My ex-wife owned a 2001 Toyota Camry LE with this 4 cylinder engine. It was a beautiful car. NOT super fast but dead reliable and smooth as butter. It was a gorgeous Blue/Green exterior color and it never had a problem in all the years that she owned it. After 10 plus years she traded it in at a dealership for a Honda CRV. Biggest mistake next to our marriage!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

In Calif. there are still a ton of 5S-FE Camrys still on the road so it must have a durable engine and Transmission.

I owned 5S-FE and 3S-GTE engines for 2 decades. They were always super reliable. Sad to see this happen.

Nah, that was just an earlier attempt at cylinder deactivation. 😂 My condolences to the owner though.

"Don't panic." - best ever advice.

My ‘99 Camry (5S-FE) is about to roll over 335K. I’ve replaced the valve cover gasket & distributor plug. I’ve also had the timing belt service completed and tracking down another oil leak which may be be coming from the oil pan. This video is perfect timing, when/if the oil pan is removed, I’ll check the rod bolts torque. I’m keeping this car as long as possible. No rust, cold AC.

“If you find a rod bolt in the oil pan, do not panic”. 😂

I love the 5S-FE, over a million miles between 3 of them Edit: And one of those, I abused the living daylights out of when I was young and routine maintenance wasn't in my vocabulary

We have a family member with a 2001 Camry/5S-FE, 103,000+ miles. Three years ago, I changed the timing belt/water pump and fixed all the problem leak areas, but now I'm a little worried about the rod bolts as I never heard of this issue before. It would be great if you could make a follow-up video where you inspect those bolts before installing the replacement engine. Thanks for the great video.

One morning about 5 year ago at 220,000 miles, I started my '97 5S-FE and heard the rod knocking sound. There was no oil pressure warning light. I switched it off immediately. Checking the oil, it showed full - I keep track of it and have never let it run low. So I gritted my teeth and again cranked it over. Silence. Now at over 270,000 miles it has never done that again and continues to run well. On freeway merges it sometimes sees 5,000 rpm so it has been run hard at times. I am anxious to see the follow on video of Ahmed checking the new engine and the procedure to re-torque the rod caps as well as how to time the balance shaft assembly during installation. Of all the common problems on 4th gen Camrys that have been pointed out on this channel, I've had nearly all of them - door handle breaking, oil leak including from the cam cover plug, banging OE struts, evap canister failing, wiring on the trunk hinge, leaking spark plug tubes, and probably something else I'm forgetting. For some odd reason for my last two major services I neglected to change the plugs - at over 70,000 miles they looked pretty bad, but the engine started & ran fine. After changing them, gas mileage remained the same. But, (knock wood) I've avoided the EGR vacuum valve failure and a catastrophic failure such as this. Except for struts, all the suspension components were installed in Japan. Despite their quirks, these are great cars. I've been looking for a lower mileage example I can drive well in to the future.

These guy is a Toyota-owners best friend!! He knows our vehicles inside-and-out and teaches us SO much about problem areas and things to keep an eye on. I look forward to the video of this engine swap!!!

Great little video, i worked at Toyota Engine Plant for 38.5 years, became Engine operations Manager. Remember this Engine well. Really surprised to see loose conrod bolts as the interlocking on torque control on main line was very good. Could be design related. Oil leaks were a tough one on these. And your comments are all very good. Good advice. Cheers from Australia.

I don’t own a car with this engine and I doubt now I ever will. I also didn’t have 12 min free to watch your video, but I had 2 or 3. And I watched the entire thing. A testimony to your constantly improving channel. P.S. feel free to throw a little love towards 1st gen Tundra/Sequoia owners, if you get bored 😊

My sister had this Camry. I believe a 1997. She had it for aprox 1 decade. It was a great vehicle. That I can remember, no issues at all with it. I like this Camry. Thanks for the video.

I have a million customers with these! Just did a valve job on a 2000 last week. I have never seen one toss a rod or a bolt being in the pan. distributor plug and oil pump O-ring are famous leakers! 37 years for me this year doing this stuff!

1. thank you for all the suggestions. 2. I drive a 19 year old Avalon with 126,000 miles. 3. I had the same problem as everyone else who is not a car person . . not knowing when fluids should REALLY be changed and the owner's manual not going past 100,000 miles. I was the usual commuter and I developed a plan. I pretended I was a hard use driver. I found to my surprise that when I changed the radiator fluid and the transmission fluid early, the car drove better! When I hit retirement, I changed the oil change from every 5,000 miles (I never changed it less frequently) to every 3,000 miles. 4. I am old enough to remember when a car was lubricated underneath . . . and didn't believe the b.s. that there was nothing there to lubricate, so I researched and learned about lubricating seals with AT 205.

I have seen a few of those engines blown up. I always found there was little oil left in them and that's why they blew up. Interesting fact about loose rod bolts.

Wild. Well my ‘99 is over 260k and no issues. Well not the rods, it certainly likes to leak oil. Just bought a 2021 Corolla today, hoping for similar lifespan-but my 99 will still be in my fleet. Will hand down but keep going. People say these are boring. Well call me when yours can vote and buy booze. And still fire up and do what they were designed to do.

Holy shit, that endoscope is neat!

I've a 2011 2ARFE Camry LE. Oil changes every 5,000 miles. I also drain/refill the cooling system (Toyota spec.), the power-steering (Mercon V) and soon... at 59,000 miles, the automatic transmission fluid, Dextron VI. 34mpg on regular 87. Zero issues now at 59,000 miles.

Wow, great but disturbing video. I have a '94 Camry with the 5S-FE, 249K miles, purchased new. This is the first I have heard of the rod bolt problem, as well as some of the others. Much appreciated as always!

I'm the proud 2nd owner of a1985 Toyota MR2. I love this car! I know every nut and bolt on it. It's a bit rough after 38 years and 570,000 miles on the odometer. It's been very reliable and gets me to the roller rink. I like the fact that Toyota thought about the maintainability of the car. My first car was a 1975 Toyota Corolla. Drove that car everywhere. It was tough as nails. I greatly admire your efforts with teaching mechanical/safety awareness to the public domain. You are methodical, and seemingly fearless when it comes these projects, especially when tackling the rusty jobs. I remember as a kid, living in the Chicago area, how rusty the cars can be. Thanks for for acknowledging the Lord at the end of your videos.

The oil pump seal pulling a John Denver has killed many an unfortunate 5S-FE/XV20 😢 That, and people not checking the separately serviced differential/ATF sumps on the A541 😢 I didn't know about the rod bolt issue at all 😮

Is it possible you could give us some content with you putting the new engine in and torquing the rods properly? I think a lot of us have one of these old reliables laying around and would love to see it done. I have a 2000 with 166k I use as my backup

Was this a USA manufactured car? I recall 1999 there were both Japan and USA produced cars. I have a Japan produced one and have 305,000 miles. It currently doesn’t drip, leak or burn any oil. I have over time had to fix all of the oil leak issues you mentioned along with the oil pump seals. Also replaced the valve stem seals. Awesome engine. If this is a USA produced issue, then I can skip pulling the pan!

I love the 5S-fe had these Camry’s since 97 have many I passed to family members, and just passed my last one on, its a 2001 that has just over 500,000 miles on it 😁the only thing we replaced is regular timing belts and oil pump seals because they love to leak and the intake pipes from the air box they deteriorate and crack , we do the normal regular maintenance, best car and engine toyota ever made , and Ive owned all different Toyota’s throughout the years!

When a mechanic says an engine has a lot of “little” stuff , that’s a code word for 😂

Man, get us the 600,000 miles Lexus soon.. I feel it's part of me now😂🙌🌹

I had a 99 Camry 4cyl American Edition and drove it over 300K miles until I sold it at 337K miles. Was running just fine, just got tired of it after so many years. Same color too! Had a spark plug tube leak once. Toyota valve cover gaskets work best, they won't leak unless they are very old. Head gasket started to leak antifreeze into cylinder #1, had the head redone and I did the rest. Easy to work on for a DIY. EGR valve can get clogged with carbon out the side tube. Even learned how to do a timing belt change. If it's not rusting, it would be worth keeping.

I have a 1998 Toyota Camry. I've owned it since 2008, and it's still running very strong.

This channel is a goldmine of information! Thank you! I'm a Buick Lesabre guy but seriously thinking of making the switch to Toyota. Which used model and year would you suggest? 29 MINUTES LATER: Never mind I found your "Best and worst used Toyota buyers guide video! Thanks again!!!

I'm looking forward to the videos about this car as he dives into tearing this apart and installing the used engine.

Did a ton of those egr solenoids back in the day.The simple way to know it was faulty was to check for egr operation on a cold engine as the solenoid would be stuck open.

I have a 97 Celica with this engine and recently had to take off the oil pan. Wish I would’ve know about this issue with the engine. The one complaint I’d say I have is the car only smokes on startup for about 5-10 seconds. I do believe the valve stem seals on the exhaust are going.

A number of years ago I had a 97 Camry with the 5S-FE and it made it to only 169K before it spun a bearing and left my kids and I stranded along the highway. Regular service with conventional oil every 3K. Fast forward to today, my son is driving a 97 Camry with the 1MZ FE with over 220K. I'm pretty sure the rust is what will kill it. That motor is such a champ. Plenty of power and doesn't use or leak a drop of oil. Much nicer to drive than the 2.2 in my opinion.

My 98 RAV4 had that distributor plug in the block. Unfortunately Toyota dealerships were completely unaware of that plug. I did research and ordered the OEM part and installed it myself. Life is good now😀 Thanks for sharing God bless 🙏

AMD, thanks for going over some of the older engines.

This was the body style Camry that I did not purchase, had the least leg room of all the generations and I could not fit comfortably in the front seat. The previous body style 92-96 was the best!

Thanks for all the great videos!

You can definitely see the sign of the Times. Five years ago if an engine went out or something major went out in the car that was usually end of the vehicles life. Most people would’ve sent it to the salvage yard. Nowadays, with used car prices being so high it’s actually cheaper to replace the motor in the one you have if the rest of the vehicles in good shape.

your videos are always well informative. you are very knowledgeable. thank you for sharing your knowledge with us

Just bought my son a 96 camry with 230k miles. Been chasing oil leaks since we got it! Great video. I really appreciate the details on the engine!

Another terrific video ... Thank You ... please keep them coming our way !

Wow I have this exact model, even the same colour, glad I have the V6 though!

What an interesting video! Thank you for posting it.

Thanks for another great Video!!!!

Redoing the new used engine would make a great video for those that don't know alot about them

Can’t wait for you to review the new Land Cruiser and more importantly your opinion on the powertrain.

Man this is SO HELPFUL. I had a Camry with this engine and sold it long ago but I laughed( not at the situation but your exact thinking about what owners r thinking- aka YIKES) Just incredible troubleshooting and diagnostic work you do!❤❤❤

owned a 92 celica with that engine - the engine was the best

Hey The Car Care Nut, could we get a video on the engine replacement on this car? would really be interesting as I own a 5sfe and many others here who would also love a video like that!!

I have a 98 Camry with 365,912 miles 5sfe still going strong these motors are very reliable

I have the Australian built version of that car. Only 164,391 km. Doesn't use oil between 10,000 km services, doesn't leak any. Head gasket replaced in mid-2021; it looks like it might have been faulty when new. No problems with loose torque settings at the factory. The cabin air filter disintegrated after about 10 years and the bits blew out at me. I can't find where it was, to replace it. Fixit guys on KZfaq all claim that the USA model didn't have that filter, so no help there.

This happened exactly to my 98 at 123K miles. There was a ticking noise for a few months; went to get it looked at and was told "the valvetrain is out of adjustment but we need a special tool for it" and it wasn't a big issue. Fast forward a few months later and the engine blows up on the highway. Found a crack in the block with oil leaking out and that was that.

I have a 97 Camry with 198243 miles 2.2 liter so far running like a champ.

Having a '01 XV20 5S-FE myself, over a decade now. Bought it with 90k (kilometers) on the clock, has done 250k now. Regular maintenance, brakes and tyres. Other than that low cost driving. Oil seals, plug, cover ect replaced whilst changing the cam belt. (thanks to this channel) Would be curious to know if the rod issue is a US build problem? However.... Compared to what I see going wrong on modern European/US cars (I work in the car business), I still prefer my Camry over anything else for sale nowadays. Best wishes from the Netherlands 🇳🇱

A mechanic's perspective is that he never sees the inside of good engines. Only the bad ones, and only when a customer brings it to him specifically. Most people will never know about this problem.

Thanks for the expert advice AMD 😎😎👍👍

Thanks for this great information ! Super, Duper excellent 👍.

Great info!

As owner of a 5S-FE I would love to see that video of you rebuilding that engine ❤

Useful vid. I was given a celica with a 5SFE recently and had the pleasure of fixing all the oil leaks (you’re not kidding, these things are a sieve!). I’ll take the oil pan off to check for peace of mind

As usual great video

Timing belt tension is set by spring on the tension pulley. It's not adjustable. The spring is released , sets the tension then locked up.

Awesome channel so far, Im new. Looking forward to the 2023 camry review. Thanks and keep up the awesome content.

I thought he was gonna say the timing belt, because that happened with our old 99 Camry. Gotta be honest, I never heard of the loose rod bolt issue till today.

We had a '92 Camry with the V-6 (I don't recall the engine series). At around 100K, it threw a rod while it was in for service for another matter. The tech had taken it out for a test drive, and the engine grenaded. The shop ended up replacing the engine with a certified under 50K engine from Japan, cutting us a great deal because the car failed while in their possession. Out of curiosity, they tore down the original engine to see what happened. One of the rod bolts had snapped. It was evident from the staining on the interior of the bolt that it had been cracked for quite some time. Pretty much a random failure. We had that car from then until it had nearly 300K on it, when my wife decided she wanted a new car. I think that was 2010. The car was in great condition, she was just tired of it.

Yep, save that classic Camry!

Excellent advice

Great video!

wow, I had never heard of this. I have a 2000 Camry with 355K & a 2001 with 190K, and now I'm a bit nervous. It would be interesting if there were data on how much the problem of loose rod bolts has been observed. I've dropped the oil pan on one 5FSE in the past, and it was a bit of a pain due to the exhaust. I did replace the cam plugs on both when you mentioned that as possible leakers in a previous video, and indeed, both of mine were leaking.

Did learn something new, many thanks.

This problem shows the value of a good mechanic. If CCN were their mechanic he would have tightened those rod bolts and prevented this.

Great video

Amd, as always, another informative video. I’ve watch your videos on gear oil and driveline services, which are among the best I’ve seen. What’s your thoughts on using GL-5 75w-90 synthetic on the transfer case of a 2020 automatic Tacoma. My dealer says the 75LF is over a $100 a quart and is not needed. They are telling me to just use the BG synthetic

Very Interesting!

The Toyota Tank! I see so may around still in San Diego.

Thank you so much, A. We have had 2 of this vintage and soon to get a third, a 98 Camry 4 cyl wagon from Japan. I wonder if the Japanese made camrys had the problem in 98? I assumed I would be doing the TB/WP/VC gasket dance and you have just given me another job! Thank you.

You are a very good KZfaqr.

Thank you!!

I'm starting to like this guys videos. He explains things very well. This problem seems a real shame with what seems to be for the most part,a damn good car.

Yet ANOTHER reason to go for the Camry gen before this (source: I had one). I prefer the styling of them anyway and typically they are much much cheaper. Engine and car are pretty straight forward to work on and and fix yourself (not to mention cheap as hell)

Had one of these for 21 year's as a family hack and was an easy car to maintain - would have kept it had the rust not removed it from the road. Great cars 🎉

There's a ton of room in the engine bay to work on the engine too. Very nice.

Well, this is great info to have. Would love to replace my 09 with a beautiful old low mile camry like this one. Glad to see it will live on.

Changing oil on 2019 tacoma and drained transmission instead of oil. I didn’t start and having it towed to dealership. Can I put in neutral to get truck on rollback. Not first oil change and man what a confidence killer. Great channel

good job

Thank you.

I really loved my 97 4cyl Camry! When u started, I thought 100,000 miles, timing belt, WRONG! I feel bad for your customer, I hope this used one last him 265,000 miles like my orig one did! Are you doing a video on it? Hope so! I love the Camry w/ the longer tail lites? 2000? But love them ALL! 👍

Great vid. !! Tell us about th 3.0 v6 flaws. Rust kills the old cars.

Really enjoy your informative videos. Based upon your review of the pre-2022 4Runners, I believe that will be our next family adventure vehicle. However, with the new 2024 LC arriving in the US, do you have any videos where you're reviewing the perfomance/reliability of Toyota's I-Force Max Hybrid ? Thanks and keep up the great videos ! Found it - your Nov 2022 video answers my question ! Thanks

I've got one, head gasket went at 437k kms fixed it myself, been about a year, 25k kms now and saw another video by him saying about this problem... if you don't drive it much, you could have this problem, if you drive it heaps, you'll be OK... really surprising on toyota side for not torquing up properly...

Wow! Now I won't be able to sleep at night...my 97' Camry LE 2.2 has 275000 trouble free miles. Smoothes best runner I ever had. love that car.Doesn't burn a drop of oil. DUI friendly. I Actually changed my oil pan due to stripping the bolt from so many oil changes and never knew this...Thanks..

I have the same car, same year, same colour, japanese version with manual transmission, it's been super reliable but now I can't stop thinking about that rod bolts...

Learning allot from you about Toyota.

Gotta love dis-connecting rods...😂

This happened in my 98 Camry, I was at 225K and accelerated on the highway into the fast lane and felt a weird shift. Next thin, engine seized up.

Yet another fascinating and educational video from AMD… Thank you, Ahmed.

I feel so bad for the customer, another lovely car has a catastrophic failure. Sounds like you found another power plant for it. Yay, perhaps an update in the future for it?

That car reminds me of a Harvest Gold toaster from the 1970's.