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1986 Toyota Camry

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1986 Toyota Camry do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 295.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →
32Owner complaints

Model-year median: 295

0Recall campaigns

View recall details →

1Investigations

View investigation details →

Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

1986 Toyota Camry

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 32 owner complaints · 0 recall campaigns · 1 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

  • Seat Belts: 10 reports
  • Tires: 5 reports
  • Engine And Engine Cooling: 4 reports
  • Vehicle Speed Control: 4 reports
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 3 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

    No recall campaigns in this snapshot.

    Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

    Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

    How this year compares

    Owner complaints by model year

    Other model years Selected year
    6
    1983    8
    1984    13
    1985    32
    1986    58
    1987    64
    1988    113
    1989
    Compare all Camry years →

    Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.

    What owners reported most

    Seat Belts
    10    Tires
    5    Engine And Engine Cooling
    4    Vehicle Speed Control
    4    Service Brakes, Hydraulic
    3
    All reported categories
    Structure
    2    Visibility
    2    Equipment
    1    Suspension
    1

    Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

    When problems were reported

    Mileage at the reported incident

    Limited mileage data: 2 of 32 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

    NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

    What to inspect

    Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

    • Seat Belts. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Tires. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
    • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

    NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

    2 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

    Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

    3 reports
    Clear category filter
    Mileage unknown · Oct 10, 1999
    Service Brakes, Hydraulic

    PROBLEM OCCURED GRADUALLY AND ALMOST UNNOTICABLY. WHEN IT BECAME MORE FREQUENT I FELT IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE BRAKE LIGHT WAS THE FIRST SIGN, BUT IT DIDN'T STAY ON BUT FOR A FEW SECONDS. REPAIRS INCURRED AN EXPENSE ON MY PART (ON 26 OCTOBER 1999) OF $765.66 FOR TWO WHEEL CYLINDERS, BRAKE SHOES (1) AND TWO …

    Read full complaint

    PROBLEM OCCURED GRADUALLY AND ALMOST UNNOTICABLY. WHEN IT BECAME MORE FREQUENT I FELT IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE BRAKE LIGHT WAS THE FIRST SIGN, BUT IT DIDN'T STAY ON BUT FOR A FEW SECONDS. REPAIRS INCURRED AN EXPENSE ON MY PART (ON 26 OCTOBER 1999) OF $765.66 FOR TWO WHEEL CYLINDERS, BRAKE SHOES (1) AND TWO LOWER CONTROL ARMS. I COULD NOT PURCHASE JUST THE BEARINGS, WHICH I WAS TOLD WAS THE PROBLEM, THEY WOULD ONLY SELL ME THE ENTIRE UNITS FOR REPLACEMENTS.

    NHTSA ODI #713071

    Mileage unknown · May 10, 1996
    Service Brakes, Hydraulic

    DEFECTIVE BRAKE ROTORS INSTALLED, CAUSING STEERING WHEEL TO WOBBLE AFTER RECALL REPAIR. *SD

    NHTSA ODI #504352

    Mileage unknown · Feb 1, 1996
    Service Brakes, HydraulicFire

    PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED AND THE BRAKES CAUGHT ON FIRE, CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. TT

    NHTSA ODI #978575

    Recall campaigns

    0

    No recalls in this snapshot.

    Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

    Defect investigations

    1

    PE87057 · Igniter Assembly Failure

    Opened Sep 10, 1987 · Closed Mar 30, 1988

    Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System

    SUMMARY: TOYOTA RECOVERED SOME FAILED IGNITION CONTROL MODULES FROM THEFIELD. INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT A SOLDER JOINT IN THE POWER TRANSISTOROF THE MODULE WAS SUBJECT TO FAILURE. BECAUSE THE PART IS AN EMISSIONRELATED COMPONENT A VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS RECALL CAMPAIGN WAS CONDUCTED.THE PREDOMINANT MODE OF FAILURE IS AN INABILITY TO START THE ENGINE,ALTHOUGH A STALLED CONDITION CAN OCCUR WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING.SINCE THE REPORTED OCCURENCE OF ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES IS SMALL, AND THEREPAIR IS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE EMISSIONS RECALL CAMPAIGN, THELIKLEHOOD OF FURTHER ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES IS REMOTE.===

    An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.

    Go deeper into Toyota Camry problems

    Toyota Camry electrical problems →Toyota Camry transmission problems →