THE STEERING SUCKS IVE TRIED EVERYTHING BUT NOTHING IT STILL DRIVES MY SUCKS
1996 Toyota Camry
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1996 Toyota Camry do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 295.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Camry years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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: 98 of 417 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.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 76 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Suspension complaints
28 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY XLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 15 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE REAR, SIMILAR TO A THUMP. THE STEERING THEN BECAME DIFFICULT AND THE CONTACT BEGAN HAVING DIFFICULTIES STEERING THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER ADVISED THAT…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY XLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 15 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE REAR, SIMILAR TO A THUMP. THE STEERING THEN BECAME DIFFICULT AND THE CONTACT BEGAN HAVING DIFFICULTIES STEERING THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE SWAY BAR AND FRONT END SUSPENSION FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE SPRINGS AND STRUTS WERE FRACTURED, AN OIL LEAK WAS DISCOVERED AND THE DEALER RECOMMENDED A FRONT END ALIGNMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,510 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,555.
VEHICLE'S COIL SPRING BROKE AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE. *MR WHEN THE CONSUMER WAS IN THE PARKING LOT, THE COIL SPRING SUDDENLY BROKE AND PUNCTURED THE TIRE RESULTING IN A BLOWOUT. *SC *JB
THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HIS DAUGHTER PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT, THE FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE CAUSING A BLOW OUT ON THE FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. *JB
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONSUMER LOST STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, WHEN THAT OCCURRED, THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SPIN AROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE FRONT CONTROL ARM HAD SNAPPED.*AK *PH *JB
THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SUSPENSION COIL SPRING SNAPPED WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE TO MOVE OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND FRACTURED THE END OF THE SPRING AND SCORED THE TIRE WALL. *NLM *AK THE MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATION OF THE FRACTURED SURFACE SHOWED DARK CRYSTALS EMBEDDED IN THE STEEL. *SCC THE AIR CONDITIONER DID NOT BLOW COLD…
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THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SUSPENSION COIL SPRING SNAPPED WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE TO MOVE OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND FRACTURED THE END OF THE SPRING AND SCORED THE TIRE WALL. *NLM *AK THE MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATION OF THE FRACTURED SURFACE SHOWED DARK CRYSTALS EMBEDDED IN THE STEEL. *SCC THE AIR CONDITIONER DID NOT BLOW COLD AIR, THE DEALER REPLACED THE CONDENSOR AND RECEIVER DRYER *JB
THE FRONT COIL SPRING SNAPPED AND PUNCTURED THE FRONT DRIVER TIRE. *JB
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED STALLING/STARTING PROBLEMS, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE EGR VALVE, THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR AND THE IDLE SPEED CONTROL VALVE, WHICH WERE ALL REPLACED, THE TIRES EXPERIENCED UNEVEN TIRE WEAR, THE BRAKES FAILED, THERE WERE TRANSMISSION, DRIVELINE AND STEERING PROBLEMS, THE O-RING WAS REPLACED, AND ALSO THE V…
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THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED STALLING/STARTING PROBLEMS, WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE EGR VALVE, THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR AND THE IDLE SPEED CONTROL VALVE, WHICH WERE ALL REPLACED, THE TIRES EXPERIENCED UNEVEN TIRE WEAR, THE BRAKES FAILED, THERE WERE TRANSMISSION, DRIVELINE AND STEERING PROBLEMS, THE O-RING WAS REPLACED, AND ALSO THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXHIBIT ENGINE OIL SLUDGE. *AK *JB
UPON STARTING VEHICLE AT IDLE SPEED, THE CONTROL VALVE STICKS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXAMINED BY DEALERSHIP, AND CONSUMER HAS BEEN TOLD THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. *AK BRAKES EXPERIENCE GRINDING, SQUEAKING, AND VIBRATION, ROTORS WERE WARPED AND BRAKE PADS WERE GLAZED, BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, HOWEVER PROBLEM CONTINUES. CONSUMER …
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UPON STARTING VEHICLE AT IDLE SPEED, THE CONTROL VALVE STICKS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXAMINED BY DEALERSHIP, AND CONSUMER HAS BEEN TOLD THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. *AK BRAKES EXPERIENCE GRINDING, SQUEAKING, AND VIBRATION, ROTORS WERE WARPED AND BRAKE PADS WERE GLAZED, BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, HOWEVER PROBLEM CONTINUES. CONSUMER STATES THERE IS A SUSPENSION PROBLEM THAT IS CAUSING UNEVEN TIRE WEAR. VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SEVERAL ENGINE RELATED PROBLEMS, MOTOR MOUNTS WERE WEAK CAUSING STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION, 16 VALVE SEALS CAME APART DUE TO BEING INSTALLED INCORRECTLY, WATER PUMP LEAKED, TIMING BELT FAILED, VALVE COVER LEAKED, AND CAM SEAL WAS REPLACED. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION RELATED PROBLEMS, RIGHT OUTER AXLE BOOT WAS SPLIT AND LEAKING GREASE, CV BOOTS FAILED TWICE, SHIFTER WAS HARD AND WAS MAKING NOISES, DEALER FOUND THE SHIFTER LEVER PLATE WAS BROKEN, TRANSMISSION PAN GASKET WAS REPLACED, THERE WAS A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE REAR WHEN GOING IN REVERSE. THE CAR JACK WAS MISSING FROM THE TRUNK AND THE ANTENNA WAS INOPERABLE. DEALER FOUND AN OPEN CIRCUIT IN THE BATTERY. CONSUMER NOTICED A RATTLING NOISE UNDER THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT, DEALER SECURED SEAT SLIDE ADJUSTER HOOK, TEMPERATURE GAUGE DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. OVERDRIVE LIGHT WAS INOPERABLE. VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL FUEL RELATED PROBLEMS, THE EGR VALVE ASSEMBLY, EGR MODULATOR, IDLER CONTROL VALVE, IDLE AIR SPEED CONTROL, DISTRIBUTOR O-RING, IDLER BEARING, ISC VALVE, AND VACUUM SWITCHING VALVE HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED, BLUE SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST, DEALER CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY, FUEL INJECTION, AND RECALIBRATED THE FUEL SENSOR, VEHICLE WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND STALLING DUE TO FAULTY EGR VACUUM MODULATOR, DEALER STATED THAT THE VALVE WOULD DEFAULT IF THERE WAS TOO MUCH OIL ADDED, THE VALVE IS TOO SMALL SO IT WILL STICK OR BECOME CLOGGED UP WITH CARBON BUILD UP. *SLC
WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY VEHICLE'S LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE, AND WENT THROUGH LEFT FRONT TIRE, AND TIRE DEFLATED. CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE WAS HARD TO STEER TEMPORARILY. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS UNSAFE BECAUSE IT COULD HAPPEN ON FREEWAY. CONSUMER HAS NOT CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHUR INFORMATION.*AK
Official recalls
299V307000 · Steering: Steering Wheel/handle Bar
Nov 1, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED CAUSING STEERING VIBRATION AND LOOSENESS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT.
96V037000 · Exterior Lighting:tail Lights
Feb 20, 1996
THE PLASTIC MATERIAL OF THE BULB HOLDERS OF THE REAR TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT HEAT RESISTANCE. WHEN THE BULB IS ILLUMINATED, THE RESULTING HIGH TEMPERATURE CAN CAUSE THE BULB HOLDER TO DEFORM.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: AS THE BULB HOLDER DEFORMS, THE BULB CAN LOSE ELECTRICAL CONTACT, RESULTING IN AN INOPERATIVE LAMP, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR COMBINATION LAMP BULB HOLDER TO SEE IF IT IS THE DEFECTIVE MATERIAL. THE DEFECTIVE BULB HOLDER TOGETHER WITH THE WIRING HARNESS WILL BE REPLACED WITH A CORRECT BULB HOLDER AND HARNESS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2DP02004 · Engine Seizure
Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
No summary supplied.
PE01024 · Suspension Coil Spring
Opened Jul 18, 2001 · Closed Jan 29, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension
No summary supplied.
Illustration