The Toyota Camry is an automobile that is sold by Toyota since 1982, and has spanned multiple generations, changing from a compact car to a mid-size and wide body classification. Since the release of the wide-bodied versions in 1991, Camry sales have soared across the world.
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After 1979, the Camry nameplate was changed to a four-door sedan model in Japan, and then became an independent model line in 1982 when the V10 series was produced. The next series, the Camry V20, debuted just a few years later with a station wagon. After this was produced in 1986, the company replaced the V20 in 1990 with the V30 sedan.
The worst Toyota Camry problems across all model years mainly focus on three years of production – the 2007, 2008, and 2009 models. The third biggest problem in the Toyota Camry lineup is the excessive oil consumption, with an average cost to fix of around $2,400 and occurring at just below 100,000 miles. The second worst problem is oil consumption in the 2008 Camry, costing around $2,700 to fix. The last problem also deals with the oil system and is prevalent in the 2009 Camry, costing nearly $1,300 to fix and occurring at an average of 95,00 miles.
2002 Toyota Camry Problems
The first year that really showed any issues within the Toyota Camry was the 2002 model. The previous years before that had very few complaints, even dating back to the 1980s. The main categories of complaints for the 2002 Camry involved the engine and transmission for the users, and the engine and the brakes for the NHTSA concerns.
Regarding the engine, the main problems dealt with the stripped head bolts, the smoke occurring form the engine, the car overheating, the car consuming oil too quickly, the car lurching, the rod knocking, the check engine light turning on, the car going into unintended acceleration, and the car engine stalling during use. To fix these problems, the typical repair cost is around $2,790 and occurred at around 136,000 miles. The main solution is to replace the engine or fix the head bolts inserts.
The user complaints regarding the transmission focused on the transmission failure, the car shifting gears and jerking while shifting, difficult and rough shifting, the car shifting into reverse unintentionally, and the car not being able to shift when cold. To fix these problems, owners usually spend an average of around $3,280, with the most common solution being to replace the transmission at around 115,000 miles.
2003 Toyota Camry Problems
The 2003 had slightly fewer issues than the previous year, but was still not Scott-free of complaints from users other NHTSA. The main categories of concern still focused on the engine, with the second category being the steering system.
The main concern regarding the 203 model year is that the news media told the public that various Toyota models had unintended acceleration and that users should file a complaint about this issue and their own models. This meant that the NHTSA received a disproportionate amount of complaints regarding the Toyota Camry, whereas the data is not exactly credible. Although there are numerous complaints regarding the engine, this model is not as unsafe as some may think.
The main user complaints for the engine dealt with stripped head bolts, the engine dying, the bad valve seals causing smoke, the knocking noise occurring from the intake manifold, unintended acceleration, excessive oil consumption, and the car running roughly. The average cost to repair this issue is around $2,850 and occurs at around 140,000 miles, with the most common solution being to replace the engine or the head bolt repair kit.
2007 Toyota Camry Problems
The 20087 Camry is one of the worst model years for this type of car, citing nearly 1,000 user complaints. Owners of this vehicle report that their engines are losing oil and are completely devoid of any oil only halfway through their routine maintenance schedule. In some cases, the engine damage has gone so bad that the owners have to pay out of pocket for the new engine replacement, which can be very expensive. The main cause of this issue could be due to defective piston rings.
The top concerns of users focus on the engine, with the interior accessories being secondary. The top engine concerns are excessive oil consumption, burning oil, the engine blowing, unintended acceleration, the engine knock, the check engine light turning on, the ignition coils failing, and the engine head cracking. To remedy the excessive oil consumption, the typical repair cost is just over $2,400 and the most common solution is to replace the engine or to rebuild the engine.
Regarding the interior accessories issues that users are citing, the main problems deal with the dashboard material melting, the sun visor breaking, the dash cluster malfunctioning, the speedometer not working correctly, the cd player stopped working, the door locks failing, the audio system turning off randomly, and the car locking on its own. To fix the dashboard material melting, the typical repair cost is around $540 and the most common solutions to replace the entire dashboard at just below 100,000 miles.
2009 Toyota Camry Problems
Despite the 2007 Toyota Camry having the most overall complaints out of all model years, the 209 model year is ranked the worst due to the severity of the issues, the onset of the problems, and the high repair cost. The highest category of complaints deal with the engine according to both users and the NHTSA, and the interior accessories category.
Owners are usually being caught off guard with how fast their cars are running out of oil. With no warnings, no leaks, no spills, and no warning signs, this car can just use an absurd amount of oil in extremely low mileage.
The engine concerns focus on the excessive oil consumption, engine failure, the car surging, rough idling, defective oil lines, excessive engine knocking, the head gasket blowing, and poor acceleration. To fix the excessive oil consumption, users pay around $1,400 and have to pay at around 95,000 miles.
The top interior accessories concerns for Camry owners deal with the dashboard melting, auto door lock being defective, the sun visors breaking, the accelerator pedal sticking, the floor rugs becoming loose, the radio turning off, the ABS And brake warning light running on, and the gas gauge reading empty during use.
2010-2012 Toyota Camry Problems
These three model years of the Toyota Camry were all similar in terms of user complaints and the number of issues per year. The 2010 areas of concern revolved around the engine, while the 2011 model year had concerns about the interior accessories, and the 2012 focused on the AC and heater system.
The top worst 2010 Toyota Camry problems is the rear window shattering at around 47,000 miles and costing $400 to fix, the dashboard melting and occurring at around 104,000 miles, and the erratic shifting at just 15,000 miles. The main engine concerns from owners deal with the excessive oil consumption, loud noises on cold starting, and the car stalling out during use. To fix the excessive oil consumption, the typical repair cost is just below $1,200 and occurs at around 114,000 miles.
The worst 2011 Toyota Camry problems focus on the transmission failure, costing nearly $4,000 to fix, the hard shifting, costing around $2,000 to fix at around 27,000 miles, and the excessive oil consumption, costing around $3,000 and occurring at just below 100,000 miles.
The interior accessories concerns for users in the 2011 Camry deal with the door locks malfunctioning, the melting dashboard, the sun visor not staying up, and the dash gauges stopped working after a prolonged period of time. To fix the door locks, it usually costs owners around $310 and involves the owners replacing the actuator.
In the 2012 Camry, the worst and most severe problems is the water draining, costing about $1,000 to fix, the foul smell when you turn on the AC which occurs at around 17,000 miles, and the transmission failure, costing a whopping $5,200. The AC And heater concerns deal with a foul and putrid smell when you turn on the AC, the water draining into the vehicle, and the AC compressor failing.
2013-2015 Toyota Camry Problems
The 2013-2015 models are alike in that they all have a similar amount of problems from users and car owners. The main category of complaint for the 2013 model focuses on the AC and heater problems, while the 2014 Camry had the main complaints regarding the same category, and the 2015 model had the most issues regarding the interior accessories.
The top problems regarding the 2013 Camry involved the color difference when buying in person vs. online, costing around $1,700 to fix, the moldy and wet smell coming from the AC, occurring at around 13,000 miles, and the unintended acceleration, costing tens of thousands of dollars to fix and occurring below 20,000 miles.
The main problems in the 2014 Toyota Camry year involve the torque converter failing at just 70,000 miles and costing $2,000 to repair, the paint chipping at around 40,00 miles, and the musty smell coming from the air conditioning, occurring very early on at just 15,000 miles.
Regarding the 2015 Toyota Camry, the worst problems involved the brake pedal going all the way into the floor, the car not being able to shift properly, and the seats being uncomfortable for long distances. All of these problems occur very early on, at below 25,000 miles.
2020 Toyota Camry Reliability
For the latest model of the Toyota Camry, the 2020 model, the car earned the #2 spot in the Midsize Cars category. In addition to this high placement, the 2020 Camry also won the 2020 Best Midsize Car for the Money category and the 2020 Best Midsize Car for Families category.
The pros of the 2020 Camry involve a great fuel economy and miles per gallon, an engaging and high-performance ride, a generous list of standard features that are easy to use, and an excellent safety score when compared to other similar midsize cars. The cons of the Camry and the Toyota Camry problems include the below-average trunk and cargo space for additional gear and suitcases, and a noisy cabin which can be annoying on long rides. However, for the 2020 model, the new features include the Android Auto now becoming standard and the TRD trim joining the lineup.
The US News Scorecard earns an 8.5 out of 10, with the critics rating earning a 9,2 out of 10, the performance coming out to 8,5 out o10, the interior earning a 7.4, and the safety getting a perfect ranking of 10 out of 10, with the JD Power reliability earning a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Toyota Camry vs. Honda Accord
Since there is a lot to like about the new Honda Accord, it puts up a direct competition to the Toyota Camry in 2020. It has a long list of standard features and safety mechanisms, great fuel economy, and smooth and secure handling. The Honda Accord has more passenger and cargo space than the Toyota Camry, while the Toyota has a better reliability rating and a V6 engine that can produce more horsepower than the Honda choices.
Toyota Camry vs. Mazda6
The Mazda6 is one of the most athletic and stylish sedans in the midsize car class, but the Toyota Camry is a fun to drive, smooth, and performance oriented car that is well rounded for many different kinds of people. The Toyota Camry has superior gas mileage, with the car earning a 22-29 miles per gallon in the city, and 31-41 miles per gallon in the highway, and the car getting more rear passenger space, and an easy to use infotainment system.