues with transmission, and ignition

gonkraz · May 2003

imidazol97 Apr 22, 2003 5:57pm

I just wanted to follow up. I haven't found the spray yet but so far hanging on to the interior door handle before touching the door edge helps a fair amount. I still get crackled but it takes it down to where it's not actually painful. I was actually starting to automatically withdraw my hand from all car doors when reaching to close them. So if i get nothing else from this message board you have helped me here. I still think it's the weirdest *(#% thing since (and may I say gratefully so) it's only on the driver's door.

stnick · May 2003

To follow up on that spray I told you about earlier. I gave you the wrong name. Its called
"Cling Free". Women will use it to spray on a sheer dress to keep static from making their dress cling to nylons etc. I used it in the winter on my Ranger seats and it helped a lot. You will have to re apply it as it wears off. Nick

kiai · May 2003

We own a 2003 Camry, Phantom Grey-Pearl, and it lives outside. We live on Hawaii, the Big Island, where we have "vog". After it rains and the raindrops dry, there's water spots left on the body and the windows of the car. Also, we have a sprinkler system that's near our car. When it's windy, the water mists on our car, leaving hard water spots. I try to wipe it off, but sometimes it's too late, and the water has already hardened. Any suggestions/advice?

stnick · May 2003

I put a small amount of white distilled vinegar into my Windex to clean hard water spots off the glass and it works wonders. You might try 1 cup of vinegar in a half gallon or so of water and some car wash detergent,and wash the car, in the shade, rinse and dry. See if that works. Try it on one small section first. Hope this helps. Nick

carrie12 · May 2003

Tinkmeister, your not insane!

I recently purchased a 2003 Camary XLE V6 and I am also experiencing the surge/lag problem. I am also experiencing loss of power for a second. The loss of power occurs or is more noticeable when you are making any kind of turn. I agree that this is a safety concern.

I took my Camary in on 5/2/03 to the dealership of purchase to have them look at this hesitation (lag/surge) issue.

I joined an experienced technician on a test drive in my vehicle and a similar Camary. The technician acknowledged that there is a hesitation on the vehicle but said that this is normal on all Camarys. I disagreed with the technician because I test drove a similar Camary (4/15/03) the day after I purchased my car and did not feel any hesitation. I also test drove a Camary with the technician on 5/2/03 and told him that the test car did not have as noticeable hesitation as mine. The Technician went on to explain that the new Toyota's are being manufactured with the gas pedal connected to a sensor (as opposed to directly to the engine) that is connected to a computer chip. The computer relays acceleration and deceleration as required on the vehicle. The technician indicated that there was not much that can be done on this issue. He suggested that I continue to drive the car and have it rechecked at 3000 miles. He also indicated that I would get accustomed to this hesitation and that if any TSB are issued by Toyota I would be notified.

I also strongly feel that this is a safety concern. Consumers need to rely on the vehicle to move when pressure is placed on the gas pedal to avoid accidents. The hesitation on my Camary is an accident waiting to happen.

If you have experienced a similiar problem I would be happy to hear from you.

Carrie12

petrnyc · May 2003

what is CAMARY ?

carrie12 · May 2003

Sorry petmyc, I did not mean to offend anyone. CAMARY should have been spelled Camry.

yanker · May 2003

In a 96 Camry the check engine light has come on twice in the past month. First time i needed a new radiator and that has no connection with the check engine light. The mechanic said be sure to twist the gas cap hard and make sure it clicks twice. One week later it did the same thing and by twisting the gas cap it no longer comes on .I have 90000 on the car and never had any such problem before. The computer gizmo identified the culprit and it appears it is right

branch15_5 · May 2003

I finally got the problem fixed yesterday. It WAS the EGR valve. The first shop I took it to disconnected something other than the EGR valve (unbelievable).

Anyway, there are two lessons to this story. First, find a shop that is good at diagnostics -- I finally have one. Second, to disconnect the EGR valve to see if this is causing your stalling problem, disconnect the vacuum line running to the side of the valve and plug it (golf tee would work).

banddexpress · May 2003

I have a 99 camry. Today when I got in and started driving down the street the spedomiter stayed on zero even though I was moving. I pushed the odometer in and then the spedomiter went up to 35 from 0 then I had no more problems. I went home and it did the same thing and I did the same thing and that fixed it again. Does anyone have any idea what is wrong and what I probably need fixed so I don't get ripped off at the mechanic. Thanks

tccmn1 · May 2003

This is my first post on THIS thread. I've been busy on the Mazda threads with my new MPV which I LOVE!!

Now for my other 'quality' vehicle..97 Camry LE 4 banger.
I am sick and tired of fixing the rear cupholder on this vehicle. I've had it replaced under warranty once and tried to wire it myself other times. It's a disgrace to a Toyota standard and is flimsy and breaks easily. Has anyone else experienced this? I think they beefed it up in 99... Mine is taped shut now and useless. Nice touch for a quality vehicle. My old Dodge Caravan with 175K miles never had a broken cupholder!! I think Toy knows this was a bad design...but shame on me.
ALSO: Seat belts that don't retract. I've had my drivers retractor replaced twice and know of another person who has a 98 Camry that had his replaced because they won't retract. Result is the stupid belt hangs out the door or just get's tangled up when trying to get out of the car.
Has anyone else had this issue. I called Toy 800 and they said 'that's too bad and you're out of warranty' I asked if this was a safety issue and they said 'no'. I said if the belt fails in an accident, will Toy be at fault, they said, 'no'.
Arrogant 'quality' people or what?
Comments are welcome.
PS: Did I say I love my MPV?

tccmn1 · May 2003

...As long as I'm hogging the thread, might as well bring up another issue; this vehicle has a strange vibration that comes on at braking times. Specifically, at harder braking coming off of ramps, etc.. I've had the brakes resurface, pads replaced, etc...but still have this rumble sound and vibe at hard braking. Again, another friend has a 98 camry with similar symptoms. Is this another 'normalicy' of the Camry?
For those of you with the eternal blue smoke at startup....I've been there and done that a year ago. Toyota DID stand behind replacing the head and seals, and rings at no cost to me...whoopie!

paul29 · May 2003

Does the car have rear drums ? Have these been turned ? To check the rear drums for an " out of round " condition , apply the parking brake while keeping the release button pushed in or the release lever pulled out or whatever it has, so you can release brake immediately if the brakes drag the wheels . Do this at road speed , this isolates the braking action to the rear drums only and may help pinpoint your problem.

camrysev6owner · May 2003

I have a 2003 Camry SE V6. The fuel indicator is not precise. Usually when it shows that the tank is almost empty and the low fuel warning lights up, it will go away after I have turned off the car and start it up again. The fuel indicator needle goes up half way to the first horizontal line.

Is this normal? Should I get Toyota to check it out?

paul29 · May 2003

The low fuel indicator has a delay built in that requires a signal from the tank switch for a certain length of time before the light comes on . this prevents the light from flickering when the switch is at the point of contact ( fuel sloshing ), When you shut off the ignition the delay is reset . I also find the light will come on and the guage show low when exiting a long off ramp when the fuel level is low , then extinguish for 30 miles or more and the guage will come back to 1/4 level , the dampening circuit for the guage needs more capacitance.

autonuts · May 2003

like some info. from anyone out there that may know what this might be. My 2000 Camry CE 4 cyl.'s engine light symbol came on yesterday. I checked the owner's manual and it said to take it to Toyota. All the fluids are ok and the car only has 14,500 miles! I made sure the gas cap was tightened securely with several clicks when turning it closed. I have a half tank of gas in it. Can anyone tell me what this might be? Ever experienced this before? What do you think I should check? Thanks in advance!!

giles · May 2003

2003 Camry XLE 4 cyl. At 30 mph going up hill or down hill there is a loud whining noise coming from the trans. The noise is there in 2nd or 3rd gear and is louder when the engine is warmed up. I can't hear it while running on the level. I hope someone has heard the same thing and solved it. The next time you drive your 2002 or 2003 on a hill hold it at 30 mph and see if you can hear anything unusual. Thanks

nippononly · May 2003

that series of Camrys had weak brakes - easily taxed. Toyota changed the spec on the brake pads, so you should use the Toyota ones if you want braking without grinding. At least that worked for my friend's Camry. The vibration coming off ramps is most likely rotor warpage - these rotors are apparently not up to the task of repeated hard braking in these cars...but if you had the brakes turned and it still did that right when you picked the car up, they either did a bad job or it is something else.

Oh yeah - seatbelts. Toyota's seatbelt retractors always give up the ghost fairly quickly, in my experience. The dealer I use for service replaces them for free.

autonuts: that light means there is a problem somewhere in your emissions system. If you are a DIYer, Autozone will read the code for you for free. If you are not, you can drive it like that for a while, but it will not pass the next emissions check like that. Since you are under warranty, why not have the dealer check it out for you for free?

PS if the gas cap were loose previously and you tightened it, it may take several cyclings of the engine for that light to turn itself off.

armtdm · May 2003

What do you care if the light is on, it is under warranty so bring it in to the dealer. This is usually an emission problem, oxygen sensor etc, but I would not even bother to try to diagonose it, let the dealer handle it

bob12c · May 2003

My Camry makes a thunk noise when stopping and starting. It does it after I had the car for 6 months. The dealer said "noise travels" and replaced the right front strut. They then replaced the rear struts and the fuel tank, assuming it was a loose baffle. When nothing helped, they insulated the parts from the chassis. Nothing stopped the "thunk".
They will now redo most of the fixes to date. The "thunk" is most pronounced when the fuel tank is almost filled, although it does happen at other times as well.
The "thunk" comes from the right rear of the car, but also happens over rough surfaces. The obvious things have been checked and ruled out...loose things in the trunk, tire in the wheel well, loose items in the car, etc.
Any comments?

Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions

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Toyota Camry: Problems &amp; Solutions

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Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions