IllustrationTHE VEHICLES' FRONT BRAKE ROTOR CONTINUOUSLY WHOP, AND WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE VIBRATES. THE DEALERSHIP HAS TURNED THE ROTOR 6 TIMES, BUT PROBLEM CONTINUES. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. TS
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
What owners actually said
555 reportsCONSUMER IS CONCERNED ABOUT SLUDGE AND OIL GELLING IN THE ENGINE. THE CONSUMER REPORTED SEEING SMOKE FROM THE VEHICLE. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE VEHICLE STALLED, THE DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE MAIN BEARINGS, ROD BEARINGS AND THE OIL PUMP. *JB
CONSUMER STATES THAT BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH INDICATING BRAKE PROBLEM, CONSUMER STATES TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY STATED BRAKES NEEDED REPLACING. CONSUMER STATES BRAKES HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOUR TIMES. CONSUMER FEELS THERE A DEFECT IN THE BRAKES THAT ARE BEING PUT ON VEHICLE. MR MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE BRAKE SYST…
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CONSUMER STATES THAT BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH INDICATING BRAKE PROBLEM, CONSUMER STATES TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY STATED BRAKES NEEDED REPLACING. CONSUMER STATES BRAKES HAVE BEEN CHANGED FOUR TIMES. CONSUMER FEELS THERE A DEFECT IN THE BRAKES THAT ARE BEING PUT ON VEHICLE. MR MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM MET THE SATISFACTORY SPECIFICATIONS-DECLINED REPAIR. THE CONSUMER REQUESTS REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE ELAPSED BRAKE WORK ON THE DATE OF 8/15/02 IN THE AMOUNT OF $659.44. SCC
CONSUMER STATES WAS HIT FROM THE REAR BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING APPROX 25-30 MPH AND IN TURN COLLIDED W/A VEHICLE IN FRONT. BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT SEATS BUCKLED AND COLLAPSED BACKWARD. CONSUMER SUSTAINED SEVERE WHIPLASH INJURIES AS A RESULT. MR
CONSUMER STATES WAS HIT FROM THE REAR BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING APPROX 25-30MPH AND IN TURN COLLIDED WITH A VEHICLE IN FRONT. BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MR
MODEL GRACO 74038NM DATED 10-11-01; WAS DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN IT SUDDENLY HYDROPLANED, SPINNED AROUND AND HIT THE GUARD RAIL. THIS CAUSED THE HARNESS STRAPS AND THE CLIP ON THE CHILD SEAT TO BREAK APART AND SEPERATE. INSURANCE COMPANY HAS TOTALED THE VEHICLE. NLM
CONSUMER STATES THE ENGINE SEIZED W/O WARNING. VEHICLE CHECKED BY DLR WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE PISTON WAS CRACKED. NLM
WHILE IN MOTION, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY MADE A SCREECHING SOUND AND STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER OF A HOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK ABOUT 4 INCHES IN DIAMETER. THE NUMBER 2 AND NUMBER 4 CONNECTING RODS HAD COME OUT AND THE PISTON ROD WAS BROKEN. CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE. *JG…
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WHILE IN MOTION, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY MADE A SCREECHING SOUND AND STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER OF A HOLE IN THE ENGINE BLOCK ABOUT 4 INCHES IN DIAMETER. THE NUMBER 2 AND NUMBER 4 CONNECTING RODS HAD COME OUT AND THE PISTON ROD WAS BROKEN. CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE. *JG
CONSUMER STATES AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER. THEY REPLACED FRONT ROTORS AND PADS, WITHIN SIX MONTH OR LESS THE PROBLEM IS REOCCURRING. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB
WHILE TRAVELING, EXITING TOLL, OCCUPANTS HEARD A POP AND THEN STEERING STARTED JIGGLING. BEFORE ACTUALLY PULLING OVER TO INSPECT VEHICLE, SMOKE AND THEN FLAMES BEGAN SHOOTING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH BY ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THIS OCCURRED WITH NO WARNING OR CAUSE OF FAILURE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *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.