Writing a 2002 Camry review in 2025 (more than 20 years after the vehicle rolled off the assembly line) appears self-defeating. Who, in their rational sense, wants a vehicle that is older than they are (or at least, their age mates) when it lacks all the inspirations of a classic?
I felt that way too, especially when it came to my attention that the i4-engine version I wanted was prone to burning oil (even when new). It didn’t make sense that more than 20 years later, the 2AZ FE engine would be tolerable.
I did the math. I looked at the odds. I employed faith. I took the plunge. About three years after ownership, that vehicle remained the most trouble-free daily driver I’ve been blessed to use in recent memory (even better than the 2006 Lexus ES I sold recently).
What started with skepticism ended in absolute praise. This is an account of my time with my 2002 Camry and what I think of the 5th-generation Camrys in general.
Article Outline
Why I Decided on the 2002 i4 Camry
When I got the Lexus ES330, I noticed that my family needed another vehicle. My wife got employment in another part of town and needed to drive. I needed to run around and do school run. One vehicle wasn’t simply going to cut it.
Unfortunately, I had just expended serious money on the Lexus and wasn’t financially buoyant enough to buy another luxury vehicle.
I loved the Lexus and wanted something as close to it as possible. GBAM – the research led me straight to the Camry since they share the same framework.
The only drawback was that the i4 engines: the 2AZs were notorious for burning oil. Unfortunately, I didn’t want to own two V6 engines at the same time, so I continued my research until I came upon what I appeared to be looking for…
…the Japanese-built units were reported to be immune to the issue!
I got what I was looking for. My wife approved of the car without much ado, and ‘hunting’ for a clean example began in earnest.
First Impression, Driving Dynamics, and the First Year
When I finally zoned in on the 2002 Camry that was to belong to my family for a few years, it was without any excitement. The vehicle was a clean one-owner unit and had about 230k miles on the clock.
What sold me immediately was the Carfax: it ran into several pages and clearly showed the vehicle had a great life before being sold. Minor things like brake pads and wiper blade replacement were done at the dealer’s, and there were records. The deal was closed when I saw the original Bridgestone spare tire still in the trunk, looking all brand new and unused.
The test drive provided the first shock: the 2002 Camry, despite sharing a frame with the 2006 Lexus ES330, was considerably lighter – and it showed. From a standstill, the vehicle accelerated swiftly, leaving me wondering if I had gotten my research right.
When I took the vehicle on the freeway, I noticed that the four-speed transmission was more than adequate in shifting gears and propelling the Camry forward. The transmission was also seamless and shifted way better than the Lexus’s ‘thinking transmission’.
However, the tranny lacked the instant kick down and power surge that I had gotten used to, all thanks to the 5-speed Lexus transmission. When I floored the gas, the RPMs simply went overboard with the motor shouting in frustration. Unfortunately, these noises and efforts DID NOT translate to real power, and I was left wondering how the vehicle would handle overtaking maneuvers during interstate gigs.
It was when I paid for (and took her home) that the true extent of the poor driving dynamics I had earlier noticed came home to roost: the vehicle drove so poorly that, compared to the Lexus, was lacking in almost everything. Road and tire noise were elevated, it didn’t soak up bumps like the ES, and generally, it had a vague steering feel that didn’t inspire any love or passion.
Before the month ran out, I had a new phrase invented for that: ‘driving like a drunk duck’.
Maintenance, Fueling & MPGs
Of course, being a well-maintained Toyota prior, maintenance of the 2002 Camry was easy and straight to the point: brake pads, engine oil, tranny fluid, and other routine stuff.
Truth be told, most of the routine maintenance that happened would have been delayed if I had the heart. Unfortunately, when I buy a used vehicle, I change all fluids – irrespective of what the Carfax says. I’m sure if I had not touched them, the power steering, tranny, coolant, and washer fluids would have been good for most of the time I owned the vehicle, if not even beyond.
The routine maintenance was cheap and very DIY friendly. Anyone who knows how to use a wrench can probably work on the 2002 Camry, especially given the fact that the small 2.4 engine is fitted transversely into an engine bay that can comfortably house a V8. As a result, there’s plenty of room to move hands and things around; every DIYer’s dream.
It was in respect of fuel economy that I hated the motor, with passion. Everyone (my wife included) believed the vehicle returned an impressive MPG.
However, because it wasn’t fitted with an MPG computer, getting exact numbers was tricky (I don’t love running my tank to flat for any reason, if possible – and certainly won’t do it for MPGs sake).
When I drove the vehicle, I noticed that the fuel needle moved down faster than when I used the ES, and they had comparable tank sizes. Overall, when I used the Camry for up to a week, non-stop, I always reached 1/4 of the tank – at which point, a fill-up became inevitable.
On the same journey course, I used the much more powerful ES for over a week before hitting the same fuel depletion level. This confused me for all the time I owned the vehicle.
In the end, however, I concluded that it was my driving style: I drove fast and sometimes, aggressively – something the relatively smaller engine and 4-speed transmission certainly didn’t like, and accordingly, ‘punished’ me for.
My question was and remains: why test MPGs and rate vehicles based on Grandma’s driving style?
Comfort, Luxury, Long Journeys
When I owned the 2002 Camry, my impression of its comfort level was simply ‘ok’. It wasn’t great (that I could brag about), and it certainly wasn’t so poor that I’d moan about.
The seats were okay, the driving position was okay, and the overall support and suspension systems, ok.
Being ‘just okay’ meant, of course, that the vehicle had zero luxurious appeal, which was clearly Toyota’s intent when the vehicle was planned. With a manual AC, no ABS, no memory seats, no heated/ventilated seats, no heated mirrors, and no folding mirrors (manual or automatic), it was hard, sometimes, living with the vehicle.
Because of this (and the relatively underpowered 2.4-liter i4 engine that my SE trim had), I made it a point of duty never to travel with the vehicle. Instead, I used the more powerful and luxurious 3.3-liter V6 that the ES sported.
However, I have no doubts that traveling in the vehicle for hours would have been torture, especially since I had driven more comfortable vehicles and, to worsen matters, had a more comfortable vehicle (in the ES) when I owned it.
Reliability & Failure Points
Of course, what the 2002 Camry lacked in luxury, features, road manners, and options, it more than made up for in reliability: the vehicle NEVER failed to start up right on the first crank and NEVER failed to deliver me to my destination.
It was that good, and demanded just basic maintenance to keep it running in that manner. I still speak with the folk I sold the vehicle to, and I’m not surprised that several years after (and an accident that saw the vehicle somersault several times), the Camry is still kicking fine and doing its transport duties without any drama.
In terms of failure points, I’ve heard that the 2AZ FE engine the vehicle had is oil-happy and will burn engine oil prodigiously, especially as it ages.
This wasn’t my experience, however.
Despite the fact that I used Mobil 1 Extended Performance, which, in my experience, burns faster than Castrol Extended Performance, my 2AZ engine never burned oil with my OCI of one calendar year (as against Toyota’s recommendation of six months).
It’s also worth noting (if that counts for anything) that my Camry was built in Japan and not the US. If you decide to buy the vehicle today, looking for a Japanese-built unit would be your best bet so far as the oil consumption issue is concerned.
Repairs
I had to stop and think very hard about what repairs happened on the Camry when I owned it. It was a tough task, but finally, I can only recall one repair: I changed the radiator (which had started leaking around the upper tank.
This was the only repair I remember undertaking, besides the general routine of brake pads, and I remember an upper engine torque mount.
For years of service, this goes to prove something: the 2002 Camry is quite a reliable workhorse that will serve you passionately for years to come, with nothing but basic maintenance.
Strong Points
Minus the Camry’s bad (driving) manners, there are many reasons to fall in love with it – and stay in love. Here are the most interesting I noted from my time with the motor.
1. Exceedingly Reliable Motor & Tranny
The engine is reliable and bulletproof (at least, the ones made in Japan). Throughout the time I spent with the car, I opened the valve cover only once, to see how the one-year OCIs were doing on the engine.
The engine didn’t give me any reason to doubt its ability at just under 250k miles (the point I sold it off). If I had kept it, I don’t doubt that it would have hit the 300k mile mark without any fanfare.
It was also smooth running and, unlike the overall driving manners, was well-natured – if kept within the 2-4k RPM range. Its challenge usually came when it was asked to perform like a sports vehicle, which it clearly wasn’t…and wasn’t prepared to be!
Besides the reliable and smooth engine, the tranny handled the shifts with a rare grace. The transmission shifted effortlessly, and the four-speed affair was usually more than enough for normal city traffic and occasional freeway traffic, provided the motor wasn’t pushed too hard.
The acceleration, from a standstill (and shifts from the first gear and beyond), was a thing of joy. This made the vehicle seem very light (which is a great thing) and compared to thinking tranny of the ES, was pure bliss.
Sometimes, I quietly wondered what life would be like if I swapped the transmissions (so that the smoothness of the ES would be complemented by the tranny’s effortlessness)…the 4-speed was that good!
2. Impressive Interior Space
What the ES lacked in interior space, the Camry more than made up for, interior space-wise. I always wondered how it was that both cars were said to run on the same platform but were worlds apart, interior space-wise.
The Camry is huge – and I’m talking about Avalon-level hugeness! When driving it, I felt, most of the time, that I was in a full-size SUV (and not a mid-size sedan). Unlike the ES that had nowhere to keep simple things like phones, I had enough space in the car to keep cameras, phones, power banks, and whatever it was that I (or a front passenger) had.
The rear seats were roomy too – and the kids I ferried there never complained, for once. Same thing for the adults who were occasional passengers there, even with the driver’s seat drawn all the way back.
If you don’t appreciate cramped-up cars, this is the budget (used) sedan to buy or drive.
3. Practical Design
When I owned the 2006 ES330, some of the things that pissed me off were:
- Lack of a physical key to open the trunk and
- The fact that the fuel door/trunk opener buttons were battery-powered.
That design flaw, clearly, only affected the folks at Lexus, or only happened after the 2002 Camry’s design had been perfected.
On the Camry, I could open the trunk with the remote fob, via a physical key, and via a mechanical means in the vehicle (and not some battery-powered options).
The fuel door, too, had a mechanical means of opening it and did not rely on battery power (like the Lexus did), which is a very good thing.
That aside, the rear seats of the 2002 Camry fold down flat to make room for elongating the trunk and ferrying more items, especially longer ones. Instead of a passthrough that is barely useful (as featured in the Lexus), the ability of the Camry to lower its rear seats and add to the already impressive trunk space remains one of the things I’ve truly missed.
4. A Great Audio System
I’m not one to play music when I drive (even when bored). I believe that every true driver enthusiast should listen to (and pay good attention) to their engine sounds (thanks, LFA!) This way, I believe, a fault can be caught quickly, and if there isn’t, the engine (and exhaust) note(s) are in themselves entertainment enough.
Unfortunately, for this four-banger, the engine sound was dull and uninteresting. There was also nothing about the exhaust note to excite anyone: it was simply a means to take out exhaust gases.
So, I tuned in on the radio, and most of the time, blasted some rap lines by Tupac.
Surprisingly, the radio was good (almost great) and was much better than the very poor sound system I had in the Lexus. Most of the time, I wondered how the Camry’s system beat the Lexus at a game Lexus was supposed to be a master at.
Before the vehicle finally left me, I was always intuitively reaching for the radio when I got behind the wheel of this Camry.
It was a true joy, especially after serving the punishment that was the Lexus sound system.
Annoyances Worthy of Note
Of course, like every other car, the 2002 Camry has its fair share of annoyances that sometimes nearly had me parking the vehicle by the roadside and practically abandoning it there!
These annoyances aren’t what would be obvious to someone who only read about the car; I’m sure that even automotive journalists who were given the vehicle brand new back in 2002 for review purposes also missed it.
These drawbacks can only be shared by someone who has lived with the vehicle for years and, importantly, has faced these challenges firsthand, in real time.
1. The Side Mirrors Are Fixed (And NOT Heated)
If you live in a busy town (or city), you’ll understand, firsthand, the benefit of folding your side mirrors when you park, especially in especially busy roads, in tight spots, or in places where careless folks drive.
With the 2002 Camry, this remained a DREAM.
The side mirrors aren’t adjustable, and worse, they are also not heated. What this means is simple: when not yanked off by some crazy driver who doesn’t know how large their vehicle is, they’re largely useless because of the mist on them when it rains or during the mornings!
This wasn’t fun – all through the years I owned the vehicle. I constantly wondered why my 1996 Corolla Sports Wagon (meant for the European market) had side-view mirrors that could be adjusted while a 2002 Camry lacked this basic feature.
Go, Europe!
2. Funny Fore Air Vents/No Rear Air Vents
At face value, the front AC vents looked and worked fine, just like any other vehicle’s AC vents. However, navigating them to focus on where the air was needed was always a huge, herculean task. Let me explain…
…directing the front air vents (or any air vent for that matter) is pretty simple – for most common models: grab the center hold (of the vent) and push it in the direction you want the air to face, and that’s it.
With the 2002 Camry, you needed a broomstick (or something similar) to achieve this basic need. As you pushed the vent the normal way, the real task lay in manually working it from inside, without which little happened.
The design was counterintuitive: the fins were designed in a way that one stood against the rest and countered their movement. If you attempted as much to change the direction of airflow while in traffic, it was an instant invitation to an accident!
As if that wasn’t enough, there was no rear AC vent (only the XLE trim had that – mine was an SE).
Who makes an AC system that needs a broom to work with zero rear vents? On a very sunny day, I simply avoided the Camry, especially when I wasn’t in the best of moods.
3. Uninspired Driving Feel
There’s something that I need to say to feel at peace: I usually avoided the Camry when I wasn’t feeling my best.
Usually, I take long drives when things get tough mentally, and they’re usually soothing, especially when I floor the gas and kickdown happens, the motor surges swiftly, and general luxury permeates the entire vehicle (and by extension, my whole being).
For this generation of Camry, flooring the gas brought nothing – just the motor shouting, the seats leaving much more to be desired, and no luxury feel to look up to or experience.
When I say the vehicle drove like a drunk duck, I mean it, and say it without any apologies. A basic, reliable point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ vehicle. Anything else? Good luck!
4. Poor Headlights
Driving at night is fun, but you need bright, good headlights if you’re to enjoy the game. Unfortunately, because of the bad headlights this Camry has, I gave up driving at night with it, and if I absolutely needed to, I had to take extra care.
The headlight, shown below and slightly tinted (that’s the signature look of the SE trim), was barely enough to see where you were going, even with the full beam on.
With the normal setting, it was as if only the fog lights were working on some good vehicles. Add incoming vehicles with truly bright lights, and you’re officially blind.
The only time I enjoyed the headlights at night was when I was on a quiet street, alone, without any sort of oncoming light/traffic, and without the need to see more than a few meters ahead.
Any other thing/scenario didn’t usually make sense, and it was ALWAYS frustrating.
Common Problems of the 2002 Camry
New, it’s difficult to pinpoint any inherent weaknesses with the 5th generation Camrys, starting from 2002. These things were designed like tanks and practically bulletproof, so far as reliability is concerned. 2002 was also around the time when quality generally peaked at Toyota, so there’s little inherently wrong with the 2002 Camry (save, maybe the oil shorting challenge on some of the units).
However, it’s been over 20 years now that the 5th generation Camry has soldiered on, and at this age, there are a few things to expect.
1. Rust
This Camry isn’t originally prone to rust; however, for units that weren’t used with care (or used in salt-prone temperate areas/regions), rust is now a valid and potent concern, especially when buying them today.
Where this first manifests is the trunk’s interior, right under the rug; lift the rug and look, especially at the jack compartment, and you’ll see what you need to. Other places to carefully consider taking a look include the door hinge areas and the undercarriage.
While inspecting the undercarriage for rust, pay special attention to the exhaust; most are gone with rust at this age and will either need extensive work or a complete replacement.
2. Oil Burn Issue
The Toyota 2AZ-FE engine powering the 5th generation i4 Camry has become the poster child for oil burn issues through the years. However, as already noted, units that were made in Japan appear not to be affected by this challenge (at least, not in the same way as units made in the US are).
If you’re in the market for a used unit of the 5th gen Camry today, pay particular attention to its country of manufacture: if you’re looking at a Japanese-built one, great. If it’s US-built, then you may need to confirm if it burns oil, and if positive, at what rate.
3. Catalytic Converter Issues
Most of the 5th generation Camrys (2002-2006) have logged impressive miles (and many have been through several owners). Now, if you’re conversant with catalytic converters and how they work, you’ll agree that age, mileage, and use across the board is a perfect recipe for their eventual failure.
‘Chemical’ damage is the usual culprit here.
Most of the examples you’ll find around today need a catalytic converter or will need one, sooner rather than later. If you’re lucky, you may get away with a few years, but this isn’t something you can be exonerated from forever.
If your state actively tests for emissions, this is one potential expense you need to be aware of, upfront.
Is the 5th Generation Camry a DIY-friendly Vehicle?
Yes.
If you have hands that are eager to serve you in a DIY capacity (and have the stomach for it), then fewer vehicles are more DIY-friendly.
For the i4 models, all thanks to the wide body and spacious hood, the 2AZ-FE engine looks like something small, dropped in a space bigger than intended. This makes things like throttle body cleaning, sparkplug replacement, and oil changes a breeze.
The 1MZ-FE found on the V6 variants (and the 3MZs found on the facelifts) is where the challenge will be, especially if you’re a beginner. However, in my experience, they’re still a walk in the park, especially when compared with the 2GR-FE and the 2GR-FSE.
FAQs
Below are a few Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) relating to the 5th generation Toyota Camry you may be interested in.
1. Is 2002 a Good Year for the Toyota Camry?
Yes. Though the car lacks driving dynamics and doesn’t inspire any love for driving, it has solid reliability. If you’re looking for an old used car that will always start and deliver you, this is a great consideration.
2. How Long Will a 2002 Camry Last?
Over 300k miles easily, with basic maintenance. 500k miles (and above) if you go to extra lengths to truly take care of it.
2002 Camry Review: Will I Buy Another? Should You Buy One?
No.
As reliable as the 2002 Camry was when I owned it, it didn’t completely satisfy me as an owner, and that was the reason why I sold it well before the 2006 Lexus ES330. The vehicle is simply too old now (and without any classic appeal).
First off, the vehicle lacks basic amenities that we take for granted in today’s vehicles: ABS, automatic climate control/dual zone climate control system, good headlights, driver/passenger memory, steering controls, etc. I could go on and on.
Second, the vehicle didn’t simply drive right from day one (at least, for me). Note, this wasn’t an issue with my unit: it is a fundamental problem with the more plebian motors on today’s roads: Yaris, Corolla, and now, the Camry. As much as I was interested in basic transportation, I wanted to do it in peace and tranquility: something the Camry couldn’t simply afford.
Finally, the absence of the rear AC vent in the SE remains a deal breaker: I have little children who use the rear seats all the time. Waiting for cooled air to get to them while I enjoy it upfront appears to be all shades of wrong.
However, suppose you don’t care about these drawbacks (or they simply don’t apply to you), the 2002 i4 Camry (especially offered in the SE trim) is a solid vehicle that ticks most of the boxes and, importantly, delivers on the reliability front, despite its age.
I have no iota of doubt that you’ll find it a fine, useful daily driver that will serve you for several thousand miles to come with basic maintenance and a dirt cheap initial price – cheaper than any used, reliable sedan you can find today with some basic utility value…if only you’re careful to opt for a properly maintained one.
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Throttle Lan
DIY Mechanic and Freelance Auto Writer