IllustrationWHILE TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY 3-YEAR OLD, WHO WAS SEATING IN A CAR SEAT DIRECTLY BEHIND DRIVER'S SEAT, RAPPED REAR SHOULDER BELT AROUND HIS NECK WITH TENSION SET, ALMOST WAS CHOKED BY BELT. POLICE OFFICER HAD TO CUT SEAT BELT OFF SON'S NECK WITH A KNIFE.
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 reportsBRAKE PADS REPLACED DUE TO GRINDING, RESULTED IN RIGHT SIDE CALIPERS FAILING/INSIDE PAD GROUNDING INTO ROTOR.
MR. SALO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY QUITS PULLING WHEN THE GEAR SHOULD BE SHIFTED FROM THE SECOND GEAR TO THE THIRD. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT LANE. ALSO, WHILE BRAKING THE VEHICLE PULLS TO LEFT WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. BEEN TO DEALER SEVERAL, CANNOT DETERMINE PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE WINDOW IS WET THE OCCUPANT CANNOT SEE THROUGH THE WINDOW. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS.
THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY PULLS WHEN THE GEAR SHOULD BE SHIFTED FROM THE 2ND GEAR TO THE 3RD GEAR, CAUSING DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WHEN ENTERING BUSY INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC.
AIR BAG DEPLOYED IN A HEAD ON ACCIDENT WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS GOING 5MPH AND WAS IT HIT HEAD ON BY A 90 FORD TAURUS STATIONWAGON GOING 35MPH. SPEED LIMIT ON RESIDENTIAL ROAD WAS 30MPH. PASSENGER SPENT 5 DAYS IN PARKLAND TRAUMA CENTER DUE TO PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT . PASSENGER WAS 5'4" WHITE FEMALE WEIGHT 115LBS WAS SI…
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AIR BAG DEPLOYED IN A HEAD ON ACCIDENT WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS GOING 5MPH AND WAS IT HIT HEAD ON BY A 90 FORD TAURUS STATIONWAGON GOING 35MPH. SPEED LIMIT ON RESIDENTIAL ROAD WAS 30MPH. PASSENGER SPENT 5 DAYS IN PARKLAND TRAUMA CENTER DUE TO PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT . PASSENGER WAS 5'4" WHITE FEMALE WEIGHT 115LBS WAS SITTING IN FURTHEST POSTION AWAY FROM AIRBAG AND WAS WEARING SEAT BELT.
CONSUMER WAS PULLING ONTO THE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT CONSUMER'S VEHCLE HEAD-ON AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH OR MORE MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, CAUSING AIR BAGS NOT TO DEPLOY, RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURY TO PASSENGER. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AT ABOUT 30-40 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED SUDDENLY. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
WHEN CAR WAS PURCHASED IT PULLED TO THE LEFT. AFTER THE DEALER PERFORMED TWO ALIGNMENTS, THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE BELTS ON ONE OF THE TIRES WERE FLATTENED, AND THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR NOW RATTLES AT ALL SPEEDS AND THE FRONT TIRES ARE NOW WEARING ON THE INSIDE. *AK
WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, MOSTLY IN WET WEATHER CONDITIONS, VEHICLE DOES NOT WANT TO STOP. ALSO BRAKES MAKE GROWLING NOISES WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. IN ADDITION, VEHICLE HAS VISUAL PROBLEMS; HEADREST , BLOCKS VIEW WHEN LOOKING OUT OF REAR WINDOW. PROBLEM IS WITH ALL 4 HEADRESTS. HEADREST ARE TOO WIDE AND HIGH. POSSIBLE DESIGN …
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WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, MOSTLY IN WET WEATHER CONDITIONS, VEHICLE DOES NOT WANT TO STOP. ALSO BRAKES MAKE GROWLING NOISES WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. IN ADDITION, VEHICLE HAS VISUAL PROBLEMS; HEADREST , BLOCKS VIEW WHEN LOOKING OUT OF REAR WINDOW. PROBLEM IS WITH ALL 4 HEADRESTS. HEADREST ARE TOO WIDE AND HIGH. POSSIBLE DESIGN FLAW. DEALERS ARE AWARE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DEATAILS. *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.