2007 Toyota Camry CE 2.4
Summary:
Toyota reliability is less than in the past
Faults:
Warranty work performed:
Leaking radiator.
3 times oil leak at oil pan.
3 times transmission leak.
Driver's seat came loose from chair rail; seat replaced.
Noises and crackling sounds in dashboard; dealer unable to fix.
Front struts noises going over bumps; dealer unable to fix.
Out of warranty repairs:
Harmonic balancer warped and leaking; replaced and it probably killed the alternator.
Alternator replaced with lifetime after market alternator. This alternator kept breaking 4 times until I replaced it with a rebuilt Toyota alternator following the advice of the Toyota service writer.
Again a leaking radiator.
Replaced front struts at 120K miles.
Currently to replace:
Original starter is starting to make worn out sounds.
CV joint boot ripped and it's started to make a noise.
Light oil consumption less than most; this is typical for this engine and is a big problem on most Camrys with that same engine.
General Comments:
Stay away from first model year Toyotas. Toyota is less reliable than they used to be, but still better than other car brands (see consumerreports.org, dashboard-light.com, carcomplaints.com).
Do your homework to get a reliable car; don't trust hearsay and reviews that are too extreme good or bad.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 1st May, 2018
6th May 2018, 03:32
Thanks for the candid review.
Toyota has a (generally speaking) excellent reliability record.
Having said that, the 2007 Camry (and RAV-4) have a problem with excessive oil consumption. It looks like you may have escaped that issue.
In this era of undersquare (long stroke) 4 cylinder engines, high piston speeds demand rigorous attention to details to avoid serious problems.
Toyota has apparently addressed the resultant issues that result from such a emissions-friendly configuration, such as rod/main bearing durability, but are still have a long way to go in terms of figuring out how to adequately lubricate the cylinder wall throughout a vast range of engine RPM of a modern engine, from idle to redline.
Tough call.
Toyota is not alone - But - Toyota has major engineering talent, and pockets deep enough to solve the problem.