Our 1994 Camry V/6 XLE with every option (leather, sunroof, etc.) is at the dealership right now with the heads off. Both head gaskets blew at 170,000. The dealership told us that the cylinder sleeves had dropped, and $7,500 is necessary to repair the engine! Since this is more than the car is worth, we obviously are not going to let the dealership repair the car.
To add insult to injury, the dealership now wants nearly $900.00 for tearing the engine down in our junk Camry! We never approved any estimate, except $2,300 for new head gaskets -- which they obviously have not done.
Besides calling a junkyard, what other options do we have?
I always believed Toyota's claims of "cheap to keep", but not for us! In checking on the internet, it is apparent that the V/6 has not been a reliable engine for Toyota owners. Using only Mobil 1 and changing the oil and filter every 3,000 miles was a total waste of money for us. We would have been better off buying a 4-cylinder Camry. And, a lot of Fords costing
1/2 as much will make 170,000 miles.