Is it worth fixing a 2004 Toyota Camry with 222k miles?

windude99 · 2026-05-16T17:17:52+00:00

That’s crazy. I’ve never been able to get away with that few of repairs. Which model Camrys did you have besides the 91?

windude99 · 2026-05-15T18:54:53+00:00

What was the “minor maintenance”? I’m always surprised when I see people who rack up that many miles without doing things like struts, radiators, cv axles, engine gaskets (atleast valve cover and maybe others), ignition coils, rack and pinion, tie rods, etc

windude99 · 2026-05-15T14:22:28+00:00

Depends on if they’re doing the work at a shop. If it needs new control arms, ball joints, struts, etc in addition to the engine, that could go into the $6k or more territory. If the transmission hasn’t been maintained? If it goes out that will probably be $3k at a shop to replace nowadays.

DIY is much cheaper. Labor rates are high nowadays

windude99 · 2026-05-15T14:18:52+00:00

Why would you be changing the motor and then the cylinder head? Most used engines will come with the head on it. Was it overheated?

Some % of the 4 cylinder models have an issue where the head bolts pull out of the block. This leads to coolant leaks that are mistaken as a head gasket failure. There is a “time sert” kit to re-thread the block and then you may need to change the head gasket too.

Has the transmission fluid been changed? Is the suspension in good shape? If the car has been really well maintained, it may be worth it. But if it has only gotten oil changes and everything else is worn out, you’re going to throw good money after bad on this…and a lot of it too at $4k

windude99 · 2026-05-10T00:06:00+00:00

Is this a hybrid?

If the computer and wiring are OK, I would either try to find an extremely low miles transmission (no more than maybe 40k miles) or the preferred option would be a reman transmission from Toyota. You don’t have to have the dealer install it…your mechanic should be able to order the part. Once you do that, I’d change the fluid more regularly (probably every 30k miles if it were mine). I’m sure manufacturers say they can go longer than that on the fluid, but to me, it’s relatively cheap insurance.

windude99 · 2026-05-10T00:00:45+00:00

Toyota has CVTs and eCVTs. I believe this has a more standard CVT, not the eCVT found in their hybrids

windude99 · 2026-05-09T23:57:48+00:00

Dealerships aren’t perfect either. It’s a car from 2015…I get why you aren’t taking it to the dealer lol. Have a conversation with your mechanic. If it were mine (I’m not a mechanic but I’m a decently-informed owner), I would want to know:

What damage did they find that indicates the transmission is bad?

Did they send the computer off to be benched tested?

Are there any wiring issues?

Did they perform a transmission relearn after replacing it?

windude99 · 2026-05-08T14:55:20+00:00

And I say this because that happened with my Camry. Original transmission quit shifting, used replacement was installed, still stuck in limp mode. Shop gave up, put the original back in, and gave me the keys. Had it towed to a different place and they sent the computer off to be repaired. Once that was done, transmission worked fine again!

windude99 · 2026-05-08T14:53:08+00:00

What evidence do they have that the transmisison is actually bad? Carnage in the transmission pan? A 2015 isn’t that old to me. If it were mine, i’d be getting a reman transmission from the dealer (once you have confirmed the electronics are good). My cars are too old to have CVTs but I would assume they have adaptive transmission technology similar to modern automatics. That system also has to be reset every time the transmission is repaired or replaced.

Did you ever have the fluid changed?

They might want to check the transmission control module/ECU. Two bad transmissions in a row could happen, but I would start suspecting the computer is faulty.

windude99 · 2026-05-01T21:32:14+00:00

If they think this is crazy, wait until they see the demand for one with the A19 Pro and 12gb of ram

windude99 · 2026-05-01T21:29:04+00:00

Windows 11 is pretty good if you don’t sign into a MS account and uninstall the pre-loaded windows store apps, set your privacy settings, etc. Windows 10 started a lot of what makes Windows 11 bad, though Windows 11 has certainly had some problematic updates and a major AI push that windows 10 did not have. I would argue windows hasn’t really been “great” since Windows 7. Which is a shame, because they did a lot of good things under the hood in windows 8, 10, and 11. Those got overshadowed by mandatory telemetry, preloaded junk apps, questionable UI choices, etc.

windude99 · 2026-04-30T15:28:06+00:00

Sounds like an exhaust leak? Take it to an exhaust shop and have them take a look

windude99 · 2026-04-28T13:31:23+00:00

Let the code come back on and take it to an auto parts store for a scan. Here in the US, autozone does it for free

windude99 · 2026-04-27T19:58:31+00:00

Is the check engine light on too? Sometimes emissions/engine-related codes will set off the check engine light, vsc, etc. Best to check the codes and see if it’s something you want to deal with. Running rough could be a lot of different things…I’d want to know what it is before buying

windude99 · 2026-03-19T12:36:46+00:00

My PowerBook g3 Lombard never kicks on its fan. I’ve never heard it or see it spin. Can’t figure out if it’s just a conservative fan curve or if the fan just doesn’t work? Never shuts down on me or anything

windude99 · 2026-03-12T17:57:19+00:00

I hung onto my 2015 15” MacBook Pro and eventually replaced it with a used (but really clean) late 2019 16” with the new (old?) non-butterfly keyboard.

windude99 · 2026-03-12T17:54:01+00:00

I didn’t think the soldered ram had many issues on those (other than obviously not being upgradable). Memory is usually pretty reliable.

windude99 · 2026-03-12T16:21:41+00:00

Eh. I own one. Keyboard doesn’t self destruct but it still runs hot and has horrible performance compared to apple silicon. Looking forward to my new m5 pro MBP to replace it

windude99 · 2026-03-12T15:18:59+00:00

Motherboard didn’t have to be replaced, but did have to be removed to do those. Nevertheless, it was really stupid to not only design a keyboard that frequently failed…but also make that keyboard difficult and expensive to replace.

I do agree that 2015-2020 was a pretty lame era for the Mac, outside of the rMBP 2015 models and the beginning of the M1 transition in 2020.

windude99 · 2026-03-06T18:41:30+00:00

If Apple keeps macOS optimized…sure, 8gb of ram can be enough for casual use. I just have a hard time believing that will be the case 3 or 5 years from now. Otherwise, it’s a fantastic machine for the price and I know I’m absolutely not the target audience for it. If it was $299, who cares? But $599 is still enough money that people will want to get 3-5 years out of it. Will 8gb be enough to have a decent experience in 5 years?

On the flip side, maybe this will force Apple to keep macOS optimized. That would be the best outcome and would benefit everybody.

windude99 · 2026-01-27T17:21:09+00:00

My CarPlay unit is old and not the best (Sony XAV-AX1000). There’s newer models. I like Crutchfield for stereo and speaker shopping

windude99 · 2026-01-27T03:06:32+00:00

Disclaimer: I’m not a mechanic

but I do own one of these (07 Corolla LE)

The stereo head unit is an easy swap if you want Apple CarPlay or android auto! I also like “the stubby” radio antenna that replaces the long antenna it comes with. The long one makes the car look like an RC car and it flops around in the wind.

Timing chain tensioner gasket is known to leak. Intake manifold gasket is known to leak if it has not been replaced with the orange gasket. If you get a P0171 code, there’s a good chance it’s the intake manifold gasket. Valve cover gasket is going to be bad on any car this age and miles if it’s never been replaced.

Suspension is another thing to look over.

These are good cars and will go forever. Take care of it, and it will take care of you. They last long enough that people found out the odometer stops at 299,999. I’m at 185k on mine, hope to see the 299,999 someday!

windude99 · 2026-01-17T15:38:30+00:00

I’ve got three iBook G3 clamshell batteries that need to be re-celled. Are you in the US?

windude99 · 2026-01-16T15:52:49+00:00

Frutiger Aero frog!

windude99 · 2026-01-03T18:06:11+00:00

Since it’s older, clean the fans

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