Six problems related to catalytic convertor have been reported for the 2002 Toyota Camry. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2002 Toyota Camry based on all problems reported for the 2002 Camry.
Tl- the contact owns a 2002 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle hesitating to drive. The gages start to go crazy, the engine jump then stalled. The contact was able to coast over to the side of the road with a person pushed the vehicle to the side off the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed that the alternator failed and needed to be replaced and the battery cable. The vehicle was repaired, the contact stated, as the technician was backing out the vehicle, it stalled. The technician replaced the alternator a second time. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that after driving the vehicle 30 miles from the independent mechanic. The failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the independent mechanic and was diagnosed that the ground wires needed to be replaced and the battery cable. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that two weeks later, the vehicle was raddleling and failed to start. The contact stated that the vehicle restarted the next day. The contact stated two days before a new battery was replaced. The failure continues to acurred. The contact also stated that the vehicle run out of oil and she had just put three quart of oil and would change the oil every seven hundred miles. The contact also stated that the valve cover gasket and the catalytic convertor failed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer and was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle consuming too much oil and when driving and going over fifty the vehicle start to shake. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided a case number: 1909271661. The approximate failure mileage was 23,800. Aw.
At approximately 90,000 miles, the vehicle check engine light came on. Checking with Toyota dealer, they indicated the catalytic converter must be replaced. They futher indictated that there is a nationwide backorder for this item and they already have 10 vehicles on the waiting list at their dealership. I believe, from this information, that this must be a problem that is a result of a design defect and therefore should be resolved by Toyota.
My car's check engine light would come on and my son would check the code (po420) then send me to the dealer. I took this car to two different dealers during this time. The first time the light came on I was out of town and took the car to a local dealer who changed a sensor connected to the exhaust system. The next time to light came on I took the car to a dealer in my area and they told me that it was a bad sensor (same one that had just been changed) after I told them that sensor had already been replaced they came back and told me that it was a different sensor. I left this dealer and shortly after the check engine light was on again and I went back to the second dealer who said that the computer needed to be reprogrammed. This problem has been on going for about four years, during which time my car was under warranty and the first service bulletin on this problem was issued on may 24, 2004 and the second on July 27, 2004. Now that the car is not under warranty I have found out about these service bulletins. I intend to take this issue up with Toyota as this should have been repaired back in 2004.
Since I purchased this car it has been problems, first it was the brakes vibrating, took it in and right away the dealer knew what it was without me even explaining it to him, they fixed that in 2 trips. Then it was the rotten egg smell, they could not find anything wrong. (then why does my car stink when I try to get power out of the engine?) then it was the knocking and pinging in the engine, (I was told that they could not duplicate the problem, but my octane level was low to upgrade my gas. The manufacturers provided owners manual states 87 octane gas or higher, I already use 89 octane and have since the day I bought the car, so why should I have to spend money on higher priced gas when the car is only 1 year old and the engine should not make any noises. Now it is the tires and alignment the alignment is completely off that the tires are destroyed with only 17,250 miles on them, yet the car shows no sign of the alignment being off, it drives straight stays in one lane and the steering wheel is even straight, so how after one year with low miles is the alignment off and the tires are destroyed, and why was it unnoticed when I had my tires balanced and rotated 2 months earlier at 15,000 miles? by the same dealership! I feel that this car has alot of problems that the manufacturer does not want to address, look at how many other people are having the same problems, and we are all told that it is wear and tear or that there is no problem at all, well then why are we all having the same problems? I called Toyota's main office logged a complaint and was told that someone would get back to me, it has been 3 days now and not one call has come my way! I feel that I should not have to pay for the repairs to this car since it is a nation wide problem, especially since it is a $27000. 00 car that has depreciated in value by more than $7000. 00 in less than one year, what happened to Toyota's retaining there value? I wish everybody much luck with their issues.
Rotten egg smell inside vehicle cab since I leased it , been in shop 5 times they asked me to do things like put blue planet gas in it and drive it for along time none of this seem to work last time was they swaped the computer system and converters from another 2002 Camry and the gas smell is still there. I have tried everything. . The smell is to the point where it makes my daughter and I have headaches. At one point I had Toyota tell me there was nothing they could do for me. . . . Im not sure if my car has a defect due to some other reason it seems funny to me that they just dont know whats wrong with this car. There is also a clunking sound in the sterring they told me it was normal too? not sure about whats going on . . . . . And thought someone else like you guys should know about it. Thanks tammy cole.
Rotten egg smell since the car was purchased. Complained to Toyota dealership and the regional rep without a resolution. The rep suggestion was to just put premium gas in it. Certainly not what I expected from Toyota but I have been putting premium gas in the car and it does seems to tame the smell somewhat. In addition we have had problems with the front alignment and the car pulls to the left. Have purchased a life time alignment warranty but it still seems to go out of alignment quickly. Also have a constant wind problem with the driver side front door. Been repaired once, going into the shop again to repair. Also the original tires had to be replaced at 24,000 miles. I wouldn't consider a Toyota in future car purchases.