IllustrationWHENEVER VEHICLE IS EITHER IDLING AT A STOP SIGN OR LIGHT IT WOULD STALL . COULD BE DRIVING OR TURNING A CORNER, VEHICLE WOULD STALL. HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER, MECHANIC COULD NOT LOCATE CAUSE OF STALLING.*AK
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.
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: 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
What owners actually said
417 reportsTAIL LIGHTS FAILED: CHECK LIGHT BULBS - THEY'RE OKAY; WARNING LIGHT SOMETIME GOES ON. *AK
FRONT BRAKES MAKE GRINDING NOISE WHEN BRAKING. *AK
I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW TOYOTA CAMRY LE IN NOV. 95 IT WAS MODEL 96. AN ONGOING PROBLEM OF STARTING THE CAR. WHEN I START THE CAR WHETHER ITS MORNING OR IN THE AFTERNOON, ONCE I RELEASE THE KEY IT DIES. I'VE BEEN GOING TO 2 TOYOTA DEALERS AND THEIR DIAGNOSED IS ALWAYS THE IDLE CONTROL. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM STARTED IN 1997,…
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I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW TOYOTA CAMRY LE IN NOV. 95 IT WAS MODEL 96. AN ONGOING PROBLEM OF STARTING THE CAR. WHEN I START THE CAR WHETHER ITS MORNING OR IN THE AFTERNOON, ONCE I RELEASE THE KEY IT DIES. I'VE BEEN GOING TO 2 TOYOTA DEALERS AND THEIR DIAGNOSED IS ALWAYS THE IDLE CONTROL. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM STARTED IN 1997, THEN AGAIN IN 1999. I WENT TO TOYOTA NORTH HOLLYWOOD AND THEY FIXED IT BY REPLACING THE IDLE VALVE ITSELF, SO I WAS TOLD. THEN MAY 2000, I HAD A PROBLEM AGAIN WHEN IN MY DASHBOARD THE WARNING "CHECK ENGINE " LIT. SO I WENT AGAIN TO HAVE IT FIXED. THEN THIS TIME, I AM HAVING A PROBLEM AGAIN STARTING THE CAR, THE ENGINE DIES AND I HAVE TO STEP ON GAS PEDAL FOR MORE THAN 2 MINUTES TO START IT , WHETHER IT'S MORNING OR AFTERNOON. I WENT BACK TO TOYOTA SERVICE THIS TIME IN TOYOTA WONDRIES ALHAMBRA WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR. AND THEY SAID THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE IDLE CONTROL VALVE AGAIN AND IT WILL COST AGAIN $330. WHY IS THIS AN ONGOING PROBLEM? I KNOW DOZENS OF CARS FROM MY FRIENDS AND FAMILIES BUT THEY DONT GO THROUGH THE SAME PROBLEM EVERY OTHER YEAR. PLEASE HELP.*AK
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 30MPH ON HIGHWAY AND ANOTHER VEHICLE STOPPED IN FRONT SUDDENLY, THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WHEN CONSUMERER SLAMING THE BRAKE IN PANIC STOP, BUT WITH OUT ANY ACCIDENT DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK
WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY VEHICLE'S LEFT FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE, AND WENT THROUGH LEFT FRONT TIRE, AND TIRE DEFLATED. CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE WAS HARD TO STEER TEMPORARILY. CONSUMER FELT THIS WAS UNSAFE BECAUSE IT COULD HAPPEN ON FREEWAY. CONSUMER HAS NOT CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHUR INFORMATION.*AK
WHENEVER THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, ABS SYSTEM WOULD LOCK UP. WHEN THIS HAD HAPPENED, VEHCLE SKIDDED & HIT A POLE. PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. NO INJURIES. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TOTALED.*AK
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
WHEN OLDER SON WAS DRIVING ABOUT 25 MPH VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD-ON. YOUNGER SON WAS RIDING ON PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, CAUSING SERIOUS INJURIES TO PASSENGER.*AK
CONSUMER WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY GETTING READY TO BACK UP AND FRONT SPRING COIL POPPED THROUGH TIRE ON DRIVER'S FRONT SIDE. CONSUMER DIDN'T HAVE ANY SIGNS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. TIRE WAS TAKEN OFF, AND WHAT WAS LEFT HAD A BIG BLOTCH IN METAL. IT WAS BROKEN IN HALF, ONLY TOP PART WAS ATTACHED TO VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED…
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CONSUMER WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY GETTING READY TO BACK UP AND FRONT SPRING COIL POPPED THROUGH TIRE ON DRIVER'S FRONT SIDE. CONSUMER DIDN'T HAVE ANY SIGNS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. TIRE WAS TAKEN OFF, AND WHAT WAS LEFT HAD A BIG BLOTCH IN METAL. IT WAS BROKEN IN HALF, ONLY TOP PART WAS ATTACHED TO VEHICLE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER, AND WARRANTY COVERAGE WAS FOR 36,000 MILES.*AK
Official recalls
299V307000 · 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
2DP02004 · 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.