IllustrationEXPERIENCING NOISE IN FRONT END WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS, SOUNDS LIKE STRUTS, OR SUSPENSION IS GOING OUT, ROUGH SOUND. NOTICED MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS, HAS THERE BEEN A RECALL? HAVE NOT TAKEN IN FOR SVC YET. *AK
1997 Toyota Camry
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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: 131 of 555 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 100 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 96 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 70 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
79 crash reports27 fire reports50 injury reports
Suspension complaints
70 reportsTOYOTA HAS A LIFETIME GUARANTEE REGARDING MUFFLERS, EXHAUST PIPES, SHOCK ABSORBERS, STRUTS, AND STRUT CARTRIDGES, IT STATES THAT TOYOTA WILL REPLACE PARTS AND DO LABOR FOR FREE OF CHARGE, HOWEVER CONSUMER HAD STRUTS REPLACED AND WAS NOT REIMBURSED. *SLC
VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAKING A RUBBING SOUND WHEN TURNING WHEEL, NOT TAKEN TO DEALER YET. *AK
FRONT REAR STRUTS DEFECT. DEALERSHIP NOT GOING TO REPLACE AT THEIR OWN COST.*AK
NOISE IN FRONT END GOING OVER BUMPS, TOPS OF STRUTS NEED TO BE REPLACED DEFECTIVE. *AK
EXPERIENCED BUMP AND NOISE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL. DEALER ADVISED I NEEDED TO REPALCE THE STRUT ASSEMBLY, COST $700.00! CAR ONLY HAS 24,000 MILES. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL AND WAS TOLD NO. DEALER DID ADVISE THAT THEY HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE WITH THIS ISSUE. I HAVE OWNED CAMRY'S IN THE PAST AND HAD NEVER HAD THIS PRO…
Read full complaint
EXPERIENCED BUMP AND NOISE FRONT RIGHT WHEEL. DEALER ADVISED I NEEDED TO REPALCE THE STRUT ASSEMBLY, COST $700.00! CAR ONLY HAS 24,000 MILES. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A RECALL AND WAS TOLD NO. DEALER DID ADVISE THAT THEY HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE WITH THIS ISSUE. I HAVE OWNED CAMRY'S IN THE PAST AND HAD NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. SEEMS LIKE THERE IS A DEFECT AND SHOULD BE RECALLED OR AT LEAST PAID FOR BY TOYOTA. I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I CHECKED OUT YOUR WEBSITE AND NOTICED THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I WOULD APPRECIATE AND ASSISTANCE THAT YOU CAN PROVIDE. I DID SEND A SEPARATE E-MAIL TO YOU BEFORE I CAME ACROSS THIS FORM. *AK
A GROANING OR CURNCHING NOISE MAY BE HEARD FROM FRONT SUSPENSION WHEN GOING OVER SPEED BUMP OR DIPS ON THE ROAD. *AK
BRACKET MOUNTS FOR STRUTS ON BOTH SIDES OF VEHICLE BROKE, CAUSING A LOUD NOISE WHILE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
THERE IS A KNOCKING SOUND UNDER RIGHT FRONT OF VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
RIGHT FRONT STRUT ROD KNOCKING WHILE DRIVING. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT PART ON BACK ORDER FOR TWO TO THREE MONTHS. ASKING NHTSA HELP ON THIS MATTER. *AK
Official recalls
399V307000 · 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.
97V213000 · Electrical System:ignition
Nov 20, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO A POSSIBLE JAMMING OF THE LOCK PIN OF THE KEY INTERLOCK SOLENOID, IT IS POSSIBLE TO REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY EVEN WHEN THE SHIFT LEVER OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS NOT IN THE "PARK" POSITION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNDER SUCH A CONDITION, SHOULD A DRIVER FAIL TO MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER TO "PARK" POSITION AND ALSO FAIL TO ACTIVATE THE PARKING BRAKE, THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AWAY DOWN A SLOPE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE KEY INTERLOCK SOLENOID.
97V156000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist
Sep 17, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ALASKA, COLORADO, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, IOWA, KANSAS, MAINE, MICHIGAN,MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, NOTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, AND WYOMING. A CONDITION CAN OCCUR WHERE ACCUMULATED MOISTURE CAN TEMPORARILY FREEZE IN THE BRAKE VACUUM HOSE IF THE VEHICLE IS USED IN EXTREMELY COLD CLIMATES FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN THE ELIMINATION OF VACUUM ASSIST TO THE BRAKES THAT CAN INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCES AND COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW DESIGN BRAKE VACUUM HOSE.
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
3PE02079 · Engine Compartment Fire
Opened Oct 22, 2002 · Closed Mar 18, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
ODI'S DATA ANALYSIS FOUND THE FIRES RATES TO BE CONSISTENTLY LOW AND EVENLY DISTRIBUTED AMONG SIX MODEL YEARS AND SIX DIFFERENT ENGINE CONFIGURATIONS.ODI EXAMINED A VARIETY OF ROOT CAUSES, THOSE BEING DETONATION (RESULTING IN OIL PAN PUNCTURE FROM CONNECTING ROD), STARTER FIRES, VARIOUS FUEL RELATED FIRES, LEAKING OIL FILTERS, WIRING ISSUES, IMPROPER REPAIRS AND BRAKE FLUID LEAKS.NONE OF THE ISSUES EXAMINED HAD REPORTS THAT INDICATED A TREND WHEN NORMALIZED FOR POPULATON AND EXPOSURE.SEE ATTACHED REPORT FOR FULL DETAILS.
DP02004 · Engine Seizure
Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
No summary supplied.
PE97034 · Ignition Interlock Failure
Opened Jul 16, 1997 · Closed Nov 28, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train
No summary supplied.