timing change replaced at 50,000 miles?

I believe 4 cylinder models are scheduled for 60K mile timing BELT replacement and 6 cylinder ones at 90K miles. My 94 Camry had 162K miles with original water pump. My 97 has 103K miles with original water pump. Each time the dealer has looked at the pump and said it need not be replaced. Prices at dealer are $150 to $200 depending on 4 or 6. Sometimes they have coupons. Somewhere else will be approximately $50 cheaper.

50000 is a bit early they go easily over 110 but are conservative on milage for replacement so you dont get stuck. wait till 60-90

Thanks for your reply, badgolferman.

I am considering a 2002 Camry LE with 68,000 miles, so your reply was very helpful.

Owner says it needs two new front tires. I am guessing $100 each including tire, valve stem, and installation. Is this enough? or way too high?

I am going to check his owner's manual and his repair and maintenance bills to see what is required and what he has actually done. Such as brake jobs, wheel alignment, etc.

Thanks, MRamsley, for helpful reply.

Please see my reply to badgolferman for the further action I plan to take.

I am not a big spender so $100 per tire for installation sounds very high to me. If you are a member of Costco or such you can find decent tires for $70 installed. If not watch papers for sales by tire merchants. The last set of tires I bought I got from

so make sure you check those and call around locally to see how much installation costs. You might choose to shop online.

If you have access to prior maintenance records that would be very helpful for you. The 2002 Camry is the first year of the new design. After owning the 1997 I am leery of first year designs personally. You may want to look at the exhaust system from the rear and see if you can live with the hanging pipe.

Twenty three thousand miles per year..... wow. Hope it's mostly highway miles :/

(Is this a sludge candidate?)

Tires for the Camry start at $48 and go as high as $133 ($75 for a brand name). Tires.com and Tirerack.com are good places to do research ;-)

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I have had very good luck with Cooper Tires. There are two grades. I use the better grade of Cooper. They well worth the extra expense. I do a lot of highway driving and about 10 miles of gravel roads daily. Not unusual for me to drive several hundred miles/day. My 1994 Camry has over 220,000 miles. I change the timing belt, idlers, idler springs, water pump, Toyota anti-freeze and spark plugs every 60,000 miles. The first time was done by the dealer. Since then, we have changed them at home. Not a hard task. Just follow the instructions in the Haynes manual for you Camry.

Thanks again for previous info.

Can you tell me if the 2002 Toyoya Camry has disc rotor type brakes all around, or just on the front wheels and with standard brake drumson the rear wheels?

What is the average mileage before replacement is needed for both front and rear?

Anything else you think I should check as far as engine, drive, transmission, etc.?

You should use the same tires as already on the car if you are just replacing 2 of them. So that will largely determine the cost. But you can usually buy very good tires for $100 each installed.

Brake jobs and wheel alignments are not scheduled maintenance items. Have someone inspect the brakes. Look at the evenness of the tire tread wear and test drive the car to determine if an alignment is needed. Only very rarely is a rear alignment needed. However, severely uneven tread wear can also be caused by suspension problems, such as caused by an accident, so check the accident records of any used car you purchase.

Hi Clay, thanks much for your informative reply.

This group sure is fast with knowledgeable answers.

Thanks, Mark, for your comments.

They are very helpful.

I don't know. It probably depends upon the trim level.

It depends upon driving habits.

Transmission problems can sometimes be spotted by the fluid condition and shifting sensation. You certainly don't want any leaks coming out of the engine area but even if there is one it may not be too expensive to fix and can be used as a bargaining tool.

Just get a sense of the general appearance and condition of the car. If it seems well kept it is probably a good bet. Your best bet is to have the vehicle looked over by a trusted mechanic.

60k is a safe recommended interval by mfg. Some have driven 120K on orig belt. Agree with Clay's reply, when you replace the belt, also replace the other part in that area. water pump, thermostat, etc and the external belts also. This will cost you a few more $, and you will not have to worry about a pump leaking or etc.