The 1997 to 2002 XV20 Toyota Camry was available as a sedan or wagon, packing either a 4 or 6-cylinder engine with a manual or automatic transmission and although all Camry’s in Australia powered the front wheels only, select markets did receive all-wheel drive variants.

Speaking of variants, depending on the year model and if it is a sedan or wagon, before the mid-life update you’ll generally have three specs to choose from however, there was a whole different Camry that wasn’t technically a Camry, but it was and that was called the Vienta.

The Vienta existed from 1997 to 2000 and was simply the fancy schmancy V6. It too was available as a sedan or wagon in two trim specs.

After the mid-life update in September 2000, the Vienta was discontinued and the Camry range increased to five variants like most updates, it included a subtle facelift, some mechanical changes and the levels of equipment increased.

What goes wrong with a used Toyota Camry/Vienta (XV20)?

Exterior:

Commonly found on examples that have been left out in the harsh Australian sun, never ever garaged, parked regularly near salt water or that have never ever been cleaned or cared for, the paint and clear coat can fade and degrade heavily.

The good news, with even the bare minimum of care, like washing it once every 2 years, the paint can handle harsh conditions very well.

There are reports that the tail light harnesses are known to wear out or break overtime due to the wiring routing through the hinges of the boot lid which it rubs against, resulting in the brake lights or reverse lights not working.

In very rare cases, and on automatics, this can prevent the transmission from deselecting park.

Interior:

There are complaints of centre consoles being flimsy and fragile, with latches and hinges breaking which then causes the console lid to come off.

Headlining commonly looses its adhesion with the roof.

The plastic or vinyl steering wheels have a habit of basically biodegrading.

There are some reports of the fan for the air con and heater only working at certain speeds, this is usually due to the blower resistor motor failing and therefore needs replacing.

Should you buy a used Toyota Camry/Vienta (XV20)?

The Camry’s popularity has never been forged through performance, or a sexy image, or a luxury experience, the Camry has sold in the millions because it is a no nonsense, rugged, reliable and dependable car and if you’re on the tightest of budgets, this generation Camry is simply the one to get.

But, remember it’s not all that safe, it is absolutely critical that you have a pre-purchase inspection carried out and make sure you have some money left over to maintain it as well as you can but, even when the very worst examples are still pretty bloody good, what a car.