1998 Toyota Camry LE from North America - Comments

Driver side power window motor/regulator went bad at around 77,000 miles, but extended warranty picked up most of the $465.00 repair cost. I paid a $50.00 deductible.

Driver side power mirror will not move down or in and was probably damaged from all of the winter ice we had this year. probably not going to repair it since I rarely need to adjust my mirrors plus I can do it by hand if necessary.

The most impressive features of this car are the quiet, silky smooth and powerful 3.0 liter V6 engine and the 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes. I had a 1997 4 cylinder Camry prior to this one for about two months, but it was totaled in an accident. The difference in engines plus the front disc/rear drum to all disc brakes is like night and day. The brakes are extremely effective and powerful plus no rear wheel moan as is typical with rear drum Camry/Sienna brakes. Often times after I start the engine when it is warm I have to look at the tach on the dash to see if its running it is so smooth and quiet.

Merging onto the highway has never been a problem with this car. Stomp on the throttle and it moves. Power is a tad weak for a V6 from a start to about 25 mph, but comes on nicely after that. This is typical of modern higher reving gas engines where torque peaks at higher rpms than older cars with larger engine. Mileage isn't bad since I average about 24-25 in mostly rush hour stop and go driving. I have yet to measure gas mileage on an all out highway trip, but I'm sure I could approach 29 or 30 mpg. I do miss the 35-40 mpg of our previous 4 cylinder 5-speed Civic, but the Camry is much nicer to drive.

The transmission is smooth as well, but when coasting it is sensitive to lockup even if a bit of throttle is given. Not a big deal just a quirk.

The suspension is overly soft and driving on uneven pavement gives a wallowy ride reminiscent of my dad's mid-70's Lincolns and Cadillacs. Toyota could have firmed up the suspension more and not sacrificed ride quality too much. The car did have a front strut problem, so common to late 90's Camry's when we bought it, but I made the dealer repair it as a condition of our purchase and they did.

I have owned and driven several Toyota's including trucks, Camrys, Sienna's and Corollas and their seats need improvement. One should not have to opt for a top line model to get good seats. Interior room overall is good and the trunk room is fantastic for a mid-size car. I have packed an amazing amount of stuff in that trunk numerous times. Air-conditioning, heater and rear defrost work excellent and the A/C is powerful. My judge of a good A/C is if it causes pain it is effective.

Overall I have had good luck with this Camry as was expected considering my past experience with Toyota's. Some improvements could have been made, but I buy cars for reliable transportation. When I'm sitting in traffic as are most of my driving conditions I don't car how exciting the car is while going 40 mph with hundreds of other cars and trucks. I want reliability and good road manners.

As a fellow '98 LE V6 owner, your review is spot on. I never really thought I could grow attached to a Camry, but I have. I'm not sure I ever want to sell it!

I've owned six Celica's (73, 78, 79, 80, 81, 85) and three Camry's; '90, '99 and this 1998 6cyl LE. Bought the 1998 at 80k miles and have 110k miles on it 2 years later.

The worst Toyotas I've owned are the '98 and '99 Camry's, the 6 cylinder being the worst of all. The 99 is mainly my wife's car and doesn't get much mileage put on it, so it's holding up better, plus the 4 cyl is much better on gas, maintenance AND performance than the 6cyl. I've liked all the rest just fine, especially the 85 Celica and 90 Camry (the best).

The problems I've had with this Camry are numerous and also costly (I know I'll miss some) ; driver-side window motor (a common problem with late model Toys), O2 sensor, strut mounts, bushings, transmission slippage (not enough to repair but wasteful on gas), shift cable, and injector problems (also common to late model 6cyl Toys). What gives, are these things made in America now? Not to mention (but I will) the interior and seats seem like cheap imitations of a lower-priced GM car, same on the 99.

I sold the '90 Camry to my neighbor 2 years ago, and I have to look at it everyday in their driveway, still running like a tank; plush interior, O2 sensor, strut mounts, shift cable, injectors and window motors intact, with no other misc. electrical problems either. I'm gonna look for another early '90-92, or take the advice of my mechanics and check out a Honda.

To the commenter from June 8. You mentioned in your mostly negative review that the Camry 4 cylinder has better performance that the V6. How does an engine deficient by almost 60 hp and almost 70 ft-lbs. of torque make it better in the area of performance? It doesn't. You're very wrong. The V-6 walks all over the 4 cylinder and at minimal fuel cost.

I have not had nearly the number of engine problems that you have had, so maybe you bought someone else's set of problems.

I will agree and so will many others experienced in Toyota ownership that the older Japanese produced models were more robust and reliable, but they were also much less complex. My 1989 Toyota pickup was more reliable than all of my other vehicles put together, but it was made in Japan, definitely a factor, and it was very plain and simple.

Still, I along with most other Camry owners consider their '98's to be very good cars overall. I think you bought one of the odd lemons.