IllustrationCAR DOES NOT TURN OVER AT FIRST START OF THE DAY. DEALERSHIP (WESTCHESTER TOYOTA, NY) STATES FUEL INJECTORS NEED TO BE CLEANED. DEALERSHIP PROCEEDED AND CLEANED THE INJECTOR'S YET THE CAR STILL DOES NOT TURN OVER. *AK
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.
55 crash reports8 fire reports44 injury reports
What owners actually said
417 reportsDATES OF SERVICE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM: 7/17/96, 7/29/96, 9/06/96, 9/20/96, 11/02/96, 07/10/97,10/06/97 DEALER TURNED OFF ENGINE LIGHT BUT PROBLEM WAS ONLY TEMPORARILY FIXED. 5/14/98 IS THE MOST RECENT DATE WHEN ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED & TURNED OFF BY ITSELF 3 DAYS LATER, THEREFORE 5/14/98 OCCURRENCE WAS NOT BROUGHT IN FOR SE…
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DATES OF SERVICE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM: 7/17/96, 7/29/96, 9/06/96, 9/20/96, 11/02/96, 07/10/97,10/06/97 DEALER TURNED OFF ENGINE LIGHT BUT PROBLEM WAS ONLY TEMPORARILY FIXED. 5/14/98 IS THE MOST RECENT DATE WHEN ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED & TURNED OFF BY ITSELF 3 DAYS LATER, THEREFORE 5/14/98 OCCURRENCE WAS NOT BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE. DEALER HAD CONCLUDED THE CAUSE TO BE SEVERAL THINGS. THEIR FIRST DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE LIGHT BEING SET OFF BY ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION IN ALARM WIRING (ALARM WAS INSTALLED BY THE SAME DEALER), THE NEXT DIAGNOSIS WAS IT WAS DUE TO BAD CHARCOAL CANNISTER FOR WHICH THE PARTS WERE SPECIALLY ORDERED & CAR WAS BROUGHT IN FOR SERVICE FROM DATE 9/12/96 TO 9/19/96. THE PROBLEM WAS SHORTLY FIXED FOR THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN AND CAR WAS BROUGHT IN AGAIN ON 11/02/96. IT WAS A HASSLE TO KEEP BRINGING IN THE CAR ONLY TO HAVE THE ENGINE LIGHT ON 1-2 WEEKS LATER. I HAVE BEEN GIVING UP ON THIS PROBLEM (IE BRINGING IN TO THE DEALER). THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. I JUST IGNORE IT& THE LIGHT WOULD GO OFF BY ITSELF WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO THE RESULT OF MY DEALER'S SERVICE, ONLY IGNORING IT SAVES ME TIME & ENERGY. DEALER KEEPS TELLING ME IT'S NOT DANGEROUS AND KEEP BRINGING THE CAR IN WHENEVER THIS HAPPENS AGAIN.
FRONT BRAKE PADS ARE PREMATURELY WEARING OUT, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
OUR 1996 CAMRY WAS REARENDED ON 8-12-97. THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED AT FIRST THEN SAID IT HAD TO BE REPAIRED. WE REJECTED THE CAR DUE TO THE UNSAFE CONDITION. I WAS FORCED BY AUCTION TO GO PICK UP CAR. (11000 DOLLARS LATER) I TOWED IT HOME. I ALSO TOWED IT TO GET AN ESTIMATE FROM ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALER. (THAT WAS 3000 MORE DOL…
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OUR 1996 CAMRY WAS REARENDED ON 8-12-97. THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOTALED AT FIRST THEN SAID IT HAD TO BE REPAIRED. WE REJECTED THE CAR DUE TO THE UNSAFE CONDITION. I WAS FORCED BY AUCTION TO GO PICK UP CAR. (11000 DOLLARS LATER) I TOWED IT HOME. I ALSO TOWED IT TO GET AN ESTIMATE FROM ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALER. (THAT WAS 3000 MORE DOLLARS OF WORK) AFTER PAYING FOR THIS CAR FOR 1 YEAR AND NOT BEING ABLE TO DRIVE IT WE TURNED IT IN. (REPOSSESED) TOYOTA MOTOR CREDIT WAS NOTIFIED OF THE WORK IT NEEDED. THEY AUCTIONED IT AND NOW SOME UNKNOWING PERSON IS OPERATING THAT CAR. THE CAR IS VERY UNSAFE, I HAVE WRITTEN EVERYONE I CAN THINK OF ABOUT THIS AND NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE. IF YOU CAN GIVE ME ANY HELP ON THIS MATTER IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. RANDY MITCHELL 102 BERMUDA LN. MOYOCK NC 27958 919-435-6826
THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIES THEIR BRAKES, IT MAKES NOISE, AND AT TIMES THE BRAKES GO TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
CONSUMER SAYS THAT A BUMP WAS HIT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR 20MINUTES, AND WHEN RETURNED TO VEHICLE THE AIR BAGS HAD DEPLOYED ON THEIR OWN. *AK
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40-45MPH WHEN A VEHICLE PULLED IN FRONT AT 1-2 MPH, CAUSING CONSUMER TO REAREND VEHICLE IN FRONT . WITH $3,700 IN DAMAGE, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CONSUMER WAS INJURED. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 20 MPH THE VEHICLE HAD A FRONTAL IMPACT IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THIS ACCIDENT.*AK
TRUNK LID FELL ON CONSUMER'S BACK CAUSING INJURY, THE LID DESIGN ALLOWS FOR THE LID TO FALL EASILY.
BOTH REMOTES FOR THE KEYLESS ENTRY/SECURITY SYSTEM HAVE FALLEN APART WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. TOYOTA REFUSES TO REPLACE THEM. I HAVE NOT USED THEM IN ANY UNUSUAL MANNER. IF THE WARRANTY IS
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.