Hi all, first time poster here... i've owned my (v6) 2000 camry for about ten years. many oil changes done over that time, and i could feel each time the drain plug becoming weaker and weaker. i had a big plastic washer on there for a few years that seemed to be a fix, but now it no longer stops a constant drip, like 15 or 20 seconds apart. i went on amazon to buy a new plug (and some different washers), but i think it most likely has to do with the hole's threads are stripped. i've seen fixes that they say try a bolt one step up in size, and i've seen fixes that say use a higher pitch count in threads by .25. amazon says my bolt should be 12m x 1.25 as stock (and i bought a new one just in case that works), has anyone tried the 14m x 1.25 to fix leaky drain plug problem? i'm reluctant to even entertain using a 12m x 1.5 on it as i'm pretty sure the pitch count ought to be the same or the problem will get much worse, but if anyone has had success doing that, please let me know.
this car is just a beater that i'm about done with as i bought a new car, and i'm garaging this one until i get it sold off after i'm sure the new car is reliable. any cheap good fix is what i'm looking for so as there's no oil leaking out that plug!
wish i could take the current bolt out for a picture, but i don't want to dump all that oil quite as of yet.

 

M12 X 1.25 for 4 cylinder.

A few options listed below:

oversize tap for stripped oil pan drain plug - Search Images (bing.com)

Stripped Oil Drain Plug Repair: The Two Permanent Fixes — Ricks Free Auto Repair Advice Ricks Free Auto Repair Advice | Car Repair Tips and How-To Advice

oversize tap for stripped oil pan drain plug - Search Images (bing.com)

Can also use pipe tape on the plug threads to fill in voids and snug up the plug.

A Timesert is a permanent fix but needs a tool kit.

The Dorman drain plug kit is used by oil change places.

 

thanks for the reply. yeah i forgot to mention it's a V6. amazon has messed this up in the past where i put a v6 in my garage and they said the wrong stuff fit my car, thinking i had a 4 cylinder.
is it possible the drain plug is different between the 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder versions of that car? i haven't received the new drain plug yet, which was ordered as the m12 x 1.25
but i see your other fixes and will look at them later today. thanks for the links!
(edit) i like the pipe tape fix. i think i'll try that first. i noticed just now that when the car is cooled down, the drip is really slow (way slower that when the oil is heated up), so that's good.

 

Vendors list the same size plug for both 4 and 6 cylinders.

Check Rockauto oil plug part listings for both V6 and 4-cylinder.

The issue is if the threads are stripped it will just get worse.

 

so it seems permatex worked (which is like a liquid plumber's tape). for now at least. i don't drive this car often anymore, so it just needs to work for the time i need it as a second car in a pinch. the new stock plug i bought on amazon was too loose (12m x 1.25), and the plug i had in there was a 1/2 inch that i guess several years back i made that change with no repercussions until now. i bought another 1/2 inch drain plug at advance, threads looked close in relationship to the current one, but i can't tell for sure. did a test to see if it would turn in, but it started getting hand tight about half way in... so i decided before i do real damage that may never be recovered from without one of the advanced fixes, i'd see how the permatex would work on the current plug, so i used the same 1/2 inch plug that was already in there with a new copper washer (thinner than the plastic washer i had originally) and some of the permatex smeared on the end. got it hand tight in the drain hole, then a touch with the ratchet. waited 5 hours, put oil in it to see if it would hold, and it did. waited 24 hours and started it up and ran it for 15 minutes, no drip as of yet. i guess time will tell.
this old car is likely going to a junk car dealer in a couple months. i doubt it'll be a sticking point with them as i'm only thinking i'm not going to be getting more than a few hundred dollars for it.

 

Permatex will work if the surfaces are clean, dry and it has time to cure say 24 hrs.