IllustrationWHILE VEHICLE WAS MOVING AT A SPEED OF 60 MPH AND ENGINE INADVERTENTLY LOCKED UP. *AK
1999 Toyota Camry
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1999 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
120–25K
2625–50K
3850–75K
3475–100K
41100–150K
23150K+
174 reports with mileage · 327 unknown
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 110 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 76 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Air Bags. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
99 crash reports42 fire reports62 injury reports
What owners actually said
501 reportsWHILE AT A STOP CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. CONSUMER PULLED OVER TO CHECK THE PROBLEM, AND SAW THAT THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONED. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, BUT DEALERSHIP DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER BEGAN TO HEAR A CRACKLING SOUND. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND POPPED THE HOOD AND SAW THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SAID THE FIRE OCCURRED BECAUSE OF A FAULTY IGNITION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *NLM
WHILE TRAVELING ON 287 NORTH AROUND EDISON, NJ, MY 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE FIRE STARTED FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. AT THE TIME THE FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED, 60 PERCENT OF THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN ENGULFED ON FIRE. *LA
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH HEARD LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THIS FORCED DRIVER TO PULL OF THE ROAD. THEN, CALLED TRIPLE AAA, AND TOWED VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. TECHNICIAN STATED THE NEED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. CONSUMER HAD NAVIGATED IN DIFFERENT WEBSITES AND FOUND 5000 IDENTICAL PROBLEMS.*AK
WITHOUT WARNING, I.E. SQUEALING, SOUNDS, ETC., I EXPERIENCED INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKES TO AVOID A COLLISION. WHEN I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER/SERVICE, THEY STATED THAT THE FRONT PADS ARE METAL TO METAL. THE CAR HAS 89,000 MILES AND THE BRAKES AND PORTIONS OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAVE BEEN REPLACE…
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WITHOUT WARNING, I.E. SQUEALING, SOUNDS, ETC., I EXPERIENCED INCREASED STOPPING DISTANCE WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKES TO AVOID A COLLISION. WHEN I RETURNED THE CAR TO THE DEALER/SERVICE, THEY STATED THAT THE FRONT PADS ARE METAL TO METAL. THE CAR HAS 89,000 MILES AND THE BRAKES AND PORTIONS OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAVE BEEN REPLACED ON AVERAGE EVERY 8,000 MILES. THIS HAS BEEN THE ELEVENTH TIME THAT THERE HAS BEEN BRAKE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. THE FRONT BRAKE PADS ARE BEING WORN PREMATURELY. THERE IS USUALLY A LOT OF BRAKE DUST AND CRYSTALLIZED OR SOLID MATERIAL FALLING FROM THE FRONT BRAKE PADS. THE DEALER/MECHANIC/SERVICE HAS STATED VARIOUS REASONS FOR THE BRAKE FAILURES EACH TIME, BUT THE PROBLEM IS NEVER RESOLVED. THIS CAR HAS ABS. *LA
FAILURE OF VALVE SEALS AND ENGINE VARNISH AT ONLY 62,000 MILES. VEHICLE WAS PROPERLY MAINTAINED OIL CHANGES WITHIN MFG. SPECS. THIS ENGINE RUNS TOO HOT! ONLY 2000 MILES OUT OF WARRANTY TOYOTA REFUSED HELP, OVERCHARGED FOR REPAIR, AND CHARGED FOR AN OIL CHANGE THAT WAS NEVER DONE!!!! *LA
HIT FROM REAR AT ABOUT 45 MILES AT A STOP LIGHT. BOTH BUCKET FRONT SEATS LAID BACK ON REAR SEAT AT IMPACT. IIS THIS IS A DEFECT IN SEAT CONSTRUCTION AS I AM THINKING OF BUYING SAME AUTO. WE DID NOT HAVE INJURIES. *LA
WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH GOING UPHILL ON EXPRESSWAY, WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY SMOKE AND FLAME. BY THE TIME WE GO TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, WE HAD NO BRAKES, NO STEERING, NOTHING WAS WORKING. CAR WAS TOTALLY COVERED IN SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE INTENSE. ANOTHER VEHI…
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WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH GOING UPHILL ON EXPRESSWAY, WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY SMOKE AND FLAME. BY THE TIME WE GO TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, WE HAD NO BRAKES, NO STEERING, NOTHING WAS WORKING. CAR WAS TOTALLY COVERED IN SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE INTENSE. ANOTHER VEHICLE STOPPED WITHIN SECONDS OF OUR PULLING OVER WITH A MEDIUM SIZED FIRE EXTINGUISHER. HE PROCEEDED TO LAY ON HIS BACK AND TOTALLY EMPTY THE EXTINGUISHER FROM UNDER THE CAR, WHICH MADE NO DIFFERENCE. BY THE TIME THE FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVED (WITHIN 10 MINUTES), THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS TOTALLY BURNED. I NOTICE THAT YOU HAVE CLOSED OUT PE02-079, BUT BELIEVE IT TO BE RELATED. THE CAR IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY STATE FARM INSURANCE. THE CAR HAD A MAJOR SERVICE AT 67,000 MILES, INCLUDING A TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT ON JULY 24TH, 2003. THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 70,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. *LA
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, A CLICKING NOISE WAS HEARD AND THEN SMOKE STARTED TO COME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE CONSUMER VIEWED FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD. *AK *SCC *JB
Official recalls
101V012000 · Vehicle Speed Control
Jan 16, 2001
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH CRUISE CONTROL AND V6 ENGINES, AND BUILT AT ONE OF TWO LINES AT THE KENTUCKY PLANT. THE ACCELERATOR CABLE HOUSING COULD BE DEFORMED AT THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTUATOR-TO-THROTTLE BODY CONNECTION. THE ACCELERATOR INNER-CABLE COULD WEAR AWAY AND EVENTUALLY BREAK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD ALLOW THE THROTTLE TO RETURN TO IDLE OR REMAIN IN ITS MOST RECENT POSITION REGARDLESS OF ACCELERATOR PEDAL OPERATION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ACCELERATOR CABLE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 23, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
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
2PE02079 · 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.