Toyota Camry problems

Toyota built the 2GR-FE V6 to be one of the most bulletproof V6s on the road. They put it in the Camry, the Avalon, the Sienna, the Highlander, the RAV4 V6, the Lexus ES350 and RX350 — across roughly 2005 through 2017 you couldn’t swing a dead cat in a parking lot without hitting one. By and large, owners got 250,000 miles of trouble-free service out of these engines.

Except for one specific failure point that ought to make a Toyota engineer hang his head: the VVT-i oil supply line.

What the line does and why it fails

The 2GR-FE has variable valve timing on both intake camshafts — that’s the VVT-i system. To actuate the cam phasers, the engine pumps oil through a small line that runs from an oil gallery on the back of the engine, around the rear of the head, and into the front cam phaser housing. On most engines this would be a steel or aluminum tube. Toyota, for reasons that have never been publicly explained, used a part-plastic, part-rubber hose with a quick-connect fitting at one end.

Heat over time degrades the plastic. The rubber hardens, cracks, and eventually splits. When it splits, oil sprays out of the back of the engine at full oil pressure. We’re talking 60+ psi pumping straight out a 3/8 inch hole. The engine empties its oil pan in a couple miles. If you don’t catch it quick, the bearings starve and the engine’s done.

I’ve seen this hose blow at 80,000 miles on a Camry that did nothing but commute. I’ve seen it last 220,000 on a Sienna that towed a boat every weekend. There’s no clear pattern except heat — the cars in hot climates, and the ones that idled a lot, fail first.

What you’ll see

This one’s almost binary. Either you’re fine, or you’re suddenly in deep trouble.

The warning signs you might catch in time:

• Oil drip on the underbody behind the engine, near the firewall
• Slight oil mist on the back of the engine when you pop the hood
• Oil consumption increase over a couple weeks
• The “oil pressure low” warning at idle, even briefly

The warning sign you usually catch:

• Driving down the highway, suddenly oil pressure drops. Engine starts knocking. You pull over. Oil’s gone.

If you catch it in time, you replace the hose for under $200. If you don’t catch it, you replace the engine.

The fix and what it costs

Toyota issued a TSB (technical service bulletin) and updated the part to an all-metal line for vehicles built after about 2010. If your Camry or Sienna is 2007-2010 with the 2GR-FE V6, you’ve got the original plastic hose unless somebody replaced it.

• Part cost: $35-80 from Toyota for the metal-line update kit. About $7 for the rubber hose only at an aftermarket parts store.
• DIY install: 1-2 hours of work. Mostly accessing the back of the engine, which on a transverse-mounted V6 means pulling the wiper cowl and getting your hand into a tight space. Doable.
• Shop install: $200-300 labor on a Camry, $300-450 on a Sienna or Highlander (more crowded engine bay).
• If the engine already failed: Used 2GR-FE long block from a junkyard runs $1,800-2,800. Reman from a remanufacturer with warranty runs $4,000-6,000 installed. The vehicle’s worth depends on the rest of the car, but a Sienna with 150k that just needs an engine is worth $4,000-5,000 in good cosmetic shape — math usually pencils out for the swap.

Should you buy one?

A 2007-2010 Toyota with the 2GR-FE V6 is a yes if:

• The oil line has been updated (ask the seller, or pop the hood and look — original is plastic, updated is metal/braided)
• Or you accept that you need to do the update first thing after purchase

A 2011+ Toyota with the 2GR-FE — they had the metal line from the factory. Lower risk.

If you already own one of the affected years and the line hasn’t been updated:

• Get it done. Tomorrow. Not next month. The line is a time bomb and the failure mode is engine replacement.
• The DIY part is around $50. The labor at a shop is under $300. Either way, this is the cheapest insurance you’ll ever buy.
• If your car’s a 2007-2009 and you have any doubt about whether it’s been updated, just do it. Worst case you replace a healthy hose. Best case you save your engine.

Why this engine is otherwise excellent

I want to be clear: the 2GR-FE is one of the great V6s. Smooth, powerful enough, easy to maintain, parts are everywhere, the rest of the engine is built like a tank. Owners who got the oil line updated tend to put 300,000 miles on these without further drama.

The plastic oil line was a manufacturing penny-pinch that should never have happened on an otherwise excellent engine. Toyota fixed it in 2011. If your vehicle predates that fix, just get it done. End of problem.