Problems · NHTSA complaints
2004 Toyota Camry problems
Owners filed 799 complaints about the 2004 Toyota Camry with NHTSA between Nov 2003 and Jul 2026. The most-cited component is vehicle speed control (265).
Complaints
799
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
223
Reported by owners
Fires
13
Reported by owners
Injuries
145
People reported injured
Deaths
6
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Vehicle speed control265
- Steering110
- Air bags98
- Service brakes, hydraulic62
- Power train61
- Structure55
- Electrical system43
- Engine and engine cooling34
- Engine32
- Tires31
- Suspension28
- Visibility22
- Equipment19
- Service brakes16
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
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
11
133
72
54
39
28
49
166
43
33
34
34
24
24
19
11
8
5
4
3
3
0
1
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 11 |
| 2004 | 133 |
| 2005 | 72 |
| 2006 | 54 |
| 2007 | 39 |
| 2008 | 28 |
| 2009 | 49 |
| 2010 | 166 |
| 2011 | 43 |
| 2012 | 33 |
| 2013 | 34 |
| 2014 | 34 |
| 2015 | 24 |
| 2016 | 24 |
| 2017 | 19 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 | 1 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Vehicle speed control
265 reports150 crashes1 fire
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS ON CRUISE CONTROL AT APPROXIMATELY 77 MPH, WHEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND BEGAN TO ACCELERATE FORWARD UNINTENDEDLY. THE VEHICLE SIDE SWEPT ANOTHER VEHICLE HITTING THE DRIVER SIDE OF THEIR VEHICLE, THEN, SPUN OFF AND HIT A NEARBY GUARDRAIL ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AS WELL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NO PERSONS WERE INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC TO REPAIR DAMAGE HOWEVER THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.”
Steering
110 reports13 crashes
“The power steering freezes up upon the slightest amount of street water ponding making it almost impossible to turn the steering wheel. I have experienced a number of scary situations that make driving this car in wet elements very very difficult. As a result I generally refrain from driving altogether under these conditions. This dangerous problem must be fixed soon! I HAVE MENTIONED THIS PROBLEM IN THE PAST TO MY LOCAL DEALER (TOYOTA OF DALLAS)”
Air bags
98 reports57 crashes1 related recall
“My wife was in a crash that totaled my 2004 Camry. She swerved to miss a deer and was pulled off the road and into two utility poles and several areas of fence. None of the airbags deployed and the crash was well over the 14 mph speed limit suggested for the airbags to deploy. My wife was seriously injured and was lucky the seatbelt held her back. She spent time in a hospital and broken two ribs and bruised her heart. This could have been avoided if the airbags deployed. No warning signs and the vehicle was inspected on time every time. No recalls.”
Service brakes, hydraulic
62 reports18 crashes
“I TURNED ON THE MOTOR OF MY CAR WHICH WAS PARKED AT A HOME DEPOT. WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE (AND NOT ON THE GAS), THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND DID NOT STOP UNTIL IT HAD TRAVELED ABOUT 15 YARDS. *JS”
Power train
61 reports10 crashes
“CAR SITTING AT IDLE POSITION SUDDENLY LAUNCHED FORWARD. VEHICLE WAS GOING 2-3 MPH WHEN IT SUDDENLY LAUNCHED FORWARD AND SMASHED INTO A WALL AT A TOP DONUT DRIVE THRU.”
Structure
55 reports5 crashes1 fire
“The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Camry Solara. The contact stated that the dashboard started to crack exposing the air bag. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed but not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.”
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.