2006 vs 2007 Toyota Camry

vs

Each year's own entries sit side by side, then what both share. Warnings of different generations are listed apart even under the same name, because what to check can differ.

Watch out for

Reputation: what owners and the press report. Tap one to see what to check. Walk away if found marks a fault serious enough to walk away from the car.

2006

  • Stripped head bolt threads in the 2.4L All years Walk away if found One source so far

    What to check: Look for coolant loss and for coolant at the back of the engine where the head meets the block, and ask about any overheating or a head bolt thread repair.

    On CarComplaints.com's page for the 2002, a complaints site and an unofficial source, 38 owners report stripped head bolts at an average of 136,050 miles, with coolant leaks and overheating; 18 needed a new engine and 10 had thread inserts fitted.

    Owners' reports (unofficial)

2007

  • Burning oil, 2.4L and Hybrid All years

    What to check: Check the oil level, ask how much it uses between changes, and watch for blue smoke. Ask a Toyota dealer whether the ZE7 oil consumption repair was done.

    Toyota's ZE7 program extended cover for excessive oil consumption on certain 2007–2009 Camrys and 2007–2011 Camry Hybrids with the 2AZ engine, about 980,200 Camrys and 177,600 Hybrids, to ten years or 150,000 miles from first use, so it has ended. On CarComplaints.com's page for the 2009, an unofficial source, 227 owners report burning oil at an average of 96,600 miles, at rates from about a quart every 1,000 miles to one every 2,000.

    Toyota, owners' reports (unofficial)

  • Sticky or melting dashboard All years One source so far

    What to check: Look at the top of the dash for a sticky, shiny or melted surface, or cracks, and for glare on the windshield.

    Toyota's ZE6 program extended cover for cracked, sticky or melting dashboards on certain 2007–2011 Camrys and Camry Hybrids, caused by heat or humidity, to ten years from first use whatever the miles, so it has ended for these years.

    Toyota

Rare catches

2006

Nothing that 2007 lacks.

2007

  • Rare 50th Anniversary Edition Package

    3,000 built A published reference

    3,000 built A published reference

  • Rare Blizzard Pearl Color

    The 50th Anniversary Edition Hybrid's only color A published reference

Recalls

2006

  • 05V539000 2006

    The tire and loading placard gives the wrong spare tire size. NHTSA

2007

  • 06V096000 2007

    Some side, curtain and knee airbag inflators may not inflate the airbag fully in a crash. NHTSA

  • 07E082000 2007–2008

    An unsecured mat, or one laid over another, can slide forward and interfere with the accelerator pedal. NHTSA

  • 09V388000 2007–2010

    An unsecured or wrong driver's floor mat can trap the accelerator pedal wide open. NHTSA

  • 10V017000 2007–2010

    The accelerator pedal can become slow to return, or stick, when its friction lever wears smooth and condensation forms. NHTSA

  • 12V491000 2007–2009

    The power window master switch may be poorly lubricated and can fail or overheat. NHTSA

  • 15V689000 2007–2009

    The power window master switch may have been unevenly greased. NHTSA

What changed between

After 2006, up to and including 2007.

  1. 20076th gen begins.
  2. 2007New model, in CE, LE, SE and XLE trim, with a 158 hp 2.4L and a 5-speed manual or automatic, a 268 hp 3.5L V6 with a 6-speed automatic, and the first Camry Hybrid. Edmunds, a published reference

What it came with

2006

Engines
3.0L V6 Edmunds, a published reference, 3.3L V6 (2004–2006) Edmunds, a published reference
Trims
Standard (2005–2006) Edmunds
Packages
Power-adjustable pedals (2003–2006) Edmunds, Navigation (2006) Edmunds

2007

Engines
3.5L V6 Toyota, Edmunds, a published reference, 2.4L four-cylinder hybrid A published reference
Motors
Electric drive motor A published reference
Batteries
Nickel-metal hydride A published reference
Transmissions
6-speed automatic Edmunds, a published reference, Electronic continuously variable (e-CVT) A published reference
Trims
CE (2007) Edmunds, a published reference, Hybrid A published reference
Packages
50th Anniversary Edition (2007) A published reference

Both years

Engines
2.4L four-cylinder (2007–2009) Toyota, Edmunds, a published reference
Transmissions
5-speed manual (2007–2009) A published reference, 5-speed automatic (2007–2009) A published reference
Drivetrains
Front-wheel drive A published reference
Trims
LE Edmunds, SE Edmunds, a published reference, XLE Edmunds

Colors

2006

  • Super White 040 Edmunds, an owners' registry (unofficial)
  • Lunar Mist Metallic 1C8 Edmunds, an owners' registry (unofficial)
  • Phantom Gray Pearl 1E3 Edmunds, an owners' registry (unofficial)
  • Black 202 Edmunds, an owners' registry (unofficial)
  • Desert Sand Mica 4Q2 Edmunds, an owners' registry (unofficial)
  • Salsa Red Pearl 3Q3 Edmunds, an owners' registry (unofficial)
  • Mineral Green Opal 6R6, 2005–2006 Edmunds, an owners' registry (unofficial)
  • Aspen Green Pearl 6S7 Edmunds, an owners' registry (unofficial)
  • Sky Blue Pearl 8S4, 2005–2006 Edmunds, an owners' registry (unofficial)
  • Indigo Ink Pearl 8P4, 2005–2006 Edmunds, an owners' registry (unofficial)

2007

  • Blizzard Pearl 2007 A published reference Rare

What owners and buyers say

Reputation: what owners and the press report

2006

Nothing that 2007 lacks.

2007

  • Watch for: The 6th gen as a whole All years Less sought after One source so far

    SlashGear ranks it the worst Camry generation: its model years hold the six top spots for Camry recalls, the floor mat recall covered it, and the 2007 drew over 3,600 complaints to NHTSA. SlashGear

  • Watch for: 2007–2009 four-cylinders Less sought after One source so far

    CarComplaints.com, a complaints site and an unofficial source, rates the 2008 the worst Camry year and the 2007 the one with the most complaints, 1,024, and ranks oil burning on the 2008, 2007 and 2009 as the Camry's worst problems. Owners' reports (unofficial)

  • Watch for: The early V6 2007 Less sought after One source so far

    Consumer Reports rated the V6 below average in 2007 for transmission trouble and dropped it from its recommended list, a published reference reports, later raising it to average. A published reference