I am a service center owner and technician of over 40 years in SC. Recently, a 2003 Camry LE w/ 70,000 miles came into my shop with a coolant leak. I consulted this forum and others to find proof of the same instance in the Toyota Camry. I write this in response to some posts I read on this site. This is to be informative for those in similar situations.

To do the exam, we pressurized the cooling system and put the car up on the lift. We immediately noticed coolant leaking from underneath the plastic INT intake Manifold in the rear of the engine. I also noticed a Large piece of foam rubber between the Intake Manifold and the Engine Block and Head. This was blocking our view of the leak. We could only see that the leak was behind the foam piece. The only option to discover the source of this leak was to remove the plastic intake manifold, which I did. After this was removed, it became obvious that coolant had been leaking a minor amount for quite some time due to build up between the cylinder head and block.

The only option left is to remove the head, which requires an exstensive disassembly (R and R cylinder head). After Loosening the bolts in sequence, I notice the head bolts in the back of the engine are loose. From my experience in the field, I can confidently conclude that this only means one of two things: The bolts were left loose at the factory, or the Bolts are stripped. ( I commonly have seen stripped bolts in the Aluminum Cadillac North Star Block discovered through leaking coolant.)

Next, I removed the head and sure enough, one bolt came out with aluminum in the thread...thus indicating a stripped bolt.

MY THEORY: The placement of the (insulation) foam rubber piece between the Intake Manifold and the engine block created an uneven dispersion of heat, creating "metal fatigue" in the aluminum block allowing the headbolt to strip.

If Toyota had out an Aluminum Manifold instead of Plastic, there would have been no need to insulate (w/ foam piece), thus eliminating the probem.

The only solution to this problem is to unforunately replace the engine. The cost to repair it otherwise would be substantial. This is an engine defect and we WILL be seeing more of this.

I am a service center owner and technician of over 40 years in SC. Recently, a 2003 Camry LE w/ 70,000 miles came into my shop with a coolant leak. I consulted this forum and others to find proof of the same instance in the Toyota Camry. I write this in response to some posts I read on this site. This is to be informative for those in similar situations.

To do the exam, we pressurized the cooling system and put the car up on the lift. We immediately noticed coolant leaking from underneath the plastic INT intake Manifold in the rear of the engine. I also noticed a Large piece of foam rubber between the Intake Manifold and the Engine Block and Head. This was blocking our view of the leak. We could only see that the leak was behind the foam piece. The only option to discover the source of this leak was to remove the plastic intake manifold, which I did. After this was removed, it became obvious that coolant had been leaking a minor amount for quite some time due to build up between the cylinder head and block.

The only option left is to remove the head, which requires an exstensive disassembly (R and R cylinder head). After Loosening the bolts in sequence, I notice the head bolts in the back of the engine are loose. From my experience in the field, I can confidently conclude that this only means one of two things: The bolts were left loose at the factory, or the Bolts are stripped. ( I commonly have seen stripped bolts in the Aluminum Cadillac North Star Block discovered through leaking coolant.)

Next, I removed the head and sure enough, one bolt came out with aluminum in the thread...thus indicating a stripped bolt.

MY THEORY: The placement of the (insulation) foam rubber piece between the Intake Manifold and the engine block created an uneven dispersion of heat, creating "metal fatigue" in the aluminum block allowing the headbolt to strip.

If Toyota had out an Aluminum Manifold instead of Plastic, there would have been no need to insulate (w/ foam piece), thus eliminating the probem.

The only solution to this problem is to unforunately replace the engine. The cost to repair it otherwise would be substantial. This is an engine defect and we WILL be seeing more of this.

A good reason for 7 year/100,000 mile/Zero Deductible Extended Waranties........

OP,
With a five year old vehicle you can't assume that it has not been severely overheated and some clown has not tried to cure a headgasket problem by cranking down on the headbolts. Do the valve covers show any signs or previous removal?

We have seen this before, it is not a common problem, but has happened. That repair is 5yr/60k miles warranty,or if they have TOYOTA EXTRACARE
A good reason for 7 year/100,000 mile/Zero Deductible Extended Waranties........it should be covered.
Try calling the Toyota 1-800-331-4331 and see if they will participate in the repair. It needs a new short block. Not sure I trust the block, thats why we didnt use the TimeCerts. TIMECERTS ROCK!!

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.:mad:

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.

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.:mad:

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........

Repairs to my 2002 2AZFE complete - Toyota Forums :: Toyota Nation (http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=274802&highlight=helicoil+block)

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.

Before I accepted the mechanics word as gospel, I'd check with tech people at ++ TIME-SERT Threaded inserts for stripped threads, threaded inserts, thread repair stripped sparkplug's, Ford sparkplug blowouts, threaded inserts threaded, repair stripped threads, stripped threads, inserts threaded inserts, Ford spark plug repair, (http://www.timesert.com) and
Heli-Coil ( HeliCoil Inserts ) Helicoils Screw Thread Inserts | Emhart.com (http://www.helicoil.com/products/helicoil.asp)

They may have specific application information of which your mechanic may be unaware.
FWIW
YMMV

why do people think that mechanics would do something to their car that would harmful or expensive.i'm going through the same experience.2002 camry 2.4l head bolts stripped out on back of head(no real fix i can find).bolts were loose on removale.i'm a tech ,don't like telling customer its expensive but no other option,if you see a leak(sort of)you have to follow it back to source,not easy to see sometimes.it is impossible for me to know every vechicle with all their problems.just rember this the next time something goes wrong with your car

why do people think that mechanics would do something to their car that would harmful or expensive.i'm going through the same experience.2002 camry 2.4l head bolts stripped out on back of head(no real fix i can find).bolts were loose on removale.i'm a tech ,don't like telling customer its expensive but no other option,if you see a leak(sort of)you have to follow it back to source,not easy to see sometimes.it is impossible for me to know every vechicle with all their problems.just rember this the next time something goes wrong with your car

You answered your own question/non-question...............

How long did Toyota use this design (or are they still using it) on the four cylinder engine? Both examples in this thread were 2003 model year. I have a 2005 Camry. If the same design was used for 2005 model year, is there anything I can do to avoid this issue?

I am going to add yet another vehicle

We've had a 2003 Toyota Camry LE 4cyl since February of 2003, currently it has almost 125 thousand miles on it. Two days ago we went to the dealership to get an oil change and they have told us that coolant was leaking, also saying that they would diagnose the problem for $99. We have opted out to take the vehicle to my brother, who's good with cars, and sure enough on our way back from the dealership the car started overheating. This has never happened before, neither has this vehicle had any problems or services aside from brakes and AC.

As with the cases above same process first the leak was discovered in the back; then it took us a while to figure out that we need to remove the foam and finally 3 bolts from the back just came out, there was no need to unscrew them.

I am really not sure what we're going to do about it, it is certain that we have to fix it because we're visiting family 800 miles away from home and need to go back this coming weekend. I consider ouselves very lucky that this did not happen on our way here.

Any advise would be greatly appreaciated.

I have a 2003 Camry 4cyl le bought around January of 2003. I have taken good care of this car but last week i took it into my mechanic to see why it was overheating, and I also couldn't seem to start it. I actually had it towed to the mechanic. He said I had a blown gasket. He gave me a price of $1800. The next day he called and told me the 3 bolts on the back side of the engine were stripped and loose. He said we will have to redrill the three holes in back and put inserts in. He also suggested that we have a valve job since the head was off. He also decided that he would drill 6 of the bolt holes, Three in back and three in front to be safe. and the price would be $2400. He is a top mechanic.

The car runs beautifully. It goes like a rocket. I had to bring in my children to help pay the bill. They did God bless them. After reading this thread, I feel that Toyota should pay this bill and my $200 dollar car rental bill. I love my car. Do I have any case against Toyoto?

Hello, Everyone and Anyone! We had a similar situation, 2003 Toyota Highlander - Two years ago with 61,000 miles on it (yes, only 1,000+ miles out of warranty) - engine 2.4, transmission 4WD - we are the original owners: blown head gasket, no fix available - our mechanic went to the dealer on our behalf - bolts were loose, he took them out by hand, there was a problem that we could not have prevented. Basically told by Toyota dealership - sorry about your luck - if we had brought our car to the dealer for regular maintenance (we have documentation of regular oil changes!!!) instead of taking to our mechanic (who does free-lance mechanical for the same dealership!) they might have helped us. But we were told - sorry about your luck - contacted Totoyta national number, too. In essence they said - go ahead - sue us - now I start to see we are not the only ones with this problem. I must say when we first heard from our mechanic, we were a little in disbelief concerning bolts not tight, but now see there are others. We only wanted Toyota to help with some of the cost as we were only 1,100 miles over warranty - again, NO WAY was their response! Needless to say, we have bought two new cars since two years ago, and neither one was a Toyota - and my brother and sister both work at the Georgetown Toyota plant in Georgetown, KY. Anybody know where to go from here? I just want to be able to have Toyota bear some of the responsibility, at least own up to the issue. Thanks!

My sister had the same problem three months ago on a 2.4L 2002 Camry at about 65000K. The dealer wanted to replace the head gasket and block for $8000.00. It always seems to be the same three bolts according to the blogs. I told to have the machine to use Helix coils for the strpped threads at $50.00 each and it worked. After my sister read them the riot act she got away for $1700.00 and a six month warranty. The originaly wanted to do just the head gasket for $3400.00 with a one year warranty before they realized they really had three stripped threads. It should be a factory recall. Everyone seems to know the 2.4L engines around 2002 and 2003 could have that problem except their service mangers. I hope they fixed beacuse I have a 2007 new with 36000 miles on it. My sisters 1992 was 15 years old with 193000 miles on it with typical problems.

Does anyone know if or when Toyota fixed the head gasket / bolt problem. This thread talks about 2002 & 2003 Camry 4 cyl. Has it been fixed for 2004 and newer?

Its was fixed with the release of the 2.5/2.7L engines. With the 2.4, cross your fingers and hope for the best!

I am a service center owner and technician of over 40 years in SC. Recently, a 2003 Camry LE w/ 70,000 miles came into my shop with a coolant leak. I consulted this forum and others to find proof of the same instance in the Toyota Camry. I write this in response to some posts I read on this site. This is to be informative for those in similar situations.

To do the exam, we pressurized the cooling system and put the car up on the lift. We immediately noticed coolant leaking from underneath the plastic INT intake Manifold in the rear of the engine. I also noticed a Large piece of foam rubber between the Intake Manifold and the Engine Block and Head. This was blocking our view of the leak. We could only see that the leak was behind the foam piece. The only option to discover the source of this leak was to remove the plastic intake manifold, which I did. After this was removed, it became obvious that coolant had been leaking a minor amount for quite some time due to build up between the cylinder head and block.

The only option left is to remove the head, which requires an exstensive disassembly (R and R cylinder head). After Loosening the bolts in sequence, I notice the head bolts in the back of the engine are loose. From my experience in the field, I can confidently conclude that this only means one of two things: The bolts were left loose at the factory, or the Bolts are stripped. ( I commonly have seen stripped bolts in the Aluminum Cadillac North Star Block discovered through leaking coolant.)

Next, I removed the head and sure enough, one bolt came out with aluminum in the thread...thus indicating a stripped bolt.

MY THEORY: The placement of the (insulation) foam rubber piece between the Intake Manifold and the engine block created an uneven dispersion of heat, creating "metal fatigue" in the aluminum block allowing the headbolt to strip.

If Toyota had out an Aluminum Manifold instead of Plastic, there would have been no need to insulate (w/ foam piece), thus eliminating the probem.

The only solution to this problem is to unforunately replace the engine. The cost to repair it otherwise would be substantial. This is an engine defect and we WILL be seeing more of this.


Hi, Today I brought my 2003 Camry (4 Cyl Sport) to my dealer in Scarb Ontario, and received the shocking news that my engine would need to be replaced at a cost of $6000 + tax.
It has a small leak of coolant, which will certainly get worse over time. The Toyota service advisor told me it was because of loose headbolts. He also informed me he has seen this problem before, but would not commit to it being an engine design problem.
I called Toyota Canada Customer Relations, described the problem and was told.
"It's not under warranty - we can do nothing." I have been very happy with Toyota products, I have recommended them to many friends now they have just lost a loyal customer.
I will do my utmost to ensure no more of my friends and colleagues make the same mistake. Is there anything else I can do?

I've been a loyal Toyota owner for almost 40 years... I find it very hard to believe that Toyota won't admit to a major Design flaw and recall and fix this problem

Hi, I have the same question. Does this "stripped headbolt" problem occur on models 2004 and newer?
My 2003 camry has just been diagnosed with the same problem. My dealer in Scarb Ontario has estimated $6000+tax to fix.
Called the Toyota Consumer Relations and was told "Not under warranty - why are you calling us?".
Needless to say that Toyota has just lost a longtime loyal customer.

Its was fixed with the release of the 2.5/2.7L engines. With the 2.4, cross your fingers and hope for the best! Where is this engine? The 2010 still come with the 2.4L in the inline 4 banger did you mean in 2005?

This is what I found that happened in 2007 from toyota The 2AZ-FE engine, standard across the Camry grade lineup, is based on the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine from last year, but is substantially upgraded. This redesign employs optimized intake and exhaust systems, as well as strategies that reduce internal friction and enhance engine-block/crankcase rigidity. The result is improved power output with exceptional fuel economy and reduced noise and vibration levels.

[QUOTE=5 Speed;1341007]The 2010 still come with the 2.4L in the inline 4 banger did you mean in 2005?

QUOTE]

More bad info.........The 2010 has a 2.5 I4.

Hello,
I'm new to the this forum. For what it's worth, I developed the NS300L insert kit to repair stripped head bolt threads in the Cadillac Northstar. My engine was repaired with timeserts(GM approved inserts) and they also stripped (Google HuhnSolutions to see our website). I have had several customers purchase the NS300L insert kit in the past year to repair the toyota 2.4L engine and did it with great success (some that have been repaired with failed timeserts). I had no idea that that the 2002-2006 2.4L had the same problem as the Northstar until just recently. I know very little about this engine other than it uses the M11x1.5 thread (the same as the Northstar) and several techs have used them to repair the 2.4L. I'm looking for more information about this engine, primarily whether there is enough meat in the engine block around the head bolt hole that the NS300L inserts can be installed safely with out hitting a water jacket. The NS300L insert has a coarse external thread (5/8-11) rather than a fine thread like the Timesert and it is much longer and bigger in diameter (you can see the difference on the History page of the website). They have three times the thread engagement with in the aluminum block than Timeserts. I have no problem with Timeserts, I think they are a great design, but they don't always seem to hold up under the high torque of a head bolt in an aluminum block since they still have a fine external thread.
Other information I am looking for is 1.) the length of the head bolt from under the washer. 2.) when the head bolt is dropped through the head, how much of the head bolt sticks out of the bottom of the head? 3.) what is the length of usable thread on the head bolt?
Any information on this engine would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

I have a 2004 Camry and this just happened to it. Brought it into our mechanic last Friday and he called and said the head gasket blew and the oil and water went inside instead of out and ruined the engine. Monday we found out that we bought and ext warranty with the car (we bought it used) and the car is less than 1,000 miles from reaching the end of the warranty. (Lucky.)

Last night the warranty company sent someone out to inspect the car and they tore down the whole engine. Turns out it has stripped head bolts, did a Google search and this is the first site that popped up.

I just want to make sure, this isn't something we could have prevented is it? I just have a bad feeling the warranty company is going to try and get out of this somehow. :(

And I agree that there needs to be some kind of recall or class-action suit against Toyota for this problem. If I didn't have the warranty I'd be out $6,000 for a new engine. Completely ridiculous.

Hello,
I'm new to the this forum. For what it's worth, I developed the NS300L insert kit to repair stripped head bolt threads in the Cadillac Northstar. My engine was repaired with timeserts(GM approved inserts) and they also stripped (Google HuhnSolutions to see our website). I have had several customers purchase the NS300L insert kit in the past year to repair the toyota 2.4L engine and did it with great success (some that have been repaired with failed timeserts). I had no idea that that the 2002-2006 2.4L had the same problem as the Northstar until just recently. I know very little about this engine other than it uses the M11x1.5 thread (the same as the Northstar) and several techs have used them to repair the 2.4L. I'm looking for more information about this engine, primarily whether there is enough meat in the engine block around the head bolt hole that the NS300L inserts can be installed safely with out hitting a water jacket. The NS300L insert has a coarse external thread (5/8-11) rather than a fine thread like the Timesert and it is much longer and bigger in diameter (you can see the difference on the History page of the website). They have three times the thread engagement with in the aluminum block than Timeserts. I have no problem with Timeserts, I think they are a great design, but they don't always seem to hold up under the high torque of a head bolt in an aluminum block since they still have a fine external thread.
Other information I am looking for is 1.) the length of the head bolt from under the washer. 2.) when the head bolt is dropped through the head, how much of the head bolt sticks out of the bottom of the head? 3.) what is the length of usable thread on the head bolt?
Any information on this engine would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.

After many requests, we now have available a cylinder head bolt thread repair kit for the Toyota 2.4L 2AZ-FE. Feel Free to visit our website at www.HuhnSolutions.com (http://www.HuhnSolutions.com) or contact us at huhnsolutions@gmail.com. See our listing on ebay http://rover.ebay.com/ar/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?mpt=1764717317&adtype=1&size=1x1&type=3&campid=5336432678&toolid=10001 NS300L 2AZFE, great deals on eBay Motors on eBay! (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?type=3&campid=5336432678&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.com%2F%3F_from%3DR40%2 6_trksid%3Dp3907.m38.l1313%26_nkw%3DNS300L%2B2AZFE %26_sacat%3DSee-All-Categories)

If I had the same issue with stripped threads, I'd order one of those repair kits, fix the block, reassemble and drive it slowly to the nearest dealer and trade the sucker in...

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfmAdd me to the stripped head bolt list BUT LET'S STICK TOGETHER AND PUT IT BACK ON TOYOTA! GO HERE AND LODGE YOUR COMPLAINT WITH THE GOVERMENT AS TOYOTA WILL DRAG THEIR HEELS LIKE THE STUCK THROTTLE, RUSTED FRAMES, SLUDGED ENGINES!!!! ONLY AFTER COMPLAINTS WILL THEY DO ANYTHING!!!!Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), File A Safety Complaint (http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm)

The kit shown is the repair kit for the Cadillac Northstar which uses the same M11X1.5 head bolt thread as the Toyota 2.4L 2AZ-FE and many others. The kit for the Toyota 2.4L 2AZFE is basically the same, but comes with 11 inserts rather then the 21 shown in the picture. You will find there is a huge advantage to using the NS300L™ kit over other repair methods on the market. Most other repairs use the same fine thread on the outside of the insert as the head bolt....the same fine thread that failed in the first place. The NS300L™ uses a much coarser thread on the ouside which allows you to get past the deteriorated aluminum and back into virgin aluminum. It is also much longer to allow much more thread engagement into the aluminum for a solid repair.
http://rover.ebay.com/ar/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?mpt=810640128&adtype=1&size=1x1&type=3&campid=5336432678&toolid=10001 TOYOTA 2.4L 2AZFE NS300L HEAD BOLT THREAD REPAIR 2AZ-FE:eBay Motors (item 150396530337 end time Dec-16-09 19:03:00 PST) (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?type=3&campid=5336432678&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Febaymotors%2Fws%2 FeBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D150396530337%26 ssPageName%3DSTRK%3AMESELX%3AIT)


http://cadillacspecialties.com/www/Images/Norm.jpg
NS300L™
HuhnSolutions.com

Bump........

We have a 2002 Camry 4 cyl. 55K miles, in our shop with a coolant leak that the local dealer diagnosied as a water pump that has no signs of coolant or build up around the water pump area. The water pump had been replaced 4 months ago. During inspection we found coolant at rear for engine under the plastic intake manifold, there is a foam pad between the manifold and the block that is soaked. There is no visible accsess to the area behind the pad, but appears to be coming from the head gasket. Suspect there will be a head bolt problem as others have found.

Thank you all for your info.

We have a 2003 Camry with 97,000 miles, discovered a coolant leak during oil change, took to dealer to confirm the stripped head bolt issue. Discussed with Toyota several times. I have a case numberbut that is all. They have no intention of helping, advising, or even admitting they have an issue. Please contact Toyota and register your complaint and issue. Contact Paul at 800-331-4331 ext 73807. Make sure you document your conversation and get a case number. Then email me your case number, VIN#, and miles.
Also please tell me how you resolved the issue. Strel@mindspring.com.

Add me to the list. 2004 Highlander 4 Cyl. 2wd. What a crock. I also have a 2001 with the 2.2L. I'll have to keep an eye on that one. It's funny, we had been talking about trading it in on a new Venza. Too bad, this our last Toyota. Time to check out the Koreans. At least they give a 10/100,000 warranty.

I just completed this repair to my 03 2.4 Camry. Mine failed at 117k miles. I got the big brushoff from Toyota also.

While it isn't something I'd want to do everyday, it wasn't as bad as I expected. I used the NS300L insert kit available through huhnsolutions.com. (See the post a few up the thread). Norm did an excellent job designing these inserts, and your confidence in it's success begins as soon as you get the kit in your hand and see/feel the quality of the inserts. As you progress you'll see that the repair will be alot stronger than original.

Patience is the key with this repair. Allow a full day to drill and tap the holes, and do all 10 holes even though only three failed! Work one hole at a time, and keep the metal chips under control. Set your guide block in place and duct tape everything around it. Keep the guide block with metal to metal contact on the engine block.

Like I said, it's not a bad job, just time consuming, however it's well worth it in the end.

I recently was told that my 2003 Toyota Camry had a blown head gasket. The technician at a privately owned repair shop said that my coolant was leaking and caused the car to run hot. The technician put the car on a rack and removed the foam piece and said the coolant was leaking from the head gasket. After further checking the gasket, it was found to have three stripped head bolts. They were able to pull the bolts out by hand. I was told that it was nothing they could do except replace the engine. I went to the dealership today (Springhill Toyota in Alabama) and spoke with the owner. He told me that it was probably something I did and I could have the car towed to them and they would check it out and try to repair it at a reduced rate. He also told me this is the first time he has heard of this happening which I don't believe. Now, it is mighty strange that everyone on this forum is having the same problem, and Toyota or the dealership won't own up it to the fact that it is a defect. I did find a kit that is suppose to repair the problem and the cost of it is 315.00. It doesn't do any good to have the engine replaced because you will have the same problem later on. I told my mother to purchase a camry and she bought a 2005. Her model has also been having problems. Luckily her car has low mileage. I am very upset that Toyota has been ignoring customer complaints about this situation. If anyone is interested in the kit the website is posted below.

TOYOTA 2.4L 2AZFE NS300L HEAD BOLT THREAD REPAIR 2AZ-FE : eBay Motors (item 150400182723 end time Dec-31-09 19:46:31 PST) (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TOYOTA-2-4L-2AZFE-NS300L-HEAD-BOLT-THREAD-REPAIR-2AZ-FE_W0QQitemZ150400182723QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_ Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item23048ca9c3)

Same problem! Exactly. Jan 2010. 2002 4 cyl auto Camry. 125,000 km (78,000 mi). Ontario, Canada.

Never been on a forum until my mechanic described the problem to me - he could not understand this in a Toyota of which he thought very highly. I came across this post by Googling his description, because I was sceptical of what he was saying. So, now I see his description matches exactly the other posts. Coolant leak, leading to head gasket, then discovering stripped bolts. I'm sure he will find this information from this post interesting.

This is quite a shock, having owned quite a few Toyotas over many years. Obviously the problems go beyond gas pedals and brakes. Whether a design fault or manufacturing issue, this is something of the magnitude I NEVER expected out of a Toyota.

Had a Camry come into the shop with about 120k miles on it. The threads were pulled out of the block. The customer was a regular. Came in every 5k miles since he bought it. Service manager called Corporate and they covered everything...You might save $10 each time you go to Jiffylube but is it worth it. Toyota is very Loyal to those who are loyal to them. They make a little when you buy the car. They make the most off of the service you get done to it. Every time I have seen Toyota go above and beyond is because the customer came to them for service. Think about it when you need your next oil change. :ts:

Had a Camry come into the shop with about 120k miles on it. The threads were pulled out of the block. The customer was a regular. Came in every 5k miles since he bought it. Service manager called Corporate and they covered everything...You might save $10 each time you go to Jiffylube but is it worth it. Toyota is very Loyal to those who are loyal to them. They make a little when you buy the car. They make the most off of the service you get done to it. Every time I have seen Toyota go above and beyond is because the customer came to them for service. Think about it when you need your next oil change. :ts:
Pretty much the same way it works here too, or some times they do a 50/50 deal, or nothing at all, It all depends on the service records and customer loyalty.
Our oil changes at the dealership are the same price if not lower than those aftermarket places, and we use genuine Toyota parts..they do not.
Why would you call the Maytag repairman to work on your Bosch dishwasher...makes no sense. We get at least 1-2 vehicles a week where some kid at thoses places has drained the Trans instead of the oil pan, then added 5 more qts to the engine :confused::td:

Time-Sert makes a head bolt thread repair kit for these blocks.
++ TIME-SERT MANUFACTURER KITS - Toyota ++, Toyota head bolt thread repair toyota camry head bolt theads (http://www.timesert.com/html/toyota.html)

http://www.timesert.com/images/kits/manufacturer/thread-repair-kit-02.jpg

Had a Camry come into the shop with about 120k miles on it. The threads were pulled out of the block. The customer was a regular. Came in every 5k miles since he bought it. Service manager called Corporate and they covered everything...You might save $10 each time you go to Jiffylube but is it worth it. Toyota is very Loyal to those who are loyal to them. They make a little when you buy the car. They make the most off of the service you get done to it. Every time I have seen Toyota go above and beyond is because the customer came to them for service. Think about it when you need your next oil change. :ts:

What method did your dealership use to fix the head bolts? Do they have an approved proceedure for curing this problem? Thanks for the help.

Just had my 03 Camry repaired with the NS300L inserts. Headgasket had failed at 153K miles.

It had the typical soaked foam, and 3 stripped center bolts in back (just pulled right out) but also had aluminum on the threads of the front three center bolts.

Highly recommend the NS300L Kit.

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Had a Camry come into the shop with about 120k miles on it. The threads were pulled out of the block. The customer was a regular. Came in every 5k miles since he bought it. Service manager called Corporate and they covered everything...You might save $10 each time you go to Jiffylube but is it worth it. Toyota is very Loyal to those who are loyal to them. They make a little when you buy the car. They make the most off of the service you get done to it. Every time I have seen Toyota go above and beyond is because the customer came to them for service. Think about it when you need your next oil change. :ts:


I'm calling you out on this. Called Corporate? TMS, TMC?, TEMA?
The dealer gets all of the money for oil changes, not Toyota. Are Toyota dealers still in the bottom half of all manufacturers in customer satisfaction ratings?

My brother is going to do the huhnsultion repair. He said the kit looks well thought out. It uses a jig to center the hole to be drilled and tapped from a good block thread. The inserts are longer to grab all of the threads on the bolt instead of just the bottom threads as they tapped into the block from Toyota now. Also it is course thread insert to have more surface area to grab onto. He spoke to Norm, the guy who makes them and is busy making them for Toyotas so them seem to be the way to go by what research my brother did online. He was a diesel mechanic for several years before working for Ford and is not letting me live this one down.

Thought I would do an update and give a shout out to Norm Huhn for his repair kit. This is not an easy repair but it is made easier by this well thought out kit. Anyone in the Louisville, KY area wanting to have this performed, send a PM.

I have the exact same problem and I went for the helicoil fix and all I did was trade my water leak problem for an oil leak problem. Now I contemplating an engine swap out. Toyota told me to go to hell. So far I'm $3,500 in the hole.

thanks for sharing this information which is helpful for me and others aslo thanks

Rueckfahrkamera (http://www.multimedialo.de/)

Deleted

Toyota quality is obviously a myth, as evidenced by these posts. There was a engine sludging problem along the way too - early 2000's I think. I have an '89 Camry with the 3SFE 4 cylinder engine - it has been great and is at 217,000 and still rolling strong. Buy an older model with low milage - a safer bet than the 2000 model 4 cylinders.

Yeap, 2002 2AZ-FE engine since new with 91,300 miles. Mild driving. Synthetic since 7,500th mile. Self maintained. All original parts and fluids, except oil is Mobile 1.

Runs great until I noticed recent oil and coolant consumption during routine checkup.

Noticed back side of engine is wet during oil change, but no drip yet.

huhnsolution tool rental is essential. Please keep it around.

rguyekaw: I'm around Longo Toyota. Please let me know if you know any mechanic in my area who can do this competently.

Admin: Please keep a sticky in Highlander or Camry threads for links to complaints and law suits. I think more and more 2AZ-FE owners will start to complain. Thanks.

Normally with stripped engine bolts instead of putting in a heli-coil, it is best to compare the bolt size and go just a little over with a standard thread head bolt tap. It wouldn't be that hard with it already apart.

Normally with stripped engine bolts instead of putting in a heli-coil, it is best to compare the bolt size and go just a little over with a standard thread tap and head bolt. It wouldn't be that hard with it already apart.

some dude has done this repair with helicoil bushings on youtube, its like a how-to of how he made it work, check it



Toyota Camry 2AZ-FE stripped head bolt repair NS300L fix - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_RQ0NIif4g)

Feb 9,2013

Last week I noticed my temperature gauge started to fluctuate on my 2003 Toyota Camry, I looked underneath the car and noticed antifreeze leaking from the rear of the engine. My nightmare had just begun. After having the car looked at and consulting with this forum I came to the conclusion that the headbolts were stripped. I called toyota and was told there's nothing they can do. I was pretty upset. They know this is a common problem. It's even mentioned in Wikipedia. I was forced to buy a used engine for 1500 dollars and had it installed for another 500 dollars. I will most likely sell the car now. Toyota just lost me as a customer

Frank Triolo
Toronto Canada