25th Jun 2009, 09:37
Just some information on my 2008 Toyota Camry XLE. It is a nice car if you do not mind these items that the dealer can't fix...
Sunroof loose on R/H side creaks.
Power steering rack thumps when cold.
Plastic dash squeaks and rattles all the time.
6 speed transmission thumps when slowing down and then speeding up.
Drive by wire? There is a 1 second delay before the car goes.
Quality? Maybe Toyota is getting too big too fast!
25th Jun 2009, 16:22
To 09:37: If I had even HALF that many problems on a new car, I'd be headed to Ford to trade it as fast as possible. In the past 10 years we've owned half a dozen new GM and Ford vehicles. We currently own 2 GM and 2 Fords. Not a one of those has ever had ANY problems except for a blown headlight bulb on the 9-year-old GM. That's why we drive domestics. Ad hype and biased magazine reviews don't work on us.
9th Jan 2010, 09:55
My Mom's Camry has the same cold engine knock. Has about 30,000 miles, dealer says carbon build up and tried to sell us a fuel injector service. I told him to quit blowing smoke up my rear, I've been a mechanic for 17 years now, and said if that'll fix my knock, I'll buy it, if not, guarantee my money back. He then backed off the service and got the technician up front to talk to me, and then they admitted it was piston slap. They said it was normal. I then said I guess it'll follow the long legacy of other Camry's that need a motor ever 150,00 miles or so, and much maintenance in between. After other customers in the dealer overheard me, they were chomping at the bit to get me out of there. Their sales pitch ammunition had ran out.
Why do people keep buying Toyota? Don't know. I've put more timing chains on 22RE than anything else under 200 miles, with the Nissan pick up running a close second. Water pumps galore on V6 and V8 Toyotas, cam and crank seals, sludged 3.0 V6's, high pressure oil line on 3.5 V6's, VVT hubs, I can go on and on. And the labor time Toyota gives is piddly for the amount of work it takes to perform these repairs, but this is how they keep projected maintenance/repair cost down, the Tech. gets the short end of the deal.
I now wander how long will it be before these things beat themselves to death and start burning oil, which leads to catalytic converter failure, of course oil consumption, and contaminated oil from blow-by.
22nd Feb 2011, 00:12
It's true. Most domestic cars suck, however Ford does make 2 that last, every cab I ride in NYC is either a Town Car or a Crown Vic. I have seen many with 3-400K on them... So it's less the manufacturer, than the model (Chevy Caprices had similar life spans, why do you think the cops & cabs used these, and now Crown Vics?). Apparently Corolla is the way to go with Toyota, Civic for Honda (everyone I know who owns one got over 200K+ outta them).
17th Apr 2009, 15:39
"I have read it was a cross licensing agreement"
I've read that on some blogs too, but Reuters, USA Today, and Car and Driver said it was a "purchase" of 20 patents (controlling software). Ford and Nissan both bought the rights to tech blueprints and their utilization. All of these sources said that, at that time, Toyota was well ahead of the rest of the pack with hybrid tech.
Those are the sources for my post. They could be wrong, but bloggers are a less reliable source so I can't quote them without independent verification.
Kinda immaterial either way. Anyway, Cheers.