Problems with 2002 Toyota Camry ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

2002 toyota camry. attorney representing consumer writes in regards to vehicle engine cylinder head bolts service bulletin. *smd the engine failed while driving in heavy traffic, less than six months after the vehicle was purchased. the mechanic informed the consumer, after the damage and the extensive re-build of the engine, other parts would began to fail. *jb

2002 toyota camry. consumer writes to request a full investigation against a local dealer for fraudulent and deceptive business practices related to their vehicle not starting *tgw

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving 70 mph when a burning smell emitted inside the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where the mechanic confirmed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 100,000.

Radiator/oil cooler copper nipple disintegrated causing loss of oil. part that failed is original part of vehicle. the nut holding the nipple rusted and crumbled causing the oil cooler hose to separate from the oil cooler. car has never had front end or any other damage. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that the vehicle was overheating. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic for diagnosis when the contact was informed that the engine was leaking coolant and needed to be replaced. the dealer did not offer any assistance and the manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. the vehicle had not been repaired. the current and the failure mileages were 135,000.

I have a 2003 toyota camry and have major damage to cylinder block with stripped head bolts. cost is approx $4700 to repair. i talked to executive offices at toyota they will not help. also has caused coolant to leak into engine. please see http://www.camryforums.com/forum/general-tech-8/2002-stripped-head-bolts-4585/ and check out the "technical service bulletin tsb2740. *tt

2002 toyota camry. consumer writes in regards to engine problems *tgw the consumer stated his mechanic wanted to charge him an additional $3,450 to perform valve work and other repairs to the engine. the consumer stated when he started the vehicle in the morning time, a plume of exhaust smoke could visibly be seen. *jb

After waiting in line at a fast food outlet for about five minutes, my toyota camry's engine suddenly accelerated to very high rpms. only my quick reaction to apply the brakes as hard as i could kept us from hitting the car ahead. the passenger reacted by pulling the emergency brake. shutting off the ignition stopped the engine. it restarted normally and seemed to be fine.

Three head bolts in the engine have stripped and pulled out of the engine block. the largest consequence of this is a head gasket failure; this also caused coolant loss and overheating, which in turn ruined my radiator. when my mechanic opened up the engine to replace the head gaskets, these faulty bolts were loose and he was able to pull them out by hand without needing wrenches/tools. the total cost of the fix, which included drilling out and retapping the bolt holes, repairing/resurfacing heads, installing new head gaskets and installing a new radiator exceeded $3500; the only other option was buying a new/reconditioned engine for $7000+. toyota refuses to admit that this line of cars has defective head bolts. my 2002 camry xle had about 98,000 miles on it at the time, which is not a lot by toyota standards. while searching internet forums, i have found many many other people with toyota vehicles (especially camrys from 2002 to 2005) that have had the same exact bolts fail on their engines, leading to blown head gaskets. *tr

It is 2002 toyota camry le with 2.4l 2az-fe engine. it happened while car was driven. engine produced a loud bang and stalled. did not started after cranking it. before trip there was noticeable steam out of exhaust. after considering head gasket failure there was attempt to replace the gasket. during repair was found that several head bolts were loose due to striping from their sits. after digging in google it was found that was a common problem for this engines. it seems like it is a manufacturer design flow. all 2az-fe engines are prone to this because of inadequate heat dispersion at the back of the engine. toyota customer service response is that they have nothing to do with it. this is a major design flow and there should be a recall. all engines from 2002 are prone to it. *tr

2002 camry le with 153,000 suffered failure of catalyst and charcoal canister at time of state inspection. this is the third failure of the catalyst since purchase of the car. dealer said that catalyst is only warrantied for one year from date of installation and gave an estimate of more than $1700 to complete repairs. contact with toyota concerning this ongoing problem was a complete and total waste of time. vehicle taken to private mechanic who performed repairs with conforming non oem parts carrying better warranties at half the price quoted by dealer. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that blue smoke was emitting from the tail pipe abnormally. the contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic for an oil change and the mechanic advised that there was sludge building up in the engine and causing the engine to burn mileage extremely quickly. the failure mileage was 82,000 and the current mileage was 89,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving at any speed, the contact stated that the vehicle would suddenly stall intermittently, then the check engine warning light illuminated. the dealer advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. the contact did not inform the manufacturer of the failure since he knew that there were no related recalls. no repairs were performed. the current and failure mileage was 50,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed the engine coolant was low and the temperature gauge needed to be replaced. the mechanic replaced the temperature gauge and added more coolant to the vehicle. approximately 100 miles after being repaired the head gasket blew out. the vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic where the contact was informed the engine needed to be replaced. while repairing the engine, the mechaniced noticed the bolts which mounted the engine were stripped. as a result, the engine was previously mounted out of position, preventing the engine coolant from properly entering the engine. the contact was informed that due to this failure, the engine ran at a low temperature and the head gasket failed. the failure mileage was 90,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, he noticed that the temperature gauge increased and the vehicle overheated. he pulled over and opened the hood and found that there was no coolant in the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who advised that the head bolt was stripped. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. the current and failure mileage was approximately 110,000. updated 08/05/11*lj updated 08/15/11

The car accelerates at a high rate with little pressure on gas. it seems to happen at random times when the car is warm. i could be stopped at a red light then have it happen when the light turns and i step on the gas. it also has happened when accelerating while still moving ie: taking a corner while slowing then stepping on the gas once i have straightened out. *tr

My 2002 toyota camry had stalled-engine problem these years. most of the problem happened when the car stopped at the traffic red light or stop sign. when i apply the brake to slow down and waiting at the traffic lights or at the stop sign, my camry car engine abruptly ceases operating and stops turning. i have to turn the key and start the engine again. this problem happened a lot of times these years and give me a big trouble when a lot of other cars waiting behind me. it's not safe and be dangerous especially in heavy traffic. this stalled engine problem just happened this morning when i sent my son to the baseball game. *tr

About 2 months ago i started experiencing a jerking of my car at about 40 mph. my car is a 2002 camry xle v6. i took it to the dealership and had two tech's ride with me and they experienced the jerking but couldn't determine what it was. now the jerking is getting worse and is happening at all speeds. i have about 111000 miles on the car presently. i have had a few times where i thought the car was going to stop completely in the middle of traffic. i called toyota's national office to make sure my dealership hadn't missed a recall or service bulletin and the national office said there wasn't a recall or service bulletin. however, i have found many similar complaints on the internet. the national office offered to call my dealership, which they did, i don't know what they'll do for me since last time they told me until a check engine light comes on they can't do anything. i have never had a check engine light come on. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while the contact was driving less than 40 mph, there was a noise coming from the engine compartment. the oil temperature gauge indicated the engine was overheating. the vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and inspected underneath the hood area. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnosis and repair. the technician recommended that the engine be replaced due to the defective cylinder head bolts. the technician ordered a new replacement engine at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was 140,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while examining the vehicle the contact noticed a puddle of coolant underneath the vehicle where it was parked. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the water pump was replaced; however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the local mechanic where the radiator was replaced. one month after the vehicle was repaired the failure recurred. there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 130000.

Car was filled with gas on return trip and while in traffic suddenly began to decelerate with no warning. the car was pulled over and stopped. samaritans stopped to support stranded car and when they tried to turn the car on , it would not turn over. when checked by a individual who identified himself as a mechanic, he said, he didn't understand the problem. it was clear that there was oil in the car and it was clean. insurance company and towing service support called and $400.00 plus dollars later the car was returned to local dealer. after conversation with dealer representative , we were informed that our obvious negligence around regular maintenance and oil changes were the cause of the oil sludge that caused the damage to our car to the tune of $4,600. several conversations later, allowing cooler heads to prevail, we were able to gain some support from the local dealer however we were still responsible for the cost of the second hand engine because toyota refused to cover the cost of the problem.because we live in a small community and have been doing business with this group for years, we were able to get the part of the car that contributed to the problem. the mechanic in question reported that he had never seen anything quite like this before and he ha been working for many years at the same location. additionally, we have access to the paperwork from our local mechanic who has routinely done the oil checks since we've had the car. even after phone calls and letter requesting that toyota "do the right thing" even though our situation was a few months shy of the "07 settlement, they refused to take any responsibility. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact noticed the vehicle leaking coolant and took the vehicle to an independent repair shop. the mechanic informed him that the head bolts were stripped and the head gasket had blown. the mechanic told the contact that the problem was common with his particular model. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were approximately 99,000.

We have a 2002 toyota camry with a 2.4 liter engine with a 38, 900 miles in the odometer. and on march 4, 2010 my wife came home from a the grocery store asked me to check the car because of the check engine light iis on. i drove the car for a test drive around our neighborhood for five minutes with the speed of 10 miles to 15 miles an hour. before i came to the stop sign, the engine start racing, rpm is up the red line, i could hear the engine roar. i step on the brake hard, shift the gear hard into park and turn off the ignition. i was so lucky, i was driving in the right place and the right time with no traffic and kids playing on the street. if my wife would be driving at that moment especially she is an elderly like me, it could be big accident. it's a terrifying experience. i suggest that 2002 camry should be included in the recall. before somebody gets hurt. that same day i called toyota dealership for service appointment. *tr

I was rear-ended on the highway while driving my 2002 toyota camry. when i tried to slow down and move into the breakdown lane, the car accelerated. i ended up going down an embankment hitting several trees. the car was eventually spun around and crashed rear end into a tree. the car was totaled. my passenger and i experienced concussion syndrome along with muscle spasms in the neck, back, and ankle. we were taken by ambulance to the new britain general hospital where we were treated and released . we are both receiving follow-up medical care. *tr

On my camry 2002 se engine stalls and/or rough idles anytime while cold or after being warmed up. premature and unjustified throttle body failure is suspected. *tr

I have just noticed that my 2002 camry 4 cylinder has a coolant leaking problem. search on the web, the issue is very likely due to the stripped head bolt as many people have reported the same problem. this warrants a recall!!!!!! *tr

Wife driving 2002 camry for smock inspection. i am following behind. camry stalls - engine just dies. steering is locked. wife stopped and tried to restart. after ~2mins, car restarted. continued ~2 miles and engine dies again, steering again locks. wife able to start again. after car starts, vsc and trac off lights are now on. took car to toyota dealer next day. a skid control computer is down per toyota. toyota unable to duplicate engine dying, but admit faulty computer could be cause. skid control computer costs $1453 to replace + $xxx for labor. i have read this is a common issue for 2002 toyota so am filing a complaint. why has toyota not recalled/fixed this yet? if this occurred on freeway, steering wheel lockup at 55+ mph? are they crazy? *tr

Toyota camry 2002. the check light came on. three bolts were strip from the engine. toyota is aware of it and didn't do anything. it cost me approx $4,000 to fix. toyota issued a tsb 2 years ago about this failure: tsb 01507, nhtsa #10021542, dated april 6 2007. i found this in my research. my mechanic told me toyota said to replace the head, head gasket and bolts. that the head had been redesigned since it was a know issue. it was alleged caused when toyota changed building the head from cast iron to aluminum. i am not the only one with this issue. www.toyotanation.com/forum/printthread.php?t=274802&pp=40. *tr

I own a 2002 toyota camry v6 le with a mileage reading of about 115000. i do regular oil changes and all necessary services. however off lately the car has randomly started to stall in the middle of road while being driven. this has started to be a big problem and i hesitate to drive the car for long distance. the car would suddenly die in the middle of road specially when i stop for a light or stop sign and then would refuse to start again. i have to keep the gas pedal depressed in order for the car to stay idle and not die. after about 5-10 mins the car would again start up and work normally. i've had this problem about three times this past 2 weeks and its scary now to even drive this car anywhere. i took it to a mechanic where i get all services done and he says everything is fine, but then i had two stalls after the visit. problem is that it stalls randomly and when i take it to mechanic, it performs quiet well with no problems at all. i read today in motortrend website that nhtsa is enquiring about some toyota vehicles regarding this same issue and was wondering if these incidents are related? *tr thanks.

Loss of coolant. took to auto repair. told to replace head gasket. upon replacement of head, discovered head bolts would not tighten because threads in aluminum block were stripped. *tr

I kept hearing rushing water coming from somewhere but nothing seems to be wrong. so at the end of november my car ran hot i took it to the mechanic and was told the thermostat may need to be replaced. i replaced it'.it ran hot again the next day. was told i had a coolant leak. to make a long story short' i need an engine! stripped head bolts in the block, no not just a head gasket problem i was told the head bolts have let go from the block. i asked the mechanic for a write up of his findings: (paraphrased) 'the only option left is to remove the head, which requires an extensive disassembly (r and r cylinder head). after loosening the bolts in sequence, i notice the head bolts in the back of the engine are loose. from my experience in the field, i can confidently conclude that this only means one of two things: the bolts were left loose at the factory, or the bolts are stripped. ( i commonly have seen stripped bolts in the aluminum cadillac north star block discovered through leaking coolant.) next, i removed the head and sure enough, one bolt came out with aluminum in the thread...thus indicating a stripped bolt. my theory: the placement of the (insulation) foam rubber piece between the intake manifold and the engine block created an uneven dispersion of heat, creating "metal fatigue" in the aluminum block allowing the head bolt to strip.' i am very disappointed. toyota is responsible, there's no preventative maintenance for this and my problem is not isolated... look it up! *tr

My 2002 toyota camry with 72,500 miles had the check light come on. i took it to a toyota dealer in columbia, sc. i was told the engine had sludge and would soon stop working. i told the dealer i changed the oil regularly when needed but the dealer said it was my fault. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry xle. while he was at a traffic light on an incline, there was a very loud roaring noise coming from the engine. the weather was not a factor. the vehicle responded as if it were going to take off at full speed but it didn't. the failure occurred a second time with her foot depressing the brake pedal. neither the dealer nor manufacturer was contacted. the failure mileage was 74,800 and the current mileage was 75,474.

I own a toyota camry 2002 v6. late 2009, the car starts to blow light blue smoke everytime i start the engine. i called hamer toyota on mission hills, ca about the problem. iwas told that they will check the engine but it will cost me $95.00 to open the cylinder head. i informed the service manager about the recall for engine sludge problem but he still insist that there is a charge to open the cylinder head. he said that if what is causing the smoke is the engine sludge, they will not charge $95.00. after leaving the car for a few days, they called me and said that the car's engine was so clean and i took good care of the car. just wondering what's the reason why the car is exhaling white smoke up to now if he said that the engine is clean. please let me know if i can go directly toyota to file a complain or you can publish my complain on your website. *tr

2002 toyota camry se v6 - around september 2009 i began to notice sudden surges in acceleration while driving between 40-45 mph. without changing the position of the gas pedal, the vehicle would surge-hesitate-surge several times then suddenly stop the behavior. since then, i notice it occurs at least once every 3 out of 4 times i'm driving the car. to me, this is not related to anything on the floor or the gas pedal itself. it appears to come from within the engine or other component. no repairs have been investigated or performed. i am considering a visit to the dealer. *tr

2002 toyota camry has foul odor coming from hvac vents. dealer has removed fan enclosure in engine and cleaned out and added disinfectant. odor remains a problem. *tr

2002 toyota camry. the consumer wants to be reimbursed for repairs. *dt the check engine light illuminated. the dealer stated there was a problem with the emission system. the problem was repaired and the consumer was charged $600.00. two days later, the light illuminated again. the consumer returned to the dealership, but the problem was not resolved. when the consumer stopped for gas, he noticed the gas tank would not fill up, the gas would spill out. the consumer went to another establishment and it was determined that a pair of pliers were on the vent of the gas tank. the dealership was contacted and the consumer was told a mistake was made by one of their mechanics. the second dealership replaced the vacuum switching valve. *jb

I was losing coolant in my system so i took it to my mechanic. he told me that the head bolts on my engine had become stripped and that i would need a new engine put in. i paid for that repair and now two years later i am having the same symptoms. i went on the internet and found that i am not alone with this problem. it seems that stripped threads are very common in 2002-2008 camrys. it is clearly a design defect. i cannot believe that a class action suit is not being arranged. *tr

2002 camry xle v6...at 138,000 miles while waiting at a traffic signal during rush hour the engine stalls and after 4 attempts finally restarts. the car continued to not idle the rest of my trip home - stalling every time i slowed down to stop or turn a corner...very unsafe...didn't trust the car to make it to mechanic. car was towed, mechanic could find nothing wrong. it happened again 3 more times within a week. same scenario, towed to mechanic, found nothing wrong because the check engine light does not come on and therefore the computer does not register any issues. mechanic cleaned all sensors, idle valve, dealership and independent mechanic find nothing wrong. car was fine until july 4, weekend and did the same thing twice again. mechanic finds nothing because it so random. same situation in november while turning car stalled because it would not idle, lost power steering and brakes and almost hit another car while turning. 3 mechanics and no one can find anything wrong. have also experienced the issues mentioned with brakes and rotors which have been replaced 3 times. *tr

I own a 2002 toyota camry purchased new from dealership and regularly maintained. the check engine light came on while my daughter was driving the car and so i took it to our mechanic who said it was a faulty sensor which he replaced. the next day the check engine light came on again while she was driving and she was just able to make it back to the mechanic's shop with the car running roughly. the mechanic advised that the engine (136,000 miles) had suffered a "blown" head gasket. he recommended replacing the head gasket but warned me that because of the aluminum casting of the engine that there was a good chance that when he removed the steel bolts they would strip out the aluminum threads and then i would be looking at a new engine. unfortunately that is what happened - total cost to put in a reasonably "new" used engine (from a 2009 scion) was $5,800. i understand that things can happen and am not unduly upset that the head gasket was blown however, something as basic as knowing that you should not use steel bolts in an aluminum thread should be remedied by toyota. when a repair such as mine is undertaken there is a high probability of the bolts stripping out the aluminum threads. when that happens the cost of repair goes from approximately 1600 to replace a blown head gasket to 5800 to replace an entire engine. this is really a design flaw that should be obvious to any engineer and should be remedied by toyota. *tr

My 2002 camry le check eng. light came on from a coolant leak was told by the dealership i needed a new motor at the cost of $3,500 the car was only three years old it was a lease certified buy back also when i bought it the windshield washer went bad less then a month was told i had to fix on my own they the motor ran hot but the coolant gage never indicated the problem. *tr

I was driving to work in my 2002 toyota camry when all of a sudden i saw a fire and smoke coming from under the hood. when i lifted the hood i noticed that the exhaust was red near the burn site. after looking on the internet i found several complaints with this model catching fire while driving. *cn *tr

At subzero temperature (below 0) car starts with check engine light on (error code p1128), traction control and vsc disabled. idle at 600-800 rpm. engine does not respond to acceleration pedal, so car is not drivable. after warming engine up and erasing error code from ecu car drives normally. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately 10 mph on normal road conditions when the vehicle stalled as he proceeded to a traffic signal. the vehicle restarted within twenty minutes and resumed normal operation. the failure occurred once a week. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. the vehicle has not been repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure was 50,000.

2002 toyota camry, engine stall/low idle problem at 60k miles, no codes on obd replaced spark plugs, coil pack, fuel injection service but still same problem, no error code on diagnostics. *tr

To whom it may concern: we purchased a 2002 toyota camry from arlington toyota, jacksonville, florida- new in december 2001. we have always owned toyotas with no problems. presently the car has 64,000 miles. on june 26 the check engine light came on for about an hour and then went off, after that the a/c stopped working. we took the car into coggin toyota at the avenues on june 28 and were given a bill of $1154 with an explanation that the entire a/c condenser assembly, air flow sensor and air fuel sensor needed replacement. obviously we had to pay for this and have it done as we're going out of town and have a child who rides in this car regularly, but this is beyond ridiculous. for this age of a car, and supposedly being the most reliable and highly rated car for that year this should not have happened. this car has not been in any bad accidents and is not driven excessively. all routine maintenance is performed on a regular basis. this is clearly a defect on toyota's part and needs to be compensated for. we should not have had to pay this much for a repair on this type of car, whether or not the warranty is expired. i expected much more from toyota than we have presently experienced and am very disappointed and frustrated. we had planned to purchase a new sienna within the next few years but now will look else where. ************ kristi b. gabriel, lmt, ba, mba healing waters therapy *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota camry. while driving 2 mph, she heard a grinding noise then the vehicle shut off without warning. the dealer stated that engine mounting bolts sheered off into the engine block, which caused the corner of the engine to crack. the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. as of june 6, 2008, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the failure and current mileages were 92,000. the vin was unavailable

Vehicle started smoking (white smoke) i took vehicle to dealer he advised that the prior year vehicles had a defect of the motor sludging up but my model had been redesigned and that it was due to me not changing the oil filter my husband owns a repair shop and had done the oil changes and replaced the filters the vehicle was still under 50,000 but dealer would not take care of problem. *tr

I purchased a 2002 toyota camry new and recently noticed the car blowing blue smoke on start up in the mornings. i took the car to my dealer where they did an eval. they are suggesting that i have the valve stem seals replaced at a cost of around $2,000.00. i was shocked. my car is 5 years old with 77,000 miles. how could this be? i have taken excellent care of my car, getting oil changes every 3,000 miles (and have the receipts and records to prove it. in fact the dealer handled all the oil changes and service for me, up till the last 2 oil changes.) i know there was a class action suit for an oil sludge/gel problem, which after reading everything on the internet, i believe is probably the real issue with my car, but everything i've read says it ended with the 2001 camry models. have you heard or received any complaints for the 2002 models as well? any information or advice you could give me would be much appreciated! *tr

3/21/2008 car stopped running while on expressway. towed 50 miles into dealership alamo toyota, san antonio, tx =not where purchased 100 miles from residence. told engine mounting bolts sheered off into the engine block which caused crack. engine had to be replaced. dealer found salvage engine with 37000 miles on it. owner did not receive proof of the mileage. dealer kept used engine $4,000.00+. included used longblock, oil, oil filter coolant rear main seal, fipc, radiator cleaning. owner rented at own expense rental vehicle. told car was repaired. picked car up drove off lot, turned around and went back into dealership. car was misfiring. had to leave car again. additional $235.00 to replace 4 coils april 11,2008. on may 2 2008, a/c stopped cooling. took car into champion toyota, austin texas. $613.00 for ac condenser, condenser assy, relay, warranty. ac condenser leaking, probably damaged during radiator cleaning at alamo toyota. *tr