Mr. Kilmer,
I watched a video you did about the 2002 Camrey with the 4cyl I 4spd tran. You said how you believe them to be one of the best used cars to get. You mentioned how reliable the engine and trans was. Also, you mentioned how much room there was in the engine compartment to work on the engine and replace parts. I was sold on that info and stated to look for some on sale here in the Dallas TX area. I could only find two and they were in horrible shape and with serious high mileage (3ooK). I just need a cheap dependable car for a back up when I have to work on my truck. And I want the dependability, toughness and room to work on engine you spoke of. What I would like to know is since I can't seem to find a 2002 at the moment, would a 2004, 2005 or 2006 be as good as the 2002? Thank you in advance for your time. I love what you do and thank you for it. Your videos have been a great deal of help to me with numerous car problems. Please keep doing what your doing as long as you can. God Bless you and your family!
Regards,
Scott Kollowa
See below: 2006 was the last year of that generation Camry (model years 2002-2006) and one of the best. The 2002 model year you are looking at - some of those 4 cylinder engines had stripped head bolts, but by 2006 the issue seemed to be resolved.
https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/postid/34411/
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/Camry/2006/
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/Camry/2002/
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/Camry/
One word of caution: the 2.5L I4 engine in the Camry is the infamous 2AZ-FE which had oil burning but that issue did not occur until the next generation of Camry (first model year being 2007) and also effected engines built in the US. The 2006 Camry does not seem to have been impacted. However, I would make sure the previous owner has a documented service history especially religiously changing the engine oil on time (no more than every 5,000 miles) to mitigate issues due to lack of maintenance.
As with any used car, you always want an independent, honest mechanic like a Scotty to thoroughly check out before you buy, even on a Toyota.
2002-2009 all have the 2AZ-FE engine that tends to burn oil. I personally would seek out a 2010 or newer Camry with either the 2AR-FE or the A25A-FKS.
