Toyota Camry 1997 News

Jimmy Iskandar, from Casula, has been ordered to pay $31,762 by Parramatta Local Court for odometer tampering and other offences. The cars were bought from licensed car dealers, private sellers and auction houses, and were tampered with as follows:• On 12 February 2010, Iskandar purchased a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E320 sedan for $30,000. The odometer reading at the time of purchase was 210,000 kilometres. He subsequently sold the car with the odometer reading showing at 91,000 kilometres.• On 15 February 2010, Iskandar purchased a 2006 Toyota Aurion AT-X sedan for $16,990. The odometer reading at the time of purchase was 191,244 kilometres. On 29 March 2010, he sold the motor vehicle to Rana Motors Pty Ltd with the odometer reading 149,520 kilometres.• On 19 August 2010, Iskandar purchased a 2006 Toyota Camry Altise sedan for $6,000. The odometer read 152,153 kilometres but on 27 January 2011, he sold car privately with an odometer reading of 88,580 kilometres.• On 29 August 2010, Iskandar purchased a 2006 Toyota Camry Altise sedan, with an odometer reading of 170,000 kilometres, for $8,000. The same day he sold the motor vehicle to Rana Motors Pty Ltd with an odometer reading of 55,723 kilometres.• On 9 November 2010, Iskandar purchased a 2008 Toyota Camry Altise sedan from Hertz Australia Pty Ltd for $14,000 with an odometer reading of 68,826 kilometres. At the time of the sale in January 2011, the odometer reading was at 35,059 kilometres.• On 5 January 2011, Iskandar purchased a 2007 Toyota Camry Altise sedan for $9,000. The odometer at the time of purchase was 149,750 kilometres but when sold, the odometer had been wound back by more than 100,000 kilometres.• On 15 February 2011, Iskandar purchased a 2006 Toyota Camry Altise sedan from Rana Motors Pty Ltd for $8,000 with an odometer reading of 121,429 kilometres. Two months later he sold the car for double the price with an odometer reading of 46,118 kilometres.• On 14 April 2011, Iskandar purchased a 2007 Toyota Aurion Sportivo sedan with an odometer reading of 155,709 kilometres. On 9 August 2011, he sold the car with a reading of 55,944 kilometres.• On 13 May 2011, Iskandar purchased a 2007 Toyota Aurion Prodigy sedan from Highway Car Sales for $14,000. The odometer reading at the time of purchase was 140,105 kilometres. Four months later he sold the car for $15,000, using his business card with an expired wholesalers’ licence number. The odometer had been wound back by over 90,000 kilometres.• On 9 August 2011, Iskandar purchased a 2005 Toyota Tarago GLi van for $11,000 with an odometer reading of 177,623 kilometres. Two months later he sold the van for $20,000 with an odometer reading of more than half the figure.• On 18 September 2011, Iskandar purchased a 1997 Toyota Tarago GLi van for $4,000 and sold it two months later for $4,500. The odometer discrepancy was more than 48,000 kilometres.• On 17 December 2011, Iskandar purchased a 2005 Toyota Tarago GLi van. The following month he sold the van for $1,500 more to a church group, with the odometer reading reduced by almost 60 per cent.• On 15 February 2012, Iskandar purchased a 2007 Toyota Camry Ateva sedan for $10,000 with an odometer reading of 153,148 kilometres. He subsequently advertised the sedan for $15,500 with an odometer reading of 59,000 kilometres.Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said it was fortunate for Mr Iskandar that such offences do not attract a prison sentence.“While Mr Iskandar pleaded guilty in court, unfortunately he did not make the same admissions to his hapless clients and he stood to make a significant amount of money from his duplicity in the process,” he said. “Odometer tampering is a serious offence and poses a significant detriment to the consumer.’’ 

ITS styling and performance won't set the world alight, but it's hard to knock the Toyota Camry's quality and reliability. It's not a car for enthusiasts but perfect for those who want a car that gets the job done with a minimum of fuss. The Camry has been around since the 1980s and has built a solid reputation for reliability. Over the years it has evolved into a larger family car more in the traditional Australian style, though it has lost none of the qualities that made it so popular. MODEL WATCH THE fourth-generation Camry, which arrived in 1997, was more refined and attractive than earlier models. It was still conservative, but had cleaner contemporary lines that gave it a much sleeker look. It wasn't quite as big as the Holden or Ford, but straddled the divide between medium and large cars. It could seat four in comfort but five was a squeeze. Like the exterior, the interior was fairly bland but functional. It was well laid out and well built with quality plastics, trim and fittings that gave it a feeling of substance. The seats were fairly flat, not the sporty sort that wrap around you, and were covered in rather utilitarian, hard-wearing cloth. There was a good-sized boot with a relatively low loading lip for easy access, and the rear seat could be split and folded to accommodate larger or longer objects. The Camry differed from the Commodore and Falcon in being front-wheel-drive. It was a tough proposition for Toyota to sell front-wheel drive when its rivals had established a strong position in the large segment with rear-wheel-drive models. There is no question that a rear-wheel-drive car with the weight over the drive wheels is better for towing. As a result the Camry's towing capacity -- 1100-1200kg -- is lower than its main rivals. The model range was extensive so there was one to suit just about everyone. The double overhead camshaft, 16-valve, 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine with 94kW at 5200 revs and 187Nm at 4400 revs was a competent performer. But its real strength was its fuel economy, which was between 9.5 and 11.0 litres/100km. For more performance there was the all-alloy quad-cam 3.0-litre V6, which gave the Camry plenty of zip. The V6 was also superbly smooth and a joy to drive. Not surprisingly the fuel consumption was higher, but not as high as might be expected. Generally it came in at 10.0 to 12.0 litres/100km. Most were sold with a four-speed automatic transmission, but there was also a five-speed manual. The range began with the four-cylinder CSi sedan and wagon which were fairly basic with carpets, central locking and four-speaker sound. Next was the Conquest with front power windows, anti-skid brakes, dual airbags and cruise. It came in both four and V6 forms. The top four-cylinder was the CSX with auto airconditioning, velour trim, six-speaker sound and power windows front and rear. The top V6 was the Touring, which had uprated suspension and a power antenna. ON THE LOT PAY $7000-$11,000 for a four-cylinder CSi sedan. Add $800 for a similar wagon. To step up to a CSX you'll need to pay $8000-$13,000. Add $700 for the wagon. For a V6 CSi you have to spend $8000-$12,000. Add $800 for the wagon. Move up to a better-equipped Conquest for an extra $800. The range-topping Touring costs $12,000-$15,000. IN THE SHOP THE Camry is well built and reliable but still needs proper servicing to ensure it stays that way. Ask for a service record that can be verified. Walk away if it's not produced. The popularity of the Camry means there are plenty to choose from, so spend the time to find a good one. The coolant needs to be changed annually to prevent internal corrosion requiring expensive repairs. It's also important to change the cam timing belt every 150,000km. The transmission holds up well, but make sure you can select gears smoothly on manual transmissions, and ensure the auto changes gears smoothly and without hesitation. CRUNCH TIME THE Camry generally shows up well in crash surveys. Its well-designed and strong body gives good basic crash protection. Some models have dual airbags and anti-skid brakes, but check for them because they weren't standard across the range. THE BOTTOM LINE BLAND, but a solid, well-built car that is perfect family transport.