1999 Toyota Camry LE from North America - Comments

I own a 99 Camry that I bought in 1999 with 8k miles on it. This car is a beast, and everyone who is complaining are either getting talked into repairs they didn't need or abused the car then said "what? It's a Toyota, it's not suppose to break!!"

In 10 years I have done 2 brake jobs, 1 timing belt. I ran over a unseen speed bump with a pothole on the other side and knocked my engine around 90k. I believe that sent the waterpump into the side of the engine and caused it to be replaced again. That was my fault. It still runs fine, and over 10 years I only fixed what was listed. That isn't bad at all.

I own a 2001 Toyota Camry Solara, SLE V6, purchased new in May of 2001. It has 37,000 miles on it (I retired in 2005 and haven't driven it much in any year since.) In 2006 (at 29,000 miles), after having the air filter replaced at a local garage, I got a "check engine" light. I've puzzled over the reason(s) for this light ever since. (In my state, PA, a car is emissions exempt if it is driven less than 5,000 miles a year.) So I wasn't pressured into any costly, immediate repair as I believe so many have been.

I bought a scanner and found I too had the PO446 code, so common to Toyotas, that I've read about here and on numerous other web sites. I replaced the gasket on the gas cap, cleared the code, and it came back a few days later. I checked around the air filter housing, found a hose that seemed loose, reattached it tightly and cleared the code. The light was back on, PO446, within a week.

I had a smoke test done ($60) and was told it was the charcoal canister. It needed replacing (about $400.00 parts, labor and tax). I have not yet had this done for fear it won't actually resolve the problem and I'll be out the money invested.

Recently, on another website, I read that there are two Technical Bulletins from Toyota (EGO 1001 & EGO 1301R) indicating that the light may come on due to a misprogramming of the Engine Control Module (ECM). If that's the case, no repair will resolve the issue until the ECM is reprogrammed.

What is causing the failure of this system so consistently?

It seems to me the problem with the EVAC system on Toyotas needs to be addressed by the manufacturer. Perhaps if everyone who experiences this problem calls Toyota to complain, Toyota may be willing to resolve it. Perhaps it needs to be reported to the EPA as well.

Until this fault is corrected, there will be no more Toyotas for me.