IllustrationINTERLOCK SYSTEM FAILURE AFTER KEY IS INSERTED. DILEMMA: OWNER ROCKED STEERING TO RELEASE MECHANISM. *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 reportsDRIVER'S SEAT HAS ALOT OF PLAY. WHEN BRAKING IT FEELS LIKE THE DRIVER IS GOING OUT OF THE WINDOW. *AK
CONSUMER WAS INVOLED IN A 40 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION IN WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS AIRBORNE, AND ALSO HITTING A TREE IN WHICH THE DRIVERS OR PASSENGERS AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING THE OCCUPANT TO BE SEVERELY INJURED. *AK CONSUMER STATES THE STEERING MECHANISM WAS UNCONTOLLABLE PRIOR TO VEHICLE HITTING A 6FT FENCE. *NLM
RADIO KNOB BROKEN. (MS)
WHILE DRIIVNG 30-35 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN INTERSECTIONAL CRASH WITH FRONT END DAMAGES TOTALLING $5,000 DOLLARS, AND THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF AIR BAGS. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED. 524328 DUPLICATE OF 817009, POSTED ON 03-NOV-98.*AK CONSUMER STATED HE WAS DRIVING 40-45 MPH.*JB
A GRINDING NOISE OCCURS WITHIN THE ABS BRAKING SYSTEM. DEALER STATES THE BRAKES ARE WORKING PROPERLY. HOWEVER, A PART IS BEING MANUFACTURED TO REMEDY THE GRINDING. ALSO ON ONE OCCASION WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES IN NORMAL CONDITIONS, THE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR , CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK
WHILE STOPPED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN, ANOTHER AUTO LOST CONTROL AND HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CAUSING CONSUMER TO RECEIVE A BROKEN STERNUM. *AK
OWNER PARKED VEHICLE ON SMALL INCLINE, SHIFTED TO PARK, REMOVED KEY, EXISTED VEHICLE, HEARD NOISE, VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS, HIT GARAGE DOOR, EMERGENCY BRAKES NOT APPLIED, GEAR LEVEL SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL. *AK AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS FOUND ON NEUTRAL POSITON. THE ROLL BACK HAD OCCURED TWICE BEFORE. *YH
QUITE NOISY, MAKING RUMBLING NOISES AND GRABBING, WHEN BRAKED WITH ANY SORT OF FORCE, DUE TO POOR MATERIAL IN BOTH FT DISC BRAKE PADS WHICH HAD BEEN FLAKING THE BRAKES REQUIRED THAT THE FT PADS BE REPLACED, IN ADDITION, FT ROTORS REPLACED SINCE THE LOOSE MATERIAL HAD APPARENTLY BEEN CUTTING INTO THE SURFACE OF THE ROTORS.
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A 25 MPH FRONTAL COLLISION, HITTING A TREE IN WHICH THE DRIVER'S AND/OR PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *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.