Faults:

Timing belt broke at about 195,000km

Two exhaust valves burnt out at 215,000km

Water was leaking through the wind screen during heavy rain.

General Comments:

The Camry was a pretty spacious and comfortable car to drive. I mainly used it to get to work and it did an excellent job. I also used it for the occasional weekend trip with the family, to give the "family car" a rest.

It was fairly well equipped for a 1984 car, with power mirrors, -windows and -steering, "kind of" central locking, air conditioning and mags. and even in 2002, when we bought the car, it was all still in working order. That's not always given in an 18 year old car.

The interior survived the first 18 years without any major blemishes, looked very well and the seats were still surprisingly comfortable.

The 2 litre 4 cylinder engine was a bit weak for a car of that size and overtaking could give you a bit of an adrenaline rush at times, when the oncoming traffic gets closer and closer, while you're not getting anywhere.

I only had two major problems with the car. The first was two burnt out exhaust valves at about 215,000km. I had all valves replaced that time in the hope to get some more life out of the engine. Unfortunately, this was not the case and around 220,000km, I suffered a broken piston ring and this time, I refused to pay a lot of money to get a 20 year old car fixed, so I gave it away for a carton of beer. If it ever got back on the road, I don't know.

All in all, it was a good car and apart from being underpowered and quite frankly being butt-ugly, there was nothing to criticise about it. If you can get your hands on one of the few decent looking models that are left and you don't need a high powered engine, go for it.

Faults:

Rust inn doors and front wings.

Heater broke down, easy to repair.

Handbrake-wire often broke.

Window crank-handle broke on both sides in front.

General Comments:

The car is quick and easy to drive. Faster inn acceleration than my present Audi 80 1,8

It never stopped running, but I had to give it up because of rust.

Otherwise it was a roomy and safe car to drive.

Faults:

Grey window tint has turned purple.

Clear coat is flaking.

Several patches of minor body rust.

Hood latches a bit low.

Hatch is hard to open.

Interior hatchback release handle is questionably functional.

Interior fuel door release lever does not work.

Pulls left.

Engine smokes.

Several oil leaks.

Replaced both electric radiator fans.

Replaced thermostat.

Radiator clogged.

Dash light dimmer knob shattered. (Flush mount style knob, plastic broke into slivers inside the dash)

Two speakers do not play.

Transmission slips.

Transmission shifts very slow (i.e. 8-10 second shifts)

Sometimes skips second gear. (sometimes not)

Drivers side power window does not work ($10 relay)

Power door locks do not lock. (Unlocks fine)

Center console lid hinge broken.

General Comments:

This car was extremely reliable, somewhat fast, and rather nice in its time, unfortunately at around 200,000 miles the other shoe fell. Since the 200K mark, everything has been meeting its doom on the vehicle. Some things are normal with age (i.e. thermostat, clear coat, tint changing) but others aren't quite so (radiator, dash knob, remote latch levers, transmission)

By the way, as a side note, this car comes equipped with the coolest thing ever. The drivers side door lock keyhole is lighted so you can lock and unlock your door at night.

I like the ECT (Electronic Controlled Transmission) With the Economy, Normal, and Power modes, it provides an owner with the option of suiting the car to their own preference, as opposed to having to buy a new car because the mileage isn't good enough, or because you want something faster, a person can press the button, and change the shift pattern of the transmission, and effectively modify the power band, and mileage of the car. The overdrive is also helpful on trips.

Unfortunately the cooling system has been a constant annoyance, as something or another always fails. Considering that the Japanese motor car engineers have a reputation for precision, it stands to say that the radiator was no exception. There is absolutely *no* more cooling than required. If one fan goes out, the other cannot keep the car from overheating. If the thermostat sticks, the bypass cannot flow enough coolant to keep the car from overheating. If the coolant is low, it will overheat, as opposed to running a bit hotter than usual like other vehicles I have driven. If a few of the radiator tubes get plugged, it will overheat. That is the biggest complaint I have about this vehicle, is that the cooling system was designed with no room to spare.

The transmission has also become a source of trouble, with very slow, sloppy shifts, it is difficult to keep the engine speed at a regular pace, and with the clutch-packs slipping, not much of the engine power is going to the wheels any more. Occasionally it will shift to second only long enough for the valve body to pressurize for third. Other times it stays in second as it should until the speed of the car is appropriate for third.

The body also seems to attract more rust than other vehicles. I'm not to sure about this one.

If, however, I catch it on a good day, and it shifts firm, and holds power, the car is relatively quick for its engine class.

The only other complaint I would have is a poor suspension system, the back end of the car is bouncy, and the tires squeal too easily going around corners.

But despite all this, It served very well for the first 200,000 miles, and I would expect a similar car with fewer miles to be a good investment to anyone looking for a low cost, reliable, very functional vehicle.