Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

steveb84 · July 2003

2532 - Camry LE 4 cyl. Automatic

2548 - Camry SE V6 Automatic

The letter is a pricing code. The model year starts with an "A", if there is a price adjustment then "C", then "E"

That explains why sometimes when looking at two "identical" cars, the price and invoice may vary.

alpha01 · July 2003

Is the price adjustment ALWAYS reflected in the MSRP? I know Nissan has been messing around with Invoice pricing on Sentras lately, but it doesnt seem that the MSRP has been affected. Also, steveb, if you have a few moments, could you give the model codes for the remaining 4 variations of Camry?

~alpha

coolguyky7 · July 2003

What happened to your Corolla?

steveb84 · July 2003

2531 LE 4 cyl 5 speed manual
2552(2534) LE V6 automatic
2540 XLE 4 cyl automatic
2554(2544) XLE V6 automatic
2545 SE 4 cyl 5 speed manual
2546 SE 4 cyl automatic
2556(2548) SE V6 automatic

Price adjustment is not always reflected in MSRP, but quite often is.

sandman46 · July 2003

Alas, after Corollas for the last 15 years, we now own a 2003 Nissan Sentra GXE. The wife and kids hated to drive the Corolla because of the mushy brake pedal. Even with new brake pads and new rotors last November, the pedal was still mushy...it didn't grab at first when applied.
We test drove the new 2003 Corolla LE, a car I really wanted, and it to had the same brake feel, the same also as our '93 and '96 Camrys. I finally decided this was inherent in Toyota brakes.
The wife has a Nissan Altima and her brakes are excellent and when we test drove several Sentras, they braked just as good. And the only reason for getting a new car was mainly the brake situation. So, we ended up with the Sentra. A nice car overall, but the Corolla is still superior in gas mileage and a/c effectiveness. So, I am 90% happy with the Sentra yet, the other 3 drivers love the Sentra.
End of story!!!

The Sandman :-)

junepug · July 2003

Last night I dropped off our 2003 Highlander V6 to see if the service dept could fix a rushing wind noise at speeds over 40 mph.

Since I kept the wifes car, our 2002 Camry LE V6,for the day,decided it would be a good idea to have the oil changed and tires rotated. While at the dealership they found a piece of wire protruding from one of the tires. I permitted them to patch the tire and forgot about it.

Upon driving the Camry home, I noticed it handled much better than it did on the way to the dealer this morning. I do not get to drive the Camry very much. Apparently the wire was causing the car to ride funny and to pull to the right. The wife is extremely happy with the way the car is now handling.

Later in the day when I picked up the Highlander, I noticed the rushing wind noise was gone. Apparently they were able to fix it by adjusting the D/S Front Door Weather Striping.

I am extremely pleased with the service at Toyota West in Statesville.

1200mk · July 2003

Iam about to get a camry and I can get a American one for a pretty low price but the dealer said if i really wanted a japanese one he could get it from another dealer but it would cost him like 500 bucks. Worth it or should i just get it from another dealer?

alpha01 · July 2003

I would guess he's just placing a premium on something that he perceives you want. If he is getting a J VIN Camry from another local dealer, they are probably doing a swap, and I can't imagine it would cost him $500 to do so. If you really need a Japanese made Camry, why not just go to the other dealership yourself, if this guy refuses to budge?

sandman46- You might remember I have an 03 Sentra 2.5LE- I love it! (aside from those cupholders). Just closed a very good deal for my aunt on a loaded 03 GXE, shes got every option except the sunroof, and a few dealer installed accessories. Mine's Molten Silver, hers is Radium.

steveb- thanks for the Camry model codes.

~alpha

sandman46 · July 2003

I too have the Molten Silver color, and except for the crappy mileage and the weaker a/c, we all like the car. But according to the dealers service dept., the mileage should improve, and the a/c is within specs. Got what I thought was a very good price also. Nice car overall.
Rented a Camry and was really impressed with the car. The brakes were still a bit mushy, but oerall, great car!

The Sandman :-)

toy123 · July 2003

New to this, so please be patience as I learn . . .

I have a 2001 Camry, with a 2.2 motor and an automatic transmission. The car has 50,300 KM showing and as been service by Toyota according to their recommended service intervals. Within the last week the car began to surge, between 200 and 400 rpms with going up hills. This as occurred only twice, both times I was driving around town. I am unable to duplicate the problem and it has never happened at highway speeds, at least not yet. I love this car and in two weeks will be taking an extended road trip, so any suggestions would be appreciated. The surging while only happening twice is making me nervous about the up and coming road trip.

Cheers

edmund2460 · July 2003

At 3000 miles on my new 03 V6 the best mpg I have gotten so far on a road trip is around 25. Is it supposed to improve? I hear Accord owners claiming 30+ on their V6's. Also I have one little problem. The little cruise button, the one you press to turn cruise on/off at the tip of the stalk, is stuck in the on position, or at least it won't release. Would they have to replace the whole thing? I also think that the response can be better from a standing start, perhaps because of the drive by wire. But then I didn't buy the car for acceleration. Great car so far, v.pleased

canc · July 2003

Do you recall at what speed you were going? It's possible that at a certain speed, especially going uphill, the automatic transmission is "gear hunting".

toy123 · July 2003

Hi,

Not sure about the speed...but I think that it was around 40km/hr

Cheers

canc · July 2003

should be ok, but I'd check with your dealership.

canoe2 · July 2003

I have rear disc brakes, but does the Camry still have shoes and drum for the parking brake ?

canoe2 · July 2003

Thanks for explanation. It proved out your theory in yesterday trip. When the car was on downhill slope (very steep), I applied the brakes and it was downshifting automatically to lower gear. With my old Corolla, I have to continuously apply the brakes or manually shift to lower gear.
I think this feature will help to extend the life time of brakes.

canoe2, RPM rise when braking by drmp Jun 30, 2003 (11:21 pm)
"RPM rising when braking is good, it means the transmission is downshifting and helping to slow down the car. That shift algorithn is what I miss in a rear wheel drive car since engineers doesn't want to give too much braking force to the rear that could result to a spin out when cornering."

andrelaplume · July 2003

Does anyone have a Toyota brand or other brand rear shade for 2002 Camry? What brand? Is it easy to raise/lower? Is it hard to clean? Does it RATTLE or make any noise in any way? Does it fit the entire window? DO YOU LIKE IT? What did it cost. THANKS!!!!

andrelaplume · July 2003

You have provided a lot on information in the past on new car warranties, what to look for and what to pay. In fact I bought one for my then NEW 2002 Camry based on your advise. Well, as someone who can not quite afford two NEW Toyotas but might look for a used 2001/2002 Camry or Highlander, can you provide some advise on what to look for in a used car extended warranty? Is there a standard Toyota used car extended warranty? What should it cost? If there are options, which are the ones to look for? Can you shop the used car extended warranty from dealer to dealer as you may the new car? Any help is appreciated. Others feel free to chime in!

alpha01 · July 2003

I'm not cliffy, but a good starting point would be to make sure that the used Toyota vehicle you are purchasing is a Toyota Certified Pre-Owned example. Information on this program is pretty straightforward and available at Toyota's corporate site, www.toyota.com.

~alpha

lok888 · July 2003

The manual rear window sunshade is standard on 03 Camry XLE. It can be purchased or ordered at your local Toyota dealer. But it will cost you about $190. The folks at www.camelbacktoyotaparts.com gave me the OEM part number (64333-AA010) and the price. Some drilling and assembly are required at the rear speakers area. It will fit the entire window. I don't know about the rattle. I hope some XLE owners can tell you this. For other brand, you can buy a less expensive one size fit all rear sunshade at Wal-Mart, Target, Auto Zone.

andrelaplume · July 2003

Can you drive with it in place at night....in otherowrds can you just leave it down all the time?

lok888 · July 2003

I don't have one on my 03 Camry SE. But it is standard on XLE if I am correct. I am not going to buy one because of the price and some assembly work. I think you should be fine for night driving. But I don't recommend. Imagine driving with a sunglasses on. It is on only when you park your car without any shade. I have one (aftermarket one size fit all) from Wal-Mart in my already tinted window. The rear visible is poor. I can bearly see the headlights from the cars behind.

codetalker · July 2003

I've had my 2003 LE for around 10 days and I'm very pleased with the vehicle so far. One thing that I did notice was that the speedometer reads approximately 4 mph "fast" (i.e. when it reads 70 mph I'm actually going around 66 mph). I can adjust to this but I'm somewhat surprised considering the amount of computer components nowadays in vehicles.

Anyone else notice this in their vehicle?

alpha01 · July 2003

4 mph over at an indicated 70 is indeed excessive, you should bring the issue up with your dealer ASAP if it is of concern to you. How did you verify that your 'actual' speed was 66?

~alpha

andrelaplume · July 2003

lok888: You say you got the sunshade at Wal-Mart...is it one of those accordian style things you open and close...can you descibe it? Did you windows come tinted...did not know this was an option?

Codetalker: how do you know it is 4mph faster than it registers. I usually limit my driving to 5 mph over the speedlimit on highways...if your right that would mean I am going almost 10mph over the limit and that can be ticket territory!

codetalker · July 2003

I verified my speed with a GPS unit. My wife's 98 Sienna reads about 3 miles over at 60 mph. Andrelaplume - I didn't make myself clear. The speedometer reads 70 but I'm actually going 66. If one would go 5 miles over the speed limit as indicated by the speedometer your actual speed would be 1 mile over (so the speedometer's error is of the "good" variation).

It could be worse. The 94 Eunuchmobile (Taurus wagon) that the Camry replaced read 7 mph UNDER at 75 mph (so I actually was going 82 mph). I'm amazed that I didn't get stopped.

What was interesting about the Taurus's speed was that the error was nonlinear; the error became greater the faster I drove. The Camry's error appears to be linear but I haven't verified that yet.

canoe2 · July 2003

5% error on your reading was not bad.
Have you checked pressure on your tires ?
The other possibility is Toyota programed speedomter the same for LE/SE and XLE. The SE and XLE have tire circumference 2.61% greater than LE model.

codetalker · July 2003

I agree - 5% isn't bad and I can easily live with it. In fact, I forsee this being used in the somewhat distant future as a my daughter's learning/first car and a speedometer reading in this manner will be a good thing <g>.

As another aside, if I didn't have the GPS I'm not sure I would have readily noticed the error.

If anyone else would happen to have a GPS it would be interesting if they would check their speedometers and report back.

1200mk · July 2003

I was wondering does everyone have visible styrofoam between their front doors and fenders?

For example, if you open your front doors and you look at the crack between the door jamb, there is black styrofoam.

canoe2 · July 2003

I do have GPS and with 60-70mph on LE V6, the reading on GPS was +/-1mph error. But I wonder what is the accuracy of GPS ?

dudleyr · July 2003

4 mph over is about average. Manufacturers always set it for a couple over so people don't inadvertant go to fast - imagine the lawsuits!

codetalker · July 2003

You have a good point regarding the accuracy of the GPS unit. This item has been discussed on some of the GPS forums (admittedly a biased group) and the consensus seems to be that the GPS units would be more accurate due to less variations (such as tire pressures and size).

If anyone is interested, an example of such a discussion can be found here:

http://ubbx.groundspeak.com/6/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=5726007311&f=- 2016058331&m=5636092791&r=8736092791#8736092791

manamal · July 2003

Question:

Does the spedomitor error translate to an odometer error? If so, then 5% too fast means 5% less miles on the warrentee, or in stead of 36K bumper to bumper, 34,200 miles.

gonkraz · July 2003

I have one (standard on the xle) and leave it extended all the time. But when the dreary days of winter come it will probably be lowered as it is dark for evening driving. Not a problem going down the road but backing up etc if you use your rearveiw mirror. No rattle or any other problems. Actually when I bought the car I thought it was kind of stupid and wished they'd put the money into something else. But as it turns out I like it.

dillon3499 · July 2003

Does anyone know what cosmetic changes might be made to the 04. I am trying to decide if I should buy the 03 with the 1K rebate or wait to see what improvement may be made in the 04? I'd appreciate any information or thoughts you might have or get. I called Toyota and was told that by the end of July they will have an 04 brochure.

alpha01 · July 2003

According to Toyotas typical product cycle, a vehicle remains cosmetically the same for its first three model years (for the Camry this would be 2002, 2003, and 2004) with a "refresh"/"restyle" in the 4th model year for 2 years ( Camry - 2005, 2006). The new Camry would then debut as a 2007 MY vehicle.

Not sure if they are adhering to this schedule, though, as significant equipment upgrades have occured for 2003, and this is not often the case.

So, basically, I didnt help you at all, dillon. Sorry.
~alpha

scottz1 · July 2003

I saw that the Solara got a nice HP bump up for 2004. From 198 to 225. The old 3.0L got replaced by a new 3.3L Any word on the Camry 2004's?

toledo19 · July 2003

With standard power seat and remote keyless entry on the 03 plus the 1K rebate, i'm not sure it would be prudent to wait for the 04. What else could they add?

scottz1 · July 2003

The accord v6 now has 240 hp. Maximas have 260 hp. I hear that the passat v6 is getting a boost. The camry needs it as well. V6's in this class need over 200 hp to compete.

alpha01 · July 2003

The current Camry V6 produces 210hp and 220lb ft. of torque, so it does have over 200hp, which you state is necessary to compete in this class. (There was a mid-year, running change made in late January which substituted the VVTi version of the 3.0L V6 for the non-VVTi version producing 192hp/209lb ft. Accordingly, any Camry V6 manufactured Feb. forward now have VVTi).

The rumor that has been circulating is that the SE V6 model may get the 3.3L used in the Solara/RX/Sienna.

~alpha

scottz1 · July 2003

I had no idea that the current V6 got the bump to 210hp. That isn't listed in the specs online anywhere is it? Good to see that Toyota is trying to compete here. The wife loves the Camry look and feel, but I happen to be more oif an engine guy. The only thing stopping us from getting one was the weak engine compared to others. Now, things are looking good!

canoe2 · July 2003

For 2004, it's possible that 4 cylinder could have 5 sp auto. It's currently on V6 model (2003).

alpha01 · July 2003

I would doubt the liklihood of the 4 cylinder gaining a 5 speed auto transmission. Do you have a source or basis for this suspicion?

~alpha

dilemma · July 2003

I just had deliverd a new Camry V6. Everything seems to be in working order but the guage reading the outside temperature always seems to be high--I've had readings as high as 101 degrees when I am positive the temperature is no higher than the high 80's. The consistency has always been on the high side by at least many degrees. What kind of accuracy can I expect to see with this instrument and the readout??--or should I just ignore the whole issue (I noticed a similar trend towards inaccuracy with the new Passats)

canoe2 · July 2003

I do not have the source for 5 sp auto on 4 cylinder. But based on Accord and Camry V6 which have 5 sp auto.
I am sure that Toyota would like to compete with Honda and also use common parts on Camry V6.

canoe2 · July 2003

Using Thermometer with thermocouple, here is the measurement
1- With cold start: +/-0 DegC error
2- With hot engine and car not moving: + 2degC error
3- With car moving in 5 minutes : +1degC error

dchopp · July 2003

I will be purchasing a Camry this week and have a question about an extended warranty. Must it be purchased at the time of sale or can you wait up to three years like the Honda? What do they run and can you purchase them over the internet at a reduced price? I have a Honda Odysey van and the dealer wanted $1500 for a 7/100k. I purchased one from another Honda Dealer over the internet for $ 825 the same factory internet.

ajacat1 · July 2003

I'm not sure where to ask this, so I just thought I'd ask on the main forum...my husband kind of smushed our driver-side mirror one day a few months ago while we were moving into a new house--bit of a stressful time, he's usually a good driver

-- but we want to replace it before we sell the car and my question is:

On the various parts websites I see price quotes for the mirror--so do we order it and then get it painted somewhere? There's no place to specify prepainted color--I know this is a dumb question but it's never come up for us before--thanks very much--
Carolyn

alguire · July 2003

Hi All,
Question, on a 2003 Camry SE V6 with leather trim is the whole seating area leather? I ask because the center of seats are made from a perforated material and I'm wondering if that part of the seat is indeed leather.

matherson · July 2003

Just bought a 4 cyl. SE loaded. MSRP $24,964 for $21,500. About $500 over invoice after rebate. Got what I wanted on my trade, so I left relatively happy. Plus there weren't many SE's available in my market. (Boston)
The alarm cost seems a bit high at $599 for the Toyota V3.
Any thoughts? Any aftermarket products that are OK at better price?
Thanks!

Toyota Camry 2006 and earlier

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles