Bad transmission fastener can lead to limping '07 Toyota Camry By MARK RECHTIN | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
6:00 am, May 2, 2006LOS ANGELES - Just two months into the launch of its redesigned 2007 Camry, Toyota has a problem on its hands.
A fastener in the automatic transmission can loosen, and as a result drivers can lose the use of second and sixth gear.
The vehicle still can limp to a dealership, however. The problem applies only to the models with a V-6 and a six-speed transmission.
About 90 owners have reported the problem out of 5,800 vehicles so equipped, says Toyota spokesman Mike Michels.
Toyota is treating the problem with a technical-service bulletin sent to dealers, not a recall. As a result, owners must wait for the transmission to fail before it can be repaired under warranty.
The incorrectly seated fastener, also called a snap ring, may realign itself during normal driving, Michels said.
Toyota has changed the production process to improve seating of the fastener. The same transmission is used in the redesigned Lexus ES 350, but a later production start date meant the problem was caught before production began.