Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

ahossa · November 2001

What's BTW stand for.

bcleepe · November 2001

By the way

bweave · November 2001

Ok, I've had my Camry for 2 1/2 months and here are my complaints:

I have a rattle around the right rear door panel.
When I go over bumps the driver's seat belt makes a "clicking noise" when it is buckled.
The transmission "shudders" between 40 and 50 mph.

I know about the fix for the transmission: the dealer needs to reflash the computer.

Don't get me wrong, I love the car. I only have minor complaints.

Has anyone else experienced the same problems with their 2002 Camry?

mackabee · November 2001

I always recommend the factory alarms. If you read your owner's warranty manual it specifically states that any problems caused due to aftermarket accessories will not be covered by the factory warranty. Besides, the factory warranty on accessories is 3/36 as opposed to any after market accessory which at best is 3mo. or a year. Spend the extra money and have the genuine stuff on your car. You won't regret it. Another point for the factory alarm is your insurance deductible. Toyota will pay up to 2500.00 of your theft coverage if your vehicle is stolen within the first 18 months of ownership. This is something a lot of salespeople fail to convey to the customer. I see it at my store every day. A customer would rather spend 199.00 on an aftermarket alarm and then go thorugh the pain of bringing the car back to the dealership because the alarm now causes the wipers to go on and is burning up the motor. On the LE and SE you can get the VIP RS3200 SYSTEM which protects all entry points including the trunk and hood and disables the ignition. The XLE's come standard with the engine immobilizer system which will not let the car start unless the key with the transponder code is used, also it cannot be hot-wired. Hope this helps.

P.S. down in our region SE4 cyl are available, with the auto or standard transmission.

: )
Mackabee

luckystar · November 2001

Does Toyota make and install remotes starters? I don't want to risk installing an aftermarket one on a 2002 Camry due to warranty concerns, but it'd be really nice to have one considering the winters here.

canadiancl · November 2001

But don't all the Camry models come standard with the engine immobilizer? The XLE has that plus the factory-installed alarm. Unless the US versions are different from the Canadian ones.

johnblaze · November 2001

Hi I urgently need feedback on a price for a 2002 camry le automatic. I am going to dealer on the behalf of my mother so any tips or info on this subject would be great. She would like a Silver. do they charge extra for this? I am a vw owner, and usually with the popular colours the charge more! Please help, I live in toronto, canada.

canadiancl · November 2001

Go to www.Toyota.ca for MRSP of various models and option packages. Couldn't really help you with regard to probable selling price but the profit margin for Camrys in Canada is approx. 10%
And there is no extra charge for Silver. However if it is a popular colour (and I think it is, along with the Phantom Grey), then you may see dealers holding out for more.

johnblaze · November 2001

but I am just wondering, 10% over the Mrsp? example the LE mrsp is 24800. do you add on 10% or is this calculated already in the mrsp? thanks..

jimxo · November 2001

The 10% percent is already calculated into the MSRP (sticker) price. I received 7% off MSRP here in Chicago, and can only assume that the prices across the boarder are similar.

Good luck!

mackabee · November 2001

is only standard on the XLE here in the US. Don't know about Canada.

: )

Mackabee

canadiancl · November 2001

is standard across the board in Canada.

sbell4 · November 2001

In the southeast region all of our 4cyl LE will have either GH or GI packages (power driver seat, keyless entry upgrade to 6 JBL spkrs with GI). Recently we have been forced to take some Camry without any factory packages to compensate for rental fleets that have canceled some orders since Sept. 11th (that is the reason I have been told). I wonder if this is the same across the country or if it is unique to the southeast. No big deal, I am just curious.

esqknight · November 2001

Is the Toyota website incorrect that selecting the V6 on the SE will include the immobilizer?

mike366 · November 2001

Per the Camry brochure that I obtained from a dealer, the immobilizer is standard on the XLE (4 & 6), LE-6 and SE-6. It is not listed as a standard item on the LE-4 and SE-4. I am unclear as to whether it may be offered on the LE-4 and SE-4 as part of some optional security package.

castleowner · November 2001

See my message #2383 for my review and 1 day test drive of the 2002 Camry 4cyl first. This is an opinion only and may not be quoted or cited in any way and it can be denied. Drove v6 for 1.5 hours in city and high speeds. V6 feels heavier in the front end and more substantial. Gives it more stability at high speeds above 120km/h and accleration rarely needs a downshift and is very capable. But, I had to go back and drive the 4cyl again to see if it was just a bad day. The 4cyl is very very good around town, feels light and peppy. The v6 to me feels heavy and sluggish and does not like to be above 3000rpm. According to torque curve from Toyota, v6 generates about 170lbft at 1500rpm, 180lbft at 2000rpm, 190 at 3000 and eventually rises to 205lbft at 4400. The 4cyl vvti generates about 130lb-ft at 1200rpm, 145lbft at 2000rpms, and 162lbft at 4400rpm. In my view, in this v6 most of the torque advantage in the lower rpms is getting absorbed by the extra engine weight. At high speeds, it will fly when you nudge it even a bit. By comparison, even a GM3.8v6 delivers 200lbft at 1200rpm, 210lbft at 2000 and peaks at 230lbft at 4000rpm and it shows in acceleration/peppiness when you drive it. GM3.8 also gets better fuel economy even in a large car like impala. Why? I am not saying its better, but quite frankly, I expected more from the camry v6 and it doesn't measure up to even un-reliable domestics in low-end power and fuel economy. Also, I wrote to toyota to ask why premium fuel is recommended and if it affected fuel economy or performance. They said low octane might cause knocking and told me to ask the oil companies about fuel economy and performance. Come on!! They quote fuel economy in their brochure but don't say if it is premium or regular. The manufacturer should be able to answer these technical questions. Low tech GM does not recommend premium fuel. I am not saying GM is better, but I do feel Toyota isn't giving its v6's enough R&D and it is blatantly clear that if GM can get more torque, hp and better fuel economy from a 3.8v6 versus Toyota 3.0v6, then there is something seriously wrong at Toyota. Now the vvti 3.0v6 used in ES300 and Sienna probably addresses a lot of my concerns, but why is the 2002 camry sufferring with the old v6? My verdict is that Toyota builds very very very good 4cylinders and the vvti 4 cylinder is a gem and that's why it is the bread and butter for 75% of Camry buyers. If you NEED a reliable v6, then get the camry v6, but don't expect as much fuel economy and fun driving like in other v6's. I am not putting down the camry v6 because it will still outperform a lot of v6's out there, I am just saying that Toyota can do better.

canadiancl · November 2001

You must be a lawyer! lol

mackabee · November 2001

Follow this for a second and you will see why Toyota left the current v6 in the 2002 Camry, although it has a new transmission, "fly by wire" electronic throttle control system...etc...etc.. The current Avalon has the same 3.0 liter engine that the Camry, Highlander, Lexus RX300, and ES300 have. Now if Toyota would have added the VVT-i to the new Camry V6, it would cannabilize lots of Avalon, and ES300 sales. As you know the ES300 has the same power output as last year's model also. There has to be some gap between the three models (Camry,Avalon,ES) otherwise why would someone buy and ES when they could get a Camry with the same horsepower and torque? There has to be some differentiation between the two brands. There are lots of customers that cross shop the two brands.

: )
Mackabee

njbaran99 · November 2001

I am considering a 2002 Lexus ES300, but was wondering if anyone had made the same choice and decided to go with a 2002 Toyoto Camry XLE (V6).

Granted, more luxury items in the ES300, but is it really worth the extra $8K-$10K based on the discounts. Heard ES300's are going out close to MSRP.

castleowner · November 2001

"Now if Toyota would have added the VVT-i to the new Camry V6, it would cannabilize lots of Avalon, and ES300 sales."

I understand this reasoning, but do not agree it is right for the v6 camry. The v6 camry is competing with other mid-size/large v6's, both domestics and imports. At the very least, issues such as driveability and fuel economy should be at par or better than the competition. Certainly, the new vvti 4cylinder I think is one of the best 4 cylinders I have ever driven, the v6 should be one of the best too.

Perhaps the vvti v6 needs to be in the camry and the ES300, Sienna, Avalon need something even better. A near flat torque curve is one thing that makes v6's fun to drive, and low end torque starting at 170lbft does not measure up in my view. Still, with the promise of reliability, I think the v6 would be a good choice, but then so would the 4cylinder.

To canadiancl...engineer.

armtdm · November 2001

Well, I have the 92 V6 which is the same basic engine as the 2002 Camry, not changed much at all, (one of my major complaints against Toyota, great engine but not up to todays competition) and also have a 2000 Buick Regal GSE. Honestly, the 92 Camry handles considerably better then the new Buick but the Buick SC 240hp V6 engine is pretty smooth and gutsy when compared to the Toyota V6. Agree with comments tha Toyota has placed its eggs in the 4 cyl basket and if you want V6 performance you need to go elsewhere.

Even the Solara, a spory car, needs more kick the the tired V6.

Forgot to mention, my camry gets at best 27 mpg highway, the Buick gets around 30-31 easily. Tranny has a lot to do with that but still! Current Camry's are about the same

sobers · November 2001

This has been done 100 times in the TownHall but you need to consider that GM 3.8 is 3.8Liters !! :-)) & Toyota's is 3.0 Liters !! The Torque ratings are for Wide Open Throttle which is not the case in everyday driving !!

NOW MAJOR DIFFERENCES:
Toyota V6 Advatages over 3.8 from GM
- Refined, Noise levels, Smoother These qualities are way too imp for Toyota buyers...!
- Efficient Doesn't need 3.8Liters of displacement to produce 200hp !

Yes they could have given 220HP Highlander Engine in Camry but then it needs a retrofit to Avalon & ES300 too !!

Honda is even smarter I guess giving 200HP with REGULAR FUEL !! Now they have upped the Odyssey to 240HP on Regulatr Fuel. Regular Fuel is like getting 5mpg better than the premium !!!

armtdm · November 2001

The 3.8 is as smooth and quiet as the Camry V6

castleowner · November 2001

"GM 3.8 is 3.8Liters !! :-)) & Toyota's is 3.0 Liters !! The Torque ratings are for Wide
Open Throttle "

Torque ratings are in lb-ft, measured on a dyno for a given load and calculated. I should hope they are comparable between engines for different rpms or we are being misled and they should be in lb-ft per liter for a given rpm.

If you are sure, could you post a reference showing that torque from a 3.8 or 4 is less or inferior than torque from a 3.0 just because of the engine displacement? It would help me in my comparisons.

Regarding displacement, I am not sure why this should be a conceren if the EPA city/hwy fuel economy for a 3.8 in a heavier/larger vehicle is superior to the 3.0v6. What does it matter what the displacement is, if the fuel consumption is better in EPA and road tests and so is performance (0-60 tests).

Again, I am not saying that GM3.8 is better and I am not specifically comparing them either. I am just comparison shopping for a car and looking at all the measurements and units for maxima, GM's, Honda, Toyota etc ...please keep that in mind. If I can't compare EPA and torque/hp curves between cars, then why are they even quoted.

black_tulip · November 2001

I have driven the GM 3.8 in Le Sabre. It is every bit as quiet and smooth as the Camry V6. I could not even hear the engine while going up the mountain with three people and their luggage in the car.
And, as a consumer I don't care about displacement of an engine. I care about maintenance costs,fuel mileage and power.

agentmitten · November 2001

Thanks for the advice on the Camry! As it turns out though, the guy sold it before I called back. This was less than 24 hours! Oh well.

But I did find a good mechanic just up the street from me in the process, who just finished checking out an '87 Accord for me (compression test and everything ;-) ), and so I was at least able to put some of the advice to good use. Thanks again.

Laura

sanantone · November 2001

I've had my 2002 XLE 4-cylinder Camry for a couple of weeks now and thought I'd share a few comments and questions.

1. Overall, the car drives beautifully! Very solid handling, quiet, comfortable. The 4-cylinder engine is sufficiently peppy for my driving; it accelerates much better than my old 89 Camry four-banger, especially at lower speeds. It is smooth and quiet enough that it is not hard to easily go past my intended speed. The quietness is confirmed by the lack of my turning the stereo up much higher when going from city streets to the freeway. In my old Camry, the volume would need to be much louder to compensate for road noise! The four makes a little noise when pushed hard, but it's not very noticeable.

2. Quality control seems good, though not perfect. Alignment is slightly off. The rear sun shade rattles when retracted; I may add a little rubber spacer to help that out. I just noticed an intermittent rattle in the driver's door yesterday. I'm a little surprised at these minor faults. Everything else seems solid; controls work well, etc.

3. Comfort of the seats seems fine. MUCH improved over the last generation of Camrys. Rear seat room is terrific, as is headroom. The trunk is huge, and I thought my 89 had a large one.

4. Tires vary; my sales rep. said he had seen several different manufacturers on his recent shipments. I have the Michelin Energy MXV4+, which grips well and is a very smooth-riding tire.

5. The JBL sound system has excellent sound, though it is perhaps a bit bass-heavy (can be adjusted, of course). Even my teenager with his heavy rock CDs commented on this! However, the 6-disc changer is a bit noisy, and it had some trouble handling a CD that my other players handled fine. I don't know if this is an exception or rather indicates a tempermental CD player. The controls looked like they were mounted too high, but I haven't found that to be the case in actual use.

Automatic climate control works flawlessly.

6. Someone mentioned the floor mats. I have a stone gray interior and was hoping for darker mats. Instead, they are a bit lighter than the carpet and will probably show dirt much quicker. I was told there are no darker ones available--is this true for those of you with charcoal interiors?

7. My brochure said that the XLE 4 comes with rear drum brakes, but I've got discs on all four wheels. The front discs are smooth, but the rear ones have substantial scoring in them when new--is this typical? I saw another posting that mentioned this and haven't asked the dealer yet.

8. Finally, I read earlier comments about bad experiences ordering from the factory. I conducted all my business via e-mail with the fleet manager here (Cavender in San Antonio), ordered exactly the car I wanted, and paid neither distributor profit add-ons or even MSRP (paid about $400 over invoice). I added only the CD changer, side airbags, alloy wheels, and mud guards/mats. The saleman told me that was fine, though the side airbags were not common in our region and would make the order take longer. I waited about 6 weeks but got exactly what I wanted. Unlike the floor salemen at some other dealers, I had a straightforward, pleasant experience with buying this way. I was given a VIN and progress on my order frequently after 2 or 3 weeks. Of course, I had to do without the "paint lusterizer" or whatever they call their $200 wax job. :-)

sanantone · November 2001

I've heard oil leaks are a problem with older Camrys. My 89 has a small one that hasn't been fixed. My conservative mechanic replaced the valve cover gasket, then the rear main seal when the clutch was being redone, then the O-ring for the distributor, then finally one of the cam seals. The problem still exists! Any suggestions on other places to look/remedies to try? Thanks.

mackabee · November 2001

congrats on your new xle, however I hate to tell you, you did not "order" this car. The dealer had the car in allocation and you were just lucky to get the options you wanted on it. We don't order cars, we "preference" them i.e. factory sends us a list of how many Camrys to expect and "ask" us what colors and options we would like on them. We then choose and pick the colors and options and if we are very lucky, will get all the colors and options we requested. You can, however order a car to your specifications but it will take anywhere from 3 - 4 months before you see the car, that's provided the factory accepts the order. I have seen them reject orders due to production skeds and quirky option requests.

: )

Mackabee

bwia · November 2001

Mackabee and Cliffy:

Is it true that Toyota is discontinuing the Avalon XLS model and will only manufacture the XL model?

A saleswoman at New England's largest Toyota dealership says that they have stopped ordering the Avalon XLS because it does not sell, but more importantly, its sales have been canibalized by the NEW CAMRY.

The dealership had over 60 XL models on its lot but ZERO XLS'.

alpha01 · November 2001

The only Avalons of the current generation, with the execption of maybe two or three, that I have seen, are XLS models. I would tend to think that the new Camry would be cannabalizing the XL models, not the other way around.
It is a really interesting scenario though, I wonder in which direction Toyota is headed with the Avalon.... Sales jumped to their highest levels ever with the 2000 redesign, so it is peculiar for them to stab that line in the back. I think the Camry is an unlikely flagship for the line, so I don't think Toyota will kill the Avalon. Perhaps when its mid-cycle freshening comes for 2003 we'll see a large power upgrade, perhaps even the 3.5L rumored to be in the next Sienna and RX300? All speculation, I realize, but its anyone's guess, and that's mine.
~alpha

walterchan · November 2001

Hi, to all of you guys. I'm interested in purchasing a 2002 Camry SE and I would like to know if the rear spoiler ever broke? Is it durable?

Other than that, is it worth spending about $1500 extra for an SE model instead of an LE model?

Thanks for your help.

deerlake7 · November 2001

SE vs LE? Drive them both, back to back and make your own decision. I've driven the XLE, LE and SE and though I wasn't thrilled with any of them, I was the most disappointed in the SE. To me, Toyota simply took their Camry, which was designed to be a softly sprung, boulevard cruiser and decided to simply make a few "tweaks" to try to turn it into a sport sedan, as opposed to reengineering it for that purpose. The result, in my opinion was not too great. Therefore, only you can decide if you'd like the SE vs the LE.

canc · November 2001

How durable are the Toyota 4-cylinder engines? Are they as durable as reliable as the Toyota V6?

eneth · November 2001

If anything, the 4-cylinders are probably more durable, or at least less expensive to maintain, than the V6 models. Remember that the 2002 4s have timing chains, while the V6 still uses a belt, so there's one major maintenance expense in favor of the 4-cylinder.

aiman · November 2001

Here in Texas, you'll see more XLS on the road than XL. If you do see XL, most of them are pretty much loaded (almost an XLS).

black_tulip · November 2001

My experience is that the 4cyl engine is almost indestructible. It just makes a noise like a sewing machine and keeps going...

canc · November 2001

Hey great... thanks for responses.

I guess I've narrowed down my choices to a Camry, Solara, or Chrysler Sebring. Why the Sebring? Because I find I can get tons of options (including a V6) for about the same price. The 4-cylinder of the Camry and the Solara are appealing because they're less expensive to maintain, provide ample power for the average driver, and are more fuel efficient. It's a bit of a winning formula really... big car, but with powerful 4-cylinder engine.

grandtotal · November 2001

Yes, the timing belt is a big deal when you have to replace it (C$330 at 144,000km) but it's not nearly such a big deal as replacing the pollen and dust filter (C$70 every 16,000km). That filter certainly increases the cost of maintaining the car. Does anybody have a view on whether cleaning the thing out with a vacuum cleaner every so often would allow you to stretch the replacement interval? Personally I wouldn't let the timing belt put me off the V6 because I don't keep a car that long. Having said that the 4 cylinder is nearly as smooth as the V6 and it's mid-range torque for it's size is even better - mainly down to VVT-i. I don't think it matters which engine you buy (so long as it says Toyota on the top) you'll be happy with either.

baveux · November 2001

What a joke, don't need that,thrash the old one and leave the compartment empty.Another way to suck money out of your pocket.

unamommer · November 2001

I spilled a can of white paint in my trunk and need to replace the trunk mat of my 99 camry. Does anyone know if this can be replaced with a camry trunk mat from a 97 camry or a 98 camry? The body styles are the same through those 3 years, yes?

Thanks, Kelly

210delray · November 2001

The 1997-99 models have identical trunk mats, and the 2000-01s are probably the same as well.

mackabee · November 2001

There is no plans to discontinue the Avalon. When the new Camry came out I thought it would cannabilize Avalon sales but it has not, I still find the geratric crowd prefers the Avalon and the Camry is bringing in younger buyers. The 2003 Avalon will be "refreshed" new headlamps, tail lamps, a Nav system,...etc. I don't know anything yet about an engine upgrade. Seems to be doing quite well in my neck of the woods.

: )

Mackabee

jeslin79 · November 2001

My 99' Camry has 55k miles on it. When I accelerate from 65 t0 80mph there is a strong smell of burnt oil/gas inside the car. Does anyone know y?? I checked for oil leaks and exhaust damage couldn't find anything.
I don't notice it much if i gradually increase speed.
I don't have this prob with my 96 or 00' camrys.If anyone has any info Plz let me know

mlawler506 · November 2001

My 1993 4 cyl. Camry has about 91K miles on it. How long ( mileage) should things like the alternator, starter, water pump, P.S. Pump, engine, transaxle,etc. last. Or put another way, what is the expected life of the component. I'm in a suburban area of Chicago, so most of the driving speeds are 40+. I know that the components last 91K miles with the exception of the passenger power window motor. I did change the timing belt at 60K. I am trying to figure out how long this puppy is going to last. Any input will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

bwia · November 2001

Thanks Mackabee:

The Boch Toyota salesperson said that the Avalon XL model was selling well, but not the XLS. She insists that her dealership had stopped ordering the XLS model because Toyota was discontinuing the XLS trim line. As one poster noted she was probably trying to push the XL since she had no XLS on the lot anyway.

I think her explanation is all wet since the XLS rather than the XL model differentiates itself better from the Camry. However, a Camry V-6, XLE with navigation system and VSC is a formidable competitor to the Avalon, leaving one to conclude that the Avalon has become irrelevant or superfluous.

joedbob · November 2001

I agree with you that the 2002 Camry XLE V6 is a formidable competitor to the Avalon XLS. I have the new Camry XLE w/navi and also a 2000 Avalon XLS. The Camry is more fun to drive and handles much better than the Avalon. My wife gets the Avalon now. :-)

cliffy1 · November 2001

These two models have always competed with each other. There was a time that we received very few XLE Camrys because of this but they didn't discontinue them. It is a cyclical thing. Until the Avalon gets its update, we will probably not get a huge number of them but they will not end the model.

c0ke · November 2001

Has anyone mentioned or noticed an initial harshness in shifting from park to drive (or reverse for backing out). I'm hearing something like a "clunk" sound.

On startup the idle is high, perhaps around 1500 rpm and drops back as it warms up. If I wait approximately a minute or a little longer then the rpm drops back to around 1200 rpm and the harshness is usually not noticeable. I usually like to let a car warm up for a few minutes but it seems some folks think that is not good for the engine ... i.e. a minute should be enough to sit idle. Oh the other hand that initial engagement going into drive sounds like it could be hard on the transmission.

My LE V6 only has around 650 miles still and I don't know if this clears up after the breakin period.

If there has been prior discussion ... are there any pointers to those messages?

coolguyky7 · November 2001

Since I don't see you posting on the Corolla board, I'll ask you here. When does Toyota plan to start production on the 2003? Will this Corolla be a step forward in quality compared to the current generation as with the new Camry compared to the 1997-2001 model?

Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

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