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1996 Toyota Camry

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1996 Toyota Camry do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 295.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 98 of 417 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.

  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 76 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

55 crash reports8 fire reports44 injury reports

Seats complaints

7 reports
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193,000 miles · May 11, 2014
Air BagsSeat BeltsSeatsCrashInjury

WAS INVOLVED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT WHERE VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP WAITING TO EXIT FREEWAY: BACKUP ON FREEWAY EXIT, WAS REAR ENDED AT HIGH SPEED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. CAUSING CHAIN REACTION CRASH, VEHICLE WAS SANDWICHED BETWEEN TWO VEHICLES. VEHICLE FLOORING BECAME DEFORMED WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPS…

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WAS INVOLVED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT WHERE VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP WAITING TO EXIT FREEWAY: BACKUP ON FREEWAY EXIT, WAS REAR ENDED AT HIGH SPEED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. CAUSING CHAIN REACTION CRASH, VEHICLE WAS SANDWICHED BETWEEN TWO VEHICLES. VEHICLE FLOORING BECAME DEFORMED WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSING AND MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR THE SEAT BELT TO FAIL CAUSING ME TO BANG MY FACE INTO THE STEERING WHEEL. I FOUND THE SEAT BELT WAS UNBUCKLED AFTER THE CRASH. AIRBAGS DID DEPLOY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10587674

Mileage unknown · Apr 29, 2002
Seats

DURING A CAR CRASH DRIVER'S SEAT FULLY RECLINED, AND WAS UNABLE TO PULL BACK INTO THE RIGHT POSITION.*AK *JG

NHTSA ODI #8008797

Mileage unknown · Oct 25, 2001
Air BagsSeatsCrashInjury

DURING AN ACCIDENT ON 10/15/01 MY DRIVER SIDE SEAT BROKE AND MY AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

NHTSA ODI #753672

Mileage unknown · Oct 16, 2001
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingEquipment

UPON STARTING VEHICLE AT IDLE SPEED, THE CONTROL VALVE STICKS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXAMINED BY DEALERSHIP, AND CONSUMER HAS BEEN TOLD THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. *AK BRAKES EXPERIENCE GRINDING, SQUEAKING, AND VIBRATION, ROTORS WERE WARPED AND BRAKE PADS WERE GLAZED, BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, HOWEVER PROBLEM CONTINUES. CONSUMER …

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UPON STARTING VEHICLE AT IDLE SPEED, THE CONTROL VALVE STICKS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXAMINED BY DEALERSHIP, AND CONSUMER HAS BEEN TOLD THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. *AK BRAKES EXPERIENCE GRINDING, SQUEAKING, AND VIBRATION, ROTORS WERE WARPED AND BRAKE PADS WERE GLAZED, BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, HOWEVER PROBLEM CONTINUES. CONSUMER STATES THERE IS A SUSPENSION PROBLEM THAT IS CAUSING UNEVEN TIRE WEAR. VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SEVERAL ENGINE RELATED PROBLEMS, MOTOR MOUNTS WERE WEAK CAUSING STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION, 16 VALVE SEALS CAME APART DUE TO BEING INSTALLED INCORRECTLY, WATER PUMP LEAKED, TIMING BELT FAILED, VALVE COVER LEAKED, AND CAM SEAL WAS REPLACED. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION RELATED PROBLEMS, RIGHT OUTER AXLE BOOT WAS SPLIT AND LEAKING GREASE, CV BOOTS FAILED TWICE, SHIFTER WAS HARD AND WAS MAKING NOISES, DEALER FOUND THE SHIFTER LEVER PLATE WAS BROKEN, TRANSMISSION PAN GASKET WAS REPLACED, THERE WAS A CLUNKING NOISE IN THE REAR WHEN GOING IN REVERSE. THE CAR JACK WAS MISSING FROM THE TRUNK AND THE ANTENNA WAS INOPERABLE. DEALER FOUND AN OPEN CIRCUIT IN THE BATTERY. CONSUMER NOTICED A RATTLING NOISE UNDER THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT, DEALER SECURED SEAT SLIDE ADJUSTER HOOK, TEMPERATURE GAUGE DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. OVERDRIVE LIGHT WAS INOPERABLE. VEHICLE HAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL FUEL RELATED PROBLEMS, THE EGR VALVE ASSEMBLY, EGR MODULATOR, IDLER CONTROL VALVE, IDLE AIR SPEED CONTROL, DISTRIBUTOR O-RING, IDLER BEARING, ISC VALVE, AND VACUUM SWITCHING VALVE HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED, BLUE SMOKE WAS COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST, DEALER CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY, FUEL INJECTION, AND RECALIBRATED THE FUEL SENSOR, VEHICLE WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND STALLING DUE TO FAULTY EGR VACUUM MODULATOR, DEALER STATED THAT THE VALVE WOULD DEFAULT IF THERE WAS TOO MUCH OIL ADDED, THE VALVE IS TOO SMALL SO IT WILL STICK OR BECOME CLOGGED UP WITH CARBON BUILD UP. *SLC

NHTSA ODI #897821

Mileage unknown · May 25, 2001
Seats

MANUALLY ADJUSTING DRIVERS SEAT WILL MOVE FORWARD & BACKWARD WHILE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION, AND CONSUMER APPLIES BRAKING SYSTEM. CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE COULD POSSIBLY BE SOME COMPONENTS OF SEAT THAT ARE LOOSE AND CAUSING THIS NOTICABLE MOVEMENT OF SEAT. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND ARE GOING TO HOLD THE …

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MANUALLY ADJUSTING DRIVERS SEAT WILL MOVE FORWARD & BACKWARD WHILE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION, AND CONSUMER APPLIES BRAKING SYSTEM. CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE COULD POSSIBLY BE SOME COMPONENTS OF SEAT THAT ARE LOOSE AND CAUSING THIS NOTICABLE MOVEMENT OF SEAT. DEALERSHIP HAS NOT EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND ARE GOING TO HOLD THE CONSUMER RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY EXAMINATION/REPAIR RELATING TO THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #889183

Mileage unknown · Oct 28, 1999
EquipmentSeats

SEAT SLIDE/TRACK FAILED. MJS

NHTSA ODI #549290

Mileage unknown · Sep 23, 1999
Seats

DRIVER 'S SIDE SEAT MOVES, THE ANCHOR IS LOOSE WHEN GOING AROUND A CURVE. *AK

NHTSA ODI #846013

Official recalls

2

99V307000 · Steering: Steering Wheel/handle Bar

Nov 1, 1999

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED CAUSING STEERING VIBRATION AND LOOSENESS.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT.

96V037000 · Exterior Lighting:tail Lights

Feb 20, 1996

THE PLASTIC MATERIAL OF THE BULB HOLDERS OF THE REAR TAIL LIGHT ASSEMBLY DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT HEAT RESISTANCE. WHEN THE BULB IS ILLUMINATED, THE RESULTING HIGH TEMPERATURE CAN CAUSE THE BULB HOLDER TO DEFORM.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: AS THE BULB HOLDER DEFORMS, THE BULB CAN LOSE ELECTRICAL CONTACT, RESULTING IN AN INOPERATIVE LAMP, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ACCIDENT.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR COMBINATION LAMP BULB HOLDER TO SEE IF IT IS THE DEFECTIVE MATERIAL. THE DEFECTIVE BULB HOLDER TOGETHER WITH THE WIRING HARNESS WILL BE REPLACED WITH A CORRECT BULB HOLDER AND HARNESS.

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

2

DP02004 · Engine Seizure

Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling

No summary supplied.

PE01024 · Suspension Coil Spring

Opened Jul 18, 2001 · Closed Jan 29, 2002

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension

No summary supplied.

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