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Sedans Toyota Camry 2007 Toyota Camry Transmission Questions
851 messages, Last post on Nov 01, 2009 at 2:21 PM
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I hope I do not bore everyone with my long drawn out story. Hi my name is Jessica and I too am a 2007 4 cyl XLE Camry owner for the past 6 months. I have been following this forum for about 2 months and the first time I read it I thought, I'm not crazy. I am not the type to post on a forum and in fact this is my first time. I just felt compelled. In response to some comments.... most people do NOT take time out of there busy lives to complain about there vehicle for no reason. If they are like me hate to admit when they have made a bad choice. Just to give you a background where I am coming from. I work 2 jobs & am on a tight budget & need a reliable, quality, dependable vehicle. Hence my decision to purchase a new car, but not just any new car, the "CAR OF THE YEAR". So when I see someone implying that because the car cost $25K (which is a lot of money where I am from) it is ok that the transmission doesn't work like it should, it makes me feel disappointed and very frustrated. How can purchasing a new vehicle go so wrong. I can live with the cheap ratting interior. The smelly air conditioner. The chipping paint (all from a car that has yet to see a complete winter or a complete year of ownership). But a transmission that does not shift correctly. That is where I draw the line. And I REFUSE to make or accept excuses from toyota or anyone about why it is ok that is drives like crap. Because none of this is what envisioned/expected when I purchased this vehicle. Infact this is exactly what I thought I was avoiding. So with that said I am completely unhappy with the cars poor performance, thus far. Looking back my car has not shifted correctly since I first took ownership of it. First, at around 30-38 mph the transmission would flare up, causing the rpms to jump up to around 4k really quick & then drop back down (I had not yet exp. the 1-2 second hesitiation). I brought it in & they performed a TSB that flashed something. They gave me the line that the car would take awhile to learn my driving patterns. The TSB took care of that flaring problem, but then it started to hesitate. I push on the gas to accelerate from a stopped pos. & the car just idles forward for about 3 sec before acknowledging that I had pushed on the gas. Eventually it will bump up. This does not happen all the time (which is what scares me the most, because I cannot predict it). The car would also downshift for no reason when I was coasting at high speeds. Causing it to engine break. I brought it to the dealership last week & they performed another TSB that replaced the solenoid. When I drove the car home, I was so excited because it seemed to be fixed. That lasted for a couple of days. Now the car is so jerky. To describe the jerkiness...its like being in the car with a new driver that uses one foot to press on the gas & uses the other foot to press on the brake. I am not an agressive driver & like to gradually pick up speed, not possible with this car. Now after the "fix", its like you either go hard or you don't go at all. There is no in between. It feels like it is always shifting and never to the correct gear. I have also noticed that it is shifting rough/hard between gears. At times the rough shifting seems to escalate to a kick. It feels like its hitting something. It seems to happen most often when I am making a stop from a higher speed. Its going back to the dealership. I think my biggest fear/concern is what impact will all these software issues and excessive/unnecessary shifting have on the transmission and engine mechanically when the vehicle is out of warranty. I think they will eventually figure out how to correct these issues, but will it be to late? Toyota Corp. has made it quite clear that they are not going to be proactive & let the owner know that there are known issues with these earlier 2007 cars. To be honest I did not bring my vehicle in sooner because I thought I was imagining everything. The issues occur sporadically without warning & I have yet to figure out what specific conditions causes them to occur or how recreate them. Also, when I purchased a new Toyota ...I never expected transmission problems. It wasn't until I visited this forum & saw people were reading my mind that I brought it in. I feel dooped. I am paying for a camry but feels like I'm driving a KIA.....(kia probably drives better). Now I am driving a car that I am completely disappointed in & reminded everyday why. Yes, I could sell it & buy a different one, but I'd have to pay taxes again on $25K....what a waste!  I know the dealership is going to hate me and dam the day they sold me this car because I will keep returning the car until it is working like it should. I would like to thank everyone for there posts & copies of the TSB's...it has really been a huge help. I'm going to try some suggestions for when I return to the dealership (not like they don't already know).
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Replying to: nathan118 (Aug 14, 2007 6:19 pm) princebuster1 couldn't describe it better. It's exactly what I'm experiencing with my car - 2007 LE I4 build in april 2006. |
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Replying to: chuck28 (Aug 14, 2007 8:03 pm) I can't believe I am even thinking about trading in my brand new Toyota but I just lost faith that Toyota knows how to rectify this issue. Yes, granted, the flare is not as bad as it was before the tranny was replaced, but the overall quality of the car is not up to Toyota standards. I looked on TundraSolutions.com and the Camry has 99 TSBs compared to most other 2007 Toyota's which only have 40-60 (by the way, not all TSBs are issues/problems). |
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Replying to: princebuster1 (Aug 15, 2007 4:33 pm) 1. Car Of The Year 2. Reliability 3. Quality for the money 4. Fuel economy; I simply do not need a car as large as the new Avalon My most important consideration for a car is this--when I put the key in the ignition, the car starts, and I won't be stranded (I had a new Volvo that I paid far more money for that left me stranded all too often). With that said, I think Toyota does have problems maintaining quality, and a real problem here that they need to step up to. More cars, from all manufacturers, including Toyota, are going Drive By Wire (DBW). The software needs to be rock solid. A recent survey shows that Buick and Ford owners are happier with their cars (initially) than Toyota and Honda. Lexus, though, is at the top of the list. As per your other complaints about the interior, chipping paint, etc. I have no hint of any of that in my car. The $25K commment really targeted more than "less-than-perfect" shifts. In today's market, for $25K, you don't get (at least on a Toyota) -- real wood trim -- folding side mirrors -- very comfortable, well designed, leather, memory seats -- quiet glass (as in the Avalon) -- brakes that stop the car from 60 in less than 130 feet -- perfect, on center, steering You have to spend at least $10K more for these options. And even when you do spend the money, you don't necessarily get the reliability. Take a look sometime at what BMW 3 series owners have suffered over the years. I have friends who own Hyundai, Kia, etc. and they are generally happy with their cars. They spent less money than on a comparable Toyota. However, they tell me that their level of happiness is related to what they spent, not necessarily that they are thrilled with the cars. For example, longevity of parts, reliability, quality, safety and overall performance do not meet Toyota or Honda standards. Some can't afford to pay more for a car, and others think cars are a waste of money, and would rather take mass transit if they could, and rent a car when they need it. Problem is Toyota and Honda seem not to be living up to their own standards. One last example, the new Honda CRV had a fluid leak between the engine and transmission. Many new owners drove their CRVs home from the dealer, and found a puddle of fluid under their cars next morning. Honda (they tell me) has fixed the problem. Still leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
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Replying to: joel16 (Aug 16, 2007 2:07 am) I own an Infiniti G35 as well, and the difference is that I paid $10K more for it and it has $10K more of everything! You get what you pay for. Anyway, I will keep the Camry for another couple of years and then get rid of it and NOT buy another Toyota! Have a great day |
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Its a Toyota! The shift should be smooth and effortless regardless of what was paid for it! Sorry but i guess Toyota has spoilt us and as such, we expect ALL their cars to be "refined". 
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Replying to: fxguy (Aug 16, 2007 6:07 am) |
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Replying to: camryowner1 (Aug 08, 2007 6:27 am) After following the thread, I went into my local dealer yesterday and told him I wanted TSB EG036-07 installed. He did it in about 2 hours, and the Camry now drives like a different car. It feels like a Camry. Everything is fixed. |
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Replying to: seniorchief1 (Aug 16, 2007 3:32 pm) |
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Replying to: seniorchief1 (Aug 16, 2007 3:32 pm) And also, questions for chief and joel...when were your '07 camrys made? I've got a june 07 make. Until now I've thought my car was too new and shouldn't have any problems, but hearing about a new possible fix, hopefully even for my car, sounds good. Won't know if my vin applies until I get home and can give a dealer a call.
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