1998 Toyota Camry LE review from North America
"Good car with some pesky problems"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Front driver and passenger side door handles have become loose.
Dashboard rattles.
Brakes won't stop squeaking.
Windshield wipers squeak all the time.
Transmission has started jolting while accelerating in 4th gear.
Front driver's speaker is shot (I don't listen to loud music either)
General comments?
I have fairly good feelings about my Camry. It is a very smooth, quiet and reliable car. The car is the perfect size; not too big and not too small. The best aspect of the car is perhaps the perfectly designed dashboard and instrument cluster, which is the most proper instrumentation of any car on the road.
The car is peppy and fuel efficient (22 city/ 32 hwy/ 25 mix). The 4 cylinder engine gets the job done with a fair amount of ease. The acceleration is often fairly slow, but passing power is almost always great and torque is more than sufficient.
The car is comfortable and quiet. The interior is soft and cozy. I however do not care much for the exterior styling of the car.
My problems with the car are fairly sporadic and usually just a superficial nuisance. The squeaky breaks, dash and wipers do however drive me quite crazy at times!
After going to 3 local dealers, I have come to the conclusion that I hate them all. While they all claim to be doing their best, I can assure everyone that Toyota dealers just like to hose you and make you wait for your car as if it were some type of gracious present that they are giving back to you.
The stereo system is very good providing rich surround sound, but my driver's speaker now rattles and waves in and out. I don't listen to music very loud nor do I listen to bass heavy music so I have to say that it is certainly a problem with the quality of the speaker.
Finally, though I don't know what is really wrong, I suspect that my transmission is either leaking fluid or it is slipping because my car is jolting when I accelerate in 4th gear.
That is all.
Recommended reviews
| 1998 - Camry CE 2.2 4 cylinder A competent conventional sedan |
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| Great for a family, or for a college student |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1998 |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.2 Liter 4 Cylinder Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 47 miles |
| Most recent distance | 53400 miles |
| Date of Entry | 16th March, 2003 |