I've seen in several posts here & elsewhere on the internet, as well as in the automotive press, that there seem to be quality issues with recent year models of the Camry. Most of what I've seen seems to revolve around rattles/squeaks and/or misaligned interior pieces and auto trans performance. To read many articles, the bloom is off the rose.

I'm seriously considering an '09 XLE 4-cyl, but am concerned. Does anyone know if Toyota has or will be addressing these issues? Should these concerns be used as a "bargaining chip" in dealing with the dealer?

Thanks!

 

Not much info out there on the 2009 to make an opinion on quality issues.

Toyota has been attempting to produce as MANY cars as possible and as a result let quality dip. They appear to be addressing the issues as best they can. Often owner frustrations seem to come down to dealer warranty support on these complaints which ranges from excellant to poor, to go away.

Not sure if the trans shift issue was ever resolved on the 2006ish cars.

Remember too Toyota is making record number of cars and not all of them have issues.

Have never heard of anyone using these quality issues to lower sticker price on a new Camry. Guessing the dealer would pass on this tactic if your outright in your wanting a lower price. After all, you asking them to admit the Camry has quality issues.

Perhaps if said it as a concern, as in your just unsure of the asking price given what you have read about quality issues . . . Honda's don't seem to have these issues . . . . .

The dealer come back though may be to convince you to buy an extended warranty.

Price seems to come down to supply and demand, and the dealers need to move cars.

Suggest you review sites like www.toyotanation.com for specific problems on the 2006-8 Camry.

 

Thanks for the advice, but dear God, no! Not Toyotanation!! I posted a similar thing there, and was flamed and piled on by a bunch of defensive types. I'm simply probing for info here, but you'd think those folks thought I'd suggested the head of Toyota was Lucifer himself!

However, things like rattles & squeaks concern me more than mechanical issues, because I've NEVER had a dealer who can isolate/resolve those kinds of problems, with any type of car.

Trying to make as many cars as possible, at possible expense of overal quality, wouldn't be something I'd expect Toyota, or any Japanese maker, to do. That seems different from the way the Japanese are viewed to do business by us Westerners, but who knows?

Honda, on the other hand, I'm not so sure about. I really, really dislike the new Accord's looks both inside & out. They tend to be a bit noisier and slightly rougher-riding as well, which I don't want. Guess I'll take my chances. It just seems that until recently, one would never have even dreamed of saying such a thing regarding buying a Camry.

 

I may have read your post at Toyotanation, I post there often.

There are a few die hard "Toyota can do no wrong" members at Toyotanation, I assume they are young and naive. Still most members have balanced approach to Toyota and their products.

It appears Toyota management has adopted many of American business ways, one is gaining market share at any cost. A few others are: forgetting about the customer-as is blowing them off on warranty complaints, quality and poor dealer customer service.

The above issues and perhaps more have contributed to what is now a quality problem and unhappy customers. This has been coming for a LONG time, Toyota has been coasting on their past reputation. That is until all those recalls, etc hit the news.

Toyota factory workers in the US were so PO'D at management and apparently wage issues they were going on strike, not what sure what happened.

No, this is not indicative of the Japan way of business, being thinking long term, keeping the customer happy and taking care of the worker (although even in Japan the last part has changed).

Still Japan has their own problems, as does China. They must start seeing those $$ signs become infected with money madness.

I often wonder how companies who have been building the same decent product for years can seem to forget how to build them any more. I really think this newer style management never learns from their past mistakes, the only issue that matters is tomorrow and sales.

Perhaps this is too much of the MBA business school if thinking. All the older generation that worked their way up from the bottom to upper management have retired or been driven off. The new kids are in charge.

I suggest going back to Toyotanation and just reading posts for Camry, say years 2005 and up. Most people posting are doing so because they have a problem. By reading these you can get a handle on how things are going with the car, Toyota, Toyota dealership, customer service, etc.

I am not sure if I would by a new Toyota now. Most likey would shop for one a few years older and in the process save a few dollars. At least the issues with the year of car would be known.

 

Wow. Powerful stuff. What a shame, when one particular philosophy created superior products and customer loyalty, to kick that to the curb in search of more $$.

I'm afraid you're proabably right about it being more MBA business school thinking. Nobody seems to subscribe to the "make a better mousetrap" idea any more. So sad. Now, it's all about the bottom line, period.

A superior product, with satisfied customers, will pay the bills just fine. Why tinker?

 

The issues with the new model are seemingly being attended to. The trans shift issue is due to the new WS Trans fluid used in the new transmissions. The fluid was designed to allow tighter tolerances. The fluid has to be at an exact level and the ECT has to try to adapt to thefluctuations. There have been ECT calibrations for almost every model using this new fluid. Its not an issue of manufacturing so much as R&D. Each year willbe better the last.

The interior squeaks/rattles are being attended to as fast as possible. New design clips and foam padding are being warranteed on 06-08 models and put on 09 models at the factory.

 

Do you have a website or other info on the WS fluid level issue, no doubt many owners would want to read this!

It would have been better if Toyota was a little more consistent and up front with their customer complaints at the dealer level. A lot of frustrated newer car owners were expecting the same Toyota quality in their new car as their old one.

 

I dontknow of any websites. This is just what i know from working on them. I'm a tech at Toyota of Greenville in SC. I work on my own cars so i dont know what the customers get told.The only explaination i can offer is that the service writers are so busy that they really dont have the time to explain the exact inner workings of the transmission and ect control, and how fluidic expansion affects both. Can you imagine trying to go through that advanced process withcustomersthat most of the time dont even know why they should rotate their tires?

 

Yes, true for customers who only know where to fill the gas tank. Still, many auto-educated owners stated they get the brush off from the dealer when asked what is going on. Most would appreciate knowing what the issue was and once known would most likely drop the issue, stop asking at ever opportunity and stop complaining.

A better explanation to those owners who really want to understand would be a win/win for both the owner (who now thinks there concerns are recognized and understands the problem) and Toyota (who would be getting less bad press by frustrated owners).

 

Thats very true. Unfortunately the service writers dont always understand either. The customers that are auto-educated are so outnumbered by the others that service writers have a tendancyto pass them over thinkingthey dont know anything. I think the responsibility then falls on the customer to keep asking until they get a proper explanation even if it requires getting the technician to go over it with them. Unfortunately most of these customers arent vocal about wanting to know whats going on until they get onto a public forum. By that point it just comes out as overgeneralized complaining about the whole company.