[njerald]

Originally Posted by atn1kjm

I have a 2003 Camry SE 4 cylinder 5 speed manual transmission. I bought it new in 2003 At 80,000 miles during a routine oil change I was told that I had an engine problem and coolant was leaking from the backside of the engine block from underneath a foam insulation pad. This pad is located on the back side of the engine block between the block and the fire wall. The mechanic told me he thought that I probably had a cracked cylinder head and would need to consider replacing the engine. He couldn’t be 100% sure until he took everything apart to look at it but he felt confident that was the problem.

I contacted Toyota and was told that they had no record of issues involving cracked cylinder heads in the 4 cyl. Camry engine. There was nothing they could do for me as far as this repair was concerned. I sought a 2nd opinion and after weighing options from a $6000 dollar warranty replacement engine to a $2100 cylinder head job I opted for the later of the two.

My mechanic has just called and informed me that the cylinder head is NOT cracked. The problem is that the cylinder head bolts are stripped on the back side of the engine. This is what caused the coolant leak in the first place. Several of the bolts contained remains of the screw threading when they were removed. Now I have only two options: make my car into a very expensive flowerpot or spend $4000 for a replacement engine from a junk yard. I have contacted Toyota regarding this issue. So far I havn't been able to get anywhere. I have to call the local dealer on Monday and sprak to the service manager. The work is being done by an outside shop so I'm optimistic about a positive outcome.

I would strongly recommend that if you have the problem as described above that you understand that the cylinder repair is not an option. You’re looking at the expense for an engine replacement. I have no choice but to move forward with the repair. The mechanic and I discussed the possibility of Helicoiling the existing screws, there isn’t enough room between the water jacket and the block for them to fit. I wish I had found this forum before I went ahead with the attempted repair. You said that we would be seeing more of this problem, here it is.

I never thought that I would be so disappointed in a Toyota product. I’ve been a loyal customer for 30 years.

Get another mechanic........

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