Toyota Camry Engine Problems

With a limited budget like yours I would suggest to go for a car with a good reliability record. While the Mercedes-Benz is a good car you are likely to be facing an expensive repair if anything should go wrong. Consider a Mitsubishi 380 or a Toyota Camry of around 2000-2003.

Without being able to hear the noises firsthand it's hard to say if they are normal or not, and what might be causing them. It's normal for the idle speed to be high when the engine is first started and then settle down once running is established. The second noise when accelerating through 2000 rpm is hard to diagnose. You won't get it when the engine is in Park or Neutral because the engine is not under load as it is when it's in Drive. Your best course of action is to have a mechanic listen to it.

You’re right, Michael. Toyota Australia tells me that the current model Camry is Euro 6 certified (for emissions). Because 91 RON fuel won't support Toyota's Euro 6  technology, 95 RON is recommended. Since most readily available E10 fuel is rated at 94RON, Toyota doesn't recommend that for the Camry, either.

However, even with the extra cost of the 95RON fuel, the Camry Hybrid's official combined fuel consumption number of 4.2 litres per 100km suggests it would still be cheaper to run than many other cars using 91RON.

If you want a reliable ride go for the Camry, buying the Jetta is a gamble, which could end up being an expensive one.

It can be found in your car’s service book, but it’s 100,000 km.

Even though this model Camry has an official combined fuel consumption figure of 7.9 litres per 100km, the exact number of kilometres you get from each tank of fuel will depend hugely on how and where you drive the car. If your driving is all around the city and suburbs, you might average, say, nine litres per 100km. If it’s all freeway work, then that figure may tumble to as low as seven litres per 100km. Drive the car really gently and you might even get that figure to drop into the sixes.

In any case, the (higher) city figure means the Camry’s 70-litre fuel tank should take you around 750km before you need to fill up. On the highway, meantime, the same 70 litres should carry you almost 1000km before you need to start looking for a petrol station. In reality, of course, the only direction with such projections is down, and every cold start, traffic jam and headwind will take kilometres off those figures.

Is it ‘jumpy’ every time you start it, or perhaps only when the engine is cold? If it is the latter it could be that it’s not getting the correct enrichment and that could be a temperature sensor issue on the motor. If it happens every time you start up it could be that the engine needs a tune-up.

The batteries used in Toyota hybrids have been good for many hundreds of thousands of kilometres, so it’s surprising that yours has failed after so few kilometres and just four years old. I would approach Toyota and put your case for a refund to them.

All of the cars you name meet your criteria of size, economy, performance and handling.

You could also add the Mazda3 and 6 to the list.

Of all of those I would nominate the Camry as the great all-rounder.

Check that the engine-oil dipstick is seated in its tube correctly. If it's not, this could be a great place for oil to escape and become plastered all over the engine. It's the small yellow, plastic loop just below the oil filter. While you're there, check that the oil filter itself hasn't come loose. Try to tighten it by turning it by hand clockwise. If it moves at all with hand pressure, it's loose.

The most likely culprit, however, is the rocker cover gasket. If this seal breaks, oil can be free to migrate out of the engine, right down the side of the cylinder head and crankcase, making the mess you've described. To check, clean the engine with degreaser and water until all the oil is gone. Then take the car for a decent drive, open the bonnet and the source of the leak may be very obvious.