2002 Toyota Camry leaking head gasket

SPERKA

MEMBER
2002 TOYOTA CAMRY
4 CYL
2WD
MANUAL
15,500 MILES

We were rear-ended and pushed into another vehicle in the front, collapsing the radiator, etc. Repairs to the body were appraised, but the car did not make the drive home. After lengthy time at the shop, a report of "overheating" on a test drive and a new idle control motor, we took it home. !500 mile slater the engine light comes on and it starts rough. Took to our local mechanic and he says the #2 cylinder was losing compression and there is antifreeze in the cylinder. Back to the Toyoto dealer that did the repairs, they say they see nothing but a need for new spark plugs. Insurance compnay is not pleased that I have contacted them again, and they said there was "no way" the car drove for a month with a head gasket problem. This is our good car. We have never had a minutes worth of trouble until this wreck. What do we do now? Towing it everywhere is getting expensive.

1 Reply

MERLIN2021

MECHANIC
17,250 POSTS

If it took a month to overheat becauase somrthing was overlooked, and therfore not repaired, it is possible once it did overheat, it cuased the warped head and thus the leak in the head gasket. They do make a few products that claim to fix this by pouring thier product into the radiator, but the best fix is anew head and gasket, I say this because most heads don't have enough depth to be planed anymore.