Toyota Camry: Problems & Solutions

c0ke · June 2002

sounds like the same experience I have run into on my 2002 LE V6.

The dealer changed the rotors and pads on the rear when the OD was around 1700 miles. But my son-in-law had noted the ridges forming (like you're noticing) when I had only 400 miles.

Dealer didn't have a clue then or later at 2400 miles when some lesser ridges again began to form on one or the rear rotors.

I'm going by the dealer this week for an oil change now that the OD is at 5000 miles (3K since last change) and ask them to take another look.

Frankly they don't seem to have a clue on anything off the beaten path. They also don't seem to have a good communications path to report these findings for someone to research.

george00 · June 2002

An uncomfortable driver's seat is a MAJOR problem. I've already spent over a thousand dollars, and gobs and gobs of time, trying unsuccessfully to get it fixed. I'm rapidly reaching the point of getting rid of the car.

As for Toyota responding to email, they did - they told me to see the service manager at a local dealership for diagnosis of my problem. I don't need a diagnosis - I know what's wrong - I need a fix. They didn't even address my question of whether seats from other models would fit my Camry. Evidently I can expect no help at all from Toyota. Besides, if they cared about their customers, they would be monitoring this forum. Do you think they are? Their pretense that they never heard of a problem like mine suggests they are not - after all, they're selling Camrys right and left, so why should they care?

mreeded · June 2002

My 2002 Camry LE is having problems with the paint chipping off the grill in the front. It seems like a cheap piece of plastic with a thin coat of paint on it. I've had it replaced and it's doing it again.

Anyone else experiencing anything similar?

Mark

wilcox · June 2002

Has never had anything go wrong with it.

I was thinking about getting a new one, but have decided to keep it and put 16 inch wheels and a new stereo in it.

I wants to upgrade my 1996 Camry V6 with a set of 16 inch styled wheels. Anyone else ever do this? How's do they ride? Do anyone have a clue wheres I's coulds finds a nice like new set for sale...like reasonable?

Capt. Upgrade
[email protected]

wanna2002 · June 2002

I purchased my XLE V6 in November and I was experiencing a severe rattle coming from my dash for the first month of ownership - it was a squeaky rattle, emphasized on bumpy roads and cold weather ... very, very annoying. Dealer checked it out and found that there was not enough insulation in a spot near the left front speaker. This totally fixed the problem.

I am experiencing very shaky braking though, which started right after my first 7500 service. Will be bringing the car back in next week to have this checked. I am a bit disappointed to have experienced any problems with a brand new car, but have been happy with the service when necessary.

Anyone experiencing rattles in the dash should have no problem getting it fixed by the dealer. It's sooooooo nice having that quiet ride!

kendrasuejones · June 2002

Can go to this government site to check other reported problems; is a defects investigation site. Don't have to file a complaint, can just be nosy. Can also check out other autos, too. It is:
www.nhtsa.dot.gov

curlyq · June 2002

Well I heard from "the office of the President of Toyota" today regarding my Camry Solara's paint chipping problem. 23,000 miles and nearly 150 paint chips while driving in the Chicago suburbs and Toyota tells me my paint is NOT defective and therefore, not covered under there warranty. However they were kind enough to fax me an arbitration form. Some customer service? Guess I will have to look into other options including class action lawsuit and local TV Station "Problem Solvers". Customers should not accept this poor quality of paint when spending 20-30K on a new vehicle.

Webguyster, since you are in my area, are you interested in pursuing Channel 2 problem solvers?

Any other owners interested in pursuing a class action lawsuit over the paint chipping issue?

Lastly, has anyone gone through arbitration with Toyota? Anyone won?

A COMPLETELY UNSATISFIED CUSTOMER,
Curly

curlyq · June 2002

Well I heard from "the office of the President of Toyota" today regarding my Solara's paint chipping problem. 23,000 miles and nearly 150 paint chips while driving in the Chicago suburbs and Toyota tells me my paint is NOT defective and therefore, not covered under there warranty. However they were kind enough to fax me an arbitration form. Some customer service? Guess I will have to look into other options including class action lawsuit and local TV Station "Problem Solvers". Customers should not accept this poor quality of paint when spending 20-30K on a new vehicle.

Webguyster, since you are in my area, are you interested in pursuing Channel 2 problem solvers?

Any other owners interested in pursuing a class action lawsuit over the paint chipping issue?

Lastly, has anyone gone through arbitration with Toyota? Anyone won?

A COMPLETELY UNSATISFIED CUSTOMER,
Curly

8u6hfd · June 2002

as the hosts will start deleting them

mjday1972 · June 2002

I've got a 2002 Camry with 3500 miles (it's 7 months old) that has some paint chips as well. I also live in the Chicago 'burbs, and I hit a lot of rocks (a few fell off an overpass and cracked my windshield and scratched my hood a few weeks ago). From what I understand, most of these automotive paints are made by a small amount of companies (PPG for example)and that since they moved to water based paints, the quality isn't what it used to be. This is also a problem with more companies than just Toyota. As such, I don't feel it necessary to pursue a class action lawsuit against Toyota at all.

Please don't contact channel 2, that woman on the show annoys the heck out of me!

Good luck with your endevours.

sampitts · June 2002

I have Camry LE 4cyl 2001. Like the car very much in most of the cases. But the whole vehicle VIBRATES or SHAKES VIOLENTLY while driving in not-so-heavy RAIN.
If the weather is dry, then I do not see problems. Showed it to Toyota mechanic. He could not recreate it (obviously lack of rain on that day).
Did anyone has similar problems? How to fix it.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Sam.

john345 · June 2002

I had a bad creaking, groaning noise in the bottom portion of the power driver's seat shortly after I bought my SE. On the 3rd trip to the service department, they finally took out the seat and adjusted the tension on the springs. That solved the problem for about 4 months. Now I'm starting to hear the groaning, noisy springs again. Just wondering if my seat is basically flawed, or if anyone else has heard this noise.

gp4 · June 2002

I never had paint chipping problems before this car, and I've had a lot of cars. I think the paint on the new Camry is thinner or cheaper or something, it shouldn't chip that badly. More cost cutting by Toyota at the expense of owners.

paul29 · June 2002

Where is the chipping occuring ? Bumper or hood or both.

kevin111 · June 2002

I had a '95 V6 LE, and would occasionally get this at a specific speed. Found out this was due to the tires being out of balance. It would usually take me 3 tries with my local tire dealer to properly balance the tires, but this would cure the vibration.

kevin111 · June 2002

I ended up putting 215/60/15s on my 95 Camry. This greatly improved the handling, while only marginally hurting the ride.

With 16" tires, the ride will deteriorate, but not substantially. Just depends on how much you value handling and looks versus ride. You will still have an excellent ride with the 16s.

dgh2 · June 2002

I have a 1997 Camry; 4 cylinder engine; 50,900 miles. It stalled after sitting in traffic for an hour but started again and ran rough for a minute or so. I called the dealer and was told it was a problem with the EGR valve--and that was a common problem with '97 Camry's. It would cost me $400 to replace it, but the dealer suggested that I continue driving it until it got much worse. Has anyone experienced a similar problem? Also...isn't the EGR valve part of the emmission control system and part of the extended warranty required by the US government? Does Toyota have to replace it at their expense? Thanks.

rubicon52 · June 2002

Lots of Solara owners complaining about easily chipped paint (including myself). You may want to read paint related postings on the Solara forum. The consensus seems to be that Toyota (as well as other manufacturers) is using a more environmentally friendly painting process which is resulting in less durable paint finishes.

hfriedman · June 2002

I took delivery of my new Camry in January. I have loved it! Except 2 weeks ago I started to hear a rattle, as if the right rear door wasn't closed all the way (it was closed all the way). The rattle is getting a bit worse and is very annoying, in an otherwise quiet car. I will take it to the dealer, who said they don't know anything about this problem. So thought I'd get a heads up and find out if any of you have had this problem and what is the solution. Thank you for your help!

hfriedman · June 2002

I took delivery of my new Camry in January. I have loved it! Except 2 weeks ago I started to hear a rattle, as if the right rear door wasn't closed all the way (it was closed all the way). The rattle is getting a bit worse and is very annoying, in an otherwise quiet car. I will take it to the dealer, who said they don't know anything about this problem. So thought I'd get a heads up and find out if any of you have had this problem and what is the solution. Thank you for your help!

ralpi · June 2002

Dealer has ordered new upper front strut mounts. I do not have the paperwork in front of me but I believe it is a bushing. Hear rattle/knocking when going over medium bumps, really cannot tell if it is from front or rear, but definitely under car on passenger side. They will replace both, as I was told this is an "updated" part.
Otherwise 6 months old, and I am a very happy customer.

wenming · June 2002

Hi, guys,

About a year ago, the left turn siganl on my Camry (LE 1999)blicked about three times faster than normal, I took it to the dealership, they claimed that they repaired the socket. Now if I turn on the taillights, the left turn signal will blick very fast. If the taillights are off, everything seems to be normal. And all the lights are ok from my observations. Any input will be appreciated.

Wennming

wain · June 2002

Toyota seems to have recurring strut problems - do they design them themselves or is it contracted out?

US cars only or the Japanese built too?

8u6hfd · June 2002

WennmingI wondered if the dealership did the obvious, and replaced the turn signal bulb first.

wain Toyota designs them and contracts the building of the struts to KYB

8u6hfd · June 2002

Teh EGR is part of the emissions control system and the warranty.

I'd take it somewhere that will be a complete diagnostic on the engine.

Instead of EGR replacement you can get it cleaned also.

stans40 · June 2002

Having trouble getting this to post so will try for the third time. I too am having a paint problem with my Camry. The paint on this car is thin; just inspect the paint chips. I have a 1995 Neon and the paint is much thicker. I still have no chips on the hood of my Neon. There is also a place on the door edge of my Camry, but it is not a chip. The paint just seems to have rubbed off. I also have some vibrations around the radio, but they are infrequent and don't last long which makes it even more difficult trying to figure what is causing them. Other than these problems and the dealer putting 1/2 quart of Dexron III in my AT, this Camry has been a pleasant experience and that includes the buying process. Oh, I forgot about customer service which was useless when I asked them if the 1/2 quart of Dexron would damage my AT.

curlyq · June 2002

It seems both the Camry and Camry Solara suffer from poor quality paint. It is sad that cars selling for $17-30,000 have such poor paint finishes. I encourage everyone to post their concerns and to call Toyota's 800# customer service and ask them to document your complaint. I called before purchasing my 2000 Solara and was told they had no complaints on file regarding paint chipping. If I had only known what I was in store for. Please help other potential Toyota buyers by taking the steps above

logitech1 · June 2002

Hi, my V6 camry is very bad on gas, also it eats about 1 liter engine oil every 1000 miles...so finally, I decided to replace the spark-plugs. After I pulled half (easist three) of them out from the engine, 2 of them are fouled by engine oil. I suspect other 3 plugs have the same problem. My car has about 110K miles now, so what's the problem? what's the cost to fix it? Thanks.

8u6hfd · June 2002

Could be the valve seals, but that's more of a typical problem for the 4 cylinder engine instead.

One of the things you can do is a compression check also.

I had that problem before (at 90k miles), when it was misfiring due to a fouled up (oiled) plug....all I did was give it a nice tune-up, spark plugs, new wires, new distributor cap, & new distributor rotor. 110k miles later....when I traded my 88 Camry V6 in....never occurred again.

Though I seal have some oil leaks though. Check for oil leaks as well.

The 120K timing change is coming (don't forget to pay a little extra money to replace the front bearing seal)....so around that time, you can get the valve stem seals replaced and your valve clearance adjustment done.

It's going to be a pretty hefty bill though.

Rebuilt motor? The 2VZ-FE motor is still in good demand with a small supply. The 1VZ-FE motor, isn't that great, more power than the 4 cylinder though.,

logitech1 · June 2002

can I? any instructions available?

8u6hfd · June 2002

At mininum, purchase yourself a Haynes manual.

Sometimes on eBay you can get a good deal on the Toyota repair manual for the V6 engine.

rph3 · June 2002

Purchased 2002 SE model about two months ago. Selected the SE, liked the more responsive steering, but the suspension now seems too harsh over medium to small bumps. Would like to know other opinions of the SE suspension. Have even considered changing out the struts and/or springs to get a more comfortable ride. Maybe should have got the LE model, but I do like the steering on the SE. The suspension is also noisy on large bumps. Thanks.

anselmo1 · July 2002

I would consider putting in TRD replacement struts in your SE. Check with your Toyota dealership regarding TRD parts for your model. Your SE model will have all kinds of TRD replacement part available.

8u6hfd · July 2002

There is no TRD/Bilstein struts available for the 2002 Camry yet.

boslaw1 · July 2002

Any idea what would cause my water temperature guage to rise (drastically) whenever I use my A/C in hot weather? I have a 94 Camry. Is this a Camry-specific problem?

Thanks,
Bos

8u6hfd · July 2002

How's the condition of the cooling system.

If you haven't changed the coolant yet, take it to the dealership, and might want to get the thermostat checked out also

Or take it to a mechanic....just make sure you use the OEM Toyota "Red" coolant.

sunshine60105 · July 2002

Hi,
When does the 2003 Camrys come out?
Thanks! Hope everyone has a Happy and safe Fourth of July!!!!!
sunshine60105!

armtdm · July 2002

Believe that 94 still had as OEM the green coolant Would not suggest using the red stuff and if you do a complete flush must take place, they are not compatible. My 92 has used the green stuff since new and still does with no issues

kevin111 · July 2002

valve seals or valve gasket liners. In my 95' LE V6, the car was leaking oil through the engine value gaskets, which needed to be replaced. Had over 110K miles on it. I would hate to say it, but take it to a mechanic to get a definite opinion.

mikevaughn · July 2002

Recently bought a '94 XLE V6 w/140k miles. I want to change the ATF and the powr steering fluid. Toyota manual say to use Dexron II. All I can find is Dexron III. Is III ok to use?
The manual also lists a valve clear. for the V6 engine. I thought the V6 had hydraulic lifters?

bbwang · July 2002

I own a Camry V6,1990, 120000 miles. From the last week, I suffered from starting the car.

If I turn off the engine, I can't restart it unless I wait for 5-10 minutes. The waiting time seems to be increasing.

jimme88 · July 2002

DEXRON III is a replacement for Dexron II according to the Dexron web site. I use it in a car that calls for Dexron II, no problems. The valves are not hydraulic and are supposed to be adjusted at 60,000 miles. Have someone who has adjusted vales before that you trust take a listen to yours. If they are not noisy, I wouldn't worry about it.

mzopinionated · July 2002

I had that happen on a car i owned several years ago, turned out to be that starter.

acheng73 · July 2002

I bought a 2002 V6 Camry SE 9 days ago. The day after pick up, it started making a rapping noise that's gotten worse (coming from under the passenger and drivers side dash - ?strut or suspension?). Took it to the dealer once and they were unable to locate the problem. Does Toyota offer any recourse for defective cars? (ie return or exchange within 30 days of purchase). This was a new car and has < 400 miles. The rapping sound is quite loud (I can hear it over the radio). Any ideas?

andy1919 · July 2002

Have 13K miles on my 2002 Camry XLE 4 door sedan.

When the car has been parked for a period of time, I've noticed a single "clunk" under the hood when putting the car in drive after backing off my driveway or out of a parking space. The Toyota Service department told me this was the brakes "setting themselves" into position. Does anyone have this problem or know if this is true...I'm tempted to test drive another one to see if I hear the same thing.

I too feel that I've had excessive chipping of the paint on the front bumper and the forward most section of the hood...10 - 15 chips since November 2001. I also have a couple chips in the grill. I did not have this many chips in the front of my previous car which I had for seven years and traveled the same Florida highways.

I appreciate your responses.

armtdm · July 2002

Yes, Dexon II is fine, I have used a synthetic ATF for 10 years now, no issues either.

Valves, well, Toyota has informed me that the service manual I have is wrong. It says a valve adjustment at 60,000 miles. dealer and Toyota central both say that unless there is a problem they never touch the valve adj. If loud or another problem they will but normally nothing. Also very expensive to adjust on the V6 Mine has 146,000 and never adjusted either

8u6hfd · July 2002

200,000 miles on my old 88 V6, and not a problem either (with the valve clearance)...then I traded the car in.

weathermanbob1 · July 2002

I have experienced the same clunk for 3 years now the first time I hit the brakes going forward. No big deal and normal. I would believe your service manager. Have a great day Bob

ralpi · July 2002

My '02 XLE 4cyl does the same, when put into drive or reverse first thing in morning. It does not concern me (as it is not the transmission in my opinion), it does sound like the brakes as your dealer suggested.

andrelaplume · July 2002

Do you have ABS. My current Camry does not but my old Ford did. The ABS system would set or self test itself each time the car was driven away. I assume the Camry does the same...?

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