Camry Overall Quality & Reliability Survey: Gen3 vs Gen4 vs Gen5

[SteVTEC]

So if you compare all the "modern era" Camry's from 1992 to present...

Gen3: 1992 - 1996
Gen4: 1997 - 2001
Gen5: 2002+

...which ones have had the best overall build quality, quality overall, and reliability? This is especially directed at people who have owned multiple generations of Camry's so that you have a better perspective on things.

I have heard that the 3rd Gen's were really great cars and gave you pretty much everything the ES300 had back in the day, which is why the ES never sold well back then. I have been in a few 3rd Gen Camry's and a 92-96 ES300 and they all seemed like very solidly put together cars.

My parents own 98 and 00 4th Gen's. They're okay, but I dunno. The interiors just seem to be a bit cheaper. The 98 is a base LE and the A/C compressor is going bad and an interior door trim panel is coming apart. It's got 88k miles on it. The 00 is a fully loaded XLE 4-cyl with leather and the whole 9-yards. Very nice car, but it still has less than 30k on it so it's not really a good test of reliability yet, but 4th Gen's in general just don't seem as solid as the older cars for some reason...

I sat in a 2002 5th Gen XLE V6 when they just arrived at the dealerships and it seemed a bit nicer than my mom's 00 XLE in the interior quality department, but I've never been in one while moving so I don't know how they drive or feel or anything. I have seen a lot of 5th Gen's with blown out or half dead tail lights though, which is a bit disconcerting. Also, I've heard of interior panel fitment issues. The 2002 Camry only got an "average" reliability rating in Consumer Reports. Granted, first year models are more likely to have issues, but still, it's a TOYOTA! "Only average" the first year?




So what do you guys think about these 3 generations of Camry's? Especially those of you that have owned multiple generations.

[ekpolk]

I'm not a multi-gen owner, but I am a multi Gen-5 owner, and I do have a couple observations, which may seem unusual. My Gen-5 experience has reluctantly led me to believe that Toyota quality is not quite what it's cracked up to be, or what it once was. My present Gen-5 (my third, it's a 2003.5 LE V-6) is a pretty good car, with a couple notable exceptions. First, it has a couple of gawd awful rattles, one of which is in the upper door or roof trim, just inches from my left ear! It's so close and annoying that the stereo won't even blot it out, and who wants to blare the stereo all the time. Two tries later, and dealer still hasn't fixed it. Grrrr.

Second, while the Catalina Blue paint is beautifully radiant, especially on a sunny, blue sky day, the texture is fairly poor, and shows easily noticeable classic "orange peel" texture, the hallmark of a hastily applied clearcoat. My 1998 GM product paint job was much, much smoother. So was the Highlander I had as a company car for a while. Hmmmmmmmmm.

Third, Gen-5 #1, a 2002 LE I-4 had a bad manual transmission. Yes, you read that right, a bad manual. The dealer was so embarassed, that to their credit, they just swapped it out for an identical car, with no lemon law hassles at all (#1 had about 2,000 miles at this point). How often do you hear of NEW Toyotas coming with bad manual transmissions???? BTW, the specific problem has apparently cropped up with some regularity in early Gen-5s.

On the plus side, Gen-5 #2, with its side curtain air bags, saved me from near sure death, when I got T-boned by a 5000 lb Chevy Tahoe, which was doing 40 mph before impact! So here's an aspect of quality I'll never argue with!! In fact, knowing that those side curtains are up there goes a long way toward reducing my irritation with the rattle I've got for now in #3.

[Stealth]

Well, I drive my dad's old Gen3.5 and my mom has a Gen 4 (99). I'd have to say I like just about everything better about the Gen3. It looks better, is slightly smaller (which is better for handling), and in general feels sturdier. The Gen 4 doesn't handle as well and the engine of my moms 99 with 80k miles doesn't run as well as my 95 with 105k miles (both are 4 cyl auto).

The Gen 4 does have slightly better ergonomics, one common complaint is that the cupholders on the Gen3 block the shifter if you have anything bigger than a soda can in it.

[nobrainer]

My grandmother sold me her gen 3 camry (doesn't that sound like a stereotype for the camry? ) and she bought a 99 (gen 4) I have got to say that the gen 3 pretty much has everything that the gen 4 has (only different thing i saw were cup holders). When I first got in the gen 4, all I could think was how plain and boring it looked... like a typical car. I dunno.. the dash on the gen 3 seems more styled to me.. and the gen 3 rides just as nice as the gen 4... maybe better? I prefer the g3 exterior too over the g4. I hate the gen 4 tail lights (but i do like the g4.5 tails MUCH better and they might be my fav.)
As for gen 1,2 and 5, even though I have never been in them... there are a few things i see from the outside...

Gen 1 and 2 are, in my opinion, ugly on the exterior... maybe the design is just too outdated for me.. and im really sorry for all you gen 1 and 2 owners.. im not trying to offend you.. some of you really do have nice camrys and hey, THEY RUN FOREVER

If I was looking for a brand new toyota.. i would probably look at the gen 5 camry and the new corolla (forgive me.. i don't know any thing about what gen it is etc.) FROM THE OUTSIDE and I would immediately pick the corolla for price and design. They look very similar and the corolla is cheaper. OR maybe i would just go for the lexus...
Keep in mind i have never been in those gen camrys... and im not trying to hurt anyones feelings... and im sorry i wrote so much.. at least im not a "post whore" right?

[Nick]

i think the early gen 3's are the best, they're 10-11 years old now and most that you see still look mint

gen 4's however do have a bit more aftermarket support, and the trd supercharger *drool*

[nobrainer]

oldman im not trying to put you down or anything.. but he said QUALITY AND RELIABILTY... not suport and superchargers

EDIT: then again i just posted my opinion of gens 1 and 2 and he didn't ask for that either... BAD ME BAD

[Nick]

well i kinda did post about quality, since i said that most gen 3's still look mint and there's nothing much wrong with them

hell i still have the original exhaust on my car (other than the front pipe)

very little regular stuff if you don't abuse her, they're awesome cars, i don't think the gen 5's will make it through as well

[fungke]

i am not a multi gen camry guy either but i have sat in my uncle's gen 3 a lot and the quality was great in my opinion. he drove it to the ground and he got the XLE gen 5 now. his gen 3 had about 400,000 km on it before it died. not sure what it was but he loved that car. i love the quality and "sturdiness" of the gen5 although the fact that i can see the styrofoam behind the fenders got me a little scared. great ride, nice and quite but some to think about it...i had a question about the sound inside the cabin. there have been a few days where there is heavy rain in toronto and sure, you hear the rain when it hits your car..but i hear the water trickel down. when i get out of my car and open the door it does not seem to be wet or what not...but i hear water just lightly trickle down each side of the car...do you guys get that? i figure that's how the water is suppose to go (where ever it's coming/going) but i did not think that i could hear it...

[nobrainer]

Originally posted by fungke
had a question about the sound inside the cabin. there have been a few days where there is heavy rain in toronto and sure, you hear the rain when it hits your car..but i hear the water trickel down. when i get out of my car and open the door it does not seem to be wet or what not...but i hear water just lightly trickle down each side of the car...do you guys get that? i figure that's how the water is suppose to go (where ever it's coming/going) but i did not think that i could hear it...

i dont know what gen you have... but my gen 3 does that in the back doors... for some reason the back doors are not sealed well at all... water can get just in to the part of the door where the... upholstry (or plastic should i say?) begins... You can't see it and it doesn't get in the car... HOWEVER.. what it did seem to do is cause goop to come oozing out of the doors in the back... and it stuck to the door and "step" absoluteley terrible to get out... i used tar remover and couldn't quite get all of it... I don't know if all gen 3s have this.. or just gen 3 (and not 3.5) or just me... and i know it doesn't do it on gen 4...but it really is my biggest complaint.... and thats on a very very small pile of complaints...

[thaharlequin]

I had a Kragen worker thinking my gen3 was a 96 (its a 92)...I've never riden in any other generations, but the only problem w/ mine is the rear sway bar bushings and mushy struts (I think they're the original struts btw). It'll go to Vegas in about 3.5 hours, averaging 80-90 w/ maybe a half ton of stuff in it...with out a problem. I'm really impressed by the engine quality.

[Nick]

most ppl that get a ride in my car (who aren't car buffs) think that its a 95-96, and my car's pretty ghetto

[CamryMax]

I got Gen3 Camry LE 4 cyl, ('96), and it's pretty good actually.
I must say that Gen3 compared to cars same age look pretty modern. I mean like look at different cars of the same year and they look like square boxes...well some of them.. Gen3 got nice curves, I love my car. I used to hate it for some reason, I don't know why. But now I love it. It was my mom's and dad's car at first, we actually got it rebuilt, got it for cheap with no taxes (he-he-he no one tell IRS )
The realiability is awesome, it got 72K miles on it and it drives nice and smooth, we didn't have any problems with it at all, I don't remmeber fixing anything since we got it... So I think Gen3 are pretty much the best, I guess back then Toyota was more honest about car making.. now it's getting cheap just to get more cars sold with less expenses. But I still would trust Toyota, they can go for decades.

[wontonjohnny]

haha yea my boss thought i drove a lexus when he say me driving ..... he's like you wont be with us long will you???

my school buddys thought my car was way newer then a 92,
toyota's in general are built to last

[brink]

You know, I'm thinking it's really hard to give reliability reports if nothing ever goes wrong!

Having said that, my dad's gen2 (91) has approx 286,000 miles on it so far. The only major thing done was a new tranny (auto) at around 190,000.. it just quit working at an intersection one day. Had to replace normal wear items such as brakes and struts, but even those last forever. As I recall his front brakes lasted til like 80,000 miles before he had to replace them. He just got new struts to replace the OEM ones a couple months ago. The car feels solidly built, no weird squeaks or anything, and it still handles great.

My sister and brother-in-law's gen3 is a similar story. Nothing major has broken or needed replacing aside from wear items like brakes, filters, etc. That one has about 150,000 miles on it I believe. It feels more solid on the ground than my dad's gen2, like it's gripping the road better. Build quality seems nice and quality. Very comfortable.

My gen4.5 (2000) has only 46,000 miles on it. I drive it pretty rough and it still keeps on ticking along. It feels a little more skittish on the road than the gen3, but that's probably my worn tires As far as interior quality, it is sorta "cheaper" looking than the gen3 and gen2. It still has comfy seats and clean lines, but the interior looks like they were trying to be as inoffensive with unexpected protuberances and angles as possible. I think my car has more comfortable seating than the previous two gens... I sat in my back seat for like only the second time ever a couple nights ago and it just struck me how frickin' huge and luxurious the seating area is! Lots and lots of legroom back there!

Edit: I included the gen2 info cause according to a couple dealers, that year was "the most reliable Camry ever". Thought it was sorta funny they said that to me when I was shopping for my car

[2000CamryLEV6]

i know my 2000 LE V6 is perfect(83k miles), never had a problem... my aunts gen 3 (92') XLE 4cyl fell apart at 135k miles... interior parts broken, drivers window would not function, engine sounded weird, she was afraid to drive it anywhere more than to her kids schools etc..... paint was nasty... overall i think my gen 4 is put together better....