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I know problems can occur at any time but I am wondering if there are any upcoming repairs/maintenance I should be anticipating for my car, given its age and mileage.
'97 Camry V6 - 150K. It has never had any major mechanical problems, and has had all regular maintenance on it, performed by the same mechanic for 12 years.
It does have a small oil leak in which it requires 1/2 quart of oil every 1000 miles, and had two small fender benders that required body work.
From looking through the records, it looks like in 2005, it had the front gas-charged struts, front strut mounts, and rear brake pads replaced (this was done at the time of one of the fender benders- which was on right front), and in 2008, it says under labor "replace front brake pads" and "true rotors."
Currently, there is a slightly "crunchy" sound that seems to be coming from above the right font tire that occurs when I go over bumps, and I am sure this is something I will need to get fixed, but otherwise it seems just fine.
I know problems can occur at any time but I am wondering if there are any upcoming repairs/maintenance I should be anticipating for my car, given its age and mileage.
'97 Camry V6 - 150K. It has never had any major mechanical problems, and has had all regular maintenance on it, performed by the same mechanic for 12 years.
It does have a small oil leak in which it requires 1/2 quart of oil every 1000 miles, and had two small fender benders that required body work.
From looking through the records, it looks like in 2005, it had the front gas-charged struts, front strut mounts, and rear brake pads replaced (this was done at the time of one of the fender benders- which was on right front), and in 2008, it says under labor "replace front brake pads" and "true rotors."
Currently, there is a slightly "crunchy" sound that seems to be coming from above the right font tire that occurs when I go over bumps, and I am sure this is something I will need to get fixed, but otherwise it seems just fine.
Input appreciated!
Are you thinking of buying this car, or do you already own it? If the former, what do you plan to do with it?
The bottom line is that this is a crap-shoot. The Camry of that era is a solid car, but anything goes at that age and mileage. There are a LOT of somewhat expensive "regular maintenance" type repairs that typically come due in that 100k-125k range. If they've all been done, that's good. If they haven't, you'll be spending some serious money.
The oil leak is probably either a front or rear main seal, and would be very expensive to fix. If you don't mind a spot on your garage floor, you can buy a heckuva lot of oil for the price of the fix.
Without looking, there's no way to know how soon you'll need to replace brake pads. If it's not squeaking or lurching when you stop, that's a good sign.
It's hard to diagnose that "scrunching sound" from your front end. It could be anything from a weak sway-bar link to your strut tower rusted out. There's just no way to know without inspecting it.
Thanks.... I checked that forum out and most of it is completely over my head. I am someone who doesn't even change their own oil! And has no desire to learn how!
Are you thinking of buying this car, or do you already own it? If the former, what do you plan to do with it?
The bottom line is that this is a crap-shoot. The Camry of that era is a solid car, but anything goes at that age and mileage. There are a LOT of somewhat expensive "regular maintenance" type repairs that typically come due in that 100k-125k range. If they've all been done, that's good. If they haven't, you'll be spending some serious money.
The oil leak is probably either a front or rear main seal, and would be very expensive to fix. If you don't mind a spot on your garage floor, you can buy a heckuva lot of oil for the price of the fix.
Without looking, there's no way to know how soon you'll need to replace brake pads. If it's not squeaking or lurching when you stop, that's a good sign.
It's hard to diagnose that "scrunching sound" from your front end. It could be anything from a weak sway-bar link to your strut tower rusted out. There's just no way to know without inspecting it.
Thanks, I do own the car, and plan to drive it until I am faced with repairs that are too expensive given the value of the car. So far I don't feel like I am at that point.
I am sure my trusted mechanic can tell me what my car needs, as he's worked on it for 12 years now, but it never hurts to be more informed about these things, so I thought I would post here.
Thanks, I do own the car, and plan to drive it until I am faced with repairs that are too expensive given the value of the car. So far I don't feel like I am at that point.
I am sure my trusted mechanic can tell me what my car needs, as he's worked on it for 12 years now, but it never hurts to be more informed about these things, so I thought I would post here.
Gotcha.
At this point, it kind of depends on what you intend to do with the car. If you're just going to "drive it till it drops," and do so as cheaply as possible, just keep your oil changed. You can "live with" a lot of stuff, like worn shocks & struts, provided you're not taking it out on the highway.
On the other hand, if you want this to be/remain a nice car that is roadworthy, you'll want to keep ahead of the required maintenance.
If you've got a trusted mechanic, you've hit a gold mine.
Sounds like it was well maintained. That 110k service is a big one. I wouldn't be too surprised to see it pass 200k without any major work. Around then, you have to do a similar service (timing belt, water pump, spark plugs, etc).
That clunk you hear could be something simple like a sway bar link. Or it might need a bit more diagnosing from the mechanic.
I have a 1997 Camry too with only 75K, and it has cost me a lot of $$ this year. Probably at least $1500... ouch...
My father drove it for a few years and then passed it to me in 2003. He had one front end accident with it with minimal damage. I have been very good about doing all maintenance, which is sometimes tricky to figure out when to do things because using the mileage is less reliable since I drive less.
Breaks have been done twice. New tires. Regular maintenance things and a few minor things previous to this year.
This year I have replaced the radiator (leak), rotors were cracked and replaced, air conditioner condenser was leaking (no AC) and replaced. I also had a very small oil leak like yours, but simply replacing a ?gasket solved the problem in the end, although they charged me quite a bit on labor to "diagnose" and trouble-shoot before replacing major things. The lever that opens the gas tank access broke - this is common with this model/age. A few more smaller things that I can't recall that were lumped with the others.
I am not very savvy car-wise, so I may have not described things perfectly. On each thing they fixed I insisted on being shown etc... and it seemed like everything was needed.
Who knows if my issues were due to ?where I live (weather/driving conditions), the way I drive, my father's accident from > 10 years ago or what.
I am hoping to keep it going as long as I can.
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