2003 Toyota Camry CDX 3.0 V6 petrol from UK and Ireland
Summary:
Still a favourite
Faults:
Wear and tear parts replaced over the years. No major problems.
Tiny oil leak from somewhere, haven't figured it out where it's coming from but it's not causing an issue; I rarely if ever have to top up the oil, even though the engine has seen a lot of mileage.
Rust is becoming an issue however, but it is over 20 years old!
Oh and the A/C stopped working long ago, never bothered to repair. Leather seats also looking worn now.
General Comments:
What can I say about the Camry that has not already been said on here in hundreds of other reviews? Probably not much, but the reason people like these cars is simple - they are reliable and durable and there are not many cars made today that will hold up like this car has in over 20 years. I love 1990s / early 2000s Toyota.
The car is smooth to drive and the interior is very comfortable. 3.0 V6 is fast when you need it, not very economical by today's standard however.
I quite like how it looks, with light grey paintwork and alloy wheels.
I'll keep it so long as it keeps going! The engine is noisier now but no apparent issues. I never missed an oil change, but believe it or not I don't think the previous owner cared for it too much, certainly not as much as I have.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 19th August, 2025
1st Aug 2010, 22:27
"We are looking again because my 20 YO is getting this Camry now, but I'm afraid to get another car because this one has been so perfect."
It sounds like you would be interested in the contents of a website named TrueDelta. It gives odds that a car you buy would be a lemon (more than 3 repairs per year) or likely would be 0 repairs per year. To see those results though you need to sign up with your vehicle information, as that is how they collect the statistics. These kinds of statistics are quite different than the type reported by Consumer Reports for instance.
If you are like most Camry owners I know, I think you will be surprised to learn that there are many other makes of vehicles that have similar or better reliability to the Camry. It does seem to be true that the new Camries are not quite as good as the old ones, although they are still good, with the four cylinder ones being better than the six cylinder ones.