I never realized that a person had a choice of where they would be hit in a traffic accident.
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If you want to spread out the cost over a few months, that would be ok too. Oil change now, trans next month, coolant the next, etc. The old trans fluid being in there another month or two isnāt going to be a big issue.
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Not in our world but the SNOWMANS world is different than ours.
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Just like some canāt control what words come out of their mouth.
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Yep that is the SNOWMANās way of talking. 
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I would most certainly change all the fluids
Brake fluid
Coolant
Automatic transmission fluid and filter
Engine oil and filter
I donāt mean this to sound insulting, but many mechanics donāt particularly enjoy wrenching on their own vehicles on the weekend, as they do enough wrenching during the week to last a lifetime
Hence, their own cars arenāt always as impeccably maintained as you might believe
And . . .
Unless you can 100% prove that the timing belt was changed yesterday, you should absolutely assume itās drastically overdue for replacement
All 1997 Camrys use a timing belt, regardless of if itās a 4-cylinder or V6
If itās the more common V-6, I absolutely recommend that you also replace all the oil pump seals, as well, especially THIS one. When this one lets go . . . and itās just a matter of when, not if . . . it will leak like Niagara falls and youāll regret it
Change every single thing under the timing case cover
Ignore this advice at your peril
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In addition to the advice to change all fluids, probably starting with the oil and coolant, check or just replace all things rubber and plastic that are under pressure or vacuum - fuel lines, coolant hoses (and plastic heater valves and pressurized reservoirs, if any), have flexible brake lines checked, tires if the date codes are old or otherwise show age. Rubber that is still flexible might be okay, but these items all fail eventually and if not previously replaced are overdue. Iāve had 20+ yr old pressurized fuel lines develop suddenly spray all over the engine from almost imperceptible cracks (donāt raise the hood if this happens, just wait it out and get towed).
As another mentioned, radiators with plastic tanks leak some point, either at the hose bibs, elsewhere on the plastic, or the seals between tanks and core - anywhere from 6 - 25yrs in my experience. Also, remind your mechanic not to twist off stubborn radiator hoses which stresses old plastic - cut hoses off near the radiator bib, score the remaining hose lengthwise (carefully) and peel off.
Have the brake checked, both for wear and have the caliper sliders (which get stiff) and other wear points cleaned and re-greased, to avoid uneven pad wear, etc.
Check half-shaft boots. Cracked ones wonāt cause immediate failure, but allow in water and grit.
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I just went in to update the fluids, and I asked them to also do a full inspection, and the below is everything they recommended. Note that they recommend changing the rack and pinion for the power steering because they said it had fluid making it wet but I have not noticed fluid pooling under the car and the previous owner said the same. I was planning on just topping it off and seeing how back the leak is over time, but I noticed that the manual calls for dexron 2 or 3, but they only make dexron VI now, so idk if it is safe to just use that to top off the power steering.
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They also recommended replacing the spark plugs, the valve cover gasket and the pcv valve which I believe I can do all of that myself if needed. Finally, they said they would change the ball joints and struts due to the age but it rides smooth.
The only issues I have noticed with the car is that the gas pedal shakes slightly when driving which could possibly be an exhaust leak. And when the car is in park, it does not shake at all but when it is in drive but I am holding down the brake the car shakes/vibrates slightly
Should not be a exhaust leak making the gas pedal shake . More likely the tires need balanced . Who did this inspection ?
A local mechanic did the inspection.
That was my first hit on google when I searched the problem was an exhaust leak but i did not test it to confirm
Make sure itās not just one of the hoses leaking
And even if it IS the rack, thereās a big difference between seeping and leaking
On one of my cars the rack has been seeping for years. Not one single drop has ever made it onto the driveway. Itās so miniscule that I need to top off perhaps once a year.
Thatās correct
I recommend using something like this to top off
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Ok, so I should not have a problem adding IV to a reservoir with III in it?
I think what db posted a pic of is dex 3 (or mercon). Iād use that. Itās probably cheaper than dex 6. I donāt think dex 6 would cause problems, but no need to find out since itās probably the more expensive (and not technically recommended) option.
Dexron 5 or 6 are acceptable replacements for 3 or 4.
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I dont even see that being sold near me.
rockauto has a wide selection of [edit] power steering fluids for your Camry.
Like I said earlier, you can spread some of the repairs over a few months to lessen the immediate cost, if you need to. I might get a second opinion on the ball joints and struts, or YouTube how to check ball joints. I donāt think ball joints necessarily wear with age, but with mileage. Iād rather have Toyota parts with 110k miles than some of the cheap aftermarket ball joints and quick struts new. You might YouTube how to check for play in ball joints, or get a second opinion there. If you arenāt adding fluid often, I agree with taking a wait and see approach on the power steering rack.
Iād focus on fluid changes, filters, plugs, pcv, valve cover gasket, and definitely the timing belt.
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ā rockauto has a wide selection of ATF for your Camry.ā
Heās using it as power steering fluid, remember. Not ATF. No need for dex 6 (synthetic), in my opinion.
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