IllustrationTHERE IS A PERSISTENT OIL LEAK PROBLEM THAT BEGAN AT 89000 MILES AND IS UNFIXABLE. THE VALVE COVER, OIL PAN, AND OIL FILTER GASKETS WERE REPLACED AT APPROXIMATELY 93000 MILES AND 9000 MILES LATER PROBLEM HAS RETURNED, PLUS THERE IS A SMOKE SMELL PERMEATING THE CAR CABIN. YD
1993 Toyota Camry
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Toyota Camry do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 295.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Camry years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 28 of 260 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Air Bags. Review the 45 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
47 crash reports9 fire reports41 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
40 reportsWHILE DRIVING DOWN A WET HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH NMOTOR JUST STOPPED, AND NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON UNTIL MOTOR STOPPED. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS UNSAFE BECAUSE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF SOMEONE WAS BEHIND. *AK
TOYOTA CLAIMS ENGINE FAILUE WAS DUE TO SLUDGE FORMATION IN THE ENGINE. THEY POINT TO NEGLECTED OIL CHANGES WHICH IS UNTRUE. I AM SPECULATING SLUDGE WAS CAUSED BY WATER IN THE OIL /HIGH TEMPERATURE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF EITHER THAT I KNOW OF. THE CAR WAS TRADED IN AT THOMPSON TOYOTA, EDGE WATER, MD. I NO LONGER RETAIN …
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TOYOTA CLAIMS ENGINE FAILUE WAS DUE TO SLUDGE FORMATION IN THE ENGINE. THEY POINT TO NEGLECTED OIL CHANGES WHICH IS UNTRUE. I AM SPECULATING SLUDGE WAS CAUSED BY WATER IN THE OIL /HIGH TEMPERATURE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF EITHER THAT I KNOW OF. THE CAR WAS TRADED IN AT THOMPSON TOYOTA, EDGE WATER, MD. I NO LONGER RETAIN OWNERSHIP OF THE CAR
THIS YEAR OF CAMRY WAS DESIGNED WITHOUT A TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT. SINCE THIS CAR DOESN'T HAVE A WARNING LIGHT OR AUDIBLE ALARM, AND SINCE THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL DEPRESS THE GAS PEDAL AUTOMATICALLY TO COMPENSATE FOR LOST POWER, THIS CAR COULD OVERHEAT AND CATCH ON FIRE BEFORE THE DRIVER WOULD KNOW IT WAS OVERHEATING. THIS AN…
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THIS YEAR OF CAMRY WAS DESIGNED WITHOUT A TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT. SINCE THIS CAR DOESN'T HAVE A WARNING LIGHT OR AUDIBLE ALARM, AND SINCE THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL DEPRESS THE GAS PEDAL AUTOMATICALLY TO COMPENSATE FOR LOST POWER, THIS CAR COULD OVERHEAT AND CATCH ON FIRE BEFORE THE DRIVER WOULD KNOW IT WAS OVERHEATING. THIS AND THE FACT THAT TOYOTA'S RADIATOR IS MADE OF PLASTIC (DEALERS WILL NOT REPLACE THEM WITH AN OEM PART), LENDS TO MY EXPERIENCE OF THE CAR OVERHEATING AND THE ENGINE SELF DESTRUCTING (A $4500 PART, NEW) - I SPENT $3480 FOR A USED ENGINE. I FEEL THAT A MISSING WARNING LIGHT IS A DESIGN DEFECT AND THE CAR SHOULD BE REPAIRED FREE OF CHARGE.
I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND AFTER HE WAS ALMOST FINISHED PUTTING EVERYTHING BACK TOGETHER, A CUSOTMER OF HIS WHO OWNS A 1993 TOYOTA HI LUX TRUCK TOLD HIM THAT THE HEAD GASKETS IN HIS TRUCK WERE RECALLED AND THAT THE TOYOTA SERVICE STATION TOOK CARE OF IT. HE ALSO HAD A V6 ENGINE IN HIS TRUCK, THE SAME AS MINE. IF HIS ENG…
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I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND AFTER HE WAS ALMOST FINISHED PUTTING EVERYTHING BACK TOGETHER, A CUSOTMER OF HIS WHO OWNS A 1993 TOYOTA HI LUX TRUCK TOLD HIM THAT THE HEAD GASKETS IN HIS TRUCK WERE RECALLED AND THAT THE TOYOTA SERVICE STATION TOOK CARE OF IT. HE ALSO HAD A V6 ENGINE IN HIS TRUCK, THE SAME AS MINE. IF HIS ENGINE IS THE SAME AS MINE, I'M WONDERING IF WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE THE ENGINE COMPONENTS OF MY CAR WERE ALSO . *AK
CONSUMER WENT TO GET AN OIL CHANGE, THERE WAS A FRONT SIDE LIGHT OUT. DEALER CHANGED LIGHT AND CHANGED THE OIL. WHEN CONSUMER PICKED UP CAR THERE WERE NO TAIL LIGHTS. DEALER SAID ALL BULBS BLEW OUT. CONSUMER THINKS MECHANIC MAY HAVE BLOWN OUT THE BULBS. ALSO, MECHANIC SAID THAT CONSUMER NEEDED A NEW OIL PAN. *AK
ENGINE OVERHEATED AND BLEW A HEAD GASKET. *AK
THE DEFECTIVE RELAY LOCATED IN THE TRUNK AREA CAUSED THE TAILLIGHTS TO GO OUT. ALSO, PROBLEMS WITH OIL PAN BOLT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
OBVIOUS PROBLEM W/ TOYOTA V6 ENGINE HEAD GASKETS FROM 88' OR NEWER. *AK
WE BOUGHT THIS CAR USED, IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE RINGS, AND VALVES, WE HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY BECAUSE THE BATTERY MOVED AROUND UNDER THE HOOS, THE LEAD WAS EXPOSED, THE REAR SIDE WINDOW FROZE IN THE DOWN POSITION, WENT UP AND THE FROZE AGIN, HAD TO DISBAN, THE AUTOMATIC TRANS. HAS TO BE REPLACED $250…
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WE BOUGHT THIS CAR USED, IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS WE HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE RINGS, AND VALVES, WE HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY BECAUSE THE BATTERY MOVED AROUND UNDER THE HOOS, THE LEAD WAS EXPOSED, THE REAR SIDE WINDOW FROZE IN THE DOWN POSITION, WENT UP AND THE FROZE AGIN, HAD TO DISBAN, THE AUTOMATIC TRANS. HAS TO BE REPLACED $2500.00, THE CAR WILL NOT SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR, IF WE STOP IT WON'T GO ANY FARTHER. IF WE STOP TURN OFF THE CAR AND WAIT A MIN. IT WILL START AND GO UNTIL YOU HAVE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN, THEN YOU STOP AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. THE EXHAUST IS CLOGGED AND FUMES ARE MOVING INTO THE PASSENGER AREA.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA93032 · Alleged Battery Explosions
Opened Dec 27, 1993 · Closed Nov 30, 1994
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System
There is no summary currently available
PE93074 · Alleged Battery Failures
Opened Aug 27, 1993 · Closed Dec 27, 1993
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System
There is no summary currently available