Toyota Camry in the 40th body, or as it is often called, "forty", was produced from 2006 to 2011, and now it is quite a popular car on the secondary market. It is liked by those drivers who appreciate the solid exterior, reliability, unpretentiousness and inexpensive operation: in this parameter, the Japanese sedan is ahead of most competitors. But even such a time-tested model has weaknesses, which are worth paying attention to when buying and at the beginning of operation to avoid costly repairs. This is especially important given that the cost of the Toyota Camry xv40 on the aftermarket varies enormously.
Powertrains
To tell the truth, the legendary reliability is inherent only to Toyota Camry with 2.4 engine (167 hp, marking 2AZ-FE) - it comes with Aisin U250E/U151E five-speed gearbox, sometimes the latter is marked as Aisin 95-51LS. On Japanese assembly cars, the U250E is used more often. These automatic transmissions are considered as successful and are able to go 300 thousand kilometers without repair, and with timely replacement of filters and oils and careful exploitation the service life can reach 500-600 thousand kilometers and more.
Much worse is the case with the 3.5 engine (277 hp), marked 2GR FE, and six-speed automatic transmission U660E. There are many cases where the gearbox has failed and required expensive repairs. Breakdowns contribute to two factors: the sharp start from traffic lights, which are detrimental to any automatic transmission, as well as non-stop driving on the highway at high speeds - it is particularly detrimental to the six-speed box U660E. Due to the shortcomings of the cooling system box quickly overheats. This problem is partially solved by installing an additional radiator, but experts still recommend every 2 hours of driving on the highway to make at least brief stops. Also, because of the bad design of the transmission itself, the solenoids, the selector positioning board, the temperature sensor, the back cover and other elements are often worn, and overheating also contributes a lot to this. But even if you drive only in the city and carefully, it is not the fact that you can avoid the mentioned problems!
Proceeding from it, we recommend you to get "forty" only with the engine 2.4. As practice shows, its power is quite enough even for such a weighty car. When driving on a highway you will feel yourself confidently and will be able to overtake easily enough. The engine 3.5 gives no special advantages, but increases potential investments into repair. Besides, the copies with 3.5 are more often purchased by fans of races and quick starts from a traffic light, therefore the chances to meet the whole, not "shabby" car are much lower in comparison with 2.4.
By the way, the consumption of cars with 2.4 and 3.5 engines almost doesn't differ. With a moderate, quiet ride around town it is from 12 to 14 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers, depending on the length of routes and the number of traffic lights. In winter with warming up - 14-16 liters.
The engines themselves are quite reliable and are not prone to "oily". Oil consumption is up to 1 liter per 10000 kilometers. Higher figures are sometimes observed on higher-mileage 3.5 engines, especially for drivers with an aggressive driving style.
Body
The weak point of the Toyota Camry xv40 body can be called the hood and front bumper. The front bumper skirt often suffers when hitting curbs, and in such cases, bumper mounts are easily deformed, resulting in tangible gaps. Sometimes the bumper can be literally set back to its place by pressing a finger, but this measure solves the problem till the first serious road unevenness. As for the hood, it is quickly covered with small chips while driving on the highway. The hood deflector helps partially, but anyway we recommend to visit body service stations and to paint chippings sometimes, to avoid corrosion. All other elements of a body are sufficiently durable - though, certainly, there will be many small scratches and chips on a car which is 8-10 years old or more. Also note the plastic sills - a very good solution, it will save you from regular touch-ups after winter, especially if you live in a region where the roads during the cold season are treated with aggressive reagents.
By the way, one more nuance: front headlights are prone to fogging in the rain and after washing. Strangely enough, it happens even on completely intact headlights, which have no visible physical damage. Probably, misting is caused by micro gaps or design flaws. Headlights do not require repair, but still an unpleasant moment.
Interior
The velor interior has an unsightly appearance, but it almost does not spoil with time: even on cars with mileage of 300 thousand it looks quite fresh. But the leather interior is washed in order already to 100 thousand run - in this aspect the Japanese car is inferior to Germans. The first cracks can appear not only by 200 thousand. To prolong the life time, one should periodically treat the skin with special lotions, especially in moments of abrupt temperature change - before and after winter.
Also, the buyers of the car should pay attention to the work of the seat heating: often the contact on the front passenger seat breaks, so the heating stops working. But the seat adjustment almost never fails, which, of course, does not cancel the need to check it when buying.
Important detail: the center console starts creaking in the cabin by the mileage of 100 thousand, but this problem can be easily solved by specialists. And the reason of inoperative cigarette lighters is most often the burned-out fuses.
Technical elements
Suspension Toyota Camry xv40 is soft and "omnivorous", most of its elements can withstand 100 thousand mileage and more even with the low quality of the roadway. Sometimes the suspension is called unkillable, although with the proper "skill" and the number of pits, of course, it requires repair. Most often shock absorbers and stabilizer struts need to be replaced.
Among other expensive parts of the car it is worth mentioning the timing chain - its life is about 300 thousand kilometers, after which it needs to be replaced. Also, such a problem as a broken steering cable is common.
If the cable is damaged, the steering wheel control buttons are unstable at first, they may not respond at all or may respond "in pieces". If the problem worsens, the cruise control will stop working. Although, practice shows that some owners had several years and 50-70 thousand mileages after the first problems with the loop until the moment of its significant damage and absence of cruise control.
Also, when buying a Toyota Camry in the 40th body, we recommend paying close attention to the protection systems. This car is not only in great demand among the theft specialists, but also in general is easily stolen due to the unfortunate location of the electronic engine control unit. Therefore, it is highly desirable that the copy you are interested in has a quality dialogue alarm, immobilizer or hood / gearbox lock, as well as GSM-module. Without having at least 2 of the above-mentioned security elements, there will be a huge risk of theft.
And the last detail: do not estimate this car by its mileage. The fact is, the specialists of Toyota Camry will reduce the mileage in a few minutes, and later they will not be able to determine it accurately even at official service. It is possible, of course, to calculate the approximate mileage by the number of moto-hours, headlight hours and other not the most popular ways, but often it makes no sense. Much more important is the general condition of the car, interior and paintwork. With careful usage a "forty" even after 300-400 thousand mileage looks acceptable and does not need any special expenses. And if it was used by young "hustlers", even after 200 thousand it could turn into a "bucket". Be attentive while examining the car, take an expert with you or go with the owner to the service station, check all the elements of the body with a thickness gauge and pay attention to the details, which we described in the article. Have a great purchase!
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