2002 Toyota Camry Engine Problems

Toyota dealer contacted me; said my car will cost $15000 to fix. He said people at Toyota who has my exact car costed $15000 to fix! it’s known in automotive circles this year make model & engine size has this factory defect of the rear head studs stripping out and becoming loose. This causes combustion failure of the head gasket and engine block. The cylinder heads will be warped & cracked. Engine won’t hold coolant! Gauge jumps to H after brief attempt at combustion. Replacing the head g. Cylinder heads or engine block is insufficient due to the factory defect . only a total engine replacement has worked for past owners at $15000 if Toyota dies it. A mechanic said if u can fine like a 2006 lower miles engine & get mechanic to instal maybe $2000, that’s $4000. Bridgetown automotive in my area said at the very minimum in a discounted price it will be $8000. He said only a totally rebuilt engine or a new one put in will work. I’m seeking Toyota to give me a new car that doesn’t have this issue. People posting at blogs said they spent the $2200 to disassemble their engines as the auto places told them it was definitely their head gaskets causing coolant. once opened though, it was found their head gaskets were fine. The issue was , from factory, the head studs had stripped out and were loose. This, according to engine experts is total engine failure. Only replacing everything can fix this.

03/16/2021 - 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY 2.4L MY REGULAR AUTO SHOP REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE'S HEAD BOLTS ARE STRIPPED AND IS A COMMON ISSUE AMONGST THIS CAMRY YEAR. IT'S GOING TO COST $2,200 TO REPAIR ALBEIT NEW RADIATOR, AND THERMOSTAT. COOLANT WAS FOUND IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. STRIPPED HEAD BOLTS. MECHANIC SAYS HE'S SEEN MANY CAMRY'S WITH THIS ISSUE ESPECIALLY THE 2002-2003. THE KBB VALUE IS LESS THAN THAT. THINKING IT MAKES SENSE TO SELL AS SALVAGE THAN REPAIR. SO DISAPPOINTED! LONG-TIME TOYOTA FAN BUT IF THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE INDICATIVE OF A MANUFACTURE DEFECT THEN WHAT'S THE HOLD UP FOR A RECALL.

LIKE MANY OTHER 2002 CAMRYS, I HAVE A STRIPPED THREADS FOR THE HEAD BOLTS IN THE 2.4L ENGINE; THIS REPAIR IS EXPENSIVE. TOYOTA ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN DESCRIBING THE REPAIR. GOOGLE 'TOYOTA BULLETIN T-SB-0015-11' TO READ MORE. TOYOTA SHOULD BE MADE TO REPLACE THIS ENGINE.

EXCESSIVE OIL USAGE. CAR AT 4 YEARS OLD AND LESS THAN 40K MILES WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALER AS USING 1Q OF OIL EVERY 1500 MILES. AT 60K IT WAS USING 1Q EVERY 1000 MILES. ALL THE TIMES THIS WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALER I WAS TOLD THIS IS NORMAL OIL CONSUMPTION, NOW AT 100K IT IS USING 1Q EVERY 300 MILES AND I AM BEING TOLD I NEED NEW RINGS. I BELIEVE THE 02 CAMRY IS EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME THING THE LATER MODELS WERE RECALLED FOR AND TOYOTA WAS HIDING THE FACT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THEIR 4 CYL MODELS. THIS WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME A SMOG EMISSIONS ISSUE WITH THE OIL USAGE. CONTACTED THE 1-800 TOYOTA NUMBER AND THEY SAID IT ISN'T UNDER A CAMPAIGN AND WONT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING, SMOKE COULD BE SEEN COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED DURING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VALVE COVER FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

I BOUGHT MY 2002 CAMRY NEW. I MAINTAINED IT PROPERLY EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. AT 107K MILES A GURGLING SOUND BEGAN IN THE ENGINE AND ROUGH IDLING, AND THE TEMPERATURE WENT STRAIGHT TO H, TOOK IMMEDIATELY TO MY EXPERIENCED AUTO MECHANIC, HE PUT IN A NEW RADIATOR. WITHIN DAYS THE GURGLING AND ROUGH IDLING BEGAN AGAIN. ONCE AGAIN I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC. AFTER THOROUGHLY CHECKING THE ENGINE (HE EVEN CALLED IN ANOTHER TOP MECHANIC FOR A SECOND OPINION) AND THEN TOLD ME THE BAD NEWS. 2002-06 TOYOTA CAMRY'S HAVE A FLAW IN THE BOLT DESIGN THAT CAUSES THE CYLINDER HEAD TO SEPARATE FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK RESULTING IN THE COOLANT LEAKING TO THE ENGINE. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR THE SALESMAN SAID CAMRY'S RUN FOR 300K MILES, WELL HE NEGLECTED TO TELL ME THAT AFTER ONLY 107K MILES BECAUSE OF THIS FLAW IN THE ENGINE YOU WILL HAVE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND STRIPPED HEAD BOLTS SO THE SEAL IS NOT TIGHT -- SO YOU NEED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE!!!! AFTER LOOKING ONLINE, I SEE THIS IS FAR FROM AN ISOLATED CASE!!! TOYOTA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS ENGINE FLAW. THEY NEED TO PAY FOR THESE VERY EXPENSIVE ENGINE REPLACEMENTS!!!! MY MECHANIC SAID TOYOTA USED STEEL HEAD BOLTS IN AN ALUMINUM ENGINE. VERY BAD! STEEL AND ALUMINUM EXPAND AND CONTRACT AT DIFFERENT RATES, WHICH CAUSES THE PROBLEM!

AT 145,000 MILES THE HEAD GASKET FAILED DUE TO 3 STRIPPED HEAD BOLT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A BOLT FRACTURED IN THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY AND ANTI-FREEZE WAS LEAKING. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE BOLT MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

TWO SEPARATE EPISODES OF RAPID UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION ON 27JAN2018 AND 09FEB2018 RESULTING IN VEHICLE MOVING FORWARD AND ENGINE RUNNING RAPIDLY. FIRST EPISODE OCCURRED WHILE MOVING INTO MY GARAGE CAUSING CAR TO KNOCK DOWN THREE CASES OF WATER AND HITTING STORAGE AREA; SECOND EPISODE OCCURRED WHILE PULLING OUT OF ATM AREA THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED, HAD TO SWEAR LEFT NOT TO HIT ANOTHER CAR, HITTING BANK STOP SIGN. HAD TO PLACE CAR IN NEUTRAL, BRAKES DID NOT SLOW VEHICLE. SECOND EPISODE WITNESSED BY PASSAGE IN FRONT SEAT. AFTER FIRST EPISODE DROVE CARE CAREFULLY LOCALLY AND IT DID NOT REOCCUR, UNTIL APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER WHEN SECOND EPISODE OCCURRED AT ATM SITE. WHEN GETTING CAR HOME PLACED CAR IN NEUTRAL BEFORE STOPPING, MADE APPOINTMENT FOR DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO CHECK CARE ON 12FEB2018. ABLE TO DRIVE TO DEALERSHIP, SLOWLY AND USING NEUTRAL GEAR PRIOR TO BREAKING. DEALERSHIP, AFTER EXAMINING FOR APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR SAID CAR WAS FINE. NOT HAPPY WITH THIS RESULT SINCE THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG TO CREATE SUCH A FRIGHTENING ACCELERATION. AT DEALERSHIP CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE TO START REVIEW PROCESS OF THESE EVENTS. IN PROGRESS NOW. TOYOTA HAS SAID CAR WAS INSPECTED (NO ROAD TEST) AND CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE. I DO NOT FEEL CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE. I AM COMPLETING THIS COMPLAINT TO MAKE SURE THE ISSUE IS ADDRESSED. I AM THE ONLY OWNER OF THIS CAR SINCE IT WAS NEW AND KNOW THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG THAT EITHER IS UNDISCOVERED OR UNREVEALED. THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING THIS FORM.

THE ENGINE WILL BEGIN TO JERK AND THEN IT WILL NOT IDLE. I HAVE TO TURN IT OFF FOR AT LEAST 15 MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL RESTART THEN IT RUNS WELL FOR A MONTH OR SO BEFORE IT HAPPENS AGAIN. I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER WHO CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY. THAT DID NOT HELP. THE CAR HAS 151000 MILES ON IT HAS PRESENTS THIS PROBLEM ABOUT EVERY 3000 MILES ALWAYS WHEN THE ENGINE IS AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS ON THE INTERSTATE, IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO TRY TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY OF OTHER TRAFFIC.

THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK IT TO FIND OUT WHY, AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, SO I HAD IT REPAIRED, THE LIGHT WAS OFF. I WAS DRIVING ON THE 70 HIGHWAY IN ST LOUIS, MO WHEN GOING AROUND A CIRCULAR OFF RAMP THE CAR TURNED OFF AND IT WOULD NOT TURN BACK ON. I LIFT THE HOOD BUT COULD NOT TELL WHAT WAS WRONG. MO DOT (HIGHWAY TOW SERVICE) PUSHED ME OFF OF THE ROAD, AND THE DRIVER SAID IT WAS THE ENGINE. I CALLED AAA AND HAD THEM TAKE IT TO A REPAIR STATION, BUT IT WAS CLOSED. I LEFT IT THERE TILL MORNING AND WENT BACK THE NEXT MORNING TO CHECK ON IT. IT STARTED AND I LET IT RUN A FEW MINUTES TILL SOMEONE COULD LOOK AT IT. I DROVE IT TO THE BAY AND THE TECH RAN A COMPUTER CHECK ON IT ( SEE PRINTOUT). HE SAID TAKE IT BACK TO THE OTHER PLACE BUT IT STOPPED ON THE LOT. THE WORKER LIFTED THE HOOD, AND IT WAS SPEWING FROM THE RADIATOR! HE SAID TURN IT OFF, AND AFTER LOOKING SAID THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE RADIATOR, THE HEAD GASKET AND THE ENGINE! IT WOULD NOT START BACK UP, AND I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST $4,500 TO REPAIR IT!!! I HAD IT TOWED TO ANOTHER REPAIR PLACE AND WAS TOLD THE SAME!!! BEFORE THIS, I HAD NO PROBLEMS, NO LIGHTS HAD COME ON AND NO INDICATORS OF ANY PROBLEMS!! I CHECKED TOYOTA'S SITE AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINES AND HEAD GASKETS!!! THIS SHOULD BE REPAIRED!!!! CONTACT ME!!! I AM NOT IN A POSITION TO PURCHASE THEN REPAIR THIS CAR THAT HAS UNREPORTED PROBLEMS THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF. !!!!!!! I AM 63 YEARS OLD WITH BAD BACK ISSUES, MY TOYOTA SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY, AND I AM STUCK AT HOME, NOT EVEN CLOSE TO A BUS STOP!!!!!!!

LIKE MANY OTHER 2002 CAMRYS, I HAVE A STRIPPED THREADS FOR THE HEAD BOLTS IN THE 2.4L ENGINE; THIS REPAIR IS EXPENSIVE. TOYOTA ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN DESCRIBING THE REPAIR. GOOGLE 'TOYOTA BULLETIN T-SB-0015-11' TO READ MORE. TOYOTA SHOULD BE MADE TO REPLACE THIS ENGINE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STALL, BUT THERE WAS A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND A TOW TRUCK SERVICE WAS REQUESTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD BOLTS WERE DEFECTIVE AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

HEAD GASKET FAILURE DUE TO HEAD BOLT WAS STRIPPED, COMMON IN TOYOTAS WHY I SEE I HAVE 107XXX MILES IN MY CAR

THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD ON MY 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY WITH 2.4L CRACKED. IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM ON THESE CARS. MY CAMRY ONLY HAD A LITTLE OVER 60,000 MILES WHEN IT HAPPENED. OTHER TOYOTA CARS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THE SAME PROBLEMS.

BOUGH THE CAR FROM A TOYOTA DEALER 8/2013 WITH 36K MILES. YES, VERY LOW MILEAGE, 36,000 MILES. ON 11/2015 ON MY WAY TO WORK WHILE I WAS IN THE FREE WAY, I'VE NOTICED MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS STARTING TO GO UP, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO EXIT OUT OF THE FREEWAY AND WAS ABLE TO TAKE IT TO ONE OF THE MECHANIC I USUALLY USE AFTER I WAS ABLE TO ADD WATER. THE MECHANIC DID NOT EVEN LOOKED AT THE CAR AFTER I TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPEN, HIS RESPONSE WAS YOU NEED A NEW ENGINE. THE CAR HAS 52.5K MILES ON THE ORIGINAL ENGINE. HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET ISSUE FROM STRIP HEAD BOLTS. THE PROBLEMS THAT COULD HAVE CREATED AN UNSAFE CONDITION IS IF I DID NOT NOTICED MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND THE CAR SUDDENLY STALL WHILE I WAS ON THE FREEWAY, I COULD HAVE GOTTEN HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. I DID A RESEARCH ABOUT THE 2.4L 2AZFE ENGINES AND FOUND OUT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THIS ENGINES. I'VE CALLED THE DEALER AND EVEN TOYOTA CORPORATE OFFICE TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP ME OUT, I AM PRETTY MUCH OUT OF MY LUCK. MY MOM CAR WAS A 06 SCION TC WITH SAME ENGINE, 136K, 1/18, BLOWN HEAD GASKET DUE TO STRIP HEAD BOLTS. I ENDED UP BUYING REBUILT ENGINES FOR BOTH CARS AND I DID NOT BUY IT FROM THE DEALER. I HAD A 92 CAMRY, 2.2L I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO ALMOST 300K WITH ORIGINAL ENGINE.

2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ENGINE AND VALVE HEAD GASKET FAILURE DUE TO POOR DESIGN IN THE HEAD BOLT ATTACHMENT. *SMD THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TOYOTA REPLACE THE ENGINE BEFORE A FAILURE OCCURRED. TOYOTA DECLINED TO ASSIST THE CONSUMER. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, SMOKE APPEARED COMING FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN DUE TO THE HEAD GASKET BOLT STRIPPING FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

HUSBAND WAS DRIVING HOME FROM PLAYING GOLF ON THE HIGHWAY. AS HE HEADED NORTH UP THE HILL, HE PRESSED THE GAS. THE CAR PROMPTLY JERKED THEN COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN/CEIZED. HUSBAND IMMEDIATELY LOOKED AT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE, WHICH READ NORMAL, AS WELL AS THE GAS GAUGE (FULL). AS HE STEPPED FROM THE CAR TO POP THE HOOD, HE COULD SMELL SMOKE. IN OPENING THE HOOD, THERE WAS A SMALL FLAME THAT WITHIN 1-2 MINUTES, COMPLETELY ENGULFED THE ENGINE/HOOD. HUSBAND IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AS THE CAR CONTINUED TO GROW IN FLAMES WHICH SPREAD TO A BRUSH FIRE. HUSBAND WAS NOT INJURED AND THERE WERE NO OTHER PERSONS INVOLVED IN THIS ACCIDENT (NON-COLLISION). BOTH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND STATE TROOPER ARRIVED TO THE SCENE AND TOOK A FULL REPORT AND INSPECTION OF THE ACCIDENT. ALL PARTIES AGREED THIS WAS THE RESULT OF A VEHICLE MALFUNCTION, AS CARS DO NOT NOR SHOULD THEY JUST CATCH FIRE! THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND WAS TOWED.

02 CAMRY 2.4L 5 SPD: BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A BAY AREA TOYOTA DEALER 2 YRS AGO, AUG 2013. CAR DID HAVE 36K MILES ON DAY OF PURCHASE AND DOES HAVE 53.5K ON IT WHEN ENGINE ISSUE OCCURRED. USED THE CAR AS A BACK UP OR WEEKEND CAR. WORK CAR IS A 92 CAMRY 4 CYC WITH 279K (ORIGINAL MOTOR). DECIDE TO USE 02 CAMRY FOR WORK AND TEMP GAUGE WENT TO HOT, CHECK COOLANT LEVEL AND IT WAS EMPTY, ALTHOUGH 2 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ENGINE ISSUE, MY CAR'S COOLANT WAS GOOD. ADDED WATER TO COOLING SYSTEM AND NOTICED SEVERE LEAK OF WATER FROM THE BACK OF THE ENGINE. SPOKE TO TWO MECHANICS I USUALLY GO TO AND THEY DID NOT EVEN CHECK THE CAR, THEY ALREADY KNEW THE PROBLEM. DECIDE TO CALL A TOYOTA TECH MECHANIC I KNOW TO CHECK THE CAR, HE HAD INFORMED ME OF STIP HEAD BOLTS, SAME ISSUE THE OTHER TWO MECHANIC HAD MENTION TO ME. DID WENT TO THE DEALER NEXT DAY AND INFORM OF THIS ISSUE, THEY RECOMMEND TIME SERT WHICH COST ABOUT $4500. THEY HAD ALSO TOLD ME TO CALL CUSTOMER CARE, BUT I DOUBT CUSTOMER CARE WILL BE ABLE TO HELP ME WITH THIS ISSUE BECAUSE I'VE SEEN PEOPLE POST ONLINE WHO HAD CONTACT CUSTOMER CARE RE: THIS ISSUE AND DID NOT DO ANYTHING. BEEN A DIE HARD TOYOTA GUY, WITH THIS ISSUE, BEEN DISAPPOINTED WITH TOYOTA'S CRAFTSMANSHIP ON THE 2.4L ENGINES.. IN FACT THE TOYOTA TECH I SPOKE TO HAD MENTION THIS IS COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS ENGINE MODEL AND HAD ALSO INFORMED ME THE NEWER ENGINE MODEL, 2.5L HAS ALSO A DEFECT, PISTON RING ISSUE WHICH DEALER HAD BEEN REPLACING THOSE ENGINE. AT THIS TIME THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS STRIP HEAD BOLT. I GUESS TOYOTA IS WAITING FOR SOME ONE TO GET HURT FROM THIS ISSUE BEFORE THEY START ACT; SUCH AS CAR STALLING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY DUE TO BLOW HEAD GASKET AND GETTING HIT BY ANOTHER MOTORIST. I WAS JUST LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT TO HOT AND WAS ABLE TO PARK THE CAR TO SAFETY.