Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

zielinw · April 2002

John, now that Toyota has revised their policy, do you feel more comfortable recommending the Toyota to your parents?

sandman46 · April 2002

recommend Toyota. They still blame the consumer and I think that stinks. Guess I should've kept my '96 Sludgemobile and maybe gotten them to fix it but they'd probaly say I was ineligible because it was a 96 model.
Hate to say it but my "Oh What A Feeling" is gone . At this point, until they do fess up and take full responsibility, I won't consider a new Toyota once I trade my Corolla in. Too much bad karma for me! Another faithful Toyota customer gone here.

tccmn1 · April 2002

I think if you have documented proof on issues of oil changes and proper care, you can force Toyota to respond and they will cover expenses. I had to do that with my Seat Belt retractor as well as a new head (smoking at startup) and going further back into history on an old Toy pickup I had, I pushed a letter to Toy Cust Service and they covered a torque converter that initially they said no to.

The seat belt retractor 'could' be a safety issue, even though the belt still holds you in, it just doesn't retract. MANY Toy owners from 97-2001 have experienced the 'lazy' retractor. I've had mine replaced twice on my '97 Camry and my dad had his done on his '99. Anything related to a potential safety issue is sure to be covered...they don't want the door opened to a liability issue down the road (no puns intended).

I changed my oil every 3K and they knew it. So, they squirmed a little but broke down and covered the whole head rework deal WITH a loaner to boot.

Bottom line is you just got to be assertive and have good documentation.

cduong · April 2002

8u6hgf...thanks for the response. My 87 camry does not have a sunroof. Where do you pry the lens to replace bulbs, i.e. from front, side or back in reference to the car ?. Thanks

8u6hfd · April 2002

Since I do not have my 88 Camry anymore, I cannot remember off the top of my head. I think it was towards the rear.

The owner's manual showed how to do it, at least in mine.

sandman46 · April 2002

but my retractor in my '96 Corolla doesn't retract properly either. Eventhough the car is 7 years old, would they,Toyota, still fix this?

fredvh · April 2002

I remember reading several weeks ago a report from an engineer or a ASE certified mechanic of what he thought was the technical problem with the engines in question regarding the so-called "sludge" issue. He stated that there was an engineering change in the engine starting with 1997. It might have had to do when they went to certify their engines for the low emissions standard. Does anyone remember that and maybe that person could repeat his explanation for the change in the engine design and explain it to us. Was there, in fact, an engine design in 1997? If so, has that design been changed?

8u6hfd · April 2002

There was an increase in operating temperature to improve the efficiency of the motors & reduce the tailpipe emissions.

It was nothing like a major engine redesign, as some has stated.

alpha01 · April 2002

Your best bet is probably to head over to the Toyota Engine Sludge discussion thread here at edmunds.com. But, in brief, it was my understanding that Toyota had modified the water channels (jackets) for the Camry line of 2.2 L 4cyl and 3.0L V6 engines, to increase combustion temp and burn a higher percentage of fuel- like you said, to meet with tougher emissions certifications. Now, the 2.2L 4clyinder is no longer produced, replaced by a version of the engine in the US market RAV4.. so the 4 cylinder engine in the Camry is completely DIFFERENT from the one affected by sludge. I am not sure if modifications have been made to the V6, however. With regards to how Toyota still blames the customer- WHO CARES? I actually somewhat believe them- we have done our oil changes in the 2000 Camry at regular intervals and have no signs of sludging-I'm sure the temps in the engine get pretty high as well- Since I make a monthly 240 mile non-stop trip (twice) on RT 80 in PA doing between 80-90MPH, up some steep grades with the pedal near floored. In any case, as long as TOYOTA is covering owners for EIGHT YEARS AND UNLIMITED MILAGE, does it really matter who they blame?
~alpha

jj35 · April 2002

First, I will admit that I have posted this link in several locations today. There are different people on the different Toyota boards and thought this would be of interest to all Toyota/Lexus owners:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2002/04/04/toyota-sludge.htm

In this article, Toyota still blames the owner, but goes on to state that the engine will be redesigned to prevent future sludge problems. I don't see why an engine design would be changed because of sludge problems unless it is indeed a design problem.

For anyone interested in this issue a new Toyota sludge forum is now open in the Maintenance and Repair town hall (or you can find it by doing a search for "sludge"). This new forum was opened by a Toyota Motor Sales rep and I think that the idea is that Toyota is going to come in periodically and respond to customer questions. Should be interesting to see how this works.

carmadness · April 2002

This might be the article you recalled.

http://www.autonews.com/news.cms?newsId=1534

8u6hfd · April 2002

Actually the 2.4L motor found in the Camry & Solara came out before the RAV4 motor. How is this possible? It was used in Japan right before the RAV4 come out.

1AZ-FE: 2.4L
2AZ-FE: 2.0L

And I commute on I-80 from PA to NJ everyday.

8u6hfd · April 2002

Actually the 2.4L motor found in the Camry & Solara came out before the RAV4 motor. How is this possible? It was used in Japan right before the RAV4 come out.

1AZ-FE: 2.4L
2AZ-FE: 2.0L

And I commute on I-80 from PA to NJ everyday.

The increase in operating temperature, and its effects, comforms with the laws of thermodynamics, in particular, following the Otto Cycle

alpha01 · April 2002

My statement was:
"Now, the 2.2L 4clyinder is no longer produced, replaced by a version of the engine in the US market RAV4.. so the 4 cylinder engine in the Camry is completely DIFFERENT from the one affected by sludge."

I meant more to differentiate between Toyota's families of engines, not to detail the 2.4L/2.0L history. I apologize to those who may have mistaken my argument for stating that the 2.4L is a derivative of the 2.0L; I know this is not the case.

Thanks for pointing out to everyone the history, though... I think it is truly interesting to read about how engines are related and in which vehicles they are used.

Also, I don't very much understand your statement about traveling I-80. Do you have an argument or are you just stating that you are a fellow traveler on this road? If so, BUCKLE UP!

alpha

banddexpress · April 2002

I have a 99 Camry and have had no problems with it to date. Knock on wood. I bought the Toyota gold warranty which covers a lot of stuff still for $600.00. I use 5w-30 for my oil will that have any effect on the oil gelling and can someone explain more about the oil gelling problem to me I haven't really heard about it tell now. Thanks

8u6hfd · April 2002

Just a fellow traveler on I-80, damn PA & NJ State Troopers

jj35 · April 2002

You may want to visit the engine sludge forum under Maintenance and Repair. There is the new one that Toyota initiated to address sludge problems. There is also an informative one that had over 5,000 posts that was closed just before the new one opened. It is under M&R, too, but for some strange reason, it does not always appear there (seems to be missing on occasion). It is definitely worth reading - reading 5,000 posts is a little daunting, but there was some really good information on possible causes of sludge during the last few days before the board was shut down. Look for information posted by bobistheoilguy.

banddexpress · April 2002

thanks for the info I'll be sure to check it out

yanker · April 2002

Does anyone know the Toyota numbering system for Camry models. My guess is an XLE is 2540. Am I correct?

sbell4 · April 2002

2531 LE 5M 4CYL
2532 LE AUTO 4CYL
2534 LE V6 AUTO
2540 XLE AUTO 4CYL
2544 XLE V6 AUTO
2545 SE 5M 4CYL
2546 SE AUTO 4CYL
2548 SE AUTO V6

dietmars · April 2002

Just bought a new Camry XLE with a power sunroof. Would like to add a sunroof wind deflector to make it a bit more quiet while traveling in the open position. Since this device has to be held in place with two clamps that go between the rubber weather seal of the tinted glass and the frame, is there a high likelihood that a leak could develop? Could anyone that uses one comment on this.

fwatson · April 2002

Quote gp4: " Quality slipping?"

You must be joking. This is not a quality issue, it is an assembly line screwup, probably by one person, and affecting a total of about 11000 vehicles.

Quote WFMY News: "NHTSA said the bolts were not tightened enough when the vehicles were assembled."

If you have a new Corolla, tighten the rear wheel lug nuts/bolts. Perfection exists nowhere. And no, I do not own or have any vested interest in Toyota.

jrct9454 · April 2002

As the very satisfied owner of a NUMMI '03 Corolla, I can second the motion that there are no significant 'quality issues' with this car...on the contrary, it is probably Toyota's best effort in a long time, and I include the new Camry in that assessment.

As for the recall, I'm afraid the suggestion in the post above misses the nature of the problem: it has to do with the bolts that hold the hub to the axle, not the bolts that hold the wheel to the hub. These can only be accessed from the back of the hub, with the car jacked in the air and with the right tools for the job. It's just a couple of minutes in the hands of a good mechanic with the right tools and the car on a lift. [Our car was produced in March, and thus is not affected, but I have read the contents of the bulletin with great interest, as you might imagine.]

No one makes a perfect mass-produced product, but I trust Honda and Toyota more than anyone else in the world to do the job right - and they aren't perfect, either...just better than everyone else in the business.

ecnirp1 · April 2002

Starting to hear and feel a vibration coming from engine compartment when stopped at red light. As soon as I start moving or when the vehicle is in park the vibration goes away.

ANyone have this problem before? Is this a transmission problem.

It's a 96 Camry DX with 70K miles that I'm about to sell so I'm trying to figure out if this is serious.

alpha01 · April 2002

Thats high praise, considering the 02 Camry is a leaps and bounds improvement over its predecessor in nearly every way. (The only thing I can think of is no additional power from the V6 engine.)
Still waiting to drive an 03 Corolla, havent had time to do so yet.
~alpha

jrct9454 · April 2002

...is almost certainly not the transmission, but a prime suspect would be the motor mounts, assuming the car idles smoothly when out of gear and fully warmed up [in neutral or park]. If it is smooth out of gear, but shakes in gear at idle, have a service tech check the motor mounts.

sandman46 · April 2002

We had this same problem and it was the motor mounts. We replaced one and about a year later, another one broke and the third was cracked. At that point, got rid of the car. That and we had the "oil sludge" problem so...

zhangjo · April 2002

I don't have the guts to buy it if the toyota mentioned its design problem. I will go for the I4, honestly, the I4 is a gem. But for V6 model, I will go for Altima or wait for New Accord.

8u6hfd · April 2002

Toyota's newest V6 for the Camry isn't the 1MZ-FE VVT-i (about 1999), instead it's the 2MZ-FE which came out in 2000 in the Japanese market Camry (2.5L)

coolguyky7 · April 2002

Does the 2002 Camry have LED tail lights? I really like their look at night.

joedbob · April 2002

My 2002 Camry XLE V6 has the 1MZ-FE engine per the 2002 Camry Manual and the sticker under the hood. Also it is not theVVT-i type engine like in my 2000 Avalon XLS.

8u6hfd · April 2002

The newest V6 developed for the Camry platofrm is the 2MZ-FE, which is only available in the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) Camry (98-2001) (but for 2002, right now it's only available with 4 cylinder engine)

We still have the 1MZ-FE motor for the Camry & Solara, without VVT-i

sj7 · April 2002

Does anyone have a problem with not enough leg room behind the wheel?

mjday1972 · April 2002

I'm 6'-4" and have plenty of legroom in my 2002 Camry.

weathermanbob1 · April 2002

I went in to my local Toyota dealer today for an oil change in sumter sc, while I was there I ask the service manager if he could check my valve cover gasket. He checked the gasket and said that it needed to be replaced. He said it was covered under warranty. I have under 60,000 miles. He said it would take a while and ask if I cloud leave it. He offered to take me home. Which is 15 minutes away. On the way to my house he ask me if I was going to keep my car awhile. I said yes. He offered to change my spark plugs while they had all of the parts taken off the top of the engine. He said that since they had all of the parts off to replace the gasket that they could put the plugs in and not charge me the normal $135 in labor. I have a v6 so it takes a couple of hours of labor. The point of this whole story is that there are good and honest service centers out there.
I have had all of my fluid changes done at the dealer since I bought my car and I have always been satisfied. Have a great day and happy motoring Bob

cliffy1 · April 2002

Thanks for posting that story. It is very common to hear from dissatisfied customers but those who are happy rarely take the time to let us know. I appreciate the good word you put in for your dealer.

sj7 · April 2002

I'm only 5'4" but had heard that there was not as much leg room in the Camry vs other midsize sedans.

clhawkins01 · April 2002

I too am 6'4" and have plenty of room in the 2002 Camry.

tccmn1 · April 2002

Has anybody else had their console light, the one that lights up the position of the shifter, burn out? I've heard its a major deal to have it replaced by the dealer...must tear out the whole console to get at it?! Strange thing is that our old 88 Camry had it's light burn out after about 5 years too. We just lived with it because it was a 'major deal' to replace.
You'd think Toy would design to make it easy to pop out the bezel and get at the bulb after all these years!!

mimi919 · April 2002

I rented a new Camry LE 4 cyl. today as I thought it may be a good idea to take a long drive in a 4 cyl. Camry before I take delivery of my ordered Camry(XLE 4 cyl.with leather and slider}
I have to say that I was very impressed with the power of the 4 cyl. engine at highway speeds on very steep hills.....quiet for a 4 cyl. with more then ample power.
My one concern with the car are the front seats seem to be small and narrow compared to my previous cars and I was wondering if any Camry owners are finding the front seats uncomfortable on long trips?
Another question I have is does anyone know if the front fabric covered seats on the LE are the same as the leather seats on the XLE other then for the leather covers?

george00 · April 2002

Please see my new discussion topic "Driver's seat comfort" for a description of my problems with a 2002 Camry LE4 seat. In brief, after a month or so I found the seat intolerable and had to have it remade by an auto upholsterer. It's much better now but still far from ideal - as you note, it is too narrow (I'm an average size), and that is difficult to fix, as the steel frame cannot be modified, and the preformed foam insert can only be broadened by slicing off the side bolsters, which makes the seat wider but less supportive. It's really amazing that Toyota can make so fine a car and so lousy a seat, but lousy seats seem to be ubiquitous in the auto industry.

armtdm · April 2002

If you have the V6 there is no way they replaced the rear valve cover gasket for that price and in that amount of time. Yes, they could easily do the front gasket and replace the plugs but never the rear as the rear gasket requires that all of the injection unit be removed and is a expensive job. like $300 at least as I have looked into it. Much to be removed before getting to the gasket on the rear one. So, I don't think you got entirely what you thought you did. Further, removing the valve cover has nothing to do with the plugs, you chagne them without removing the cover. Maybe he was speaking of the plastic cowling which is nothing.

I don't think that his explanation was kosher but if you only paid $135 for new plugs and a front cover gasket that is a good deal. How much did you actually pay though.?

bobcca · April 2002

I have a 1998 Camry and have been looking on various Toyota parts sites for Toyota's remote locking and alarm systems accessories to install as add-ons. I have been unable to find anything; is that because Toyota installs them at the factory only???? What brands/suppliers does anyone recommend for these add-ons???? Thanks for your help.

weathermanbob1 · April 2002

Sorry if my last post was a bit confusing. I haven't picked the car up yet but will be this morning. I do not know it they are going to replace the back seal. Actually I didn't know there was two different ones. But even if they are going to replace both seals it is going to be under warranty. He was just doing me a favor by offering to put the plugs in for no labor just the parts. So actually it should only cost me around $60. I will post another post later today to tell you the final outcome. Bob

weathermanbob1 · April 2002

No problem My pleasure Bob

scrdn · April 2002

Just bought a 2002 Camry LE. A friend of mine who was driving behind me noticed that the exhaust pipe sat very low beneath the car. Is this normal with Toyotas or Camrys?
Thanks,
Scott

alpha01 · April 2002

From what I understand, the contorted pipe offers clearance for underbody components such as suspension, and does indeed afford sufficient ground clearance for any conditions that our family has encountered since 1997 when Toyota began equipping Camrys with the seemingly low hanging pipe. It may look a bit peculiar, but there seems to be nothing to worry about.
~alpha

sam_beaver · April 2002

I'm about to take delivery on a 2002 Camry XLE, next day or two. The dealer is offering me a 6-yr 75,000 mile "platinum" plan ("same protection as original warranty") for $850 but only if I pay before I take delivery; after that it goes up to $1250.

Cliffy or others, what do you think? Is this something you would recommend I purchase at this time for that price? Would you recommend that I try to bargain the price down if I do want to buy it?

cliffy1 · April 2002

I hate to rat out somebody in the business, but you're being fed a line. Full MSRP on the 6/75 Platinum with $0 deductible is $1050. This information is available right on Toyota's web site. Part of my job is selling these warranties to our customers and it is common practice to offer a lower price at the time of delivery, but I generally will give a person until the end of the month to decide if they can't do it immediately.

I'll let you in on something else here since they have already played fast and loose with the truth. Dealer cost on that warranty is $390. Remember, there is no such thing as holdback on a warranty and the finance guy is only paid on what he adds to a deal. Due to this, he generally will not sell it for less than $300 to $400 over his actual cost. His discounted price is decent, but not unbeatable by any stretch. Offer him $690 or nothing and see what he does.

Oh, and don't let him back you down to a Gold level plan or a $50 deductible when you make that offer.

weathermanbob1 · April 2002

Hello, I got back from the dealer a little while ago and yes they did replace the front and rear valve cover gasket. All under warranty. I only paid for the spark plugs and an oil change and tax which came up to 88.89. And if anyone is curious the car does idle somewhat better. Especially when stopped and in gear a light. Have a great day Happy motoring Bob

Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

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