IllustrationBRAKES WILL LOCK UP,WILL NOT RELEASE EVEN TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS, CAUSING MASS VIBRATION ON CAR. UNABLE TO STOP PROPERLY. HAVE REPLACED BRAKE CALIPER SYSTEM PROFESSIONALLY 3 TIMES, WORKS FOR APPROX 1 MONTH THEN SYSTEM FAILS AGAIN. UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT SPEEDS OVER 50 MILES PER HOUR. *AK
1997 Toyota Camry
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 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: 131 of 555 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 100 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 96 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 70 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
79 crash reports27 fire reports50 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
100 reportsBRAKES LOCK UP, WILL NOT RELEASE EVEN AT HIGH SPEEDS,CAUSING MASS VIBRATION OR UNABLE TO STOP PROPERLY. HAVE REPLACED BRAKE CALIPERS, PROFESSIONALLY 3 TIMES. WORKED APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH AND SITUATION STARTED AGAIN. 1ST INDICATION WAS BLAKES WERE ROCK HARD WHEN COMPRESSED. AS SPEED INCREASED, VIBRATION INCREASED. MECHANIC ADVIS…
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BRAKES LOCK UP, WILL NOT RELEASE EVEN AT HIGH SPEEDS,CAUSING MASS VIBRATION OR UNABLE TO STOP PROPERLY. HAVE REPLACED BRAKE CALIPERS, PROFESSIONALLY 3 TIMES. WORKED APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH AND SITUATION STARTED AGAIN. 1ST INDICATION WAS BLAKES WERE ROCK HARD WHEN COMPRESSED. AS SPEED INCREASED, VIBRATION INCREASED. MECHANIC ADVISED ALSO BOLT CAME LOOSE FRM DRIVETRAIN, CAUSING BOUCEY EFFECT PRIOR TO BRAKE PROBLEMS. *AK
THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAS BEEN A PROBLEM EVERY SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. IT MAKES A LOT OF NOISE. SOMETIMES GRINDS AND VIBRATE. I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. THEY HAVE DONE WORK TO THEM ONCE. THEY TELL ME EVERY IS TO CODE. ON FRIDAY OCTOBER22, 1999 THEY FAILED ON ME. DEALER SAYS BECAUSE THE CAN NOT DUPL…
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THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAS BEEN A PROBLEM EVERY SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. IT MAKES A LOT OF NOISE. SOMETIMES GRINDS AND VIBRATE. I HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. THEY HAVE DONE WORK TO THEM ONCE. THEY TELL ME EVERY IS TO CODE. ON FRIDAY OCTOBER22, 1999 THEY FAILED ON ME. DEALER SAYS BECAUSE THE CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THEY CAN NOT FIX IT. THEY CANT FIND ANYTHING. THE VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE.
WHEELS LOCKED UP ON TWO OCCASIONS; ONE ON A STOP, AND THE OTHER ON A WET PAVEMENT. ALSO NOTICED GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM FRONT WHEELS. VEHICLE HESITATEING WHILE STOPPING. DEALER / MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, CONSUMER NOTICED A LOUD GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS REPLACED PARTS. PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *AK
BRAKES PULSE WHEN PRESSING PEDAL. PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED AFTER TAKING TO THE DEALER TO REPLACE BRAKE PADS.
BRAKES KEEPS GRINDING AS IF IT WAS METAL TO METAL , CAUSING FRONT END TO VIBRATE AND EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK
EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN 1997 THE FRONT DISC BRAKES HAVE MADE A GROANING SOUND AND SLIPPED DURING HARD BRAKING. I TOOK THE CAR IN AT 20,000 MILES AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES ON THESE VEHICLES AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT. I JUST CHECKED WITH THE DEALER TO HAVE A BRAKE JOB (AT …
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EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN 1997 THE FRONT DISC BRAKES HAVE MADE A GROANING SOUND AND SLIPPED DURING HARD BRAKING. I TOOK THE CAR IN AT 20,000 MILES AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES ON THESE VEHICLES AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE ABOUT IT. I JUST CHECKED WITH THE DEALER TO HAVE A BRAKE JOB (AT 34,500 MILES) AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS WIDESPREAD WITH THESE VEHICLES. APPARENTLY THE METALLIC DISC BRAKE PADS JUST DO THIS. TOYOTA IS OFFERING FREE REPAIRS (FOR EXAMPLE SEE WEB PAGE HTTP://WWW.SYMESPASADENA.COM/SYMES1.HTM) FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT ONLY BY REPLACING THE METALLIC BRAKE PADS WITH ONES THAT ARE SO SOFT THAT THE BRAKES ONLY LAST FOR ABOUT 8,000 MILES. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS PROBLEM, THIS IS THE MOST WIDELY SOLD CAR IN THE COUNTRY. THE DEFECTIVE BRAKES DO NOT JUST MAKE A NOISE, THEY SLIP AND FAIL TO GRAB WHEN HARD-BRAKING THE VEHICLE. *AK
Official recalls
399V307000 · 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.
97V213000 · Electrical System:ignition
Nov 20, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO A POSSIBLE JAMMING OF THE LOCK PIN OF THE KEY INTERLOCK SOLENOID, IT IS POSSIBLE TO REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY EVEN WHEN THE SHIFT LEVER OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS NOT IN THE "PARK" POSITION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: UNDER SUCH A CONDITION, SHOULD A DRIVER FAIL TO MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER TO "PARK" POSITION AND ALSO FAIL TO ACTIVATE THE PARKING BRAKE, THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AWAY DOWN A SLOPE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE KEY INTERLOCK SOLENOID.
97V156000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist
Sep 17, 1997
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF ALASKA, COLORADO, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, IOWA, KANSAS, MAINE, MICHIGAN,MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEVADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, NOTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, AND WYOMING. A CONDITION CAN OCCUR WHERE ACCUMULATED MOISTURE CAN TEMPORARILY FREEZE IN THE BRAKE VACUUM HOSE IF THE VEHICLE IS USED IN EXTREMELY COLD CLIMATES FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN THE ELIMINATION OF VACUUM ASSIST TO THE BRAKES THAT CAN INCREASE STOPPING DISTANCES AND COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW DESIGN BRAKE VACUUM HOSE.
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
3PE02079 · Engine Compartment Fire
Opened Oct 22, 2002 · Closed Mar 18, 2003
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
ODI'S DATA ANALYSIS FOUND THE FIRES RATES TO BE CONSISTENTLY LOW AND EVENLY DISTRIBUTED AMONG SIX MODEL YEARS AND SIX DIFFERENT ENGINE CONFIGURATIONS.ODI EXAMINED A VARIETY OF ROOT CAUSES, THOSE BEING DETONATION (RESULTING IN OIL PAN PUNCTURE FROM CONNECTING ROD), STARTER FIRES, VARIOUS FUEL RELATED FIRES, LEAKING OIL FILTERS, WIRING ISSUES, IMPROPER REPAIRS AND BRAKE FLUID LEAKS.NONE OF THE ISSUES EXAMINED HAD REPORTS THAT INDICATED A TREND WHEN NORMALIZED FOR POPULATON AND EXPOSURE.SEE ATTACHED REPORT FOR FULL DETAILS.
DP02004 · Engine Seizure
Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
No summary supplied.
PE97034 · Ignition Interlock Failure
Opened Jul 16, 1997 · Closed Nov 28, 1997
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train
No summary supplied.