My2010 camery is so low to the ground that the gravel guard scrapes when I turn into a street,parking lot or a bump in the road.
If you pull over a cement tire stop in a parking lot you can do thousands in damage backing up over it. The whole front of the car is plastic, and it just pulls apart.
Double check your tire pressure. Other than that, I got nuthin…
The Camry maybe lower than other cars, but this is going to be a more and more common problem. To improve aerodynamics and therefore increase mpg car designers are paying more attention to the airflow UNDER the car. You see this on race cars where the plastic almost touches the pavement.
The plastic air deflectors under the front bumper are getting larger, lower, and more shaped. This will make them easier to damage, and more expensive to replace. You can’t assume your new car will clear the cement barriers in parking lots anymore.
Nothing that a lift kit and 22" chrome spinners can’t fix!
Twotone
The whole front of the car is plastic, and it just pulls apart.
Nowadays they are all made of plastic on the front.
As Twotone suggested most cars can take a lift kit to increase clearance. I would recommend being conservative with the amount of lift I got.
Your Camry is no different from any other similar sedan. The front ends of all new cars are plastic and can be damaged by contact with things like cement tire stops.
You’re not actually supposed to pull up so that the tires contact the cement things, you know? They’re just there to keep you from pulling in too far and hitting something else.
I suggest you learn not to pull so far into parking spaces.
This isn’t anything new, nor is it something exclusive to Toyotas. As others have pointed out most, if not all cars today have plastic front ends. Also the Toyota Camary is s family sedan, not a truck, so it’s not surprising driving over a cement tire stop will damage it. If you catch yourself frequently doing that, you may want to look into getting a Highlander or 4 Runner.
This Is Too Late To Help You, But That’s One Thing On My List Of Many Things To Check Or Try Out Before Purchasing A Car, New Or Used. I Always Insist On An “Extended Test Drive”.
I hope others shopping for a car and haven’t considered this design shortcoming can use your complaint to avoid a similar fate.
My nearest town has ramped aproaches to many business and a car that low would be very frustrating. I am sure to “test drive” these approaches with any vehicle consideration. This car would no doubt scrape going up or down one of these inclines.
On second thought, You might be able to remove or have someone remove the offending “air dam” before it forcefully removes itself.
How many people were in the car at the times it scraped?
CSA
The Camry maybe lower than other cars, but this is going to be a more and more common problem. To improve aerodynamics and therefore increase mpg car designers are paying more attention to the airflow UNDER the car.
Right on…this is where it’s at and why the SUV, even in 2wd is popular.It’s really something that everyone should consider before they buy. Easy for those of us on dirt roads, but just as important as city dwellers. The repair shops don’t complain. A few older cars dabbled with adjustable air suspension. Can’t tell where it’s headed but lower mileage and car based SUVs are the only solution for many.
Temporarily, really slow down, at least to max your clearance out. Momentum has a way of minimizing the clearance of those independently sprung and poor approach/departure angle sedans.
advanced shock technology. they took advantage of that. thats why your car sits low.
it used to be cars sat high, because the shocks weren’t so great, or, the big blocks got in the way. haha.
It’s also why I’m getting an SUV for me next vehicle. Easier to get in and out of(just slide right in) and higher ground clearance for the snow that doesn’t always get plowed before I go to work(i swear my Civic was leveling off the snow when I was going down an unplowed street the last snow fall we had).
On the Ford focus, if you get past the air dam you damage major components that hang down as low. Radiator, a/c condenser, fans & shroud are very common when high centered on rutted rez roads.
Kneel down and look under the Camry to see what else is low enough for concern.
If any else shares the driving of the Camry make it a point to tell them. If many people share the car write it down and post it on the dash.
( I told my dad of the potential damage for the Focus when he first got his 07. He has never gotten it bumped under there knowing the caution in advance. )
Low and plastic describes many cars; some worse than others.
You should see my son’s 96 Camaro RS with the F1 body kit. To change the oil he lifts up on the inside of the drivers wheel well and I scoot a small extension jack under the control arm. The extension jack is used to raise the car so a low profile floor jack will roll under it.
One jack to use another jack; what a deal.
You should see the dilemnas that have occurred when he goes to get new tires or whatever.
My balled up fist (vertically) won’t fit under the sides of the car to give an indication of just how low this car sits; and it has the stock suspension and wheels.
This is a problem with our 2004 prius that we have had since we bought it. Very annoying.
Let us know when you go bankrupt from all the gas you’re using 
Well, my current car gets about 20~24 mpg(rated 25/32) with the driving I do(short hop and in town driving). The one I’m looking at is rated 17/23, so if I get 15, I’ll be happy. My Civic was bought in oct. 01 with 46k miles on it I now have 96k miles on it. I’ve averaged just over 7k miles per year, though, since I moved closer to work, I’ll probably be somewhere around 3~4k per year.
I get about 150~200 miles to 1/4 tank/fill-up with my 11.9 tank(avg. 8~9 gallons per fill-up). I should get about 200 miles per tank on the SUV with an average of 13 gallons on fill up. It’ll still equal out to about one fill up per 3~4 weeks unless I do more traveling. Even with gas being $5/gallon, I’ll be spending less than $70 per fill up