IllustrationVERY POOR HEADLIGHT ADJUSTMENT CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY.
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 reportsUPON APPLYING BRAKES HEARS A NOISE COMING FROM RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE. BOTH TOYOTA AND DEALER WERE CONTACTED, THEY CLAIM THAT NOISE IS NORMAL FOR 1997 TOYOTA CAMRYS. *AK
WHILE COMING TO A STOP VEHICLE ACCELERATED, CAUSING A COLLISION. WHILE CAR STOPPED, THE FRONT WHEELS WERE STILL IN DRIVE. OWNER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. *AK WHILE COMING TO A STOP ACCELERATED, CAUSING A COLLISON WHILE VEHICLE WAS BY IMPACT AND DRIVER OUT OF VEHICLE.*JB
DRIVER'S ADJUSTABLE SEAT IS LOOSE, CAUSING IT TO ROCK BACK AND FORTH. IN ADDITION, FRONT END MISALIGNMENT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO PULL SIDEWAYS UNDER RAINY/SNOWY CONDITIONS. *AK
THE NEW SEAT BELTS THAT IF PULLED OUT THEY LOCK UP. DRIVER'S SON GOT TANGLED UP AND HAD TO BE CUT OUT. THE MORE ONE MOVES THE TIGHTER IT GETS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ON THE ROAD ABOUT 40-45 MPH WITH ABOUT 4 VEHICLES IN FRONT OF THE COMSUMER WHEN HE SAW THE VEHICLES STOP, AND COMSUMER TRIED TO STOP BY STEPPING ON BRAKE PEDAL, BUT COULD NOT STOP IT ON TIME AND SMASHED FRONT OF VEHICLE OR REARENDED. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE SHOP SAID IT WAS NOTH…
Read full complaint
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ON THE ROAD ABOUT 40-45 MPH WITH ABOUT 4 VEHICLES IN FRONT OF THE COMSUMER WHEN HE SAW THE VEHICLES STOP, AND COMSUMER TRIED TO STOP BY STEPPING ON BRAKE PEDAL, BUT COULD NOT STOP IT ON TIME AND SMASHED FRONT OF VEHICLE OR REARENDED. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING THE ACCIDENT. THE SHOP SAID IT WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM. *AK
COULD HEAR GRINDING NOISE WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AT 40MPH; TOOK TO DEALER & MECHANIC TOOK FOR TEST DRIVE; HAD SAME PROBLEM; HAD CALIPERS, PADS & ROTORS REPLACED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
THE BRAKES ON VEHICLE ARE GRINDING. THE GRINDING STARTED AROUND 800 MILES. MANUFACTURER WILL BE CONTACTED. *AK
VEHICLE SITS TOO LOW-MINIMUM GROUND CLEARANCE VERY LOW. ALSO HEIGHT IS TOO LOW IN BOTH FRONT AND REAR. VEHICLE RIDES ROUGH AND BOUNCY ON BUMPY ROADS. *AK
PLASTIC PART FELL FROM BEHIND THE DASH BOARD AND LODGED BEHIND THE ARM OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, CAUSING BRAKE LOSS/ACCIDENT.
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.