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1998 Toyota Camry

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Camry years

Owner complaints for the 1998 Toyota Camry are substantially higher than the model-year median of 295.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

164 reports with mileage · 436 unknown

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 112 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 92 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 83 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

64 crash reports31 fire reports35 injury reports

What owners actually said

600 reports
88,000 miles · Feb 25, 2010
Vehicle Speed Control

WAS DRIVING MY 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY. CAME TO A STOP LIGHT. LIGHT TURNED YELLOW. I PUT ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO GO FORWARD. FORTUNATELY THE TRAFFIC CROSSING THE ROAD HAD NOT STARTED. I PUMPED THE BRAKES AND IT DID NOT STOP. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO BRAKE PROBLEMS. IT WAS AN ISOLATED I…

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WAS DRIVING MY 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY. CAME TO A STOP LIGHT. LIGHT TURNED YELLOW. I PUT ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO GO FORWARD. FORTUNATELY THE TRAFFIC CROSSING THE ROAD HAD NOT STARTED. I PUMPED THE BRAKES AND IT DID NOT STOP. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO BRAKE PROBLEMS. IT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10314382

65,000 miles · Feb 24, 2010
Engine And Engine CoolingVehicle Speed ControlFire

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THERE WAS AN UNINTENDED INCREASE IN ACCELERATION OF 110 MPH. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE REDUCED SPEED. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN. THE FAILURE OCCURRENCES WERE INTERMITTENT DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING. THE IDENTICAL…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS. THERE WAS AN UNINTENDED INCREASE IN ACCELERATION OF 110 MPH. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE REDUCED SPEED. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN. THE FAILURE OCCURRENCES WERE INTERMITTENT DURING HIGHWAY DRIVING. THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED AND THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS PLACED INTO THE "PARK" POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN. THERE WAS SMOKE AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE HOOD AREA. THE DRIVER PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE IGNITED INTO MASSIVE FLAMES. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION FACILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. UPDATED 03/19/10. *LJ UPDATED 09/21/10

NHTSA ODI #10313678

100,000 miles · Feb 24, 2010
Vehicle Speed Control

I OWN A 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY. OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS, (THIS BEING YEAR #3), I HAVE HAD MY GAS PEDAL SERVICED BECAUSE IT STICKS, USUALLY AFTER STOPS AND WHILE IN TRAFFIC IF I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND RE-ENGAGE. TOYOTA DOES NOT HAVE MY VEHICLE ON THE LIST AND IT SHOULD BE! AS OF THIS DATE, MY ACCELERATOR IS STICKING AGAIN …

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I OWN A 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY. OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS, (THIS BEING YEAR #3), I HAVE HAD MY GAS PEDAL SERVICED BECAUSE IT STICKS, USUALLY AFTER STOPS AND WHILE IN TRAFFIC IF I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND RE-ENGAGE. TOYOTA DOES NOT HAVE MY VEHICLE ON THE LIST AND IT SHOULD BE! AS OF THIS DATE, MY ACCELERATOR IS STICKING AGAIN AND I WILL HAVE TO ,AGAIN, PAY FOR IT. I THINK THIS PROBLEM GOES BEYOND THE CURRENT LIMITATIONS OF THE EXISTING RECALL LIST AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. FURTHERMORE, I DID NOT RECEIVE A LETTER REGARDING THIS RECALL NHTSA 01V012000- "VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL" AND ACCORDING TO MY VIN#, I SHOULD HAVE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10313513

168,000 miles · Feb 19, 2010
Vehicle Speed Control

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY. SHE STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IT BECAME STUCK AND WOULDN'T MOVE AT ALL. SHE HAD TO STOMP ON IT SO THAT THE PEDAL WOULD COME LOOSE. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED FOR 3 MONTHS. TOYOTA HAS BEEN NOT CONTA…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY. SHE STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IT BECAME STUCK AND WOULDN'T MOVE AT ALL. SHE HAD TO STOMP ON IT SO THAT THE PEDAL WOULD COME LOOSE. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED FOR 3 MONTHS. TOYOTA HAS BEEN NOT CONTACTED BUT WILL BE CONTACTED TO REPORT THIS FAILURE. THERE HAVE BEEN NO REPAIRS AT THIS MOMENT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 172,311. UPDATED 12/21/10*BF UPDATED 12/29/10

NHTSA ODI #10312036

169,000 miles · Feb 18, 2010
SteeringVehicle Speed Control

PROBLEM WITH STICKY GAS PEDAL OFF AND ON FOR 1 YEAR. HAVE BEEN PRESSING HARD TO GET PEDAL TO WORK PROPERLY. SO FAR, NO PARTS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED OR REPLACED ON 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY. ALSO STEERING PROBLEMS IN 2008; TOOK TO DEALER WHO ADDED POWER STEERING FLUID. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10311924

102,378 miles · Feb 17, 2010
Vehicle Speed Control

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY LE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MPH AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES, THEY DID NOT RESPOND UNTIL THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED WHEN THE COM…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY LE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 10 MPH AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. WHEN HE APPLIED THE BRAKES, THEY DID NOT RESPOND UNTIL THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WERE 102,378.

NHTSA ODI #10311472

Mileage unknown · Feb 15, 2010
Vehicle Speed Control

OUR 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY HAS WHAT WE HAVE CALLED A "STICKY" GAS PEDAL, BUT IT HASN'T GOTTEN "STUCK". THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN OUR MINDS WAS THE AGGRAVATION OF THE "STICKINESS" WHILE DRIVING. NOW I AM WONDERING IF WE SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD IT CHANGED YEARS AGO. I JUST ASSUMED WE COULD PULL OVER SAFELY IF IT WERE TO BECOME STUCK WHILE D…

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OUR 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY HAS WHAT WE HAVE CALLED A "STICKY" GAS PEDAL, BUT IT HASN'T GOTTEN "STUCK". THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN OUR MINDS WAS THE AGGRAVATION OF THE "STICKINESS" WHILE DRIVING. NOW I AM WONDERING IF WE SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD IT CHANGED YEARS AGO. I JUST ASSUMED WE COULD PULL OVER SAFELY IF IT WERE TO BECOME STUCK WHILE DRIVING. COULD THIS BE A PART OF THE SAME ISSUE THEY ARE HAVING WITH THE NEWER CARS? WHAT ACTION SHOULD WE TAKE, IF ANY? *TR

NHTSA ODI #10310474

98,388 miles · Feb 13, 2010
Vehicle Speed Control

MY MOTHER'S 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY EXPERIENCED THE GAS PEDAL STICKING ON HER CAR ON A REGULAR BASIS, IN 2006, TO THE POINT THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT GO AFTER ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF AFTER A STOP OR AFTER STARTING UP THE CAR. THIS WAS EXPERIENCED OVER A 3 MONTH PERIOD WHEREIN IT WOULD TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 5-10 MINUTES BEFORE THE GAS PEDAL…

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MY MOTHER'S 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY EXPERIENCED THE GAS PEDAL STICKING ON HER CAR ON A REGULAR BASIS, IN 2006, TO THE POINT THAT THE CAR WOULD NOT GO AFTER ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF AFTER A STOP OR AFTER STARTING UP THE CAR. THIS WAS EXPERIENCED OVER A 3 MONTH PERIOD WHEREIN IT WOULD TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 5-10 MINUTES BEFORE THE GAS PEDAL WOULD WORK TO TAKE OFF FROM THE STOP POINT. THIS CONTINUED UNTIL 12/06 AT WHICH TIME THE GAS PEDAL WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT ON A BUSY HIGHWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. SHE ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OFF FROM THE STOP POINT FOR OVER 30 MINUTES UNTIL SOMEONE PHONED THE POLICE TO REPORT THAT SHE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY AND COULD NOT TAKE OFF. THE POLICE SHOWED UP AND ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE THE CAR WITH NO SUCCESS. THE CAR WAS THEN PUSHED TO AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP WHO REPAIRED THE GAS PEDAL. SHE WAS CHARGED $50 FOR THE REPAIR. THE TOYOTA RECALL COVERS ONLY THE CARS FROM 2007-2010, BUT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS ON CARS PRIOR TO 2007 AS THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO MY MOTHER'S 1998 CAMRY. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY TOYOTA ON MODELS PRE-2007 AS THERE IS UNCERTAINTY THAT THE REPAIR TO MY MOTHER'S GAS PEDAL IS A PERMANENT FIX. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10310193

81,446 miles · Feb 11, 2010
Engine And Engine Cooling

EGR VALVE BROKEN AND VACUUM SWITCHING VALVE NOT WORKING. ENGINE DIES (SOMETIMES TOTALLY DIES AND SOMETIMES DIES AND STARTS AFTER A MOMENT) AFTER TAKING EXIT FROM HIGHWAYS AND SOMETIMES ON HIGHWAYS AT 65 M/HR. STEERING GETS LOCKED (CANNOT TURN) BECAUSE ENGINE DIES OUT. FORTUNATELY DIDN'T INVOLVE IN MAJOR ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF T…

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EGR VALVE BROKEN AND VACUUM SWITCHING VALVE NOT WORKING. ENGINE DIES (SOMETIMES TOTALLY DIES AND SOMETIMES DIES AND STARTS AFTER A MOMENT) AFTER TAKING EXIT FROM HIGHWAYS AND SOMETIMES ON HIGHWAYS AT 65 M/HR. STEERING GETS LOCKED (CANNOT TURN) BECAUSE ENGINE DIES OUT. FORTUNATELY DIDN'T INVOLVE IN MAJOR ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS. HOWEVER THERE WERE MINOR ACCIDENTS WITH NO DAMAGE TO ANY PROPERTY INCLUDING MY VEHICLE. PROBLEM RESOLVED AFTER REPLACING EGR & VSV ASSEMBLIES. VERY FORTUNATE I DIDN'T INVOLVE IN ANY SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AS SEVERAL TIMES MY VEHICLE STOPPED ALL OF A SUDDEN ON HIGHWAYS AT AROUND 60 M/HR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10308827

92,800 miles · Feb 11, 2010
Vehicle Speed Control

I DRIVE A 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY CE. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE ON A DAILY BASIS. THIS OCCURS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM AN IDLE, LOW RPM, OR LOW MPH. THE STICKY ACCELERATOR CAN BE CURED BY COMING OFF THE PEDAL 100% AND GRADUALLY DEPRESSING IT AGAIN. FOR SOME REASON, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DOES NOT STICK THE 2N…

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I DRIVE A 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY CE. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE ON A DAILY BASIS. THIS OCCURS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM AN IDLE, LOW RPM, OR LOW MPH. THE STICKY ACCELERATOR CAN BE CURED BY COMING OFF THE PEDAL 100% AND GRADUALLY DEPRESSING IT AGAIN. FOR SOME REASON, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DOES NOT STICK THE 2ND TIME. PLEASE ADVISE HOW I SHOULD DEAL WITH THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10308633

Official recalls

2

01V012000 · Vehicle Speed Control

Jan 16, 2001

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH CRUISE CONTROL AND V6 ENGINES, AND BUILT AT ONE OF TWO LINES AT THE KENTUCKY PLANT. THE ACCELERATOR CABLE HOUSING COULD BE DEFORMED AT THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTUATOR-TO-THROTTLE BODY CONNECTION. THE ACCELERATOR INNER-CABLE COULD WEAR AWAY AND EVENTUALLY BREAK.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS COULD ALLOW THE THROTTLE TO RETURN TO IDLE OR REMAIN IN ITS MOST RECENT POSITION REGARDLESS OF ACCELERATOR PEDAL OPERATION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ACCELERATOR CABLE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 23, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

99V307000 · 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.

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

2

PE02079 · 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.

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