Faults:

We discovered a scratch on the right rear window of the car 3 days after we purchased it. It accidentally happened during the installation of the tint.

July 2016 - front carpet got worn out so we asked for a replacement from the dealer.

Just the usual PMS every 5000 km at the Toyota dealer.

General Comments:

We got this car as a replacement for our old 1999 Mitsubishi Galant, which we'd had for 13 years (up to late 2012), and ever since then we have been satisfied with the car.

Performance of this car is excellent! This car is mated with a 2.5 engine, and the pick-up and the response are very good. Passing through a nice stretch of road, Skyway on-ramp, or flyover is effortless and without struggle. This car is fun to drive on the expressways and country roads, but not in the notorious traffic jams of Metro Manila. Unlike our other Camry, a 2004 model, it has a 2.0 engine and it requires effort to experience the performance of the car.

This is the most comfortable car we have ever had. Leg room at the back is wide and spacious, and it's great for relaxing. It also has reclining seats and even has sunshades at the rear windshield and at the rear windows. It is not just relaxing, but also comfortable and luxurious. You’ll really feel that you are in a boardroom of a big company or a luxury hotel like Manila Peninsula. The air-conditioning of this car is excellent! Just put it at the lowest fan speed and you will feel lots of cold air.

I just don’t like too much the radio of this car. I wish it had an LED screen that comes with Bluetooth and GPS. It is only available in the top of the line 3.5 model. At least there's iPod connectivity.

We really like this car! Even though this car has only been with us for 15 months, it has served us very well and it will last with us for at least another 10 to 15 years. Whenever relatives or friends would ride in this car, they feel comfortable and enjoy the ride to wherever we go. Beautiful girls in school love it because they say the car is nice to look and ride in. In the school that I go to, there are many nice cars that park in the parking lot, and I’m one of them. This car has been to numerous special occasions like weddings. It has also been to a debut of a friend/blockmate a few weeks ago. Taking this car to exclusive places such as posh hotels or just the shopping mall is a pleasure.

The after sales service of the car is very good. Doing the annual PMS at the Toyota dealer is excellent and efficient. We even received free coffee while waiting.

Faults:

Many of the faults mentioned were not so serious and were just because of mere wear and tear.

Circa 2006 or 2007 - The power mirror adjustment controls did not work anymore. Although they could still fold.

November 2008 - The right rear window did not want to go up. Took it to the dealer and it was fixed within 30 minutes.

Early 2009 - The lock of the rear right stopped functioning. Fixed by Toyota in an hour.

August 2011 - We couldn't unlock the glove compartment of the car. All we could do after taking it to the dealer is to use the glove box without locking it.

October 2011 - The suspension acted up. Our mechanic took care of the problem.

June 2013 - Fan belt was making a funny noise. The aircon compressor was also affected. Had to stay with Toyota for a week.

August 2013 - Engine mount had to be replaced.

June 2015 - Noticed suspension problems from September of 2014. You could hear squeaking sounds underneath while driving even on the smoothest roads. Did not really bother us so much and we only had it fixed by a mechanic in June of 2015.

September 2016 - Transmission got stuck on D while in heavy traffic. I pulled to the side of the road, turned off the car, and waited for the tow truck to take it to the mechanic. Apparently the only problem was that the shifting cable snapped.

Other than the problems stated above, the car only goes to the Toyota dealer every 5000 km for its Preventive Maintenance Check-up.

General Comments:

This car was only partially ours for the first 6 years of its life. We would only use it from to time when we were forced to or we just felt like it. Most of the time, my grandmother and auntie used it. When my grandmother passed away in November of 2008, we got to use the car more often, particularly during weekends. When my auntie passed away in 2010, we had no choice but to take the car. However, I have driven this car since I started in early 2009 when I was 16 already. It became my official car when we got a new Camry in 2013. The car had low mileage although it ran a lot from 2009 to mid 2013. For much of December 2014 and December 2015, this car was mostly only in the garage. During those times, the car only ran for the first few days to go to school for final exams and enrollment. This was in contrast to most cars usually overused for the Christmas holidays.

Actually, this car was meant to be chauffeur driven. I wish ours had a 2.4 engine instead. My uncle also had one before (although 2 years older than ours). Our Camry’s pickup was not so good. You struggle when you overtake slow moving vehicles, enter a flyover and Skyway or cruise along expressways. This car only runs fine in a city like Metro Manila where traffic is always bad. My dad said driving the car was like whipping a horse. We had a 1999 Mitsubishi Galant before our newer Camry with the same engine, but it did not struggle and was very fast.

Of all the cars we had, this is one of the most comfortable one we have ever had. The leather seats were comfortable and the legroom for everyone was wide and spacious. The air-conditioning was also very good. It cools the interior well.

In June of 2012, we transferred the original radio to our Galant before disposing of it. From the Galant, we put in the aftermarket Pioneer radio with USB to connect my iTouch/iPhone/iPad.

I really enjoyed this car. Of all the cars we had, this was the most reliable even when it was old already. Before when our cars reached at least 7-10 years old, problems would start to emerge. This car also had its set of problems when it was old, but they were mainly because of wear and tear. Prior to having the 2013 Camry, it was joy bringing it to an exclusive place like a 5 star hotel and special occasions like weddings and debuts. The farthest points of this car were only Subic in 2012 and Lucban, Quezon in 2006. Our relatives and family friends loved this car. When friends, classmates, and girls rode in this car, they loved it too!

The service at the dealership at the Toyota dealership is very good. We lost the warranty booklet, but they had a computerised record of past services and the parts that need replacement (though we only do the necessary ones at our mechanic).

We finally sold this car last October 29 of this year. The car had already lasted with us for 12 years and 8 months, 3 Presidents of the Philippines, 2 Presidents of the United States, 3 Presidents of South Korea, and 4 Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom. Time has already passed and it’s time to move on. There is no forever! The car is now is in good hands with the new owner. We're gonna replace it with a brand new Fortuner next year. I still miss this car!