2007 Toyota Camry customer reviews.... poor quality?

kaisen · 10-03-2006, 05:01 PM

http://autos.yahoo.com/newcars/toyota_camry_2007/4775/model_user_reviews.html;_ylt=AgSSQ7.u3wWAnylXw6Fqd kh0fb8F

Okay, this is not schadenfreude. I did not make this up. I was looking at Yahoo Autos reviews and was surprised to see the 2007 Toyota Camry with 3.5 of 5 stars with 222 reviews. These are owners of the car that have written reviews.

Reading the reviews their appears to be a common disdain for the automatic transmissions as well as some other quibbles.

Not very Toyota-like.

BGCarrera32 · 10-03-2006, 05:35 PM

Toyota trounces big 3 in September sales...

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/061003/auto_sales.html?.v=30

kaisen · 10-03-2006, 05:59 PM

Love the headline, but GM sold 334,025 units in September and Toyota sold 222,950. Where's the trouncing? Sounds like GM sold 110,000 more vehicles (50% more) than Toyota last month. Hmmmm. The article is talking about Sept 06 sales compared to Sept 05 sales.

Nonetheless, this thread isn't about the Big Three, it is about Toyota. If they have significant quality issues, it should be considered news.

artplumber · 10-03-2006, 06:19 PM

Uglier than ever?

carnutzzz · 10-03-2006, 06:24 PM

Yes that is correct.

Toyota got a little too big for its britches and introduced some bugs in their push to build/move units.

In particular, their hybrid systems have come under fire as of late.

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

its not about a snapshop and raw numbers...its about trends. Toyota is heading north, the others south.

As for quality, does it really matter? Toyota has a perception of quality, and GM has a perception of crap. Even a couple of years of bad Toyota cars and good GM cars won't change that perception...it will take quite a long time. Odds are Toyota will overcome their growing pains. Odds that GM can produce really good vehicles for 3 or 4 years to change people's perceptions? You tell me...

But wtf do I know? I bought a damn VW

artplumber · 10-03-2006, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by nostatic
But wtf do I know? I bought a damn VW

The test pilot term I believe is "auger in".

nostatic · nostatic's Garage

"sometime it don't start and it's using 2.5 qt of oil per 3000 miles"

Toyota is selling old 911s now?

Man, those Camry reviews make me feel good about my GTI

HardDrive · 10-03-2006, 06:56 PM

Gents, I Avoid this entire issue by driving a P-O-R-S-C-H-E.

(well....the wife has da' Lexus......but it ain't 'mine')

cantdrv55 · 10-03-2006, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by nostatic
[Man, those Camry reviews make me feel good about my GTI

[/B]

Are you having issues with your GTI already?

competentone · 10-03-2006, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kaisen
http://autos.yahoo.com/newcars/toyota_camry_2007/4775/model_user_reviews.html;_ylt=AgSSQ7.u3wWAnylXw6Fqd kh0fb8F

These are owners of the car that have written reviews.

Anyone with a Yahoo ID can write a review. And anyone with access to a computer can get a Yahoo ID.

There is no way to verify that the people writing actually own the car they claim to own.

The executives at Ford and GM are probably spending their lunch hours getting new Yahoo IDs and writing bad reviews for their competitors' cars!

BlueSkyJaunte · 10-03-2006, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by competentone
The executives at Ford and GM are probably spending their lunch hours getting new Yahoo IDs and writing bad reviews for their competitors' cars!

In the biz this is called "astroturfing".

dd74 · 10-03-2006, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by competentone
Anyone with a Yahoo ID can write a review. And anyone with access to a computer can get a Yahoo ID.

There is no way to verify that the people writing actually own the car they claim to own.

The executives at Ford and GM are probably spending their lunch hours getting new Yahoo IDs and writing bad reviews for their competitors' cars!

Hmmm...sounds like a job for ex-Congressman Mark Foley - if he's allowed a computer and keyboard in prison.

kaisen · 10-04-2006, 07:19 AM

Conspiracy theory?

I guess it's possible, but not very likely. Especially when there would be equal access to do the same on Toyota's behalf.

I'm not sure about nostatic's quote: "As for quality, does it really matter?" What a ridiculous statement.

Here are a couple links to other discussions on the Toyota Camry transmission issues:

(24 pages of trans related)

(60 pages of Toyota enthusiasts experiences confirming the issues) http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=128303

http://www.thecarconnection.com/Auto_News/Daily_Edition/Daily_Edition_Apr_26_2006.S173.A10341.html
Toyota Recalling Camry

"The newest edition of the Toyota Camry is being recalled for a problem with the transmission. The problem, Toyota says, involved only a half-percent of Camrys built for the 2007 model year. The new six-speed automatic transmission could lose second and sixth gear during operation. Toyota told Reuters the vehicle still will operate even if the gears are lost, and that the problem usually happens within the first 500 miles of use."

Supposedly only a couple hundred were affected, and Toyota 'recalled' them (not a real NHTSA recall). The hesitation of the four cylinder versions were supposedly corrected as well. The Avalon issues were also band-aided with a PCM reflash.

I don't think the sky is falling, but if we're talking about trends, Toyota's quality seems to be headed in the wrong direction, for the short term at least. They have recalled more vehicles in the last two years than in the last forty years.

My Toyota Camry was relatively flawless to 211K miles, when I sold it. It needed only minor/normal repairs. But it was also a Japanese-built 1992 model, back when Toyota forged their rock-solid reputation for quality.

tobster1911 · 10-04-2006, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nostatic
As for quality, does it really matter? Toyota has a perception of quality, and GM has a perception of crap.

You have to read it in context. I agree with his statement and have been saying it for a while now. Reality has little to do with anything, it is the PERECPTION that matters. or I should say present reality.

"$150k for a FORD?"
"Buy a Honda they last forever."
"Only rednecks with mullets drive muscle cars"
"German Engineering"
"European inspired suspension"

All of these may have some truth but they are really just perceptions that have been set in stone. Just like Nostatic is saying, it doesn't matter if they have real quality problems. They will still have that "Toyota quality".

dd74 · 10-04-2006, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by kaisen

I'm not sure about nostatic's quote: "As for quality, does it really matter?" What a ridiculous statement.

You're correct, Kaisen. Quality is very high on everyone's list. It's sancrosanct to plunking down thousands of $$$, even on the used car market.

dd74 · 10-04-2006, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tobster1911
They will still have that "Toyota quality".

Well, that "Toyota quality" has managed to get the car rated very high with JD Power, get listed in Car and Driver top ten categories, and has been one of the top-selling models for a very long time. "Toyota quality" isn't some sort of intangible.

kaisen · 10-04-2006, 07:59 AM

Toyota quality is not intangible. There were many years, and many models where Toyota quality was evident. Switchgear, door shuts, panel gaps, plastic quality, engine smoothness, shift quality.... everything you could see, touch, and hear.

In my experience, Toyota has actually gone backwards a teenie bit while some competitors have bridged the gap.

IF (and it's a big IF) consumers cross-shop the competition, they will see the quality gains that the entire industry has made. But if they never make it into the showrooms, they will never know.

Even if they do, they will only see/touch/feel the evidence. They will still not know if those 'tangible' quality indicators are a true predictor of reliability/dependability. Even if your engine runs smooth now, you won't be happy when it is on the side of the road.

So, most Toyota and Honda buyers that 'defected' from U.S. and European brands in the nineties will continue to 'believe' and never set foot in a different showfloor.

If a Toyota customer becomes dis-enchanted, they will most likely go to Honda or Mazda before considering Chevrolet or Ford. I agree with Todd that it will take QUITE a while for the perception paradigm to shift. If ever.

IROC · IROC's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by kaisen
IF (and it's a big IF) consumers cross-shop the competition, they will see the quality gains that the entire industry has made. But if they never make it into the showrooms, they will never know.

I haven't "cross shopped", but I haven't driven lots of rental cars over the years (all Big Three products) and I am not seeing much in the way of quality gains. I rented a Pontiac Grand Prix not too long ago (never driven one previously) and told myself that I since I had to spend a few days in this thing, I would see if it would be something I would like to own.

The answer was clear. No way.

I personally, don't need to own a GM/Ford vehicle to experience the pain of ownership. My parents and in-laws are doing that for me. I just get to hear about it. My father-in-law finally got fed up and bought a Tundra (and he works at a Chevy dealership - that ought to tell you something).

Mike

kaisen · 10-04-2006, 08:46 AM

So IROC what quality issues did you see with the Grand Prix?