Problems · by component
2005 Toyota Camry power train problems
84 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2005 Toyota Camry cite power train, 12% of all 721 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
84
12% of all complaints
Crashes
15
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I, ROBERT, WAS SITTING IN THE CAR WHEN MY WIFE CAME OUT OF THE STORE AND GOT INTO IT. I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND STARTED THE CAR. IT TOOK OFF AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE CAR LUNGED AHEAD AND STEADILY PICKED UP SPEED. THE CAR HIT A LADY WALKING WITH HER GROCERIES, THEN HIT A PARKED VEHICLE AND PUSHED IT INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAG NEVER DEPLOYED. THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. THE ONLY THING THAT MADE IT STOP WAS THAT IT HIT A LARGE SUV. MY WIFE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO FASTEN HER SEAT BELT, THUS SUSTAINING INJURIES. IT ALL HAPPENED IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT FILED. I WAS NOT CHARGED WITH THE ACCIDENT. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON MAY 24, 2017 AT A PUBLIC AUCTION IN WASHINGTON, DC. THAT MEANS THAT THESE VEHICLES ARE STILL BEING SOLD AS IF THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THEM. THE VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 240,000 MILES WHEN I PURCHASED IT. WHEN WE CHECKED THE INTERNET, WE FOUND THAT THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS. BEWARE!!!”
“BOUGHT CAMRY 05 NEW AND HAD INTERMITTENT VIBRATION IN THE FRONT . HAVE HAD ALL MOST ALL FRONT END REPLACED, MOTOR AND TRAN MOUNTS, CV DRIVE LINES .BEARING,ETC . I HAD THE CAR DOWN AT THE TOYOTA DEALER MANY TIME OVER THE YEARS THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY THING BAD ... I MY SELF CHECKED OUT FOR LOSE PARTS FOUND NOTHING TILL I MOVED LEFT SIDE CV DRIVE LINE AND I COULD MOVE THE DRIVE LINE UP AND DOWN AND AROUND THAT GOES INTO THE TRANSFER-CASE. I MADE A APPOINTMENT AGAIN TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND HAD THE SHOP FOREMAN LOOK A THIS MOVEMENT..HE SAID THIS WAS NORMAL AND MOVES LESS THEN MOST 05 CAMRYS. THIS VIBRATION HAPPEN AT 40 AND UP.”
“LAG TIME ON ACCELERATING, ALSO WHEN COMING TO A STOP DOES NOT DOWNSHIFT SMOOTHLY AND PROPERLY, RATHER IT STUTTERS AND CLUNKS. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR YEARS. THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AS WELL AS IN MOTION AT ANY SPEED THERE IS A HESITATION BEFORE ACCELERATING. STOPPING THE VEHICLE FAILS TO DOWN SHIFT IN A SMOOTH DECLINE OF GEARS. POSSIBLE ELECTRONIC PROBLEM WITH THE BREAKING ! POSSIBLE ELECTRONIC ACCELERATOR UNIT !”
“WHILE SWITCHING LANES FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AT A STOPLIGHT ABOUT 10 FEET BEHIND THE CAR IN FRONT, AS I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE THE CAR SUDDENLY, UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED AND MY FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE HIT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS UNANTICIPATED ACCELERATION AT LEAST 6-7 TIMES IN DIVERSE CIRCUMSTANCES.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AS IF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT HELD ON TO THE STEERING WHEEL, CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE, AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE, IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT HAD TO CRASH THE VEHICLE AGAINST THE SIDEWALK AND THE ONLY THING THAT STOPPED THE VEHICLE WAS THAT THE RIM HAD NO TIRE. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS PRESENT, BUT NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED OF THE CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER SENT A THIRD PARTY COMPANY TO INVESTIGATE THE CRASH AND THEY FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE REVERSING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO TWO DIFFERENT VEHICLES AND THE CURB. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE TRANSMISSION BECAME STUCK INTO SECOND GEAR AND THE BRAKES FAILED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.”
Showing 6 of 84 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.