Problems · NHTSA complaints

1996 Toyota Camry problems

Owners filed 421 complaints about the 1996 Toyota Camry with NHTSA between Feb 1996 and Dec 2020. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (73).

Complaints
421
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
56
Reported by owners
Fires
8
Reported by owners
Injuries
57
People reported injured
Deaths
5
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling73
  2. Vehicle speed control50
  3. Service brakes, hydraulic47
  4. Air bags45
  5. Steering34
  6. Suspension27
  7. Structure25
  8. Electrical system23
  9. Tires23
  10. Visibility22
  11. Fuel system, gasoline21
  12. Power train20
  13. Equipment18
  14. Seat belts17

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
199633
199791
199835
199930
200031
200135
200223
200335
200434
20058
20066
200710
20086
20095
201014
20117
20121
20133
20144
20154
20163
20171
20180
20191
20201

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

73 reports1 fire
“1996 TOYOTA CAMRY DEVELOPED PROBLEMS STALLING OUT IN TRAFFIC AND WOULD BUCK LIKE A BRONCO SOMETIMES WHEN DRIVING (BEFORE STALLING). DEALERSHIP REPAIRS COST ME THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. VERY DANGEROUS TRYING TO GET FROM HERE TO THERE IN THIS VEHICLE. TECHNICIANS KEPT TAKING THE CAR BACK DOWN TO THE ENGINE BLOCK. SENT A LETTER TO TOYOTA REQUESTING THEY EXAMINE THE INVOICES AND REPAIRS ON A CAR WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE. THE SENT A LETTER BACK. ONE LINE-"NOTHING IN THESE INVOICES IS UNDER WARRANTY" TOYOTA WAS NOT INTERESTED IN FIXING THEIR MISTAKES AND WAS NOT INTERESTED IN LEARNING FROM THEM. THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS. I KNEW AT THAT TIME THEY WERE INTERESTED IN GROWTH AND PROFIT AND LET IT BE KNOWN TO MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BUY TOYOTA VEHICLES. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 24, 2010Engine and engine coolingODI 10313607

Vehicle speed control

50 reports12 crashes1 fire1 related recall
“I AM THE OWNER OF THE 96 TOYOTA CAMRY IDENTIFIED BY THE VIN NUMBER PROVIDED. I HAVE EXPERIENCED AN ABNORMAL SPEEDING OF MY CAR AS EXPLAINED BELOW: THIS PAST FRIDAY, JAN 13TH ABOUT 6:30 PM CENTRAL TIME, I WAS TRAVELING ON I-65 SOUTH (FROM BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA TO HOOVER, ALABAMA). ABOUT 15 TO 20 MINUTES ON THE ROAD, WHEN I WAS JUST ABOUT TO REACH MY DESTINATION, MY VEHICLE STARTED ACCELERATING ABRUPTLY EVEN WHEN THE FOOT WAS OFF THE PEDAL. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES BUT THE ENGINE KEPT REVVING UPWARDS OF 3000 RPM. IN GREAT DISTRESS, PRAYING TO JESUS, I KEPT HARDLY PRESSING THE BRAKES AND WAS ABLE TO SHIFT GEAR TO NEUTRAL. IT STARTED REVIVING UP HIGHER IN NEUTRAL. SHIFTED TO PARK AND STOPPED THE ENGINE. IT SEEMS, THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE DESIGN OF THROTTLE OR THE PARTS INVOLVED IN THE VEHICLE'S SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM. I TOWED THE VEHICLE TO MY PLACE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND ADVICE ME IF I HAVE TO REACH OUT TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR A CAR REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 15, 2017Vehicle speed controlODI 10945355

Service brakes, hydraulic

47 reports8 crashes
“S10 APPROPRIATE HANDLING RE TOYOTA SAFETY RECALL FOR SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *TGW DURING THE MONTHS OF MAY THROUGH JULY 2009, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. OFF AND ON, THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP, UNTIL THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF. THERE WAS A STRANGE ODOR COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. IT WOULD GENERALLY HAPPEN WHEN ATTEMPTING A ROUTINE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP, BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THEN ON AUGUST 19, 2009, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED; THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK AND THE VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. AS THE CONSUMER DESPERATELY SHIFTED FROM NEUTRAL, SECOND AND THIRD GEAR, SHE WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. SHE WAS ABLE TO WEAVE IN BETWEEN CARS AS THERE WAS NO PLACE FOR HER TO PULL OVER WITHOUT CRASHING. SHE PUT ON HER HAZARD LIGHTS AND BEEPED THE HORN TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS. SHE THEN SWUNG INTO A WIDE PARKING LOT ENTRANCE AND SLAMMED THE GEAR INTO PARK AND CAME TO AN ABRUPT HALT. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 25, 2010Service brakes, hydraulic, Vehicle speed controlODI 10314319

Air bags

45 reports31 crashes1 fire
“DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, BRAKING WINDSHIELD AND BRUISING DRIVER WHEN CAR BARELY MOVING FORWARD. TAPPED ANOTHER CARS BUMPER, NO OTHER DAMAGE TO EITHER VEHICLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 21, 2015Air bagsODI 10735620

Steering

34 reports3 crashes1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SEIZE IN THE TURNED POSITION WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EXCESSIVE FORCE WAS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE WHEN IT SEIZED. IN ADDITION, THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED TO PROVIDE ACCURATE READING LEVELS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 10, 2016Steering, Electrical systemODI 10845948

Suspension

27 reports1 crash
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY XLE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 15 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL NOISE FROM THE REAR, SIMILAR TO A THUMP. THE STEERING THEN BECAME DIFFICULT AND THE CONTACT BEGAN HAVING DIFFICULTIES STEERING THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE SWAY BAR AND FRONT END SUSPENSION FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE SPRINGS AND STRUTS WERE FRACTURED, AN OIL LEAK WAS DISCOVERED AND THE DEALER RECOMMENDED A FRONT END ALIGNMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,510 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,555.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 29, 2011Steering, SuspensionODI 10416263
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.