07 Camry XLE V6 Transmission Gone at 183k... What Would You Do?

Floored it from a complete stop the other day, and suddenly, the car just stopped going. No drive, no reverse—only neutral. When I put it in park, it made a horrible sound.

Luckily, I was close to home and had to get it towed. My mechanic flushed the transmission fluid and showed me… it was as black as my car. :weary:

They’re quoting me $2,500 to fix it with a 1-year warranty or $1,600 for a used one with a 30-day warranty. What would you do in this situation? Is this a common issue with these cars? I mean, 183k miles is a lot, but still… :thinking:

With how crazy car prices are right now, I’d fix it. That V6 could easily go another 100k+ if you keep up with maintenance.

Asa said:
With how crazy car prices are right now, I’d fix it. That V6 could easily go another 100k+ if you keep up with maintenance.

Only saying yes because it’s the V6. The 4-cylinders from 07-09 were kinda trash.

@Wil
Yeah, unless you replace the low-tension piston rings, they just burn oil like crazy. Otherwise, the 2AZ-FE is solid—my ‘02 has 305k on it.

@Wil
I’ve got an ‘07 4-cylinder with 200k. Burns oil, but it’s been reliable otherwise.

Lake said:
@Wil
I’ve got an ‘07 4-cylinder with 200k. Burns oil, but it’s been reliable otherwise.

Oil consumption makes it unreliable, IMO. Adding a quart every 1k miles is not fun. Once you own a car that doesn’t burn oil, it’s hard to go back.

Considering how expensive Toyotas are now, swapping in a used transmission for $1,600 isn’t the worst idea. The V6 is solid, and that’s way cheaper than buying another car. These transmissions usually last 150k-250k miles if they aren’t serviced regularly, so honestly, yours did okay.

Black transmission fluid?! I’m guessing it was never changed. :joy:

Toyota says these transmissions are ‘lifetime’ sealed—which basically means 183k miles IS the lifetime if you don’t change the fluid. A simple drain-and-fill every 60-75k miles with OEM WS Fluid would have helped. No flushes, no aftermarket fluids.

I drain and fill my transmission fluid every 60k miles on my 2020 Camry. Hoping to avoid this exact situation. :sweat_smile:

$2,500 for a full repair with a 1-year warranty? I’d do that over the used one. It’s not bad compared to car payments these days.

That 2GR-FE V6 can easily go another 180k miles if you keep up with maintenance. A transmission swap is worth it.

Honestly, sounds like a lack of maintenance killed it. If the used transmission has less than 150k miles, go for it and start doing regular fluid changes from now on. Also, keep your cooling system in check—transmissions don’t like overheating.

At 18 years old, I’d also check what other repairs might be coming up—head gasket, cooling system, suspension, etc.

$2,500 for a transmission repair isn’t bad, though.

If you’re regularly ‘flooring it from a dead stop,’ your engine might be next. It’s a Camry… not a race car. Drive it like an accountant. :joy:

For what it’s worth, my old Oldsmobile needed a new transmission at 30k miles… and again at 60k.

183k ain’t bad. :joy:

Might be time to get yourself a new Camry. I was in the same situation last week after wrecking mine.

Wait… where did the transmission go though? Just disappeared? :joy:

Just changed my transmission fluid. Was still red and didn’t smell burnt. I’d go with the $1,600 option—cheapest way to get back on the road.

Which part of ‘drive, neutral, reverse’ makes you think this is a manual? :joy: