Your vehicle report
1997 Toyota Camry
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 555
- Received Nov 1996 to Apr 2024
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes52 complaints · 9.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Seat belt fails to latch or retract49 complaints · 8.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Brakes make grinding or squealing noise47 complaints · 8.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #99V307000Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The steering wheel set nut may not have been sufficiently tightened causing steering vibration and looseness.
- Recall #97V213000Vehicle 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 79 crashes, 27 fires, 59 people injured, 3 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Suspension struts and shocks wear out early
- Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps
- Tires blow out or tread separates
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 3 |
| 1997 | 50 |
| 1998 | 72 |
| 1999 | 110 |
| 2000 | 42 |
| 2001 | 52 |
| 2002 | 49 |
| 2003 | 42 |
| 2004 | 44 |
| 2005 | 15 |
| 2006 | 3 |
| 2007 | 9 |
| 2008 | 5 |
| 2009 | 6 |
| 2010 | 18 |
| 2011 | 5 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2014 | 8 |
| 2015 | 4 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 555 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 52 | 9.4% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 49 | 8.8% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 47 | 8.5% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 26 | 4.7% | – | |
| Suspension struts and shocks wear out early | 26 | 4.7% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 22 | 4.0% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 20 | 3.6% | – | |
| Engine burns excessive oil between changes | 19 | 3.4% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 17 | 3.1% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 15 | 2.7% | – | NHTSA recall #97V213000 |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 14 | 2.5% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 12 | 2.2% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 12 | 2.2% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 10 | 1.8% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 9 | 1.6% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 9 | 1.6% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 9 | 1.6% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 8 | 1.4% | – | |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 8 | 1.4% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 8 | 1.4% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #99V307000November 1, 1999540,037 vehicles affected
steering: steering wheel/handle bar
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The steering wheel set nut may not have been sufficiently tightened causing steering vibration and looseness.
This Can result in a loss of vehicle control.
Remedy
Dealers will tighten the steering wheel set nut.
NHTSA recall #97V213000November 20, 1997289,326 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #97V156000September 17, 199718,746 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: power assist
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.
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.
Other model years
- 1986 32
- 1987 58
- 1988 64
- 1989 113
- 1990 134
- 1991 149
- 1992 565
- 1993 260
- 1994 287
- 1995 303
- 1996 417
- 1997
- 1998 600
- 1999 501
- 2000 454
- 2001 272
- 2002 953
- 2003 782
- 2004 638
- 2005 721
- 2006 317
- 2007 2,888
- 2008 933
- 2009 1,294
- 2010 604
- 2011 602
- 2012 590
- 2013 274
- 2014 455
- 2015 271
- 2016 184
- 2017 148
- 2018 754
- 2019 400
- 2020 275
- 2021 158
- 2022 64
- 2023 65
- 2024 52
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1997 Toyota Camry.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN