Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

cliffy1 · April 2003

It has been a while, but when I worked for a Chevy store, they did it, so did Isuzu and Volvo. All of these were back in the mid-90s so I don't know if they still do.

raybrigfogs · April 2003

Even though sienna's new V6 is going to be in the new camry for 2004, I'm still happy with the 210 hp, 220 lbft torque engine. I would consider SE a sports sedan, because it competes with the new Altimas and Mazda 6s. They are considered "sports" sedans, so why not the camry?

I noticed that people talk about horsepower and say, "hey, this has got 20 more horses so it must be good."

Well, what about the torque? The mazda 6s engine kicks out 220 hp but outputs 192 lbft of torque.

I like the cold weather package taillamps with rear fog lamps. They look like the ones off of a BMW.

alpha01 · April 2003

I was thinking of Honda, and I dont remember paying an ad. fee (or whatever the name is) when I purchased my Sentra 2.5LE.

raybrigfogs- where did you learn that the 3.3L will be going in the Camry? I have not heard this is confirmed, and would in fact doubt it. Why would Toyota bother to introduce the VVTi midyear 03 if it was just going to use the 3.3L from the Sienna/RX/Solara anyway?

~alpha

raybrigfogs · April 2003

alpha01- well, one guy on this board said that the v6 change is confirmed for 2004. (maybe he is bs'ing, maybe not)

I think the reason for doing this (and if it is true) is because of altimas and accords kickin out more hp engines in the 2003. But then again, they never talk about torque. It's all about horsepower this and horsepower that, because that's what low level customers look for. 220lbft torque for the camry is more than enough for my taste. Mazda6s has 192lbft, Accord (V6) top of the line has 212 lbft. Only Altima has 240 hp and 240 lbft of torque.

alpha01 · April 2003

I cant believe I missed that posting. These boards have become a hobby of sorts! Your SE V6 sounds awesome, so I am glad you are happy with the existing powerplant. I still would be surprised to see the 3.3L in the Camry, but stranger things have happened.

Happy Motoring,
~alpha

talon95 · April 2003

Reps from Toyota have come out saying that they had decided not to get involved in the horsepower race in the Camry/Accord class. As long as the Camry has "competitive" power, they don't need it to go head-to-head with the Altima and Accord in hp.

They did the midyear upgrade because the previous V6 was getting just a bit too far behind the Altima and Accord. The upgrade corrected that and closed some of the hp gap between the Camry and the others. I'm sure it was mostly the Accord that prompted it, since the Accord and Camry are such traditional rivals.

The Solara is a different story, since it has a sporty image. My guess is that the Solara is the only "Camry" that will get the 3.3L engine, at least for the immediate term. But that's just a guess.

canoe2 · April 2003

Driving Camry LE V6 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.

gnc · April 2003

I have a v6 XLE which I have been very happy with. My wife has accurately pointed out a malodorous smell similar to sulfur/rotten eggs.
Could this be from the exhaust system/catalytic converter? Has anyone else had a similar experience?

I also noted after having just passed 10,000 miles a squeak in the driver's door. Guess its time to make a service appointment!

raybrigfogs · April 2003

So I was right about the engine upgrade.

Nissan said they spent too much on the HP war and not enough on other parts of the car. After all, Nissan was on financial crisis and they fired many people and forced the suppliers to come down on their prices significantly. Now they paid off the debt and is in the clear, but the quality is still short of that of Toyota cars. (I wonder if the quality went down because of that supplier scheme.)

I think you're right about the catalytic converter, but I never had that smell before in my other cars.

Anyways, I'm thinking of getting that front wind deflector (not the mask) for my 2003 SE to help stones and debris making tiny dimples in the front. But I haven't seen camrys with that thing on. Any input?

alpha01 · April 2003

This generation Camry has been noted by several publications (Consumer Reports, Car and Driver, and Motor Trend, that I can think of) as having a rather spongy brake pedal feel and long pedal travel. Although not the most reassuring feel, this doesnt affect stopping distances, as Camrys still stop quite well, especially those with 4 wheel discs such as yours. (Actually, only the LE 4 cylinder uses rear drums. ALL others have 4wheel discs).

~alpha

canoe2 · April 2003

Thanks alpha01 for your feedback.
Anyway, I have scheduled to bring the car to dealer this week for checking the brake.
It should operate as the manual specified.

gnc · May 2003

For anyone interested the malodorous smell appears to occur when regular unleaded gas is used in the V6 engine (I thought I would try it for effect) which prefers the premium unleaded.

bronzemaxell · May 2003

in my opinion, around 75% of camry sold are 4 cyl, toyota probably won't push 3.3l v6 on 2004 models, but rather, solara and avalon will probably get it before camry.

alpha01 · May 2003

I would agree. I would contend, however, that this generation is seeing more V6 sales than in previous generations. I'd say that its about 30% of the mix now, at least around here, in the NE.

~alpha

dudleyr · May 2003

I thought this generation had more I4 sales because the 4 is so smooth and powerfull now there is really no need for the 6.

Anybody have the actual numbers?

smartguy8514 · May 2003

I read some newspaper that said that the only camry to get the 3.3L engine was going to be the solara and the camry se...i think it was in the Chicago Tribune a week or two back.

filod · May 2003

I may agree that the new 3.3 will not find their way to the Camry for awhile. However, it does not make sense for Toyota to continue manufacturing both.. I think once the current v6 engine is gone, it will be cheaper just to manufacture one for all.. again just thinking... Toyota cannot afford to always be behind in the HP category

alpha01 · May 2003

While I recognize that its not necessarily representative of the nation, or even the region, one dealership, Carson Toyota in CA has an awesome website- on it, you can easily see the total number of vehicles available, and that number broken down by trim. As of today, 46 of the 145 Camrys they have are V6 models, which works out to be 32%. Being a complete Toyota/Nissan dork, I've actually looked at this before, and its usually right around that number.

filod- it COULD make sense for Toyota to manufacture both IF the Camry was built at its own plant, alongside NO vehicles using the 3.3L.
What is TMMK producing these days? Are they still producing Siennas? I just cant remember right now.

~alpha

18fan · May 2003

I took a tour of the Toyota plant in Kentucky a couple years back while on vacation.... VERY interesting! (especially for a car enthusiast!). At that time, they were producing Avalons, Camrys and Siennas...... however, they said the Sienna production was going to be moved to the truck plant in Indiana and production of the Solara was coming to Kentucky.

raybrigfogs · May 2003

Didn't someone say a while back that Toyota is not going to get involved in the hp chase? The mid year change was done because of that, to lessen the gap. Only the Altima has both higher hp and torque. (But it has 4spd auto)

jtbruin · May 2003

Does Toyota or any other company make a removable roof-rack for the '03 camry? Something that can hold bikes, skis, etc. I can't find any place on the web that sells this?

ctaylor4 · May 2003

I have a 2002...sitting at a stop sign, someone rear ended me. He had a Grand Prix...maybe around a '98.

And he was going pretty fast...wrecked his fron grill etc...buckled his hood and one fender.

My Camry? The back bumper had alot of scratches...2 indentations and the finish is starting to peel off of it. One clip that holds the bumper on broke and the piece it clips onto is bent. He also hit my tail pipe. No damage to the muffler..or the tail pipe.

From 5 feet away you wouldnt think anything ever happened.

He'll be buying me a new bumper though...at least his insurance will.

I've seen cars that were hit this way that had alot of damage...so I'm pleased with the strength of my camry!

alpha01 · May 2003

Cliffy, or anyone with a good deal of Toyota product knowledge:

How old is the platform that the current Camry rides on? I believe that the 92-96 and 97-01 Camry both rode on the same platform, but that the 02 is an entirely new structure. Correct me if I am wrong.

~alpha

jrct9454 · May 2003

Yes, your understanding of the underlying structure is correct. Thus, the "old" platform is still the basis for the current Avalon - most of the other Camry-based vehicles will have been switched to the new platform by the end of the year [Solara, RX, ES, Sienna, etc.]. My suspicion is that the Highlander is probably still the "old" platform under the skin, but I wouldn't swear to that...

rutger3 · May 2003

ctaylor4: I have a 99 camry and I hit someone from behind. There was extensive damage to my car,the hood buckled, but no visible damage to the passat I hit. Depends on many circumstances,speed,and whether you are hit in the back or front. The rear bumper probably gives less than the front.

rutger3 · May 2003

Okay, I may sell my car to a friend and do not want to rip him off, give him a very fair deal. The particulars are: 99 camry 4 cyl LE,122,000 miles,no major problems, always keep it maintained(just had full 120k service),decent condition,auto,moonroof,abs,cd,pwr seat,remote entry,security system,good tires,one small dent low on front bumper. What would you charge?

alpha01 · May 2003

I am fighting (um, I mean, discussing, Pat!) with some Ford guy in another forum, and he's telling me that the Camry structure is actually quite old, and made an analogy to how the Ford calls the Crown Vic/Grand Marq are "all new". Bad analogy, IMO. My contention was that the 02 Camry platform was entirely new.

Thanks again.
~alpha

cliffy1 · May 2003

It depends on how you define "platform". The current platform is largely the same now as it was back in 1992. I'm not sure how Toyota defines it, but the engine still sets the same as it did, the suspension is the same, the exhaust still takes a bend at the rear end and the overall dimensions are about the same. Still, I don't know enough about the engineering to call it new or old.

pat · May 2003

Here are a couple of resources for you:

Edmunds.com Used Car Appraiser and True Market Value on our host site and

Real-World Trade-In Values, a discussion over on our Smart Shopper board.

Hope this helps!

pat · May 2003

alph -- I would never have thought otherwise.

jrct9454 · May 2003

...at the time Toyota released the '02 Camry to the press, they made a big deal about the new structure, its added stiffness, etc. I agree that the term "platform" gets bandied about in the industry with some carelessness, and the manufacturers themselves are the worst in how loosely they use the term. In strict manufacturing lingo, it means the underlying structure such as chassis length, width, suspension attachment points, and general architecture are shared between cars - but lately a number of makers have been using a "common platform" to describe a structure that actually varies a lot from one car to the next. Length and width are the easiest to manipulate, but sometimes the changes are more fundamental.

Anyway, Toyota described the new Camry as being based on a "new platform" - their words, parroted by the auto press, not mine.

As for Ford, the current Crown Vic/GrMarq/TC got a new frame, tightened suspension, and a lot of underlying detail improvements this past calendar year. I would hardly call it a "new platform" - the basic design could hardly be older, after all. That doesn't mean it doesn't work well, or as designed - the new frame and suspension improvements have been praised by everyone who has driven the car - in any case, it's probably a great semantic debate, rather than a substantive argument.

nippononly · May 2003

Accord has more power too. The new 6-cyl Mazda 6? I am not sure how much power that has, right offhand. It may aso be more.

Toyota makes a better-designed and better-screwed together product than most of the manufacturers, IMO, and if they don't want to get too caught up in the horsepower wars (as they have stated they do not) that is fine by me.

edmund2460 · May 2003

What does the word PREMIUM refer to in the JBL sound system. I have the V6 with the Premium pkg, do I have the PREMIUM system, how do I tell...

michaelm10 · May 2003

Last Friday while vehicle parked on public street the alarm went off for no apparent reason (weather ok). Two days later vehicle while parked unlocked in my garage (security system not activated) the vehicle's alarm engaged for no apparent reason. At the time no one was in the garage and the garage doors were closed. I live approximately 300' from the street with no neighbors living nearby that could possibly, however remote, set alarm off. As I shut alarm off I noted that doors were locked. One day after this occured and as I was about to enter my unlocked vehicle, the doors suddenly locked themselves. I did not have my hand on the remote. Unless the dealer can duplicate any one of these gremlins, or so they state, nothing can be done. No factory bulletins exist. Will much appreciate any input on this subject.

chrisjericho · May 2003

Is that why there is such a problem with rattles on the new Camrys? I think I paid a premium for a car that was supposed to have better than average reliability that is not any better and in some cases worse (brakes) than my previous car - a GM.

nippononly · May 2003

I was thinking more of mechanical reliability than dash rattles. Those are truly unfortunate, and do not speak well of Toyota, that is for sure.

As for the brakes, despite the mushy feel they consistently test well in emergency stopping procedures conducted by reviewers. They stop faster than other midsize cars like the Taurus.

chrisjericho · May 2003

Maybe in general the Camry braking tests well, but in my 2002 LE V6 W/ABS the braking is terrible. The brake pedal goes to the floor during a hard stop and also after driving in stop and go traffic for over 1/2 an hour. I have had it in to the dealer two times already and they say it is fine. I am bringing it in again on Saturday and telling them to bleed the brakes. If they will not do that for me I am going to pursue a lemon law complaint against them.

jrct9454 · May 2003

I know this might be way off, but we had a similar problem with our '98 Accord, and it turned out I was setting it off with the way the remote was lodged in my pants pocket. Sometimes it would shift or I would put pressure on it, and the next thing you know the alarm has gone off and/or the doors locked. May have nothing to do with your symptoms, but....

canoe2 · May 2003

chrisjericho, My brakes are also spongy on 2003 LE V6. I went to dealer and they said it was normal. I did not think it met specification in manual (min clearance 2.5 in when depressed 110 lbf force). I want to test drive other cars to see if it is only me or design issue for all cars.
Please report if any progress after bleeding the brakes.

alpha01 · May 2003

I'm just curious- did you guys test drive your vehicles, or any V6 Camrys, before purchase?

~alpha

canoe2 · May 2003

I did the test drive V6 car before I purchased. I did not pay much attention about brake at that time. I went to different dealer yesterday to try out the brakes on new V6 Camry. The brakes were felt the same as my car (travel distance and spongy).
It looks like design issue for all Camry brakes.

chrisjericho · May 2003

Yes I test drove my car before I bought it. I only drove the car for 1 mile and did not have to make any sudden stops and did not drive it for over 1/2 and hour. It was only until after I bought the car that I noticed the problem.

Last time I had the dealership look at the brakes I test drove another LE V6 that they had on the lot. The brakes were spongy but there was more resistance in the brake pedal when you made a hard stop. Also the brake pedal did not go as low as mine.

vs4 · May 2003

Any info on what will be changed on 2004 camry? Any possibility of 2004 Camry Solara type instrument cluster and dash.

alpha01 · May 2003

Hmmn. Good luck to you both- I completely agree that if the brakes are not performing within specification, you should agressively seek resolution. But, if its just a "feel" thing, I suppose it is something that takes getting used to- just be happy that (on all accounts that I have read) the Camry has performed as well, if not better than its competitors, in terms of stopping distance- especially the all disc V6 and SE/XLE 4s.

It is a design issue that hopefully Toyota will address to keep its customers satisfied. That said, it isnt a design or saftey flaw.
~alpha

troy355 · May 2003

2 months ago, Toyota revamped the v6 engine to match the Lexus ES300. It now has 210 hp and the 5 speed transmission. Hopefully the improvements have been noticed by others?

bronzemaxell · May 2003

i read somewhere in regards to new camry brake system ABS with EBD, where they are differ than older braking systems, the moment you step on the brake pedal, you are actually stepping on a electronic switch, and the EBD will take over, monitoring the speed of the vehicle and apply more or less braking power accordingly. I wasn't able to test hard braking yet because i always kept a 3 sec driving distance gap ahead of me, but i definitely was able to feel the difference between ABS with EBD on my 03 SE and 93 DX with no ABS. where i have to step a lot harder to stop the vehicle.

carrie12 · May 2003

In April 2003 I purchased a 2003 Camary XLE V6 with the 210 horsepower and 5 speed transmission. I am very disappointed with its performance. It does not have a smooth acceleration. In fact it has a lag (hesitation) or surge at times. The vehicle also feels like it looses power for a second when making a turn. I went to the dealership the day after I purchased the vehicle and test drove a similiar make and model and I did not feel the same hesitation. I spoke to the Service Manager and he told me to drive the car until I used two full tanks of gas. He indicated the gas pedal is connected to a sensor that is connected to a computer that relays acceleration and deacceleration data to the engine and that the sensor will need to get use to the Octane and driving conditions. I've used more then two full tanks of gas and I am still not getting a smooth acceleration. I still believe the car is hesitating.

I took the car for a 1000 mile check and I wrote Toyota the following letter.

I like Toyota to know that I did take my car on 5/2/03 to the dealership of purchase to have them look at this hesitation issue.

I joined an experienced technician on a test drive in my vehicle and a similar Camry. The technician acknowledged that there is a hesitation on the vehicle but said that this is normal on all Camrys. I disagreed because I test drove a similar Camry (4/15/03) the day after I purchased my car and did not feel any hesitation. I also test drove a Camry 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 would like Toyota to know that I am not satisfied or happy with the response I received. I dont believe a complete evaluation was performed on my vehicle to detect the problem. Had I known that these vehicles contained a hesitation, I would not have purchased the vehicle. I also strongly feel that this is a safety concern. Consumers need to rely on the vehicle to move (accelerate) when pressure is placed on the gas pedal to avoid accidents. The hesitation on my Camry is an accident waiting to happen.

Your comments are welcomed.

nippononly · May 2003

throttles become electronic "by-wire" rather than mechanically actuated, and brake systems do the same, the feel is going to change noticeably for many of the drivers that pay attention to how their car responds. This is just the march of technology, and the people able to afford the cars that have these technologies, unfortunately, will be market guinea pigs of a sort, so that later generations of the technology will have a feel that is more acceptable to drivers in general.

All the 4-disc Camrys have multiple computer systems that the brake pedal is talking to in order to provide the best and safest stop possible, which is borne out by the numbers in every professional review. Every review of the new Camry has also included a mention of the fact that the brakes feel mushy, which is not that great, but at least they provided some fair warning.

Imagine this - if you owned the new Mercedes sedans, you would not even be mechanically actuating the brakes at all - the pedal merely activates a solenoid that tells the computer how much to brake! This system has thus far been universally panned for feel by professional reviewers, because it gives little to no sense of what the brakes are doing, but again the emergency stopping numbers are good.

The feel of throttle-by-wire depends largely on the program mapping by the manufacturer, and in a sedate car like Camry, it is probably programmed with some lag to match the design intent of the model.

xbbuster · May 2003

Your response from Toyota about your surging problem is the typical BS they give people who bring their Camrys back for a manufacturing defect. The dealers' are instructed by Toyota to call these problems "normal, they all do that, give it time it will go away, and don't worry about it" The dealers also know if they try to make a repair attempt they won't get paid by Toyota under the new car warranty.

superman5 · May 2003

forgive me for asking this but doesn't the tranny "adjust" to your driving style, if so, just try trying your car little more aggresive, the tranny computer should adjust to that and let you downshift faster.

Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

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