Faults:

Nothing major just routine maintenance. This is the best car that I've ever owned.

General Comments:

Very reliable with a lot of zip plus it's great on gas and has overdrive. It starts on a cold MN morning, you can't ask for better.

Faults:

There seems to be an oil problem with the 1992 Toyota Camry. The vehicle we have is a 5-speed. The oil gets thick and gunks up in the engine. A friend stated putting some transmission fluid in with the oil when the car needs an oil change. The mechanic did not state how much transmission fluid to add to the oil on each oil change. First, has anyone heard of doing this in order to keep the oil flowing correctly through the engine and if so, how much should be added? Responses will be appreciated at: babsmiles@yahoo.com

Thank you.

Faults:

I had to change the alternator.

General Comments:

This car is very reliable and dependable. Besides the alternator I did not have any problems with the car. The acceleration was a bit slow in the lower RPM's but once you pushed RPM's higher it would move and it still got great fuel mileage (30 mpg hwy)!! I still love this car and wish I didn't have to sell it because I was moving out of the country.

Faults:

A few things -

Replaced starter motor, alternator, fuel rail, 1 radiator fan motor, rear wheel bearings, power steering fluid leak, has used several pairs of front tyres all in 8 years.

To elaborate, a fuel leak prompted the fuel rail change. Shame the car didn't burn to the waterline.

Rear wheel bearings replaced at 190000km, front bearings OK.

Leak occurred where hoses clamp to tubes emerging from body of power steering pump. Pump replaced by second hand unit - 205000km.

Despite the car having never been in an accident (it's metallic light green so a partial or total respray would have been noticed after 8 years), the front wheel geometry chews tyres. They've been aligned by 3 different workshops and they've each assured me that everything is per-factory. Tyres used were Dunlop (soft compound, short life) and Good Year. Front tyres are currently rock-hard Korean rubbish to maximise their life, but the handling has become somewhat 'nervous'. The car isn't thrashed, by the way.

Fuel economy is terrible; it drinks like a V8. Typical consumption is 13L/100km (22mpg) in outer suburban driving. A country trip, with me feather-footing the accelerator and coasting wherever possible returned about 10L/100km (28-29mpg) and this with overdrive selected full time. Plugs, coil, compression, etc, all checked OK - engine runs sweetly, but has a lusty thirst.

General Comments:

Handling is compromised by the need to use rubbish tyres on the front.

Fuel economy does not reflect the way the car is gently driven.

Yes, it's an old car and only ventures 10km to work and back these days, but I expected better from Toyota, especially as its stablemate is a 2003 Ford Falcon which has run without fault since new.

I'd still buy another Toyota as I feel this particular car was probably assembled on a Monday morning.

Faults:

The things that have gone wrong with my 1992 Camry V6-XLE have all been minor. A taillight bulb burned out. A power door lock controller started being flaky and would sometimes 'stick' when unlocking the right front door lock, etc. These are all annoying but exceedingly minor problems, hardly even worth mentioning.

The car may soon need a new or replacement cylinder head or to have the head rebuilt, as it is starting to use oil (although I couldn't for the life of me figure out where the oil is going out of the engine... there is absolutely NO blue smoke that I can see, and the oil is not leaking onto the driveway). This is an ABSOLUTELY NORMAL condition for a vehicle that is now 15 years old and has almost A QUARTER OF A MILLION MILES on it... it is normal wear-and-tear and is consistent with the car's age and mileage.

General Comments:

I am convinced that this is one of the most reliable vehicles ever made, and that with proper maintenance there is virtually no limit to how long it can stay on the road and continue being driven.

I also believe that the key to reliability is regular and proper maintenance.

I use exclusively 100% synthetic motor oil.

I take my car in every 3,000 miles for a Lube-Oil-Filter according to the Severe Service maintenance schedule. Bringing the car in for regular maintenance gives the mechanics an opportunity to check for problems that are just starting to crop up, BEFORE they become expensive repairs.

I also always take the car in for maintenance to my local Toyota dealership -- the mechanics there are all certified, are factory-trained, and are older and more experienced. When they see a Camry come in the door for service, they know how to fix and repair it, and they already have the factory parts in stock.

There is no freaking way I'd trust my car's maintenance to some 19-year old kid at the local Jiffy-Lube who doesn't know the difference between a Camry and a Camaro.