Problems · by component
1997 Toyota Camry vehicle speed control problems
30 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1997 Toyota Camry cite vehicle speed control, 5% of all 558 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
30
5% of all complaints
Crashes
12
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
Reported by owners
What owners say about the vehicle speed control
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT THEN SHIFTED INTO PARK AND APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT DID NOT CALL THE MANUFACTURER TO REPORT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 260,000.”
“1997 TOYOTA CAMRY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS AT A GAS STATION, AND ALMOST PARKED, WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, AND WAS UNSTOPPABLE. CONSEQUENTLY, HE CRASHED INTO A FENCE. THE CONSUMER AND HIS PASSENGER WERE INJURED.”
“BACKING DOWN ACCESS ROAD TO PARKING LOT, BOAT RAMP AND RECREATION AREA. HAD FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN SUDDEN ACCELERATION ENDANGERED CAR AND DRIVER. DIRECTED CAR INTO THE SIDE OF A PARKED TRUCK TO AVOID CRASHING INTO AREA WHERE PEOPLE WERE WORKING, AND ALSO TO AVOID GOING INTO RIVER WHICH WAS VERY CLOSE BY. BACK END OF CAR STRUCK SIDE OF TRUCK THEN CAR BOUNCED OFF CAREENED TOWARD RIVER WITH ACCELERATOR STILL JAMMED. PRESSED FOOT DOWN HARD ON BRAKE AND PULLED UP E BRAKE UNTIL CAR FINALLY STALLED. *TR”
“WITH MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, PREPARED TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP WHEN PARKING IN THE CARPORT STALL THERE WAS INSTEAD A SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND THE CAR "JUMPED" OVER THE CONCRETE CURB ON THE FLOOR AND BROKE THROUGH THE CARPORT WALL. ANOTHER PROBLEM OCCURRED SOME YEARS EARLIER WHEN THE GAS PEDAL GOT STUCK WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. FRIGHTENING AS IT WAS I MANAGED TO REACH DOWN AND MANUALLY RELEASE THE PEDAL.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED IN REVERSE CRASHING INTO THE VEHICLE BEHIND IT. NO ONE WAS INJURED CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.”
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, SPUN AROUND TWICE AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. THE CONTACT SUFFERED NECK INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 150,000.”
Showing 6 of 30 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.