22nd Jun 2009, 05:32
I just took mine into a Jiffy Lube that has a window all the way across small waiting area, plus the door window to see my synthetic actually going into my car. You can buy theirs or bring you own and pay labor. They put oil into your car by hoses pumped down from the ceiling... you bring in the gallon containers (best way to buy) and leave with most of your second gallon. No magic. My car has synthetic as standard factory equipment listed right on the cap. I doubt my GM dealer would pull that switch anyway at my local dealership. The service mgr would likely fire the tech on the spot.
22nd Jun 2009, 12:15
Dealerships vary. The Ford dealership that I caught stealing my full synthetic and pouring in cheaper non-synthetic was noted for defrauding customers. They even went so far as to loosen the power steering hose on a neighbor's F-150 so he'd have to bring it back for repairs. They didn't know he was a jet engine mechanic who also meticulously maintains his own vehicles. He KNEW the hose was tight when he took it in, and he simply tightened it himself when he found it had been loosened. Neither of us will ever take our vehicles to that dealership again. Sadly, not all dealerships are honest, nor or their service managers.
25th Jun 2009, 10:46
ORIGINAL REVIEWER HERE.
Could we please get off the issue with windows in the waiting area? I almost always go out to the lot to look at cars instead, and I never bring my own oil. This was a survey about my experiences with my Camry, not the dealership.
26th Jun 2009, 16:33
I would discuss sludging issues if the Camry is not brand new. Oil is an issue, not just the pretty paint and visual dealer prep. I also look at consumeraffairs.com at all mechanical issues before wandering about on the lot. The more informed you are with this info, as well as Carfax on the model you are examining, the better. I did not ask for a Carfax once and only once... my car had been in a front end accident.
20th Jul 2009, 18:11
Could anybody please tell me how to figure out the COST PER MILE (including gas, maintenance, etc.) for a car? Is it the same for new and used?
24th Jul 2009, 11:17
ORIGINAL REVIEWER HERE:
I will hit 83,000 miles today or tomorrow (I'm at 82,9XX). No further problems with the engine or transmission.
29th Jul 2009, 22:31
I have a 2001 Camry LE 4-cylinder automatic. What kind of tires do you have on your 1998-2001 Camry that makes it ride quietly, how much money did they cost, and how many miles did you get out of them? Thanks!
20th Aug 2009, 15:22
ORIGINAL REVIEWER HERE.
In response to Comment #15-
<<20th Apr 2009, 18:13
ORIGINAL REVIEWER HERE.
One last thing - the plastic toward the right of the front passenger foot well has come loose and looks as if it will fall off soon.>>
Well, the plastic came off a few days ago and will not go back in the way it was intended. A few wires are now exposed.
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On a side note, the engine/transmission are okay. Acceleration and a lack of comfort are still aggravating.
If I can afford it, my next car will be a van for more space. I don't know why, but has anybody ever noticed how minivans are faster than sedans?
28th Aug 2009, 19:27
ORIGINAL REVIEWER HERE.
I had another valve stem failure on August 26. The tires were near bald anyway so I just gave up and bought four new tires. The old ones were Lexingtons, the new ones are Continentals. No difference in ride, but the car is now straight (it used to pull to the right).
1st Sep 2009, 21:34
ORIGINAL REVIEWER HERE.
At this point, the only saving grace for the car is that it RUNS. And RUNS. The other cup holder in the back seat broke the day after my tires were replaced.
Don't say it was the dealer's fault, I knew it would break sooner or later. This car is incredible! AND NOT A GOOD INCREDIBLE.
17th Sep 2009, 20:56
ORIGINAL REVIEWER HERE.
The new tires seem to be wearing well, but once again the Camry sometimes pulls to the right.
The clock/temperature screen seems to be falling into the hole, and each time you push a button the entire screen moves.
The plastic piece on the passenger sun visor is now also broken.
The door handles (as a general statement) seem to be loosening/weakening. This is understandable as they are only made of plastic (where on my Taurus it was all metal, as the use of plastic was unacceptable).
The "chrome" on the back window is starting to peel.
On a side note, I don't normally let my tank run down below a quarter of a tank, but I decided to try it with the Camry. With exclusive highway driving (cruise set at 60, windows up, air on), I got 500 miles on a tank (17 gallons), which is 29 MPG. That's okay; I expected better since it was rated for 32 MPG.
30th Sep 2009, 21:04
ORIGINAL REVIEWER HERE.
I thought I posted the fact that the hook for the driver floor mat came out, but it didn't get posted. Oh well.
How about that Toyota floor mat recall? How about METAL hooks in the floor or at least BETTER PLASTIC?
I guess it's a good thing the 2001 Camry is not under the recall. It's little details like this floor mat hook that make me dislike Toyota, but at least they are taking action, unlike Nissan and the Altima transmissions, and Saturn with the Ion starting issues.
26th Oct 2009, 18:22
ORIGINAL REVIEWER HERE.
I took the car in last week for the 83K inspection. All checked out okay.
Then, I took the car on a 900 mile trip. The car did okay; you realize just HOW loud it is inside until you can't hear your phone on loud. The Taurus was quieter by a LONG SHOT.
My back and sides hurt when I got out of the car and all breaks were welcome.
Gas mileage for the entire trip was poor - 29 MPG for all highway miles, no load, never above 70 MPH. I expected at least 31 MPG under these conditions.
The vanity mirror cover on the passenger side has also broken. I'm really starting to dislike the car- between the lack of comfort, then engine noise and lack of power, and the continued fuel inefficiency. The only good points about the car at this point are the engine and transmission durability.
I don't care that "Toyota has proven its reliability" or whatnot, but I am starting to think that Toyota legendary reliability is a myth, and my family is not particularly hard on the car.
27th Oct 2009, 14:36
Sorry you fell for the myth. Many people do. The Ford Fusion currently outranks the Camry by two full levels in reliability. As for mileage, Toyotas are not particularly good in that respect. I went on a trip with one of my clients to look at some investment property. They had a 2007 RAV 4. It got a whopping 19mpg on the highway. My big GM SUV beats that. We also test drove a Toyota Highlander before buying our GM. It had interior trim pieces falling off, defective brakes, and less power than a 4-cylinder Ford Escape (and it was a V-6).
21st Jun 2009, 13:32
Yeah. This is EXACTLY how I caught the guy stealing my oil. I watched him take mine out of the trunk, stash it in a corner and start to pour cheap oil in. I told the manager, watched HIM pour MY oil in the car, then left... and NEVER went back.