Conclusion
There were some concerns in 1997 that the new Camry would not live up to expectations. Those worries were soon extinguished as this version soon became the best selling car in the USA at the end of the 90s. The forth generation Camry also proved to be every bit as reliable as the outgoing model.
As far as a sensible used car choice in the midsize car segment, the Toyota Camry is certainly tops along with the Nissan Altima (up to 2001) and the Honda Accord.
Good stuff:
Reliability
High resale value
Not so good stuff:
Ride is too soft
Possible problem areas:
4-cylinder water pump failures
V6 head gaskets
Premature wear of rear shock absorbers
Competitors of the day:
Mazda 626
Honda Accord
Nissan Altima
Subaru Legacy
Ford Contour / Mercury Mystique
Recalls:
TC # 1997155
Under extremely low temperature operating conditions andinfrequent brake operation there is the possibility that condensed moisturefrom a surge tank might seep into the brake booster vacuum hose and freeze.Over time, the ice may accumulate and eventually plug the hose, therebyeliminating the vacuum assist to the brakes. The increased pedal pressurerequired to apply the brakes could lead to an increase in stopping distance anda possible vehicle accident. Correction: brake vacuum hose will be replacedwith a newly configured version.
TC # 1997204
Due to jamming of the lock pin of the key interlocksolenoid, it may be possible to remove the ignition key even when the shiftlever of the automatic transmission is not in the "park" position.Under such a condition, should a driver fail to move the shift lever to the"park" position and also fail to activate the parking brake beforeleaving the vehicle on a slope, the vehicle could roll away down the slope.Correction: key interlock solenoid will be replaced.
TC # 2001027
On certain vehicles, the accelerator cable housing could be deformed at the cruise control actuator-to-throttle body connection. The accelerator inner-cable could wear away and eventually break. This could allow the throttle to return to idle or remain in its most recent position regardless of accelerator pedal operation, increasing the risk of a crash. Correction: Dealers will replace the accelerator cable.
TC # 1999211
On certain vehicles, the steering wheel set nut may loosen and cause an abnormal steering vibration and looseness. If the owner continues to operate the vehicle in this condition, the nut may eventually come off, and the steering wheel may separate from the steering shaft. This would result in loss of control and a possible crash. Correction: Steering wheel set nut will be tightened on affected vehicles.
There were some concerns in 1997 that the new Camry would not live up to expectations. Those worries were soon extinguished as this version soon became the best selling car in the USA at the end of the 90s. The forth generation Camry also proved to be every bit as reliable as the outgoing model.
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Good stuff:
Reliability
High resale value
Not so good stuff:
Ride is too soft
Possible problem areas:
4-cylinder water pump failures
V6 head gaskets
Premature wear of rear shock absorbers
Competitors of the day:
Mazda 626
Honda Accord
Nissan Altima
Subaru Legacy
Ford Contour / Mercury Mystique
Recalls:
TC # 1997155
Under extremely low temperature operating conditions andinfrequent brake operation there is the possibility that condensed moisturefrom a surge tank might seep into the brake booster vacuum hose and freeze.Over time, the ice may accumulate and eventually plug the hose, therebyeliminating the vacuum assist to the brakes. The increased pedal pressurerequired to apply the brakes could lead to an increase in stopping distance anda possible vehicle accident. Correction: brake vacuum hose will be replacedwith a newly configured version.
TC # 1997204
Due to jamming of the lock pin of the key interlocksolenoid, it may be possible to remove the ignition key even when the shiftlever of the automatic transmission is not in the "park" position.Under such a condition, should a driver fail to move the shift lever to the"park" position and also fail to activate the parking brake beforeleaving the vehicle on a slope, the vehicle could roll away down the slope.Correction: key interlock solenoid will be replaced.
TC # 2001027
On certain vehicles, the accelerator cable housing could be deformed at the cruise control actuator-to-throttle body connection. The accelerator inner-cable could wear away and eventually break. This could allow the throttle to return to idle or remain in its most recent position regardless of accelerator pedal operation, increasing the risk of a crash. Correction: Dealers will replace the accelerator cable.
TC # 1999211
On certain vehicles, the steering wheel set nut may loosen and cause an abnormal steering vibration and looseness. If the owner continues to operate the vehicle in this condition, the nut may eventually come off, and the steering wheel may separate from the steering shaft. This would result in loss of control and a possible crash. Correction: Steering wheel set nut will be tightened on affected vehicles.
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