2000 Camry LE V6 - 109000 miles

I have a 2000 Avalon 125,000 miles which is very similar. I do oil changes about 3 to 5K miles, transmission and cooling at 30K and timing belt and spark plugs at 100K. This is my understanding of the required maintenance, not what the Toyota dealer would like to sell me. In addition to maintenance I did front brakes at 80K, 3 batteries and on third set of tires jut recently. I think all these service cost about $3000. Average of $400 a year. The car still runs flawlessly. Could you elaborate what you have done and what your costs are?

(fuel injectors, steering rack, steering pump, charcoal canister,

I've got a couple of cars over 200,000 miles and neither of them have had the work you describe above. I replaced the O2 sensors (not CO sensors) at about 175,000 miles in both cars. My 1998 Sienna, with

210,000 miles, costs me about half your figure for annual repairs, maintenance and upkeep.

What part of New York do you live in?

I am not a car guru and do no work on the car myself nor do I know anyone that can. I take it in to the dealer (they've physically the closest shop I can get to) for all recommended servicing and whatever else pops up and yes, something usually pops up. Still I've gone along with it since knowing the car will start when I turn the ignition wherever I am is most important to me, so I chalk that up to preventative maintenance and not knowing a thing about cars except what I've learned by paying for various services. Most recent expenses $800 for routine service internal, fuel injector service, new valve gasket covers (and I forget what else), $200 for brakes, $1100 for steering rack and pump, and $400 for one new fuel injector. Live in northern NJ. I guess I need to marry a mechanic!

If you had to change injector (just one for $400!) and $1100 steering rack/pump at 109K miles then it's either severe service driving or your Camry is one of the more problematic ones.

There are major services once in a while. For example, a complete timing belt job that includes water pump, oil seals and idlers typically runs $600-800 dealer (for about $200 of parts online) and comes every 5yr/60K miles or 6yr/90K miles. $50 Brake pads every

60-90K miles depending on driving style. Coolant hoses (radiator, heater, bypass, ~$60) should be done around 100K miles preventatively (although they'll last longer, like the timing belt). And the alternator brushes ($20 assembly) wear out around 120-150K miles, etc etc.

I don't know what your $800 includes, but if only for oil coolant and ATF changes plus tire rotation plus "inspect" a lot of items then IMO it's way too high even at the dealer. That said, dealer prices are always high because they have overhead costs. Independent mechanics' prices are lower, but finding good ones isn't easy.

But sounds like your dealer is trying to move you into a new car? ;) ;)

You are paying dearly for convenience. Time to do something else.

-Buy a new car with an extended warranty (you should shop online for manufacturer's warranty at a discount before visiting your local dealer).

-Buy a Certified Used car with an extended warranty.

-Find an independent mechanic with a decent reputation (not a boat owner). [If you are successful finding said mechanic, you should be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!]

-Work the numbers (maybe with a banker) to see if leasing a car would work out cheaper for you.

Good luck.

Extended warranties for most Camrys are for suckers. Best to simply have an emergency fund, earning money for YOU, to pay for the eventual repairs. Rest assured, warranty companies make money for THEMSELVES, at YOUR expense.

Just taking into account this part of your response, I may have a bad Camrry. It was one of the first ones on the line for the 2000 model. I didn't want to do that but that is the time my former car (Chevy Beretta) died on me. I didn't want to go American made again, so went with the Camry. Despite the high maintenance costs (for me anyway), I love my car. I had never heard of anyone changing a steering rack and pump at around 100k so I did take the car to a few mechanics and another dealer, not all put it up on a lift but those that did agreed that it did indeed need to be replaced (one took me under the car and showed me the leaks). I must say the steering is now incredible! Feels like new as it should with a new steering rack but I don't know what else is going to go and not sure I want to be the owner to find it out.

As you suggested, I started looking into extended warranties. Hadn't thought of them. They would probably have worked out well for me if they truly pay for parts, labor, and a rental car. Is buying an extended warranty from the dealer the best option, or buying from an independent service offered on the web? I see a few of these but not sure if they are valid when you actually take your car in to an independente mechanic.

Yeah, I know what you mean about some of the earlier products out of Detroit. That's why all three are under new management and one of them even guarded by a three-headed dog (Cerberos) that allows the spirit of the dead to enter and none to exit!

I think people are generally right that extended warranties are worthless for most, unless one plan can be found that closely matches the original "bumper-to-bumper" warranty at a reasonable cost.

I'm not doubting your Camry needs a pump and a rack (rare), but that's why I flush my power steering system with each transmission strainer change. :) :)

What he said.

Some of those items dont sound right, if you have a dealer do the work what do you expect, they have to maintain those nice shops and pay for the free coffee and dounuts I have never seen one that isnt double the price or doing whats only necessary compared to a independant mechanic. I just had a car in and they wanted to replace the front brakes, engine oil and plugs, which I just did a month ago, oil had

100 miles on it. For most dealers work can be done at up to 75% less somewhere else.

Dealer has to make money selling accessories, extra service, etc. And that's how service writers take a cut of the profit and collect money to put food on the table and buy Christmas presents. If owners walk in without a clue then all the dealers see are big dollar signs walking through the door.

For example, a Mitsuboshi timing belt costs ~$13 on rockauto.com, it costs about 3x at the dealer counter. Always watch your money yourself I guess.

Well I have more than a clue everytime I go to a dealer for warranty work or CALL for prices, the only time a dealer should be used is for warranty work, and just about always I get unessary work bid for and im told I need it, when I dont. I dont mean toy dealers I mean all of them, there isnt most any work I cant get done 25-75% cheaper somewhere else. And it adds up fast. I had a gm dealer want 1100 for brakes, we got it done for 200, its just one of the many things ive seen over the years. OP should find a independant mechanic that charges 60 an hr, not the 1-400 an hr dealers actualy get. Not having a clue, as most dont, and having someone seeing dollar signs, instead of doing what is necessary, is crooked. My local independants are in business for life here because their reputation for being honest was built on honesty. I will bet op was overcharged and unessary work done.

While I agree that OP is probably being oversold on maintenance work, I would disagree that the independent service people are always cheaper. The Toyota dealer was cheaper on spark plug replacement, they were the least expensive on timing belt replacement. I did shop around and got 6 quotes.

Certain work like timing belts dealer often have deals on, OP should talk to neighbors with old cars to find a reputable local mechanic.

Please re-read the first post. The OP is being taken over the coals by his local dealer. That's where he goes for service, no options. An extended warranty protects the buyer from an unscrupulous dealer. The extended warranty costs FAR less than the OP has paid for service thus far.

For folks in other situations, yeah, an extended warranty for cars like the Camry and Accord are silly.

Everyone has options, his neighbors have cars and someone has found a good mechanic, Extended warranties I find are bs , my coil, broken spring, leaking ac were not covered last week, I was even charged 300 for them to look over the car after paying about 1000 for a warranty. Look close at what is not covered in a warranty. But even maintenance items I just about always get done alot cheaper at my local mechanic, dealers have lead ins like on timing belts, but then the extras are based at up to 200 an hour.

The V6 is an expensive car to maintain, the 4 cyl is a much better choice, I think if you had the extended warrenty they probably would not of done most of the work you described.

The V6 is an expensive car to maintain, the 4 cyl is a much better choice, I think if you had the extended warrenty they probably would not of done most of the work you described.

For US, the 6 cyl. (99 Camry) was A MUCH BETTER CHOICE. I test drove both. The 99 6 cyl. Camry is every bit as good as an entry level Lexus. It has far, far better suspension that the 4 cyl. had (in 1999, for sure). If you can't afford the few extra cents in gasoline for the 6 cyl., you should take the bus. The 6 cyl., in 1999, is a rocket on wheels compared to the relatively sluggish 4 cyl. Note, SINCE then, Toyota has upgraded their 4 cyl. Camry engine..as they have the 6 cylinder. Don't arbitrarily dis the 6 cyl. without FIRST trying it out.

We have a 1996 Camry with 120,000 miles on it. It's very unusual to have some of those repairs that you've had to have, i.e. the steering rack, charcoal canister, and CO sensor.

Tire rotation is free at most tire stores (including Costco which almost always has the best out-the-door pricing on tires).

Stay away from the dealer (and Jiffy Lube) for oil changes and brakes (unless the dealer has a special). Find an independent shop that will use Toyota parts (filters, brake pads, etc.) rather than low-quality parts that the mass-market retailers like Jiffy Lube, Midas, etc., use.

The most expensive repair I've had is the struts and shocks at about

115,000 miles. Could have gone longer, but one strut mount had to be replaced (a common problem on this generation of Camry) so I had both struts, both mounts, and both shocks replaced and it was around $800. The other problem has been the IAC valve (idle air control valve) which is another common Camry problem, but an honest mechanic just cleans it for $20, while a dealer will charge $400 to replace it.

The V6 is more problematic than an I4, and in most parts of the country is unnecessary as the I4 on the Camry has always been sufficiently powerful even for steep hills (though maybe not for extensive mountain driving).