Camry Update: 1 week in we have good news and bad news! Let’s talk!

[@phillyfathead]

Very sad and discouraging to hear how Toyota is handling this issue, unfortunately just another nail in the quality coffin!

[@pattycarljackson]

Not every situation with every company is going to be handled the way people want.

[@steveh545]

Crazy. Wish the guys in Plano would watch this. When a Toyota/Lexus fanboy expresses doubts on future purchases, it should really send a message, and your message over the last year has been pretty eloquently stated. Fit/finish/reliability/pricing/service/reputation. Pick one? Reputation will sell a lot of cars, for awhile. I’m not sure I’d buy any late model car without a warranty.

[@joshjamescars]

I feel exactly the same way-specifically on not buying without a warranty. Which is the sad part-in the past, I would never worry in the past about owning a Toyota car outside of the warranty term. But with the more complicated and high-tech cars they’re making today, it definitely gives me pause.

[@gtf5392]

That’s ridiculous of them to not give a loaner - especially with them having plenty in stock. I would have told them sorry I already spent all my money on this Camry that’s not working properly. Toyota - if you’re watching, there are people like me who own an older Camry that are following this closely to decide if our next purchase will be with Toyota or not.

[@joshjamescars]

Haha exactly!!! That was my thought because that is the reality for a lot of people with how expensive life is these days! Folks who are paying to feed a family, paying for child care, etc, etc, etc. shouldn’t be expected to happily fork over $500-$750 for a loaner car when their brand new car is broken under warranty.

[@billlam7756]

I used to work for toyota and we dont have loaner to give out. Remember this ain't lexus or any luxury brand

[@jamesrebbechi5247]

Hey Josh, perhaps why not take it over to AMD at Care Car Nut for his inspection and opinion. Would be an awesome joint video plus one that might ring home a clear message Toyota. Australia

[@joshjamescars]

Haha if Chicago wasn’t 20 hours away from us by car, we absolutely would!!!

[@jamesrebbechi5247]

@@joshjamescars Yep that might not be the most efficient use of your time right. Btw I feel your ‘dealer experience’ is a simple reflection of T Corporate’s increasingly hungry emboldened culture these days. I’ve been eagerly awaiting the new Prado for 3 years as the natural successor but feel very disappointed with the crazy jump in new pricing c/w their ever historically intrinsic value for money equation. Think I might now just go for the new Camry as the office runabout instead and keep pushing my 2010 LR4 diesel down the road for another 350,000 God willing. There’s definitely times when a bloke needs to rumble around in a truck right. Fantastic and very relatable channel. Please keep up the great work! Take care

[@bavardage]

Sorry and sad to hear of what's been happening to you with this car problem. Like you, I would be livid -- the dealership and corporate response is unacceptable. Something has changed for the worse in Toyota/Lexus. The bean counters have taken over, and their recent products, pricing, recalls, and scandals/violations all point to a corporate bifurcation that leadership, if cognizant, must decide upon. The emperor currently has no clothes. Good on you for insisting on being offered the free car rental. And you're right -- the response isn't confidence inspiring ... Keeping my fingers crossed that all will work out for the best!

[@joshjamescars]

So sorry for the delayed response! Yes! Totally agree about the bean counters taking over and that really showing through in the execution of their products. Grand Highlander will be on stop sale thru October or November now… and the issues seem to be structural so all new stock will have to get taken apart to fix… shameful.

[@stratman1192]

I bought a Toyota Avalon in the first model year. It had a host of issues. Some of those issues were elevated to Toyota Corporate, where I found out that they had very little concern about customer satisfaction. I quickly sold that vehicle and have refused to buy Toyota products since that experience. Hearing the issues being experienced by a loyal Toyota customer, who also does detailed reporting online, serves to reinforce my experience/perceptions. It really does give pause about purchasing a Toyota product.

[@chuckwalla2967]

Pretty much the case with any brand. Once you own a vehicle, it's your problem, not theirs.

[@stratman1192]

@@chuckwalla2967 True, I was just surprised when the Toyota district Rep told me the problem was that I just didn't like the vehicle. I guess he failed to realize that I had bought the vehicle because I originally liked it. My dislike was because of the myriad of problems both design and build-related. I was only requesting the build-related issues be resolved, however, I had also listed the design shortcomings.

[@netman88]

Sorry to hear about your experience, pretty much most brands will experience some type of issues in 1-2 year models. It's not unique to Toyota.

[@RitchieRich77040]

Thank you Josh for your highly informative content; Toyota and it's dealership network should take heed and play this video at the next meeting. 😢

[@bradtrades]

You have sold plenty of cars for Toyota. You can't put an actual number on the sales, but it's more than a few. If Toyota doesn't give YOU a car, they're Stupid!

[@joshjamescars]

LOL! I probably have but I also never say anything about my KZbin. I like to see how they treat people when they don’t think there’s any incentive to treat them well.

[@SalvatoreP-d9r]

Josh I totally agree with your thoughts on Toyota service quality and dependability not being the same as it once was.

[@joshjamescars]

Yes! It’s such a shame… still better than the industry average but just not great like they used to be.

[@mayankjethva8145]

Josh brought out his beatboxing skills in this video

[@steventabon115]

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. As soon as I saw your previous video, I popped my hood and started my car (2023 camry xse v6). Thankfully, my engine sounds fine. Hope everything works out for you, man.

[@joshjamescars]

I’m guessing ours is a one off, freak occurrence. So definitely would not expect yours to have any problems! And am glad to hear it’s running fine!

[@authorccdragon]

I can't believe they were so bad about the loaner. I love my 17 Rav4 Hybrid but only have one year left on the hybrid warranty....so I'm seriously considering a Mazda CX-5. I don't want hybrid battery drama or big repair costs. Good luck with the Camry but I get the same bad vibes on Toyota lately.

[@joshjamescars]

I might be wrong but I believe your hybrid warranty is 10 years or 120,000 miles. Perhaps you’re closer to the mileage number. Also, if you want to keep the car longer, the good part about the older hybrids is that the batteries are relatively cheap to replace (maybe $1,500 all in, or a little more than a new set of tires).

[@authorccdragon]

@@joshjamescars Thanks for the info. Mine is the prior gen so I thought it was 8 years on anything with the hybrid system and they extended it on the new gen but I'm not 100%. It's definitely not the mileage...lol but I am getting close to needing new tires and that always makes me check out the options. I'll probably put on new tires and keep it another 5 years or so....New cars are fun but if the quality is getting sketchy--I'll hang on to the old Toyota that's paid off :) Love the channel!

[@takusungjung3894]

that piss me off that bullshot i would think they would give the common courtesy of a rental car...

[@marcprobin1659]

All the dealerships are owned by private owners, but they need to follow Toyota's rules, but some dealers are greedy unfortunately.

[@JoBiatch]

Toyota’s share price is down 32% in the last few months. I own a 2018 4Runner and will likely not buy a Toyota again because of quality issues and dealership BS! Thanks for the info on the loaner BS situation.

[@garywilson1688]

That's news to me so I checked. You are right. It is down quite a ways from its peak. I just might buy some more. I hold for the long term and I think Toyota is a quality company not withstanding the latest issues. But don't listen to me on stock advice. Please.

[@joshjamescars]

Yes to both of you! @garywilson1688 Don’t listen to me either, but I think it’s a safe stock to own, though the next few years will prove critical for Toyota’s long term success. The stock is down right now because they’ve been having a lot of quality issues and are paying penalties in some markets because of cheating on emissions testing (Japan) and here in the US, they’re having to eat the cost of a lot of expensive recall work on Prius, Grand Highlander, TX, Tundra, and LX600, among others. The best example-to replace the engines in all of the tundra and LX600s affected by that recall alone is probably well over $1.5B USD. the cost to Toyota of one V35A engine I’d guess is around $15K. There are 102,000 vehicles covered by that recall and that would be 1.5B in parts alone, before labor. That stuff hits the stock price because it comes right out of the company’s profits.

[@TheAndersonOBrien]

Hey Josh, I’m thinking of swooping up a late model Armada, curious if you would be interested in reviewing it, (it’s made in Japan) and it’s probably the last ever Japanese V8 available

[@joshjamescars]

Hello! Armada is great, and is the next best thing to a Land Cruiser 200 since it’s based on the Patrol. Before you buy, go see how much you can get an Infiniti QX80 for. The discounts on them are crazy that might make it a no brainer to buy the Infiniti.

[@Jojo-ni2cg]

Man Josh ,they dont build Toyotas like they used too.

[@RoccoReviews]

My '13 Hybrid has the 2AR-FXE has the infamous cold start rattle from the intake cam timing gear at 138k miles, and it's getting bad. I'm not very pleased with this as I've had it since late 2022 and have put 22k miles on it, and I don't feel like putting $2k into this thing so I don't know what I should do. I feel like Toyota's quality has significantly been going down since around 2011 or so.

[@joshjamescars]

Sorry that’s happening to you, though I’d definitely look into how well the previous owner maintained it… any used car is only as reliable as the maintenance it received, Toyota or not. Their A25A hybrids are the most reliable powertrains these days so if you want another Camry those are the ones you should look for (with a solid maintenance history).

[@wally6193]

Yes not very reassuring about the Toyota/Lexus brands these days. The real question now is what brand can you buy that you can get the same feeling that buying a Toyota/Lexus used to have. You mentioned Honda but they seem to have slipped way down in reliability with their new products. German, VW is NOT the answer, BMW, maybe but they still have a shit load of problems too, Porsche, that's a toss up because depending on which one it comes complete with VW/Audi parts, which aren't that reliable either. Let us know Josh which ones you think are long time keepers.

[@joshjamescars]

So I think you’re spot on here-I don’t know if there is anything that really replaces that same feeling you used to get with Toyota and Lexus, which is why we were leaning toward German, on a lease. If nothing is really guaranteed as a long-term keeper anymore, might as well drive something fun since you’ll only want to keep things while there’s a warranty on them anyway. That said, our Rav4 Prime has been outstanding and I think the basic Toyota hybrid products will last and stand the test of time (Camry hybrid, Rav4 hybrid, Corolla hybrid, etc.) but those are purely driving appliances, not a car you buy because you love it.

[@wally6193]

@@joshjamescars Driving appliances, I guess that's an applicable term or becoming one for sure. Yes it will be sad if Toyota/Lexus go that route. Some German cars like the BWM/Porsche are cars you could love, but for how long. Some people have good luck with them and most don't, lol, it's a real gamble with them if you ask me. I would have gone for an X5 or a Cayenne over my RX350(V6) but I just couldn't get over the reliability factor they have, but they have gotten alot better in recent years, so maybe they are a safe bet now(maybe). And yes of course leasing is an option, but that to me is really throwing money away, unless you can write part of the costs off.

[@landlubber42069]

Had the same experience with my wife's 2019 RAV4 where the roof rack rails failed and water caused 11-12K worth of damage to the wiring harness and electronics. It took them 3 weeks to get the parts req'd and Toyota corporate only covered a rental for 1 day. Was out about 500 bucks in the end for an issue that Toyota could have completely avoided by buying $1 seals instead of 10 cent ones.

[@joshjamescars]

That’s ridiculous! And yikes. At that point so much has to get taken apart, too. Sorry that happened to you AND that you lost out having to pay for your own rental vehicle!

[@bbooth2113]

Thank you for all your great videos! Very informative and honest! Unfortunately all car companies are declining in quality along with Toyota and it is very discouraging to say the least! Good luck with the Camry hope they fix it right !

[@takusungjung3894]

i was actually considering getting a v6 camry, bu thanks to ur video not aanymore!!!1

[@joshjamescars]

It’s a great car despite the issue we had (which has since been fixed). And they are amazing to drive with the V6.

[@cdgarcia453]

Hi Josh sorry this is happening to you. How frustrating and if it is still not right afterwards. Would trade it. If something else happens. Take it back and another 2 weeks in shop or move. Take care from Carlos.

[@joshjamescars]

Hi Carlos! That’s our thought too. We love the car and have no issues keeping it within the warranty period. But after that? Probably not.

[@skincareaddicted]

In so sorry this happened and for sharing your experience so we can all know what to do in a situation like this. I know this is a bad experience but I still think Toyota quality is there, hopefully just a lemon situation

[@joshjamescars]

Yes! I think the quality is still there. Not with all their new cars, but definitely with the basic vehicles and hybrids which are known to last a few hundred thousand miles easily.

[@jpdoc5722]

warranty work should have loaner car. Corporate should hear this nonsense😞

[@joshjamescars]

Agreed!

[@PriestsandParamedics]

I have a 2021 Sienna and had it at the dealer for a warranty issue for a couple days and they gave me a loaner for free. That’s really sad to hear they are charging for it now.

[@joshjamescars]

It’s our dealer being greedy, your dealer sounds like the kind of place you want to take your car!

[@PriestsandParamedics]

@@joshjamescars It was Toyota of Cedar Park! This was last summer though so I wonder if something's changed

[@wonderboy1998]

🎉🎉🎉🎉9k🎉🎉🎉🎉.... Y'all 10k is close... We finna do a party

[@joshjamescars]

Haha! Thank you as always! I think the Camry video will go out before we get there but advanced celebration! 😂

[@mysteroussillymoment]

Such a shame Toyota used to best they have really brought their quality and that was the reason so many people brought and loved Toyotas since they where so reliable if they continue down this path people will move to other brands like Honda

[@joshjamescars]

Right? Honda is having more problems these days too, though. I think we’ve hit the point where every car is so technologically advanced that the simple cars that were so problem free don’t exist anymore. Not to mention that everything that can be made of plastic in cars today is, including things in the engine.

[@mysteroussillymoment]

@@joshjamescars yes it has becomes that way it’s become to point where you don’t really want to keep a lot of modern cars out of warranty

[@obsidian711]

Josh can you do a vs 460 vs LX570 thank you

[@joshjamescars]

I will definitely see if I can find a good LX570!

[@AaronEbright]

You could get these things fixed and never have anymore problems.

[@joshjamescars]

We totally could! And if we do keep it past the warranty term, we’ll get the extended warranty too-mainly for the other costly repairs that this car may need like the moonroof since we live in a hot climate that destroys rubber seals.

[@AaronEbright]

@@joshjamescars Ya! Im concerned about my roof to.Ill use it enjoy it fix it when the time comes and wont use it any more. Lol Thanks for the reply.

[@ronaldreagan6756]

Might be time to use the lemon law on this one

[@joshjamescars]

We haven’t met the qualifications for our state yet, but if we do in the future, we absolutely will. The annoying part of this is that we can’t replace it with another one since they don’t make it anymore, so… if it was to get bought back, we’d have to figure out what else is out there that we’d want.

[@RPD91]

One thing aside from the knocking noise on initial start up (up to 5 minutes after turning it off ) is the air circulation gate can get stuck and guess what’s the process to fix it, a whole dash out job plus the part. Never in my life felt that Toyota’s 3 years warranty isn’t enough except when I was given the quotation for the job ($400 labor plus the controller for the air circulation cost which was around $120).

[@netman88]

Thanks for sharing the video. I had a similar issue with our TL but after getting if fixed, it was fine. No vehicle is perfect. Our Toyota dealer always say they are out of loaner vehicles. I wonder if they would charge for it if they had one available. Certain models they would still charge.

[@joshjamescars]

Love the TL. And glad to hear that! I really hope that is the case for us. I love the V6 so much and it’s since been discontinued.

[@TheWinwin4all]

I'd not expect to pay for loaner if my car would be there for a warranty repair. Unacceptable

[@doeleen]

Hi Josh, that is disappointing to hear. VW USA treated me the same way and I never purchased another. Looks like Toyota is now mass producing so many vehicles and watching the bottom line so closely that they no longer care about the little guy. I am convinced that Lexus has stopped treating customers like they did previously. I had a terrible experience purchasing my GX. I put down a deposit and waited months for the configuration that I wanted. The purchasing experience at the dealer was subpar. I would never recommend or go back to that dealer again. And with the recent quality problems with the Tundra, it is starting to make me consider Honda again for my next purchase.

[@RSwrightMD]

What state did you purchase it or what dealer if you are willing to share?

[@ronaldreagan6756]

My wife got a 2022 CRV Touring and it has been a wonderful vehicle with zero problems. Reminds me of what Toyota used to be.

[@joshjamescars]

@ronaldreagan6756 I like the CRV a lot. The CRV is having a few issues, but nothing super serious. I’d buy a Honda in a heartbeat but they’re missing a lot of the features that Toyota and other brand offer. I almost bought a CRV Sport Touring but passed because it didn’t have a pano roof, 360 cam, and HUD.

[@doeleen]

@@RSwrightMD mid Atlantic region. I don’t want to say the dealer as it is probably the largest in the region and I don’t want to be sued.

[@doeleen]

@@joshjamescars my Aunt had owned four different CRVs and I do like them. I took a long trip with her when she was breaking it in and I was impressed with the electronics. I did test drive an MDX before I purchased my first Lexus and the performance is much better but I would expect that with the design.

[@dogie8c]

Hey Josh, what is your opinion on American(or Canadian) build Toyotas vs Japanese build. (Example: Toyota RAV4 vs Toyota Venza / Harrier?)

[@joshjamescars]

Great question! In my experience it mechanically there is no difference, but cosmetically there is. Japanese made vehicles have better fit and finish all around. Better paint quality, better shine, less orange peel, slightly nicer texture to the plastics inside, etc. I prefer when they come from Japan, but as with the Camry, RX, etc. I’m perfectly happy with a US or Canadian made car. It’s also worth noting that they will randomly start sending things like the Rav4 from Japan. One of my coworkers just bought a Rav4 hybrid SE and it is of Japanese origin from the Takaoka plant. Same with a viewer who just bought an NX350h Premium Plus. Came from the Tahara plant for some reason.

[@garywilson1688]

"Maybe we will go German". NOOOOO! Ok, the German cars are an amazing vehicle to drive. They just don't hold up in the little details area. A BMW? It's like driving a fine tuned sports car for 90,000 miles. Then the windows don't roll up. The electrical starts giving you problems. A Mercedes? The interior fit and finish is (or I should say 'was') outstanding. Then at 100K the front,permanently lubed bushings all need to be replaced ($2,500). The seal in the gas tank (below the back seat) starts leaking because of poor rubber. After 193K the rubber in places like around the rear view mirrors and the windshield splash are all deteriorated. And then the electronics in the Mercedes! I'm rambling on here. I get your point though. Confidence in the long term life of a vehicle is important. I almost replaced my 08 Tundra with a new one (bought a 23 GX instead and am super happy like I told you before). The issue with the new Tundra engines might very well be only a small number but the lack of confidence in the engine lasting 230K like my 08 (and I fully expect it to go to 300K) would keep me up at night. Not worth it. But if they do correct the issue and it is the tensioner you have to ask yourself if you feel confident in the engine again.

[@joshjamescars]

Haha I’m totally with you on that! That’s why I said maybe we’ll lease something German. I personally would never buy one outright because of exactly what you say there. Which is why we’ve typically bought Japanese-it’s safe to buy outright because statistically the long term cost to own is low enough to justify. And I’m with you on the older trucks. I fully intend to keep my GX for as long as it will run because those are the vehicles we know come from a time before Toyota started suffering all these quality issues (and their customer service went downhill).

[@AldermanFredCDavis]

I do not own a Toyota and have not for 25+ years. I have no data or 'evidence' but it seems to me like, prior to the whole 2020 COVID thing, the dealer I used most frequently, never had a problem getting me a loaner vehicle. Another dealer I use often, always (even before COVID), offered discounts from the car rental place about a mile away. The first place, I suspect gives loaners less often than pre-COVID, however, fortunately, as a customer (with 2 vehicles of that make AND who is religious and proactive about maintenance), 9 times out of 10, they have been able to get me a 'free' courtesy vehicle. I own their top of the line vehicle.........however, mine is 9 years old. Most recentlly, they loaned me a 2024 of that same model vehicle. Also, I don't abuse it, by asking for one if I'm only getting an oil change, brake job, or some other relatively 'minor' repair. Dealers often get criticized for their, "high prices". For the most part, I have never felt that a dealer was gouging me. I overstand that I do not have the physical space, tools, time, aptitude, or interest in working on a vehicle. I also overstand their overhead.........paying dealer certified technicians, knowing I am getting OEM parts, the latest TSB's, etc. and even the intangibles of a clean place to wait for your vehicle, clean bathrooms, cold A/C, warm heat, WiFi, and 'courtesy' vehicles. Fortunately, I have always been in a position where the dealer's prices have not affected my quality of life. Also, in 20 years of owning (3 different models of) that make of vehicle, I have never had to bring a vehicle back to them because they were not able to fix it right the first time. I have been very fortunate. My .02 for anyone who is really "into" their vehicle (and does not work on it themselves), is to cultivate a relationship with a good dealer........even if it means driving past 2 or 3 dealers who are closer to you. I find it worth it, on the strength that a vehicle is often the second or third most expensive item most people own.

[@joshjamescars]

I agree with everything you say here, BUT I think it is slightly irrelevant because it’s not specific to Toyota, which as a company has fundamentally changed over the last 5 or so years. We have a good relationship with that dealer (have bought 4 cars from them), the problem is that they’re solely focused on volume so relationships don’t mean much when they have so much turnover and are constantly looking to grow in volume and profit without regard to the customers who come back to them because they tend to have the best availability of vehicles in town.

[@solsteriton]

Hey Josh, its pretty clear to me that your and my expectations from Toyota/Lexus with respect to reliability, are pretty similar. We expect them to be top notch, and in case problems arise - the problems should be fully owned by Toyota/Lexus, which they obviously didn't do at least in your case. So a question: Given I'm now owning a $76K Lexus that I bought 6 months ago, what would be your take on purchasing Lexus platinum extended warranty from Lexus for, say 8 or 10 years' life, of the RX450H+ ? I purchased it given the robust powertrain that it inherits as proven in the Rav4 Prime, however, $hit can happen as you noted. So would you go for the 10-year warranty ? I know its a personal choice, and its just "insurance", but what is your personal take on its worth ?

[@joshjamescars]

Congrats on the RX!! You’ll be happy to know that our Rav4 Prime with which the RX450h+ shares its powertrain has been absolutely problem free and it’s been almost three years. You might also know that with Toyota you have until the end of the new car warranty in order to buy the extended warranty, and I always recommend folks wait until that is about to expire to buy the extended warranty. Reason being, you never know what might happen between now and then. You might decide to get something else or the car could get totaled (hopefully not). You can always get a refund but it’ll be a prorated amount, and to get a refund is such a hassle. It is absolutely worth buying but not until your new car warranty is about to expire. ;)

[@brianbarbe9646]

I have a Grand Highlander that had some software issues when I first took possession . Took several months to resolve, but was drivable. I checked out a new 4 runner for the service visit and when I was told the timeline on the fix was open ended I was told by the service manager (Don McGill Toyota of Katy) I could keep the 4 Runner indefinitely. Either something has changed, or maybe this is a dealer specific issue. Interesting that they finally broke down and offered you a free loaner. Share your concerns about where Toyota and particularly Lexus are going. That said, they seem to be setting sales records!

[@joshjamescars]

Sounds like you have a better dealer than we do! Loaners and courtesy vehicles are at the dealer’s discretion. Our dealer is so stingy and like to charge their customers for everything they can.

[@TEQLC]

Seriously Toyota!! They are quickly becoming just another car manufacturer. Yep, time to consider your options. :)

[@joshjamescars]

They are and it’s so sad that they are! And yeah… I love the V6, it’s just a shame they don’t make them or we would probably just get another one.

[@wonderboy1998]

Happy Saturday ...and 8.93k?? Whew chyleee welcome to the new subs🎉, don forget to like the video too y'all. I agree with you, even tho you in a confy position and you don't need a loaner car, Toyota should be ashamed to charge you $50 coindellas for a problem that you didn't cause and for them to come later and still trying to justify $35 charge even in the paper says that you can get a free loaner....lawd jesus, only a good cuss out to cleanse the body. I can imagine your frustration when they sent you that email, like they tried you really hard. But the good thing they identified the problem, but in consequence they left a sour taste in your mouth with the costumer service experience and pushing a loyal costumer to German brands(yikes and yuck).

[@joshjamescars]

Right!!! And LOL at a good cuss to cleanse the body. 😂 Life motto right there. And exactly… and it’s a shame because they are the best dealer in town (which isn’t saying much).

[@joannwhite9267]

Good morning Josh. It sounds like a dealership issue. Did you purchase your Camry there? As you are already aware that Lexus will provide a brand new fully loaded loaner if available. I do notice there are a lot more provisions for loaners now. I can’t believe the condition people have left them in sometimes. Well, hopefully your problem will be resolved successfully.

[@joshjamescars]

Yes, it is a dealership issue, and yes. This is where we buy all of our Toyotas (four so far). And yes, Lexus will provide loaners, though you can’t take a Toyota to Lexus for warranty work, sadly.

[@andyto4516]

Had an issue a while back with our highlander and tcp offered us a loaner but they told us that it’s from the dealer’s rental fleet and that toyota does not provide loaner. They rushed us about getting their loaner back. I used to rave about tcp but now they have become just another dealer imho

[@joshjamescars]

Yes!!! I think they’re focused solely on volume and profit now (which makes sense since Julie needs to finance City Limits Subaru and Nissan), which is fine but I wish they’d stop it with the commercials about treating customers like family. You can focus on customer service or being a volume dealer but not both. Their sales and service staff turnover is crazy these days too. Have had 4 different sales people in 4 years because they all leave by the time you go back to look at something else.

[@gwilli1754]

Toyota dealers are probably double dipping on the car rental, getting reimbursed from Toyota and customers. They know most people are have no resources to have extra vehicle and are taking advantage of a bad situation.

[@joshjamescars]

That’s exactly what I was thinking too! Our dealer is also owned by a company who has begun a rapid buying spree building a new Subaru dealer and buying a Nissan dealer which makes me think that they’re trying to use their cash cow (Toyota) to finance these other expenditures by doing exactly what you say.

[@obsidian711]

The best thanks Josh go GX460

[@solsteriton]

This is disgraceful. As a new/first-time Lexus owner, I must say Toyota/Lexus absolutely lacks customer focus and integrity. This is not how other Luxury car-makers are (relative to Lexus), and Im a very nervous about my choice of a Lexus over, say, a BMW that has only been rising in the reliability charts

[@joshjamescars]

The reality is (and I hope it proves true for you) that Toyota and Lexus are very reliable, and the cost to service and repair them is much lower than BMW. So hopefully you’ll never have issues like we are having. And, if you do, the other nice thing about Toyota and Lexus is because of their reputation you can usually get out of the car without taking much of a loss. So like with this Camry, should we decide we don’t want it, we might lose a few thousand but not nearly like trying to flip a brand new BMW that took a huge depreciation hit on day one. Hopefully that assuages your concerns. :)

[@solsteriton]

@@joshjamescars That is the saving grace, indeed. And Toyota/Lexus are simply cruising on their reputation, while doing precious little to ensure they are living up to it.

[@RSwrightMD]

Josh and John - the Camry is a reliable car but any car can fail as you acknowledged. Your dealer is not treating you as valued customers. I suggest you consider trading it for a Lexus ES 350 or 350H. Lexus will treat you much better as a customer in my experience. If you can find a 2-3 year old LS 500 coming off lease, consider that as a car unless you both want something more sporty. Good luck!

[@joshjamescars]

You’re spot on here. Statistically it is very reliable which is why we bought it to begin with. We’ve thought about the ES, or an IS, but I don’t know if it makes financial sense to spend a whole lot more on one when we love the Camry even despite its problems and will probably keep it at least for the new car warranty period.

[@stratman1192]

So if I understand correctly you are suggesting the proper solution is to reward a company for bad service by buying a more expensive product?

[@FatalAnimal]

wow - my Toyota dealership has always given us a curtesy car every time we need to take a vehicle in for a recall etc. That dealership is absurd! Can you go somewhere else? EDIT: ohh you finally got one..that's what I get for commenting before the video is over - lol

[@davidglad]

Thought he said they changed their tune slightly to requires manager approval and he hadn't heard back. So essentially they drag their feet toward a desired outcome only if you bug them. So much for the "advantage" of buying from a dealer close to you

[@joshjamescars]

Yes! It’s our dealer trying to make a buck wherever they can. And we could go elsewhere, but sadly the dealer we buy from and go to for service is the best one in Austin… the others give off shady used car dealer vibes.

[@midiman5045]

Wow 8 month old car under warranty and they want to charge you for a loaner. The Dealership must not know about the Toyota corp policy. Please post the Dealership so others can avoid them for sales and repiars.

[@joshjamescars]

I’m guessing they do, but see it as an opportunity to double dip. If both toyota corporate and the customer pay them for the use of the loaner, they can make money coming and going.

[@midiman5045]

@@joshjamescars Sad.

[@dapperlygrungy3189]

Is the current 4-Cylinder engine on a 2023 Camry SE, is that engine reliable? It's a non-hybrid model.

[@joshjamescars]

That engine is very reliable. It’s the same A25A FXS that’s used in all the hybrids just without the hybrid motors. That said, according to Consumer Reports, the hybrid models are generally more reliable than the gas models.

[@dapperlygrungy3189]

@@joshjamescars Thank you. I plan on keeping my Camry until the warranty expires in 2 yrs. I was thinking about trading it in for a Land Cruiser, but after your experience with a loaner, maybe I should get a Lexus instead RX or GX - maybe. I had a GS 350 and always got a loaner even for an oil/filter change.

[@joshjamescars]

@dapperlygrungy3189 It’s worth noting that the customer service issues are specific to our dealer. As you see in the comments many other folks have dealers who seem to treat people better than ours.

[@dapperlygrungy3189]

@@joshjamescars I had issues with my parents Highlander once and Toyota told me, the service would need to cost at a minimum of $500 to be offered a loaner.

[@davidlusk4350]

😮my 2017 camry xle i bought new has 213k on it. Runs flawless leaks not a drop of anything and is smooth as silk. I've only bought front brakes last summer and free oil changes every month. 4 set of tires everything else is bone stock and untouched. I will buy another car in an instant without fear. My new 4 runner seems to be built even higher standards from japan factory. M

[@4af]

Previous Toyota V6 timing chain mechanisms, including the tensioners, lasted 500,000 miles.

[@joshjamescars]

Right!!! Granted I’m sure this is a one off fluke but still, it should absolutely be a lifetime part for most people.

[@typerlol]

Hope your camry gets back to its perfect condition in no time as our 2017 toyota camry xse v6 just got a transmission replaced only at 80k miles and I still haven't processed about why a toyota was having such issues, personally I think toyotas reliability has downgraded because i had a 2007 camry with the same engine and it was over 300k miles with the orignal engine and transmission. Thanks

[@RPD91]

The Aurion (basically the Asian Camry) had the same problem from what I’ve heard. It seems that engine was too much for that transmission.

[@joshjamescars]

Thats crazy!!! You definitely shouldn’t need a new transmission at 80K. Also, it is important to note note-the 2GR-FKS in your car and 2GR-FE (what was in your 07) are from the same engine family but are different engines.

[@typerlol]

@@joshjamescars my 2017 camry had the 2gr-fe btw producing 268 horsepower. sorry for confusion

[@typerlol]

@@RPD91 tough 😥

[@joshjamescars]

Ah you’re right! I always forget that the 8th gen Camry came out for 2018, not 2017.

[@stevenscott6715]

Thank you for the update Josh. Love all your vids. As always, you tell a clear, detailed story of your experience with Toyota which reveals to us how much Toyota is slipping in quality and customer service. 😢