Problems · by component
2004 Toyota Camry power train problems
61 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2004 Toyota Camry cite power train, 8% of all 799 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
61
8% of all complaints
Crashes
10
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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.”
“I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY LE EQUIPPED WITH THE 2AZ FE I4. AT FIRST I STARTED HEARING WATER SLOSHING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASHBOARD EVERY TIME I STOPPED. ON 1/30/2014 WHILE STOPPING FOR A FEW MINUTES IN A PARKING LOT THE CARS TEMPERATURE GAUGE STARTED TO RISE. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE CAR OFF, AND OPENED UP THE HOOD TO FIND COOLANT HAD BEEN PUSHED OUT THE OVERFLOW CONTAINER, THEN I SUBSEQUENTLY BROUGHT IT TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THE HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN. AFTER A FEW DAYS THE MECHANIC GOT BACK TO ME, TELLING ME THE HEAD BOLTS HAD STRIPPED AND THE ENGINE WAS UNREPAIRABLE. I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY IF IT GAVE AWAY WHEN GOING DOWN THE FREEWAY. TOYOTA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND FIX THIS ISSUE THAT IS NOW BECOMING A VERY BIG PROBLEM. TOYOTA DID RELEASE A TSB FOR DEALERS ABOUT THIS BUT IT SAYS TO USE TIMESERTS OR REPLACE THE BLOCK. *TR”
“ON MY 2004 TOYOTA CAMRY LE, AT THE EXACT MOMENT I APPLIED THE BRAKES AT IDLE SPEED, THERE WAS AN EXTREMELY LOUD AND HIGH REVOLUTION RACING SOUND. THIS CONDITION WAS EXTREME. I CHANGED GEAR SELECTOR FROM "DRIVE" TO "PARK" AND THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN RACING SOUND OR NOISE LEVEL. HOWEVER, CAR DID NOT SURGE FORWARD AND NO ADDITIONAL BRAKE PRESSURE WAS REQUIRED. I TURNED ENGINE OFF AND CAR RESTARTED NORMALLY. A MECHANIC CHECKED OUT MY CAR AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. A SIMILAR INCIDENT OCCURRED ABOUT 2-3 MONTHS EARLIER WHILE BACKING UP AT IDLE SPEED. NOT SURE IF IT IS POSSIBLE FOR ENGINE TO DISENGAGE FROM TRANSMISSION, WHICH MIGHT EXPLAIN WHY CAR DID NOT SURGE FORWARD (AND BACKWARD RESPECTIVELY). THIS SAME CAR IN MARCH OF 2010 EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION (PARKED UNDER A CELL TOWER) WHICH WAS MUCH WORSE THAN DESCRIBED ABOVE-I FILED A COMPLAINT IN 2010 FOR THIS. *TR”
“I WAS DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING THE GAS PETAL WAS NO LONGER WORKING. THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. FORTUNATELY I WAS ON A SIDE STREET AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER. GOT IT TOWED AND WAS TOLD THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS BROKEN AND IT WAS A PRETTY COMMON PROBLEM FOR CAMRY'S. *TR”
“ON AUGUST 4, 2012, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE THROTTLE ACTUATOR CONTROL ON MY 2004 CAMRY BROKE. MY CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE AND SUDDEN STOP, WHICH I AM VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE NOT BEEN HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. I WAS NOT ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR AND MANY CARS WERE FORCED TO SWERVE AROUND ME TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON MY DASHBOARD WERE FLASHING. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND TRIED TO RESTART IT, THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES, BUT WAS ONLY ABLE TO DRIVE AT 10 MPH. MY MECHANIC CHECKED THE ENGINE CODE & FOUND THE PROBLEM TO BE THE THROTTLE BODY ACTUATOR CONTROL. THE PRICE FOR THE PART WAS $900, NOT INCLUDING LABOR. I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM LIA TOYOTA OF NORTHAMPTON, WHOM I HAVE CONTACTED & THEY WILL NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY. I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURING OF NORTH AMERICA OFFICE IN KENTUCKY AND AM WAITING FOR A RESPONSE. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *TR”
“WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY, ALL OF A SUDDEN WHEN I TRIED TO PRESS ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO ACCELERATE, NOTHING HAPPENED, AND VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOWLY SLOW DOWN. I PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD, TURNED OFF VEHICLE AND RESTARTED. VEHICLE ACCELERATE FINE AFTER THAT. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. THE TOYOTA DEALER CHECKED AND FOUND THROTTLE BODY FAILURE AND REPLACED IT. COST MORE THAN $1300. *KB”
Showing 6 of 61 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.