'02 Camry wet traction

Aug 20, 2007 22 Replies

are there any other owners out there w/ an '02 4cyl that have issues in wet weather and snow losing traction.



ever since i got the car, used, i noticed that when the roads are wet the car feels unsafe. i changed tires and i'm riding on all season tires and the car seems to go in straight lines ok, but it feels like in turns it want to break loose. last night the front end skidded on an off ramp going the making a right turn....not exceeding the speed limit. also when accelerating from a stop the drive tire frequently just spins, unless i just creep/crawl to a start.



i noticed that the car had a Traction control option, but this car is not equipped w/ it.



mike....


If your tire pressures are too high you will experience this action, also if you have a heavy foot.

I have an `02 Camry-4 Auto and I have never experienced the "problems" you describe

I have four one year old Michelin all-season tires on it.

Methinks it may be the operator?

nope not the operator.

i've had plenty of front drive cars as well as my wife and we both hate this car in wet/snowy weather. we also have a '99 Camry that out performs this car in wet weather hands down.

tire pressure is set at 33psi. i have also tried the toyota recommended (29psi F&R) pressures and no difference except in the overall ride.

mike.........

If you have good tires, then maybe weak suspension components: strut/ spring? See:

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The 4 cyl Camry's are notorious for having a weak suspension. Yet another reason for opting for the 6 cyl. ones.

And if he has a 6cyl, then you would say a Lexus has better suspension =)

I felt the same 'want to break loose' thing on my RAV4, though no tire spins, plus I heard some thud when my car hits a pothole. I had my front shocks replaced. My mechanic said the rear shocks were still fine and would last another 10,000 miles.

Brand and model of tires would be helpful information. Perhaps your choice of tires is not appropriate to your driving modalities.

General Ameri 4 GS

mike....

Tire type, tread left and age of tire are important, 4 yr old original Brigstones are like driving on ice. Id say its the tires

Toyota did put very weak rear springs on years of Camrys. Those bottom easily and are basically junk. But aftermarket replacements were fine if you used them.

However, Lexus use the same [cheap] McPherson geometry but some models do install adjustable air springs instead of steel coil springs. Still junk given how much more you pay for one of those (RayO's experience shows a $24.99 oil change at Toyota easily turns into a $120 oil change at Lexus). I'll say Toyota is making obscene profit with the Lexus line.

Well, my comments stem from my experience with my 99 Camry 6 cyl. My private mechanic, a former dealer employee, has pointed out the more robust suspension in the *99* 6 cyl. Camry as opposed to that in the *99* 4 cyl. I've ridden in newer Camry 4 cyl.: 2003 and noted how easily they bottomed out. Still a damn fine car, though.

these Gen.'s were put on the car in July '06 and have 8,000 miles on them. the car only has 40k miles on it...

mike.......

I replaced my 4cyl RAV4 shocks at 60K miles. My 07 Camry 4cyl will have tire spins in wet roads, from a dead stop, if I dont go easy on the pedal. I dont have Traction Control. All Season Michelin Energy MX4 16K miles and rotated every 5K. Its been raining here in NJ for the past 3 days now. I dont have body sway when turning/cornering. I even intensionally tried to swing the car once during heavy snowfall just to see how the tire grips the road and it wasn't bad at all.

Even new tires can be crap for wet conditions, Google, Tire ratings or go to consumer reports or maybe I can get you a copy, some new are rated very Poor, see where your tire rates then you will know what to do, under maybe 31lb they might feel loose, try 33-35 lb or even more,

I've not read of any traction issues specific to your vehicle and your tires received good reviews on

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. Kind of a puzzler.

Is that when the problems started with traction?

the last tire review from CR was '05.

i don't believe these were even on the list.

maybe i need new struts in the front, there is a slight shimmy in the steering wheel from 70mph+ but i have no sign of bad wear in the tires yet.

mike....

thanks Nick.....appreciate the info.

mike........

Hi Mike

I put Michelin Hydroedge tires on my 02 Camry because it was pretty unstable with the original Michelin MX4's at 80K kms. The Hydroedges just DO NOT SLIP. Go here to see a comparison.

Slim

Don't try the link, it won't work. Just go to

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select your 02 Camry and select all tires for that model. Then select General and Michelin, check the compare boxes for your tire and the Hydroedge, to see what the difference is. Yeh, I know, the first difference is double the price. But its your safety !

Slim

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