Anyone With Corolla/Camary Insight?

[Hepar]

A friend of mine's car just died and she's now in a bit of a pickle for a new car. Her budget is something under $3,500. She's been looking at late 90's to early 2000's Toyota Camarys and Corollas. I'm not super familiar with either. Does anyone here know much about them? Things to look for and things to avoid?

Thanks!

 

[Hepar]

Does the 3.0l 3VZ-FE have the same head gasket issues as the 3VZ-F?

 

[DannyLlama]

I have an '02 Camry, 165k miles.
My neighbor has '02 Camry, 250k miles.
My buddy worked at hurts and said that was one of the more solid year of Camry's.

My sister also had an 05 Corolla, she totaled it but it was running like new at 150k.

I would recommend either year and model.

The only 2 issues that I know of for both is, for the Camry, the throttle body will get clogged and eventually choke up to where it will turn off on idle. A buddy at work helped me take it apart and clean it with a special solution and that's about it.

For the corolla, the 05's had a computer recall.


Hope this helps

 

[SV_Dude]

[MENTION=75090]Footofgod[/MENTION] has one. Maybe he can give some pointers.

 

[Swimmerboy2112]

Does the 3.0l 3VZ-FE have the same head gasket issues as the 3VZ-F?

Former toyota tech here, nope no headgasket issues. Only thing that seems to go on these is the charcoal canister but they aren't too expensive and are easily replaceable.

 

[eddiebx]

A friend of mine's car just died and she's now in a bit of a pickle for a new car. Her budget is something under $3,500. She's been looking at late 90's to early 2000's Toyota Camarys and Corollas. I'm not super familiar with either. Does anyone here know much about them? Things to look for and things to avoid?

Thanks!

I think the late 90s 4-cyl camrys had some kind of oil sludging issue? It could be due to poor maintenance more so than an actual issue though, but I remember getting a TSB or some sort in the mail for my dad a long time ago. My dad has a 99' and other than that "issue" it's been a pretty good trooper. ~250k+ and still ticking along just fine. Those older ones are pretty simple vehicles and don't have too much issues to hide. I think if you brought any potential candidate to a mechanic for a thorough visual inspection you should be in good shape.

 

[Hepar]

Thanks guys. Appreciate all the tips!

 

[TheeMikeB]

Keep in mind there were years that had timing chain and timing belt... only stating to make sure if it's a belt year to make sure it's been replaced as part of maint.

Does my vehicle have a timing belt or timing chain?

I bought a used 06 corolla last year for a commuter car for my wife, gets 38mpg. She was driving our Infiniti G35 at like 24mpg on premium. Paid for itself in a few months. Not the best looking car on the road but it gets the job done and it's surprisingly roomy for a small car.

 

[02SE]

In acknowledgment of this site's new-found effort towards correct spelling, I feel compelled to point out an error.

There is only one "a" in Camry, you idiot!
















:evil:



A website that talks about the 'Toyota sludge issue': Toyota Sludge Zone

I felt then, and still believe that at least some of the sludge issues were caused by poor, or in some cases a complete lack of maintenance. People would buy a Toyota for it's legendary reliability, and then never bothered with periodic maintenance.

I saw this in several instances, just in my own circle of Family, Friends and acquaintances.

 

[Footofgod]

Bought mine for $200 of a teenage idiot who ran her with a cracked radiator and blew the head gasket. Replace the head and a bunch of other things for $700. Be driving her for 6 months now with no complaints. It doesn't burn oil, shifts and runs smooth. Just took it to KS and back. I fully expect to get 150,000 more miles on it with 190,000 on it now. If the engine blows, I'll build it again and give it to one of my kids.

 

[Footofgod]

Forgot to mention that mine is a 2001. The original plan was to flip it, but loved it so much I kept it. The average on CL for around $4-6k.

 

[Jumpkix]

I have a 1999 Camry with only 107K, but it's been a great car. I bought it a year ago for $4300 off CL which was an excellent deal at the time. The 4 cylinder 5S-FE engine has an outstanding reputation for reliability, as long as you pay particular attention to 2 maintenance items: oil changes and timing belt/water pump. I did a lot of research prior to buying this car, so I can give you a few pieces of advice.

First off, avoid the 6 cylinder engines. They do not have the longevity or reliability of the 4 cylinder ones. This is true for late 90's models, but I cannot speak for newer ones. Second, find out if the timing belt/water pump have been replaced. This is supposed to be done every 90K miles, and costs approx. $800 in this area. If this hasn't been done, be sure to take it into consideration in their asking price. Most late 90's Camrys in good condition around here can go anywhere from $2000-$5500 depending on mileage.

Overall, these are great commuter cars that will last for a very long time if you take care of them. Just be patient and keep watching CL for a good deal to pop up. Good luck and happy hunting!