If you’ve had just about enough of high used car prices along with the high price of gasoline, think cheap. Well, not just cheap but think good and cheap. For cars, that could be the Toyota Camry from 2005. Always a reliable and affordable choice new or used, we were surprised at just how inexpensive 2005 Camrys are, and how many are still available.  

How much are good used 2005 Toyota Camry sedans?

With an MSRP of $21,125, good, clean used ones without a ton of miles can be bought for around $5,000. Sometimes even less. But you’ll want to pay attention to the mileage, and also service records, if available, to see how each one has fared over the last 18 or so years. 

Reliability ratings for 2005 are very good. You’ll want to avoid 2007 to 2009 Camrys. Fuel economy is a combined 25 MPG, which matches many non-hybrid gas-powered cars made today. Government crash tests overall rated four out of five, which is great considering that it lacks many of the safety options available in today’s cars. 

As to safety, in both IIHS and NHTSA tests, the Camry scored well. It received an IIHS Best Pick and a five-star rating from the NHTSA for the front driver and passenger safety. 

Many Camrys have seen over 300,000 miles when maintained, which reinforces their reputation for being good transportation. Yes, they’re more like an appliance than something that stirs emotions. But what do you want, a BMW M model sedan or basic, reliable, cheap transportation?

How reliable is a 2005 Toyota Camry?

Are 2005 Camry sedans trouble-free? Nothing is a guarantee, especially being a used vehicle, but the list of issues we’ve seen online and in forums is limited. The three problems that pop up the most often are unintended acceleration, clunking noises when turning, and certain issues related to the transmission. 

Reports of unintended acceleration usually surface around 40,000 miles. Some of these revolve around floor mats getting in the way of the accelerator pedal. The highly-publicized problem resulted in better-attached floor mats throughout the industry.

What kinds of problems did 2005 Camrys have?

There were some onboard computer glitches that also can cause issues. However, there’s a good chance that you’ll see Camrys with higher mileage. So if these problems did occur, they were fixed years ago, as you would expect.

Hesitation upon acceleration is also mostly a transmission software issue. It usually becomes noticed around 85,000 miles according to RepairPal. And the clunking noises were from issues with the steering shafts. Both should have been corrected by now. 

Most 2005 Toyota Camry sedans were built with the Convenience Package of options. These included a moon roof, a premium JBL audio system, and a sunshade for the rear window. Higher-end Camrys also got the Ground Effects Package that included not only ground effects but also stainless exhaust tips and a matching rear lip spoiler.