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Motor 1
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
‘It's an Added-In Feature, I Swear:' What Is the ‘Toyota Camry Dent' and Why Is It Everywhere?
An automotive enthusiast claims he believes Toyota has purposely engineered the Camry to make its rear bumper cover prone to denting. Shadetreemotors ( @shadetreemotors ) has dubbed the damage the 'Camry dent.' While some who replied to his video believe the Camry's body mettle has deteriorated over time, others attributed the dent to other factors. The Camry Dent 'Let's get into the Camry dent,' Shadetreemotors says at the top of the video. Then he shows photos depicting a variety of Toyota Camry models with matching dents in their rear bumpers. The cars are different colors, model years, and trim levels. But they all have a basketball-sized dent on the lower left or right edge of the rear bumper. 'Once you've seen this reel, you're gonna see these [expletive] dents in these cars everywhere you go,' he says. 'As long as you have eyes—they are that common.' He claims that the damage isn't just a design flaw or a simple matter of component degradation over time, attributed to the brand's longevity. According to him, the bumpers are intentionally designed this way by the Japanese automaker in the spirit of planned obsolescence. 'Now, leave it to Toyota to engineer a way into their car to make it look ugly after a certain point,' he says. 'So that you can get tired of looking at it and buy another Toyota.' Shadetreemotors continues, 'They figure well, you know, if you've gotten one Camry. And you enjoy the way it runs and drives, but eventually the bumper caves in. You figure well [expletive] I'll buy another Camry.' 'And I think that's an added-in feature, I swear.' At this point in the video, he shows an image of a late '90s champagne-colored Toyota Camry. The vehicle has a dent on the rear driver's side bumper. A text overlay reads, 'Look for them and you'll see them everywhere. The Toyota Camry: a mysterious magnet for dents on the corners of the back bumpers.' The caption states that these are 'statistics based on 153 Camrys with the characteristic popped-in rear bumper corner.' Next, Shadetreemotors displays two pie charts. The first details the color of Camry vehicles featuring the rear bumper dent. The second showcases a variety of different Camry models labeled XV20, XV30, XV40, and XV50. He concludes, 'Typically this was done on the silver and beige cars. They have the dent and the '02-'06 cars were affected the most. But it seems to be all of them.' Other Theories Others have noticed the so-called Camry dent. There's even a Facebook page dedicated to the dent called Camry Corners . One outlet even questioned whether the oft-disfigured part revealed a flaw in Toyota's manufacturing process or if it just spoke to the longevity of Toyotas. Jalopnik argues that the Camry dent isn't caused by a design issue. The author notes that the Honda Accord, Volkswagen Passat, Nissan Maxima, Ford Fusion, and Kia Optima sport similar rear bumper cover designs. The site states, 'They're a quite conventional design, with a rigid steel beam forming the base structure, a middle layer of energy-absorbing dense styrofoam, and an outer polyurethane outer bumper skin. Almost all modern cars use a similar design.' The reason there are so many dented Camry bumpers may simply be a numbers game: The cars are on the road for so many years and miles that eventually many end up with a dented bumper. GoodCarBadCar writes that since its launch in 1982, the Camry has consistently been one of the top-selling vehicles in the world. Coupled with the long-time reputation for reliability of the Camry, this means there are likely still millions on the road today. Further, a dented bumper doesn't impede driving. So a Camry owner may simply choose not to fix it. Fixing the Camry Dent Toyota Ask says it costs anywhere from $160 to $1,100 to replace a Camry bumper. The cost depends on availability and whether or not the part is an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) model. It'll cost more to get the real thing brand new from Toyota. You can opt to save money by getting one secondhand, from a junkyard, or from a third party. For Toyota Camry drivers who just can't live with that unsightly dent but don't want to spend a bunch of money, there's plenty of advice available online. YouTuber Get Fixed instructs you to first remove the grommets affixing the bumper cover to your car. There are several around the rear wheel wells and the back of the Camry. Once the grommets have been removed, Get Fixed instructs you to pop the trunk. Then remove the fasteners securing the trunk panel. This allows you to safely pry off the rear bumper cover. Following this, you should place the cover piece on a towel facing downward. Then, step on the dent to invert it. This helps, but may leave some much smaller dents behind, as Get Fixed demonstrates. For these, Get Fixed recommends using a heat gun to make the bumper more malleable. This allows you to smooth away any errant dents by hand. Just keep it about a foot away from the bumper so as not to melt it, the creator notes. How to Remove a Dent from A cars Bumper Commenters React Shadetreemotors' video inspired people to share theories and observations about the Camry dent. One speculated that the ubiquitous dent is due to Camry's popularity with old people. Another blamed its reliability, writing, 'The Camry isn't getting replaced as long as it's still starting and rolling, even if only on three wheels.' Yet another made the logical argument that it's just a matter of driver error. 'Lol Camrys don't just get a dent naturally,' they wrote. 'It's 100% of the time due to an impact.' At least some people believe the Camry dent is merely a myth. 'They learned from the first gen Camry, that car was made of stone,' said one. Motor1 has reached out to Shadetreemotors via Instagram direct message for further comment. We'll be sure to update this if he responds. More From Motor1 'This Is Why I Have an 04 Camry:' Man Takes Ford F-250 to San Antonio. Then He Sees What Happened to It in the Hotel Parking Lot 'That Honda Fit Sounds Like the One:' Used Car Salesman Picks His Top 6 Vehicles Under $4,000. But How Reliable Are They? 'Anybody Got The Same Issue?:' Man Buys 2025 Toyota Camry. Then He Takes a Closer Look at the Seats 2026 Toyota Camry Nightshade: Better Looks, Same Great Car Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
These Cars Cost Too Much, According To Our Readers
If you'd never met a car enthusiast before, you might assume their favorite activity would be driving cars, presumably at a race track or up in the mountains where they can really enjoy said cars. The moment you meet one, though, you learn our favorite activity is actually complaining. We'll complain about anything and everything, and it usually doesn't take too long for the conversation to shift to complaining about how expensive cars have gotten. You could definitely make the argument that they're all too expensive, but there are plenty of cars out there, especially used, that still provide a driving experience that's worth every penny. Instead of talking about those cars, though, we asked you on Tuesday what cars you truly believe cost too much, and boy, did y'all have some opinions. Some of the subreddits and a few PR people may not like those opinions, but hey, your answers were your answers. And we certainly aren't going to stand in the way of you voicing your hottest takes. So let's take a look at some of the cars you said are definitely overpriced. Read more: These Are The Cars You'd Buy If They Were $20,000 Cheaper Entry level luxury. You can often find a top trim from other brands that cost the same and is a better car. At the entry level, you're just buying the badge to show people you own a BMW and a bunch of people will think that's better than the best Mazda you can get. Suggested by: engineerthefuture Ford Maverick. When it was released on 2022 the base model was 19,990 that same truck is now 28,145. A 40% Markup (even in this market) is obscene on a new car with minimal changes. Suggested by: Transplant674 If we're talking used cars I'm going to say vintage muscle cars are still off the charts. These were ordinary cars with big engines that were never meant to give the driver any experience other than raw power, but they're priced like some exotic sports cars. They're not Suggested by: Jimboy Junio Honda S2000. Yes it is a very nice ride, but the hype around them has just driven prices to over $30K for cars with 30K+ miles on them. BaT even has three tracking categories for them since they sell so often on the site. They sold over 66K of them in the US so they are not rare. Suggested by: Speedie One Well, it is always the answer: MIATA Seriously, if you want the RF you're starting at $40k, soft top is $32k. And for all the fun that the Miata is, the rest of it is not a great car. It is loud with highway noise. The "brand new updated entertainment system" is already painfully slow. And all sorts of little things that you shouldn't have to experience in a vehicle that expensive. I really wanted to love my long term rental of one but realized that the compromises just weren't worth it to me. Suggested by: cwheels All day, every day, it's the Porsche 993 911 Turbo. Don't get my wrong, the driving experience in these cars is sublime, but not $200k+ for a nice example sublime. They are pretty cars and people love them, but the cult status around them has caused them to sky rocket in price and take them out of reach for most people outside of collectors. I know people who bought theirs 15 years ago and paid $50k for them, now they can quadruple their money yet it's the same car it was then as it is now. Not worth the price of admission anymore unfortunately. Suggested by: Mike BINGO on the mark 4 Supra. Having driven the non-turbo version and having owned 3 Lexus SC300s I would say both are great cars but the Supra is not worth 5-8 times the price because it is not 5-8 times the car. NSX is also a great pick. The early ones were selling for around $40K in 2003-2005. Timing is everything. Suggested by: Tex The Chevrolet Express. It's obviously not meant to be a performance vehicle but still $40,000+ for a design that is virtually unchanged since 1996. Suggested by: Giantsgiants The McLaren F1 cost WAAAAY too much. Sure, it's rare. Yeah, it was the pinnacle of technology when it came out and it's STILL an amazing car. And yes, it's highly desirable. But I need it to come down to abooooouuuut... fifteen grand. Then I think I could talk the wife into putting one in the garage. Suggested by: Stillnotatony New - 1/2 Ton Pickup Trucks: What used to be a working man's swiss army knife of vehicles, has turned into a working man's mortgage payment, bloated with electronics, fake leather, and temperamental transmissions. Used - Any Toyota I find it strange people are so obsessed with reliability, that they pay absurd prices for bland, annoyomous vehicles, and completely negate the cost savings of that predicted reliability. Suggested by: bricktop252 Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Motor 1
19-06-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
‘That's Obviously a Villain Car:' Man Spots Honda Fit in Parking Lot. Then He Notices the Back
A customized Honda Fit is leaving people speechless. The vehicle was recorded by Skylar (@theoneskylar) and posted on TikTok. As of this writing, it's accrued over 12.7 million views. Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . 'A Honda Fit bro,' the text overlay in the clip reads. Skylar circles the vehicle to give people the full view. It appears the car has been fashioned to resemble a 1940s Ford Deluxe with swooping back indents rendering it akin to something the Penguin might drive in Batman: The Animated Series . It appears that the owner tacked a body kit onto the vehicle to give it this look. Hapdash Honda Fit Trending Now Man Says He Bought a Nissan Frontier Because of These Standard Features. Should You Consider the Same? 'I Bet You Didn't Know This:' Woman Discovers This Little-Known Perk to Driving A Subaru. Then Her Order Comes in the Mail The kit on the Honda Fit seems to have considerable flaws, however. For instance, there's a large indentation on the section of the Fit where the add-on joins the roof. There are also smaller depressions pockmarked throughout the entirety of the kit. The augmented car has limited rear visibility because the panels completely cover the passenger windows. The Fit's smaller rear windows have been left unobstructed, however. But there are glaring inconsistencies where the panels meet the windows. There's nary a straight line on the Fit. Further, the black paint job seems to have been self-applied. It doesn't match the rest of the vehicle. 'What the [expletive]? That's a [expletive] Honda Fit, bro,' Skylar says as he videos the car. A caption on his post reads: 'Someone find the owner of this car. Craziest welding job and fiberglass molding.' To Kit or Not? Car body kits come with pros and cons. Some, like this crafted carbon fiber kit for the Lamborghini Revuelto, can improve performance. As Motor1 reported, it reduces a car's drag coefficient and overall weight. It can give the vehicle more acceleration and enable it to reach top speeds more quickly. It may even improve gas mileage figures. However, as Torque points out, they can also have downsides. Installing kits that make vehicles less aerodynamic can have the exact opposite effect. Furthermore, if not engineered, manufactured, and installed by a professional, they can result in a final product akin to the Honda Fit shown in Skylar's TikTok. Unfortunate Vehicle Modifications There's no shortage of automotive enthusiasts who enjoy collectively wincing at unfortunate vehicular modifications. For example, Redditors both loved and hated a BMW Mini Cooper whose owner transformed it into an open-engine bay drag roadster. Another Honda owner caught flak for attaching a body kit to their vehicle. The car features a number of curved metallic slabs buckled into the Civic VX's body. Ultimately, this results in a 'ratchback' aesthetic, severely inhibiting rear windshield visibility. Some modifications aren't as dramatic, however. People are generally in favor of the car with a fake gauge cluster on the dash. Many said it reminds them of Top Gun . 'Goooooooose!!" wrote one, referring to a character from the first film. 'Blindspot of Doom' Folks who replied to Skylar's video seemed equally troubled by the existence of such a vehicle. 'Imagine describing this car to a 911 operator,' one user pointed out. Another highlighted how the modifications affected the vehicle's functionality. 'Blindspot of doom and despair,' they remarked. Someone else said that the car is akin to something a broke Batman would drive. 'Bruce Wayne hit a bit of a financial rough patch,' they joked. One commenter attributed the vehicle's design to another fictional character. 'This Despicable Me car.' Whereas one TikTok user didn't believe the car was a modification at all. Initially, they thought Skylar had uploaded footage of a Honda Fit that had been in a bad accident. 'I thought it was crashed at first.' One person thought the car has a particularly villainous vibe, writing simply: 'Evil Honda Fit.' Motor1 has reached out to Skylar via TikTok comment for further information. We'll be sure to update this if he responds. More From Motor1 Honda's 2.6 Million-Vehicle Fuel Pump Recall Is The Year's Largest The Golf GTI Edition 50 Is The Fastest VW Ever at The Nurburgring 'I Was Like Bait:' Woman Drives a 'Fishbowl' Car. Then She Reveals Why You Shouldn't 'Don't Get Fooled, Ladies:' Man Says GMC Quoted Wife $900 to Put $6 Amazon Part Back on Car. He Does It in 1 Second Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Motor 1
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
‘I Bet You Didn't Know This:' Woman Discovers This Little-Known Perk to Driving A Subaru. Then Her Order Comes in the Mail
A long-time Subaru driver is delighted to receive a package in the mail with the badges for the newest member of her automotive family. TikTok user Addie Beckman (@ posted a video to show off the badges she just got in the mail for her new Subaru Outback. She explains, 'I've only ever driven Subarus, and I just got my third one. And they're the best cars for a lot of reasons, but one of the reasons is you get these little badges, and they're completely free.' How Do You Get the Badges? Beckman is talking about the Subaru Badge of Ownership program . As she says in the video, you go to the website, input your information, and choose from a list of icons that represent the lifestyle facilitated by your Subaru. 'This is my third Subaru; I got a little third badge,' Beckman says. 'And then I got a bunch of cute badges, and I'm going to put them on my car right now. So I'm going to show you. It also comes in this cute little bag, which I love. They are just so fun, and I love that they do this for free.' How Do You Put Them On? There's an adhesive on the back of every badge so that you can easily stick them to your vehicle or another metal surface of your choosing. The video cuts to Beckman in her garage, kneeling by the back of her new Outback. She reveals that the badges come with a little cut-out stencil that helps ensure the badges go on straight. 'The first badge is the third one,' she says. 'I got this little Pride one, one that says 'I love parks,' a mountain biking one, this is like their outdoor sports one, and then a little camping one. I'll show you guys them all at the end.' As she concludes the video, Beckman says, 'So, if you have a Subaru, you need to do this. It's just 'Subaru Badge of Ownership.' Just Google that, and it lets you choose your badges. You just put in the VIN. And it's completely free, which I think is so cute. And Subarus are just the best cars ever. And this is my third one, and I will never stop getting Subarus. I love them so much.' Viewers Love Subaru Badges, Too In the comments section, viewers chimed in with their own opinions of the program. Of course, Subaru of America's official TikTok account was among them. 'Loving this badge combo,' the brand wrote. 'It's like a charm bracelet for your car,' wrote one user. 'It's kind of pathetic that the thought of free badges for my car makes me want to get a Subaru,' wrote a second. 'That's such a cute cult,' joked a third person. Motor1 reached out to Beckman via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We'll be sure to update this article if we hear back. Now Trending 'I'll Swap These Out:' Veteran Mechanic Performs Routine Job. Then He Issues a Controversial Warning About This Duralast Product 'Don't Get Fooled, Ladies:' Man Says GMC Quoted Wife $900 to Put $6 Amazon Part Back on Car. He Does It in 1 Second Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
The Sun
15-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
My ultra-rare super saloon is notorious for string of infamous robberies that were never solved – it's a 176mph monster
A PETROLHEAD has revealed the secret history of his extremely rare modern classic motor - claiming the model is infamous in some parts of the country. Car enthusiast Paul Rees is a lifelong fan of the iconic Vauxhall Carlton - a nameplate that spanned decades from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. 5 5 5 5 5 But when he bought an ultra-rare Vauxhall Lotus Carlton, a super saloon with a top speed of 176 mph, he was unaware of its notorious past. Speaking in the brilliant Influx short film 'Cars that made the 90s - Vauxhall Lotus Carlton', which has nearly 850k views on YouTube, Reese said: 'I've been into Carltons all my life, since I was a kid. 'My dad had one, an estate car, and I just loved the feel of the car and what the car was. 'It's supercar performance in a saloon car.' Delving deep into the car's backstory, Rees was able to uncover a range of interesting facts about how it was made, its design and why it's considered so controversial. 'So it's got a new drive chain, it's got a new differential gearbox, the block was recast, so it was strengthened because the GSi blocks they were testing kept blowing up, kept splitting because of the power,' he said. 'They stroked the engine to 3.6 - put mold pistons into it, slipper mold pistons, which brought the compression down. 'The cam shafts are the same, the in-depth valves are the same and the lifters, all the hydraulic valves, all the same as a 24 valve GSi. 'And then they put the two turbos on with a charge cooler from the Lotus Esprit, and that's what you've got in front of you today.' These days, there are only around 105 Carltons left on the road - and Rees has uncovered a malevolent reason why. I bought £13,000 Bentley only to learn it was once owned by legendary TV host of classic 1980s game show He said: 'Because of its top speed and its acceleration, the government and the police decided to get together and try and get the car banned. 'They didn't succeed thankfully, and that's why the car is on the road today.' The car gained particular infamy in 1993, becoming central to a crime that remains unsolved to this day. '40 RA is a Vauxhall Lotus Carlton that was nicked up in the Midlands, West Midlands, by a gang of robbers,' he said. 'The car was actually used in a number of robberies around the West Midlands for several days and was never caught by the police.' This specific Carlton, stolen from Worcestershire, was used by criminals largely due to its wicked speed - which was more than enough to escape the cops. . 'The police only had little Pandas [smaller patrol cars, such as a Rover Metro] which would only top out at 55 to 60 mph. 'And all they saw was this black Lotus Carlton disappearing in the sunset with a boot full of liquor and cigarettes. 'They never ever caught it.' There are even rumours the car was rapid enough to outpace the West Midlands police helicopter. Rees added: 'They were that brazen, they did a burglary literally opposite the police station and still got away. 'It was later found in a canal in Null, where the thieves had dumped it. 'A barge went over it and crushed the roof in, and that's how they found it. 'But the thieves were never ever caught.'
