Scraping under front Camry bumper

[gen6eric]

I have a 2007 Camry with less than 1,000 miles on it that I drive very carefully and am especially cautious about issues that could cause scraping under the front bumper, considering how low it is.

My first "incident" with this car was when I was coming out of a Toyota dealership parking lot when I attended the "new owner's clinic. There is a slight incline as you leave the parking lot, before you enter the road. I was at a complete stop, waiting for traffic to clear, then slowly pulled out onto the road, and heard the front bumper hit the pavement. DARN!!!

When I drove back by there the next day, I discovered that the particular entrance/exit I used has a shallow drainage "ditch" at the end of the incline, with a storm sewer grate. I would have never expected having a problem exiting a Toyota dealer parking lot.

Is there any hope at all that you can get years and years driving time in these cars and NOT experience situations like this?

[Gellenole]

you can always drive down those ramps on an angle instead of going straight at it, but I doubt stock camry suspension is THAT low....

[Erock08SE]

The suspension being low is not the problem, the front bumper kit is pretty low, you have to be careful where you drive it and going up inclines, theres really no way to aviod besides paying attention to the steapness of the driveway, etc that you are entering. Also be sure to not park to far in into some parking spaces that have the cement blocks because that can scrap even worse. My moms camry already had to have the whole front bumper redone cause she doesnt realize how low the bumper is and shes a girl ( no offense).

[njerald]

Never have scraped mine in 19 months and 21,000 miles of driving!!!!

[Erock08SE]

The LE's front bumper isnt as low as the SE's sometimes i wish my SE's bumper wasnt so low, but then again i drive very carefully with it and if i know im going to a place with no parking or rough roads i rarely take my car.

[Camrygen6]

I have those scrapes too, when my Camry was about 3 months.

[bigloubumpin]

No body kits nor low profile tires for me living in NY

[rydr1]

i have that issue on parking stops.

i weight 180lb and my wife 110lb and the damn bumper scrapes.

we are just staying farther out on the parking spot to not thouch the stop.

[gen6eric]

I also make a point of not pulling all the way up into a parking spot. There is one shopping center I refuse to go because there is such a steep incline.

This situation, however, caught me totally off-guard. I drove down the road the other day, looking at the entrances to the business properties, off the roadway. NONE of them have the issue that I ran into at the Toyota dealership with the drainage "ditch" at the bottom of the incline. It's the equivalent of driving through a pothole.

During daylight hours, I may have noticed the potential hazard ... but at night ... I just didn't notice it. I just don't understand why the cars have to be designed in such a way that this is even an issue. My daughters' older model Alero and Malibu have the same issue ... so it is not just Camry's.

[CamrySExxx]

you have SE so thats problem. I ALWAYS take it easy on those damn inclines! This one time i pulled into a parking spot too far and my bumper was 1cm from scraping the curb. Now i park like 3feet away from the curb i have bout 15000km and no scraps so far

[sky03]

i scrape mines going up... and i was going at a angle too

look how low it is compared to my 96 (both stock)

[Yazovets]

I attack all ramps, bumps and sidewalks at an angle.

[rydr1]

Originally Posted by gen6eric

....... I just don't understand why the cars have to be designed in such a way that this is even an issue. My daughters' older model Alero and Malibu have the same issue ... so it is not just Camry's.

they are cars they are all like this it is not a design issue.
its the length of the wheelbase and its unavoidable.

or you could go out an buy one of these and not worry about the front bumber scratching anything:

[Trojan]

Originally Posted by Yazovets

I attack all ramps, bumps and sidewalks at an angle.

+1

I also park like a foot away from parking curb/blocks

[TRD VVTi]

Wow, my car is lowered with front spats on it and I have NEVER scraped anything.

Drive up and down such places at an angle as stated previously. Also, don't pull up to the curb so far.