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…”

“The components or systems that have failed are (Catalytic Converter, Exhaust Manifold, Air Bag Control Module, Engine including head gasket) My safety is at risk due to catalytic converter not functioning properly producing harmful carbon monoxide that can be smelled through air vents, Air bag control module not functioning which will not able to initiate the deployment of airbag in the event of a wreck/accident could lead to fatality. Engine not functioning properly due to blown head gasket which could lead to overheating amongst other things. Vehicle has been inspected by Dealership. Yes there are warning lights prior to failure (Check engine light)”

“The contact owned a 2002 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH the steering wheel had seized up and the vehicle had begun to lose forward momentum. The contact heard an abnormal "popping" sound at the moment the steering had stopped functionality. The contact stated she was not aware of any warning lights. The contact pulled off of the roadway and stopped, as she placed the vehicle in park (P) she noted smoke coming from the front. The contact stated she exited the vehicle and saw that there were flames from under the vehicle. The contact stated that after about 2 to 3 minutes the entire front of the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the flames using foam and other chemicals. The police were also on scene and filed a report. The vehicle was towed away to an impound lot. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.”

“I did the texas inspection test, and my vehicle failed the test, and the report with catalyst, evap, and O2 sens was not completed. I'm wondering what is the problem and how I can fix it. I would like to have my vehicle get checked out and find the problem.”

“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.”