Toyota Recalling Camry

The newest edition of the Toyota Camry is being recalled for a problem with the transmission. The problem, Toyota says, involved only a half-percent of Camrys built thus far for the 2007 model year. The new six-speed automatic transmission could lose second and sixth gear during operation. Toyota told Reuters the vehicle still will operate even if the gears are lost, and that the problem usually happens within the first 500 miles of use.

Thoots is not going to be happy :thumbsdow poor guy fixed his rattles to start worrying about transmission problems :paranoid:

I thought this recall was for the V6 models and thoots has an I4 :dunno:

Thoots is not going to be happy :thumbsdow poor guy fixed his rattles to start worrying about transmission problems :paranoid:

You can run but you can't hide :D

Listen for gun shots...... :lmao: Somebody might want to check up on him :)

Toyota Recalling Camry

The newest edition of the Toyota Camry is being recalled for a problem with the transmission. The problem, Toyota says, involved only a half-percent of Camrys built thus far for the 2007 model year. The new six-speed automatic transmission could lose second and sixth gear during operation. Toyota told Reuters the vehicle still will operate even if the gears are lost, and that the problem usually happens within the first 500 miles of use.

This is why I have a manual.....

I thought this recall was for the V6 models and thoots has an I4 :dunno:

Got that right! I learned from my Honda experience: No first-year transmissions! My Camry is indeed a four-cylinder with the five-speed transmission -- the V6 Camry has both a new (to the Camry line, at least) engine and a new six-speed auto transmission. (No manuals for the V6 Camry, period.)

So, basically, I have a "made in Japan" car with a drivetrain that they've used for at least a few years, and the Camry V6 cars in question are supposedly 160 "made in Kentucky" cars with the new transmission. Given how Toyota is saying "160 cars," it sounds like they've narrowed it down to one batch of transmissions or something like that.

Just like I did in here, I keep telling the Toyota folks that the I4 has PLENTY of power -- why on Earth pay more and more and more and more for the V6?? :)

But, obviously, people there paid just as much attention to me as they did here -- dang "gotta have a hemi innit" (V6 version) people!!! :D

No worries, I'm tooling along just fine!

http://home.comcast.net/~thoots2/camry65.jpg

:)

Maybe Toyota tried copying Honda a bit too much... :dunno:

Maybe Toyota tried copying Honda a bit too much... :dunno:

Actually, not really. And, it's not really a "recall," either. Toyota is working with the supposed 160 car owners, and offering stuff like their platinum extended warranty for free, a loaner vehicle delivered to the owners' homes, payment of the owners' car payments until the repaired car is returned, and so on. And if they don't want that, there is talk of, yes, swapping the car for an entirely different, new one.

Supposedly, the problem is caused by a fastener within the transmission becoming loose, and Toyota has changed its production process to ensure the problem doesn't happen again. So, this is a "production problem," whereas the Honda problem was more of a "design issue" with the transmission, wouldn't you call it that?

The main thing I can say about my experiences with the five-speed auto transmissions is that I virtually never felt the Honda shift at all. Like, for instance, "punching it" when going up a freeway onramp, I never felt the Honda downshift, but I can definitely feel the Toyota downshift under the same conditions. So, the Toyota has a bit of a "firmer shift" to it than the Honda did.

So, my impression is that the two transmissions are pretty wildly different -- the Toyota probably being far more "conventional" than the Honda, which is pretty unique as transmissions go....

Feeling the tranny shift is probably why Toyota transmissions have been lasting much longer. It seems counterintuitive but think about how rough it is on the tranny when you're driving a stick in traffic...but they hardly ever fail.

Thoots, I like the color of your Camry ALOT. The design in my opinion is still unispiring, and reviewers still say the Camry doesn't hold up to the handling abilities of it's competitors. Although as long as your happy I think that's what counts. Too bad you couldn't get the Hybrid one. Our next car hopefully can be a hybrid! (Come on Honda, next generation Pilot and Accord, please?) Congrats on your purchase, and may there be no recalls in your future!

Happy Posting,
Karen

So, my impression is that the two transmissions are pretty wildly different -- the Toyota probably being far more "conventional" than the Honda, which is pretty unique as transmissions go....

I read somewhere that Honda's approach to auto-trans design was different than most. Honda auto-trans some how mimic the way a manual transmission operates. Something about how the clutch packs are arranged and engage.

You wouldn't think, but an auto transmission that shifts with a little more 'thump' typically will last *longer* than one that shiftly ultra smoothly. This may change with newer designs but essentially a firm shift means a quick engagement of the clutch packs. A softer shift means the clutch packs slip a little to give a more subtle engagement. The slipping means a fraction more wear which ultimately could mean sooner rebuild of the unit.

I agree that Honda's issue was a design issue. The 2nd gear just wasn't getting any oil under light loads. If a fastener simply wasn't installed correctly in the Camry's unit, that's more process/production - unless a piece needs to be changed to correct it.

Thoots, I like the color of your Camry ALOT. The design in my opinion is still unispiring, and reviewers still say the Camry doesn't hold up to the handling abilities of it's competitors. Although as long as your happy I think that's what counts. Too bad you couldn't get the Hybrid one. Our next car hopefully can be a hybrid! (Come on Honda, next generation Pilot and Accord, please?) Congrats on your purchase, and may there be no recalls in your future!

Karen,

Yep, I like the color, and I like the styling quite a bit. The nose, well, "you can't have everything," but at least it's interesting and there is some style to it, whether you like it or not. :)

I couldn't disagree with the "it can't handle" viewpoint more, after driving the car. And, actually, most of the magazines have mentioned a noticeable improvement in handling, clear across the line. But, back to my experience, and this is the XLE -- the luxo-boat soft-rider. Indeed, it has a comfortable ride that is MILES more comfortable than my 2004 EX-L coupe was, which tended to dispatch every little road imperfection directly into the cabin.

But, I am ABSOLUTELY, TOTALLY, ONE-HUNDRED PER-CENT as happy with the XLE's handling as I was with the Accord coupe's handling. I've gone through the mountain twisties at speed, and the feeling that comes most to mind is "on rails" or "planted" -- I went through twisties without slowing, without drama, and with a fine sense of being completely in control of the car. I've also had a chance to pass a few cars on the open road, and it zipped right up to passing speed in an instant. All I can tell you is that this Camry XLE doesn't take a back seat to my Accord coupe in terms of handing or acceleration -- not one bit. Of course, both cars are I4's, so I'm not talking about the V6 in either case. But, again, the thing I've been most pleasantly surprised with has been the Camry's handling ability -- as good, and perhaps even better than the Accord coupe, where I felt more like I was "hanging on for dear life" around some twisties compared to how the Camry went through them like it was "on rails."

Can't say I'm a hybrid fan, though -- oh, I'm into getting good gas mileage, but I just think that a hybrid is going to have much more costly maintenance, if you keep it long enough to have to play with the electrics and batteries in it. I guess I'd have to see MUCH better mileage than they're getting now, along with less of "higher purchase price," before I'd bite on one. But, that's me, and most of the folks I know who've gone the hybrid route seem to be very, very happy with them.... :)

And, indeed, let's have no recalls, problems, or rattles in our future! :D

http://home.comcast.net/~thoots2/camry64.jpg

:)

Thoots,

Just out of curiousity, how is the Carmey holding up? Any mileage figures?

The recall is for Lexus ES350's as well.. The techs are mad, because they have to take out the transmission, and also drain ALL tranny fluid from it and then send it back to toyota when the new one arrives.. pretty fun

That sucks....*sounds like Honda....

I like the new ES350 and the IS350. Both different, but sweet rides...
Lexus needs an MT though....

Thoots,

Just out of curiousity, how is the Carmey holding up? Any mileage figures?

I'm still happy with the Camry, though mileage hasn't been anything to write home about -- pretty much holding at the low end of the rated EPA mileage, 24 MPG. But, some combination of high gas prices and "you know, I've been running all over the place for the past few years -- let's just stay home this summer, shall we?" has kept me off of the highways to a very great extent pretty much since I bought the car. My commute is really-severe in-town driving -- two miles each way, all in stop-and-go driving. So close that I double the pain and drive home for lunch.

Highway driving has been limited to a few trips up to the big city, 50 miles away, and one trip to the coast, about an hour away. Bottom line, not one tank of gas hasn't had at least two weeks of in-town grinding in it, so I don't have many big numbers to mention. But, looking back at my mileage with the EX-L I4 coupe, both cars are right around the same mileage for this in-town stuff. So, I call it "very comparable to the Honda mileage."

Toyota is taking some heat for the transmission problems, which are all related to the new V6/6-speed automatic transmission drivetrain. I've got the tried and trusted I4/5-speed auto system, and I expect it to be rock-solid reliable. There's been some whining about "hesitation," probably due to the drive-by-wire electronic throttle system, and I've experienced a little bit of it, but from all I can tell, that's the nature of such systems. Nothing to whine about there, as far as I'm concerned.

The ride is very quiet, and the JBL premium sound system is absolutely excellent. I've had one big thing you might consider to be a "rattle" -- the center console would "crackle" after the car warms up on the hot days, and then you jump in and turn the air conditioning on at full blast. It would "crackle" until those panels cooled down, and then it'd all stop. Most of these pieces just pop right off, and a few of those "felt dots" took pretty good care of that, though -- about a five-minute fix. Otherwise, it's been a very quiet, smooth ride.

There are a number of neat little things about the car I enjoy -- easy access to the headlight bulbs being one of them, so I could install some PIAA low beams for some whiter lights. Then, I have pretty good control over the lighting -- I can turn the DRL's off (yes, there's an "off" setting -- cool!), or turn them on so that I use the lower-powered high beam DRL's during the day, instead of wasting the PIAA's. Or, of course, I can choose the PIAA low beams. Plus, the car has pretty powerful fog lights -- they use the same bulbs as the low beams. It's pretty neat to have all of those options available.

Other cool things are like the "multi-function display," which lets me see the odometer and the outside temperature at the same time, plus a bunch of options like the crusing range, MPG, and so on. Plus a few options to see the odometer and/or the two trip meters. Again, it's just neat to have all of that info right at hand.

There are other "luxury" things that I'm glad to have -- the reclining rear seat is VERY nice -- dang, that's comfortable back there when you can sit back a bit like that. Plus, a sun screen I use every day at the office parking lot, an actual trunk lid lining cover that I was kind of miffed about not having with the old EX-L, and so on.

So, it's got the smooth, quiet ride that I really wanted more than the EX-L coupe's rather harsher ride. But, it still handles pretty well, too -- I don't consider it to be any lesser on that side than the EX-L coupe was. The Camry's wheelbase and track were both increased considerably with this generation, and it helps provide the smoother ride, but also makes for a really "planted" feeling out in the mountain twisties.

In the end, I'm happy I made the switch, though I ate some negative equity to do it, which of course is just stupid to do, financially. And I don't mind at all that I'm not piling on the miles right away -- I hope to drive the car for many, many years after I'm done paying for the dang thing, so it's fine to keep it on the "low mileage" end at this point! :)

http://home.comcast.net/~thoots2/camry124.jpg

Wow, thanks for the response. I asked b/c my mom is considering the Camry Hybrid. I just wanted your opinion of the car, and so far, it looks like you got a winner :thmsup:

Wow, thanks for the response. I asked b/c my mom is considering the Camry Hybrid. I just wanted your opinion of the car, and so far, it looks like you got a winner :thmsup:

You're welcome!

The Camry Hybrid forums I've checked have been almost laughingly empty -- generally with messages concerning stuff like the "smart key" system and the navigation system, with very little at all about the rest of the car itself. It appears that people are just very happy with the cars, getting great gas mileage with very little to whine about! :)

All in all, it sounds like a very good vehicle, with the hybrid system not only giving it a bit of power boost beyond the four-cylinder engine, but also very substantially better gas mileage. It sounds like a winner to me!