Most reliable Camry generation

[71Corolla]

I'm curious what everyone thinks is the most reliable generation of Camry? I've included Gen6 as an option even though obviously the vehicle is far too new to have any long term experiences.

edit: by request here is the Camry generations list: (also posted by RningOnFumes)

• 1983-1986: Generation 1
• 1987-1991: Generation 2
• 1992-1996: Generation 3
• 1997-2001: Generation 4
• 2002-2006: Generation 5
• 2007- ? Generation 6 (current)

[95WhiteCamry]

i voted 3rd generation but that's because i'm biased.

however, the 3rd gen has been on the roads long enough for people to see their reliability. also, they can already be aquired for a rather cheap price. gen 1's and 2's are getting old and some are starting to show age, especially with rust. having air bags as practically standard, the 3rd gen was one of the safest camrys and also one of the most reliable ever. after all, the 5sfe engine is a strong piece of machinery and the 1mz was pretty much the trademark engine for toyota so yeah.... they're pretty much the most reliable generation i feel.

[stricular]

CAnt kill 'em! They are all rusting, the suspension setup sucks, and no 2 door. Other than that, for basic transportation, they own all other gens, IMHO. Yeah they are ugly, but so are all toyotas, sort of.

[Nice89]

Specifically, the Gen 2 Base model has all the advantages for reliability:

1. Very few power accessories to break
2. No fancy projector beam headlights or adaptive cruise control . . . no cruise control at all
3. Light weight, tall gearing, high-profile tires, soft suspension all conspire to minimize stress on the chassis. Add some overly soft bushings and you have a car that soaks it all up and feels nothing. It is the "Comfortably Numb" driving experience.
4. Significant proportion of US Gen 2s were built in Japan (my 89 base for example), those Japanese guys wrote the book on build quality!
5. Gen 1 to Gen 2 was about improvements, not radical change . . . resulted in a well proven but improved design


The Gen 2 was basically a taxi cab in design, feel and appearance. The base models include only the most robust parts and very few features or options. With fewer things to go wrong and all of it working at a lazy pace, the car just runs and runs.

The new Camry Hybrid may achieve the same gas mileage, but with so many high-tech gadgets and complex integrated multiple computer networked bluetooth-enabled bells and whistles it has little chance of meeting the precedent for reliability set by the Gen 2 base model Camrys. Complexity=problems

I did not pick the Gen 1 Camry for a few reasons:

The engine does not produce enough power and must work hard
Front wheel drive was new when the Gen 1 was designed. It was a big change that replaced existing RWD cars
It has a carburetor which tends to require more maintenance than EFI

[71Corolla]

[...snip...]

Good post, and I happen to agree. My '87 is a bit rough around the edges, but damn the thing is reliable. Literally zero unscheduled repairs with 250,000 miles so far. My cost of ownership is so low I almost feel guilty!

I did just purchase a 2001 though...

[timebuilder]

Gen 2, for all of the above reasons.

[JetspeedCamry]

Gen 2 for sure. There so many of them running around still...testiment to there build quality.

[Tom 2000]

Originally Posted by Nice89

It has a carburetor which tends to require more maintenance than EFI

Every gen1 sold in the U.S. came with EFI - The engine was 2S-E.

I tend to agree with the gen2.... I had one for many years, never could kill it. A friend of mine still drives one.

[aussie_gen1]

Originally Posted by Nice89

I did not pick the Gen 1 Camry for a few reasons:

The engine does not produce enough power and must work hard
Front wheel drive was new when the Gen 1 was designed. It was a big change that replaced existing RWD cars
It has a carburetor which tends to require more maintenance than EFI

My Gen 1 has overdrive, has fuel injection, runs well, and is mine, enough said

[Aussie_Camry]

Peronally I think both the Gen2 and Gen3 are about the same reliability wise... its hard to split them and say which is MORE reliable when we all know that both of these Gen's just keep on cranking well passed the age of the other cars of their time. And even the more recent Gens are more than likely just as reliable, but they are still youngens in comparison to these older models.

[marc780]

Regarding the poll, i hate to sound dumb but can you please say what year each generation encompasses? i get em mixed up much of the time.

[RningOnFumes]

• 1983-1986: Generation 1
• 1987-1991: Generation 2
• 1992-1996: Generation 3
• 1997-2001: Generation 4
• 2002-2006: Generation 5
• 2007- ? Generation 6 (current)

[BlackCamSe]

i voted gen 5. this car has only been in the shop once and it has about 25,000 miles, yes still a youngin compared to you people with 250,xxx miles. But this 2AZ-FE engine seems very promising, I free rev it to red line and Flore it on a daily basis, many time it hits red line about 5 or 6 times a day. She is still pering like a kitten. I like the fact it has a timing chain and an all aluminum block.

[Nice89]

Originally Posted by mkaresh

Supposedly all cars, including Toyota's, keep getting more reliable. If the Gen 2 is most reliable, and I have no data either way, then that would mean Toyota has failed to improve for two decades.

In the future, I intend to be able to answer this question with some actual data, at least for the more recent generations. I don't foresee going back more than ten years.

Vehicle reliability research

I think that this general statement applies best to American cars. Twenty years ago, American cars were mostly problem prone lemons compared to Toyotas. Now, American cars are not as good as Toyotas, but the difference is smaller.

European cars have unfortunately declined in reliability over the years. For example, Mercedes are amongst the least reliable cars produced today. They were much better in the 80s.

Toyota has not failed. Toyota has stayed at the top of all quality comparisons for years. When you are the best, it is hard to do any more than stay the best. Toyota is the brand you buy when reliability is your goal. Toyota is about to pass GM as the largest automobile producer on earth. That is about as far from failure as you can get.

[TypeRex187]

Gen2 all the way, i still have mine its 17years old and still running strong (kinda) !