1998 Toyota Camry LX review from North America
"A few minor problems, and one not so minor"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Brakes started grumbling when applied. I thought it was the anti-lock brakes, but it turned out a thorough cleaning of the rear brakes fixed the problem.
Rear cup holder lasted about a year.
The throttle had a ‘catch’ in it due to a loosened throttle choke plate. This was rather exciting at times on starting from stop sign, as it wouldn’t release initially.
Ignition switch was replaced.
Periodically the trunk lock fails to work.
One design glitch is that there is not enough ground clearance under the front bumper. It rubs the concrete on normal height curbs.
The only failure of significance are the valve stem seals leaking, causing smoking for a few seconds on startup. Although I don’t know for a fact, I have read where the seals have been a problem with the 4-cyl engine. Dealer cost is nearly $1000 to replace.
General comments?
The pluses are the car is quiet and comfortable. Visibility is good. Fuel economy is very good for a car of this size, around 32-34 on the highway, 28-29 overall. 4 cylinder engine has adequate power for most driving, although when driving in the hills, the 6-cylinder would be a plus.
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|
| Average performance; AMAZING reliability |
| 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 | 2.4 liter 4 cylinder Automatic |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 7 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 94000 miles |
| Previous car | Honda Accord |
| Date of Entry | 20th June, 2003 |