2004 Toyota Camry SE 3.3L from North America

Summary:

Valves broken at 75333 miles

Faults:

Valve train on the number one cylinder broke without reason. The car was well serviced and taken care of. Regular maintenance was done per the book.

Very surprised at this failure, as the Toyota name goes with quality, especially the Camry.

With only 75333 miles on it, my mechanic was simply stunned, as was I.

Toyota was no help, and was unconcerned with my request for a failure analysis on the engine.

I have bought my last Camry. I will stick to the Honda Accord.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 8th October, 2008

4th Jul 2011, 09:16

Camry 3.3??? Where did you come up with that??? The V6 ones are 3.0L!

5th Jul 2011, 15:10

I'm sorry you got taken by ad hype. 2004 was the year that Toyota really started declining in quality. I'm sure yours probably has the exhaust system dragging on the ground, just like every 2004-2006 Camry I see. Toyota was too cheap to put a proper bracket on these cars to hold the exhaust, and after a couple of months they end up on the ground. This was also about the time the quality control started going down on the car's mechanical components as well. There was engine sludging and a number of other very serious issues.

Always do some research before buying any car based on ad hype. Much of what you read in ads can be very misleading. Toyota has an ad out now saying they are the "best selling cars"...and that is true in the WORLD market, but in the U.S. GM outsells them 2 to 1. Even Chrysler outsells them in the U.S. In fact in June 2011 Kia/Hyundai outsold Toyota 2 to 1 in the U.S.

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2004 Toyota Camry XLE V6 from North America

Summary:

Best car I've owned so far!

Faults:

I have NOT had ONE problem whatsoever with this car except for a recall that was completed in 2006.

General Comments:

I have NOT had ONE problem whatsoever with this car except for a recall that was completed in 2006. I'm not a Toyota fan-boy, and I have owned three different GM cars (GMC, Pontiac, Olds), and one ford before this vehicle. This car is the best automotive investment I have made so far. My only disappointment is the engine is a little wimpy for a V6, you might as well go with the 4 cyl. Only service so far I have done is oil changes and brakes/periodic maintenance. A+ car!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st June, 2008

27th Nov 2009, 17:48

Any updates since then? Still in love with the car?

How good is it on gas?

2004 Toyota Camry LE V6 from North America

Summary:

They once were good cars

Faults:

Too much to list. It was in the shop more than on the road. The car had numerous problems with the transmission. The dealer was not helpful and it never drove right.

The computer had to be repaired several times because of stalling.

We had electrical problems and problems with the air conditioning.

It was very slow for a V-6, but dealer insisted that was normal as it was not a sports car.

Interior trim work came loose twice, but was repaired because it was under warranty then. It was much worse than our previous Camry. We won't be buying another.

We traded this one for a 2008 Ford Fusion in October of 2007. It seems to be a much better built car thus far. Considering that the Camry was in the shop 5 times in the first 4 months, I know the Fusion is better thus far.

General Comments:

The car was comfortable and got good gas mileage. Other than that it was slow, leaned badly in corners, had numerous rattles after about 30,000 miles and seemed to eat brake linings like a kid eats candy.

Our previous Camry was much better, though it was also very slow and under powered.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 28th January, 2008

28th Jan 2008, 22:43

Thank you for yet another HONEST Camry review. I congratulate you for being smart enough to trade it for a reliable, well built car like the Fusion. I've test driven the Fusion and the Camry with the (alleged) 270 horsepower V-6. The new Camry is much faster than the older models, but still not as fast as the V-6 Fusion, and it is much more cheaply made. The styling is better than before, but still a long way from sporty or distinctive. It's still an appliance. The Fusion is a real car.