We recently took our car to the dealer for a re-call. We also asked the dealer to check out the radio since it gets " NO" AM stations at all and the FM stations are spotty at best. They told us the radio had "an internal problem" and needed replaced. They wanted $300 for the radio and $100 to put it in. Forget that. I went to Ebay bought one exactly like ours,said it had been tested and worked fine. Installed it myself and have the exact same problems with it as the other one. Whats the chances of this radio being bad too? I don't think my original radio is bad either now. I think it must be some kind of antenna problem,but don't know where to turn next. I read another post that said there is an antenna booster.Any suggestions for me? Need help

 

Others have complained thus could be a Toyota problem that they have not acknowledged.

Where is the antenna? If on window on some cars models the connection between the antenna cable and window antenna goes bad. Or could be something else. Perhaps there is a competent car stereo shop that can check the antenna circuit.

For amplifiers conduct an internet search on AM/FM radio antenna amplifier, they are common.

 

Well, upon further investigation,by yours truly, I have discovered there is NOTHING wrong with the radio. So..... i don't think the dealer even checked out the radio,they figured my wife would just pay the $400 for a new one. My buddy has an 08 camry and his radio is the exact same one that is in our car. Took the radio out of his car,installed MY RADIO in his car and "wa-lah" it works perfectly in his car. Thus, this tells me,dealer is a crook.and it's an antenna problem for sure now. Evidently there's some kind of short in the cable. Very strange,I discovered that if you have the antenna cable plugged all the way into the back of the radio,it doesn't work right,but,if you just have the cable barely into (about halfway) maybe, the channels come in clear. So... I have rigged it up with duct tape to make it stay in that half way position and so far it has been fine after a week now,go figure. Duct tape,worlds greatest problem solver.

 

Good find on the cause, thanks for posting back.

If the radio acts up again might look into installing a new plug connection on the antenna cable.

Unfortunately customers do get fleeced on car repairs and not just at a dealer. That free tire rotation offer can become hundreds in urgently needed repairs allowing the shop owner to make this months boat payment on the profit.