zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
I Have a Complaint About the Toyota Camry and It's Super Petty
I Have a Complaint About the Toyota Camry and It's Super Petty-November 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:13:01

All images by the author

Turn your nose up at it all you want, but the 2019 is solidly a . Especially when you order it with the . It’s the king of the sedans for being reliable and spacious. I only have one complaint about it. And it’s petty as hell.

( Toyota loaned us a 2019 Camry for a week and threw in a full tank of gas.)

It’s the trunk. Or, more specifically, the trunk latch release button. Nearly all cars have them. You feel around for it on the trunk lid, typically above the license plate until you find it, push it and release the latch that pops the lid open. If it isn’t there, you simply hit a button on the key. Textbook stuff.

Several times, I ran my fingers along the underside of the trunk lid, searching for the button. I could not find one. The only thing my fingers brushed against was the backup camera. So I figured that the Camry didn’t have a button and just used the key instead.

However!

The Camry has such a button, but it is nowhere near where it should be, which is smack in the middle. Think about where you’d reach to find the release button. The middle of the trunk lid, right? Right. Glad we agree.

The Camry’s button, bizarrely, is placed way the hell over on the right side of the trunk lid. I only found it when I opened the trunk and happened to see it.

Image for article titled I Have a Complaint About the Toyota Camry and It's Super Petty

Sure, at this angle it’s easy to spot. But who is going to be feeling that far along for a button when there is a perfectly good one on the key in your other hand? Your fingers would graze the license plate lights without success and you’d stop there to use the key instead.

Presumably, Toyota moved the button to the side because the middle space is now being occupied by the backup camera. But was there not a way to engineer them both for center placement? I have no idea.

File this Camry button placement under the Don’t Mess With What Works list. Previous entries include keeping the gear selector lever as an actual lever instead of a stupid dial and giving me a pull-handle for the glove box instead of a touchscreen button.

To be clear, this in no way affects how the Camry drives, handles or is otherwise enjoyed. It is merely the most minor of annoyances.

Thank you for indulging in my pettiness with me today.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
Watch Thieves Steal A Catalytic Converter In Less Than 30 Seconds
Watch Thieves Steal A Catalytic Converter In Less Than 30 Seconds
Pierce County Sheriff’s in the state of Washington are asking for its Twitter followers to take a good look at these thieves who hit a family’s Ford F-250, taking the emissions control device in less than 30 seconds. The video would be pretty incredible if the crime wasn’t such...
Nov 4, 2025
Lexus and Toyota Want You To Know That You Don't Need Apple Or Google Anymore
Lexus and Toyota Want You To Know That You Don't Need Apple Or Google Anymore
There’s a new around the corner that’s sporting a mild redesign, but the big news revolves around the all-new infotainment system inside. This new system is called , for better or worse, and it’s a shot across the bow in the battle for your in-car infotainment needs. Lexus’ parent...
Nov 4, 2025
You Car's Privacy Data May Not Actually Be All That Private
You Car's Privacy Data May Not Actually Be All That Private
My husband has a rule: he doesn’t download any app that requires his location data or a direct link between that app and any other social media account or email address. He doesn’t give permissions. He still doesn’t allow Twitter direct access to his phone’s camera app. And his...
Nov 4, 2025
Detroit-Area Jalopnik Readers: Let's Cruise Woodward Today
Detroit-Area Jalopnik Readers: Let's Cruise Woodward Today
If you live in the Detroit area, and want to meet fellow car enthusiasts, come out to Walmart tonight at 7 p.m. and get ready to burn some gasoline. Or if your car is an EV, show the rest of us how to burn some rubber with all that...
Nov 4, 2025
This Is Why We Don't Have Solar-Powered Cars
This Is Why We Don't Have Solar-Powered Cars
Using the sun’s energy to power green vehicles seems like a no-brainer. There’s a lot of sunlight in this world—why not harness it in order to reduce our dependence on both fossil fuels and the electrical grid? Well, the main problem is, it’s not as easy as you think....
Nov 4, 2025
The New Lexus NX Doesn't Look That New, Until You Climb Aboard
The New Lexus NX Doesn't Look That New, Until You Climb Aboard
Lexus has officially unveiled the newest car in its lineup and yes, it’s a crossover. The 2022 sports a familiar face, which bears a big resemblance to the . This tracks, because the outgoing model sold in droves. The similarities between this and the old model are checked at...
Nov 4, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved