1992 Toyota Camry LE from North America - Comments

This has been the worst car I have ever owned.

My head gasket went TWICE at 50,000 miles and 90,000 miles.

The timing belt was replaced by the local dealer and snapped while on a vacation. ARGH!!

The automatic transmission failed once under warranty and again at 75,000 miles.

The power windows broke on each front door and once the drivers window crashed to the ground and broke upon impact.

The C/V joints were replaced at 100,000 miles.

The a/c quit at 100,000 miles.

I cannot tell you in words how much I hated this car.

I may have caught a "bad" one, but there is no excuse for such crappy workmanship, especially from a company that is "worshiped" by many, if you will.

I actually feel bad for the person who gets it (I traded it in because I was ashamed to sell it to anyone I knew). The icing on the cake was when the transmission, for the third time, started to slip again. I refused to put another dime into that car and traded it at my local Honda dealer. Four Accords and NEVER the problems I had with that Toyota. I give my autos meticulous care, and do not expect the problems like the ones I experienced with that Camry.

I even e-mailed Consumer Reports to let them know that their precious Camry was not a joy to own for eight years, like they lead everyone to believe.

Well, I guess you can say I was unhappy with that car. I guess anyone can build a lemon.

I do think you got a lemon. I have a '92 Camry XLE, am the second owner of it after purchasing it from my boss at 216,000 miles. It now has 252,000 miles on it and it's still going strong, with no real problems other than shocks, brakes and tune-ups. I think there are good ones and bad ones in every make and model.

The Toyota Camry is not one of, but the worst car put together mechanically. Toyota has managed to make low level maintenance as easy as an engine rebuild and somehow managed to enable systems like rear disc brakes to not work properly.

And to anyone who might think that I bought a lemon, lets say mine is. Even though this is impossible because anyone trying to do the same maintenance I am will have to jump through the same hoops... Toyota has managed to design every 4 and 6 cylinder car ('97 through '02) with an oil sludge problem that will affect engine life.

Nice motoring Toyota.

For the record, I don't own the Camry I service. It's my mother-in-laws.

Figures.

I own a Honda. Beautiful machine.

We have a 92 Camry LE 4 cyl automatic that has been well cared for. We bought it from an acquaintance at about 24,000 miles. It is still beautiful, and all the accessories work, but the engine or transmission have a bad problem. The original transmission was replace, just past warranty. Now the car "misses, slips, or jerks", depending on your point of view, after getting up to speed. It is so intermittent, that it may not do it for a couple of days, or it may do it on the way to town (5 miles). I drive it round trip to work (10 miles per day) and I could live with it. However, we want to sell it and an older Chev truck we own, and get a newer pickup to reduce our vehicle count. We cannot sell it this way to a private party, even feel badly about trading it in. Our mechanic has tried everything, it passes all the tests. Another mechanic says its the transmission (again). We were told we should have bought one made in Japan. Now we know.

Max & Sue.

I've had a 92 (sv21) camry for 2 years. when its good its great, but servicing is expensive. had some big probs with this car. radiator blockage caused cylinder head to crack. full top end rebuild. head gasket, vrs set, water pump, timing belts etc. 2.6 g to fix. next time probably buy a 6cyl...

Well this is news to me, I'm very sorry to hear that you people have such problems with these car after all it does sound like you have received lemons, but I don't see many comments so that must be the good side. Well to start out I have own a 1990 mazda mx-6 same as a ford probe which the engine blew so I replaced it after that the tranny went lost cause, well I thought since theres so many ford taurus they must be good well found out the hard way engine blew also tranny slipping to. So for a while I had a Suzuki swift one of the best cars I owned ran forever I sold it because the wife bought a new car a gave me the 98 chevy Cav big mistake, first let give some info while she drove it blew a ECU within 40,000 miles not good 60,000 miles blew the ABS system even worst then when I got I drove it up to 97,000 miles blew a head gasket the worst which I should have known it was gonna happen those Cavs are known for that. WEll anyway I bought a 94 toyota camry le 4 cyl one of the best cars I have owned little to no maintenance needed also the wife took it out to take the dog to get treatment and got into a wreck well I was able to start it up no problem at all and drive it home even though the strut was damaged really bad and didn't turn or keep straight right and the headlights and bumper and fender was tore apart this car is now being put back together at my house it has over 110,000 miles and I'm so sure Ill get another from it, also I own a honda and it runs also like a dream.

Tom M.

I have owned many cars, GM, Ford, Honda, Nissan, Jeep and Toyota. The best car I have owned, I still drive. It is a 1992 Camry LE with 200,000 miles. I have owned it for 11 years and have hardly had to do any repairs to it. My wife and I have always had two cars, the Camry and the revolving door of unreliable cars. Aside from Camry, the only other cars that I have owned that were reliable were a Toyota Celica, Nissan 240 SX and Honda Passport. I am sorry that you had a bad experience, but for me Toyota is the best.

My 1992 Camry LE is just about to break 300,000, and is still going strong. We have replaced the timing belt 3 times (about every 80,000 miles), the water pump once, and did the CV Joints a couple times, but I consider that acceptable if the car can get me to 300k. Otherwise brakes, tires, and oil were the only maintenance necessary for this car. This has been the best car I have ever owned. Because of this car (and a 1991 Nissan Sentra that is now on it's last legs) I have not had a car payment for 10 years. I cannot say enough good things about Toyota.

Bought used 92 camry with 85k miles on it 8 years ago, now has 163k miles... repairs did was replaced cv boots 2x, rear shocks replaced, replaced ignition coil, replaced timing belt at 130k (did not replaced water pump) and valve cover gasket, just recently replaced radiator due to leak. off course brake pads and rotors. other than that car still running strong.

You bought a bad one. I own a 1992 Camry LE and it is the best car I have ever had. Right at this point, it has 487,000 and it runs smooth as a bird.

Mike.

I have a 1992 Camry LE, my parents gave it to me when I turned 16. I am now 19 and I have never had one problem with the car so far. I admit that although that I am getting a new car soon and I am not getting another Toyota (for the fact they cost too much) I do love this car. The only thing that ever happened to the car was that the air conditioner doesn't work, and the back window does not work anymore. It all has to do with the person that is driving them.

I have a 1992 Toyota Camry. I bought it used and it has been a pretty good car. The air conditioner went out a couple of days after I got it. My sister and my daughter have also owned 92 Camry's and the air conditioner went out on theirs. Could the air conditioners be faulty and perhaps recalled without our knowledge?

After having a series of lemon cars that were in the shop more than on the road, my dad gave me his Camry. This car is the most reliable vehicle I have owned. Previous cars were an MG Midget, Chevy Fiero, and a VW Bug.

I will admit it's a big car, but the engine is awesome. I have replaced the radiator and brake work, but for a car that has 129,000 miles on it... no complaints for sure.

After reading some of reviews, I do think that the window motors are weak and don't last for longer than 10 years, and if you roll the window up and down a lot, they burn out faster.

I have already replaced one rear window and the front two are going as well. It has had some body work on it, and I think the used parts that were used, the window motors came from some over used other Camry's.

Mine was made in Japan, so I don't know if the quality there is different than in the states but I never worry about driving home late at night with my Camry. Be good to your car and it should be good to you.

My '92 Camry has 220,000 on it, I replaced the ignition coil and distributor after 160k, besides that, just my CV joints and it's running strong! I will definitely buy another one!

I have a '92 Toyota Camry with 405,000kms on it and it still looks and drives great. Basic maintenance and wear items like brakes, CV axles, water pump, timing belts, but nothing that you shouldn't expect to replace over 17 years. This is the most reliable, well built car I have ever had!

I owned a 92 Camry and I loved the thing to death. It was recently totaled by a drunk driver, but I am definitely shopping for another.

I agree with the above post about the window motors; I had one die on me, which was somewhat costly.

The only major repairs I have had done are with the doors; the driver's door stopped opening one day in the cold of winter, which was annoying.

Otherwise I kept good care of it; oil, CV axles, tires and spark plugs/wires kept the thing running for the good 8 years it was in my family.