IllustrationNO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *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
What owners actually said
555 reportsBRAKES WILL LOCK UP,WILL NOT RELEASE EVEN TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS, CAUSING MASS VIBRATION ON CAR. UNABLE TO STOP PROPERLY. HAVE REPLACED BRAKE CALIPER SYSTEM PROFESSIONALLY 3 TIMES, WORKS FOR APPROX 1 MONTH THEN SYSTEM FAILS AGAIN. UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT SPEEDS OVER 50 MILES PER HOUR. *AK
BRAKES LOCK UP, WILL NOT RELEASE EVEN AT HIGH SPEEDS,CAUSING MASS VIBRATION OR UNABLE TO STOP PROPERLY. HAVE REPLACED BRAKE CALIPERS, PROFESSIONALLY 3 TIMES. WORKED APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH AND SITUATION STARTED AGAIN. 1ST INDICATION WAS BLAKES WERE ROCK HARD WHEN COMPRESSED. AS SPEED INCREASED, VIBRATION INCREASED. MECHANIC ADVIS…
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BRAKES LOCK UP, WILL NOT RELEASE EVEN AT HIGH SPEEDS,CAUSING MASS VIBRATION OR UNABLE TO STOP PROPERLY. HAVE REPLACED BRAKE CALIPERS, PROFESSIONALLY 3 TIMES. WORKED APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH AND SITUATION STARTED AGAIN. 1ST INDICATION WAS BLAKES WERE ROCK HARD WHEN COMPRESSED. AS SPEED INCREASED, VIBRATION INCREASED. MECHANIC ADVISED ALSO BOLT CAME LOOSE FRM DRIVETRAIN, CAUSING BOUCEY EFFECT PRIOR TO BRAKE PROBLEMS. *AK
WAS BACKING INTO A PARALLEL PARKING SPACE WHEN VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. SLAMMED ON BRAKES. HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. TOOK FOOT OFF BRAKES AND VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SURGE BACKWARDS. *AK
WITH MORE THEN TWO PASSENGERS BOTTOM OF AUTO SCRAPES THE SURFACE OF ROAD. *AK
ENGINES STALLS APPROX. 15 MIN. AFTER WARMED UP UPON ACCELERATION AND WILL DOES NOT RESTART FOR AT LEAST 1 MIN.*ET
WHEN GETTING IN OR OUT OF VEHICLE & CLOSING THE DOOR, THE DOOR LOCKS WOULD BE MAKING A CLICKING SOUNDS AS IF LOCKING. THE DOORS ARE NOT LOCKED. THIS ALSO HAPPENS WHEN THE DOOR IS LOCKED. THE SOLENOID WOULD MAKE THAT CLICKING NOISE. CONTACTED DEALER & WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RECALLED NOR WAS PROBLEM UNDER WARRANTY. *AK
FRONT STRUTS WERE A KNOWN DEFECT, DEALER TOLD ME, THEY BANG LOUDLY AND MAY FAIL I FEAR. DEALER SERVICE DEPT TOLD ME THE STRUTS WERE KNOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED BUT THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID NOT KNOW THIS. NOW THEY ARE REALLY BAD, TO
THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAS BEEN A PROBLEM EVERY SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. IT MAKES A LOT OF NOISE. SOMETIMES GRINDS AND VIBRATE. I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. THEY HAVE DONE WORK TO THEM ONCE. THEY TELL ME EVERY IS TO CODE. ON FRIDAY OCTOBER22, 1999 THEY FAILED ON ME. DEALER SAYS BECAUSE THE CAN NOT DUPL…
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THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAS BEEN A PROBLEM EVERY SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. IT MAKES A LOT OF NOISE. SOMETIMES GRINDS AND VIBRATE. I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. THEY HAVE DONE WORK TO THEM ONCE. THEY TELL ME EVERY IS TO CODE. ON FRIDAY OCTOBER22, 1999 THEY FAILED ON ME. DEALER SAYS BECAUSE THE CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THEY CAN NOT FIX IT. THEY CANT FIND ANYTHING. THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE.
AS MY CAR CRESTED A SMALL HILL ON 7-15-99, THE ENGINE REVVED TO ABOUT 4000 RPM AND THERE WAS NO POWER. IT WAS LIKE THE CAR HAD SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. I TRIED SHIFTING TO 2ND GEAR AND THEN BACK TO DRIVE WHICH THEN WORKED. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT TWO BLOCKS LATER. I TOOK THE CAR TO WILKINS T…
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AS MY CAR CRESTED A SMALL HILL ON 7-15-99, THE ENGINE REVVED TO ABOUT 4000 RPM AND THERE WAS NO POWER. IT WAS LIKE THE CAR HAD SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. I TRIED SHIFTING TO 2ND GEAR AND THEN BACK TO DRIVE WHICH THEN WORKED. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT TWO BLOCKS LATER. I TOOK THE CAR TO WILKINS TOYOTA THE NEXT DAY. THEY REPLACED A SPEED SENSOR. THE CAR SEEMED OK BUT THE SAME THING HAPPENED A FEW DAYS LATER. I RETURNED TO WILKINS TOYOTA 7-21. THEY REPLACED ANOTHER SPEED SENSOR, SAYING TOYOTA HAD A DEFECTIVE LOT. THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN A FEW WEEKS LATER. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON BUT LATER WENT BACK OFF. WILKINS SAID THE FAULT CODE WOULD BE STORED ANYWAY AND BRING IT BACK. I DID. THEY SAID THERE WAS NO FAULT CODE AND DECLINED TO DO ANYTHING. AT THIS TIME I CONTACTED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE ON THE INTERNET BUT NEVER RECEIVED A REPLY. THE CAR WAS THEN OK FOR A WHILE (I WAS OUT OF TOWN FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS) UNTIL THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON 10-27. I TOOK THE CAR TO WILKINS TOYOTA. THEY REPLACED YET ANOTHER SPEED SENSOR WHICH FAILED TONIGHT AFTER ONLY 15 MILES. THIS IS DANGEROUS. TWO OF THE FAILURES WERE ON THE FREEWAY, INCLUDING TONIGHT'S. I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE CAR INTO DRIVE AND HAD TO USE 2ND GEAR AT IGH RPMS TO KEEP UP WITH TRAFFIC UNTIL I COULD EXIT. THIS IS FOUR BAD SENSORS IN 3 MONTHS AND WITHIN 2500 MILES. I BELIEVE SOMETHING IN THE CAR IS CAUSING THE FAILURES BECAUSE TOYOTA COULDN'T HAVE SO MANY BAD ONES OR NO ONE'S CAR WOULD RUN. CAN YOU HELP?
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.