RoadVitals

1986 Toyota Camry Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
32
Latest May 10, 2016
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
9
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
3

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1986 Toyota Camry, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Seat belts1031.3%
  • Tires & wheels515.6%
  • Driver assistance412.5%
  • Engine412.5%
  • Brakes39.4%
  • Visibility26.3%
  • Body & structure26.3%
  • Heating & air conditioning13.1%
  • Suspension13.1%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Seat belts

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.

10
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

FRONT PASSENGER'S SEATBELT WILL NOT LOCK UP WHEN MAKING A STOP ,ALLOWING PASSENGER TO FLY FORWAARD,CAUSING LOSS OF PROTECTION. *AK

NHTSA ID 857091 · filed Feb 17, 2000

THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT FEMALE PART IS CRACKED WHERE THE BUCKLE GOES IN AND HAS CAUSED THE SEAT BELT NOT TO LATCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK

NHTSA ID 808356 · filed Jan 30, 1997
All 10 reports naming seat belts

Tires & wheels

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.

5
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

RAPID RUBBER DETERIORATION ON KUHMO PASSENGER CAR TIRE. *TR

NHTSA ID 10396035 · filed Apr 15, 2011

3/28/04-PURCHASED 4 NEW TIRES FROM WAL-MART TIRE CENTER (P185/70R13 BW X-TRAC). 4/16/2005- BROKE DOWN ON SIDE OF ROAD DUE TO VEHICLE SHAKING VIOLENTLY. HAD VEHICLE TOWED; MECHANIC SAID THAT BELT IN TIRE SLIPPED. I RETURNED TIRE TO WAL-MART AND THEY GAVE ME A PRO-RATED PRICE ON NEW TIRE (BASED ON THE TREAD THAT WAS LEFT ON DAMAGED TIRE) 6/27/05-BROKE DOWN ON SIDE OF ROAD AGAIN BECAUSE OF VEHICLE SHAKING VIOLENTLY. ALMOST HIT ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN I SWERVED INTO OTHER LANE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO MECHANIC-MECHANIC SAID THAT BELT SLIPPED ON OTHER TIRE. HAD TO HAVE TIRE REPLACED.

NHTSA ID 10126848 · filed Jun 28, 2005

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1986 TOYOTA CAMRY THAT WE BOUGHT NEW. WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION BACK IN 1986 AND BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE ORIGINAL TOYOTA DEALER. THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THE ISSUE WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAS HAPPENED 3 MORE TIMES MOST RECENTLY A FEW WEEKS AGO. WE HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND AVOID AN ACCIDENT. THE LAST INCIDENT A FEW WEEKS AGO WAS TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. THE CAR ONLY HAS 120K MILES AND RUNS GREAT. IS THERE A SPECIFIC FIX FOR THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION ISSUE IN THE 1986 TOYOTA? WE DON'T WANT TO SELL THE CAR IN FEAR SOMEONE WILL HAVE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT BUT WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHAT CAUSES THIS INTERMITTENT SERIOUS ISSUE. THE 1ST ACCELERATION ISSUE IN 1986 WAS WHEN WE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY USING CRUISE CONTROL. ONCE WE TURNED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL THE CAR CONTINUED TO GAIN SPEED EVEN WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES. WE WERE ON AN OPEN HIGHWAY WITH LITTLE TRAFFIC AND WERE ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND CONTINUE APPLYING THE BRAKES TILL WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT TO STOP. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WE STILL HAVE THE RECEIPT FROM 1986 WITH NO PROBLEM FOUND. THE 2ND TIME IT HAPPENED ALSO IN 1986 WAS WHILE REVERSING IN A PARKING LOT. THE CAR ACCELERATED EVEN WHILE HITTING THE BRAKES, AGAIN THE CAR WAS PUT INTO NEUTRAL AND AGAIN THE CAR WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE NO MECHANICAL ISSUE WAS FOUND. WE WENT MANY YEARS WITHOUT ANOTHER ISSUE UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AGO WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. WE WERE REVERSING INTO A PARKING SPOT AND THE CAR ACCELERATED. ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN PROVIDE WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

NHTSA ID 10864119 · filed May 10, 2016

1986 TOYOTA CAMRY UNINTENDED ACCELERATION ONCE*CW THE CONSUMER STATED THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION HE EXPERIENCED WAS DUE TO ELECTRONICS NOT THE PEDAL. THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS ON A STEEP UPHILL CLIMB ON MN HIGHWAY 52 WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENABLED. THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWING BECAUSE OF THE HILL. HE PUSHED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT STARTED ACCELERATING OUT OF CONTROL. HE REMOVED HIS FOOT FROM THE PEDAL, BUT THE SPEED CONTINUED TO INCREASE. THE CONSUMER PULLED THE PEDAL UP WITH HIS FOOT WHICH HAD NO EFFECT. HE HIT THE BRAKE TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL, BUT IT DIDN'T STOP ACCELERATING. HE TURNED OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL VIA THE ON/OFF BUTTON AND THE LIGHT WENT OUT, BUT IT STILL DID NOT STOP ACCELERATING. AS THE CONSUMER CRESTED THE HILL, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE EVEN MORE. HE TURNED THE KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND THE VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP WHILE HE PRESSED ON THE BRAKE MUCH HARDER THAN WAS NORMALLY NECESSARY. THE CONSUMER NO LONGER OWNS THE VEHICLE. *JB

NHTSA ID 10317554 · filed Mar 4, 2010

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

ENGINE MAKES CLANGING SOUND BETWEEN 1500-2500RPM WHICH INCREASES IN FREQ ALONG WITH ENGINE SPEED THEN STOPS . HEARD IN PARK AS WELL AS DRIVING CAR? WHAT IS IT? HOW CAN IT BE FIXED? DT

NHTSA ID 770371 · filed Dec 3, 2002

THIS IS A GENERAL RATHER THAN SPECIFIC COMPLAINT, ABOUT ONE OF THE GREATEST DANGERS ON THE ROAD: THE POSSIBILITY OF SUDDEN BREAKAGE OF THE TIMING BELTS IN MANY CARS. THEY ARE PRONE TO BREAK WITHOUT WARNING, LEAVING THE CAR TOTALLY WITHOUT POWER, POWER-ASSIST STEERING, OR POWER BRAKES, AS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE IN THE ABOVE CASE. FEW PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THIS DANGER, OR OF THE NEED TO REPLACE THE TIMING BELT AFTER 50,000 MILES OR SO. THE MADDENING THING IS THAT UNBREAKABLE METAL TIMING CHAINS ARE AVAILABLE (AND USED ON THE SAME ENGINES IN PICKUP TRUCKS, I BELIEVE) BUT ARE NOT INSTALLED IN AUTOS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOISIER.*AK

NHTSA ID 732841 · filed Sep 29, 2000

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

PROBLEM OCCURED GRADUALLY AND ALMOST UNNOTICABLY. WHEN IT BECAME MORE FREQUENT I FELT IT WAS TOO DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE BRAKE LIGHT WAS THE FIRST SIGN, BUT IT DIDN'T STAY ON BUT FOR A FEW SECONDS. REPAIRS INCURRED AN EXPENSE ON MY PART (ON 26 OCTOBER 1999) OF $765.66 FOR TWO WHEEL CYLINDERS, BRAKE SHOES (1) AND TWO LOWER CONTROL ARMS. I COULD NOT PURCHASE JUST THE BEARINGS, WHICH I WAS TOLD WAS THE PROBLEM, THEY WOULD ONLY SELL ME THE ENTIRE UNITS FOR REPLACEMENTS.

NHTSA ID 713071 · filed Oct 10, 1999

DEFECTIVE BRAKE ROTORS INSTALLED, CAUSING STEERING WHEEL TO WOBBLE AFTER RECALL REPAIR. *SD

NHTSA ID 504352 · filed May 10, 1996

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Visibility

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

WINDOW HANDLE ON DRIVERS SIDE FELL OFF. HE TOOK IT TO GARAGE. THE ONLY WAY THAT THE HANDLE WILL STAY IF CONSUMER WOULD HAVE THE WINDOW OPEN, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE. HE HAS KNOB NEXT TO HIM, AND THEN HE WILL STICK THE KNOB ON THE DOOR TO OPEN AND CLOSE OF THE DOOR. *AK

NHTSA ID 870942 · filed Sep 19, 2000

DISTORTED WINDSHIELD, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. *SD

NHTSA ID 502299 · filed Feb 11, 1996

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS FAILED.

NHTSA ID 532557 · filed Mar 12, 1998

ELECTRIC DOOR LOCKS DO NOT WORK. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO DEALER. CAUSE OF PROBLEM UNKNOWN. *AK

NHTSA ID 820132 · filed Dec 29, 1997

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Heating & air conditioning

Reports naming the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

SOMETHING

NHTSA ID 1052 · filed Mar 23, 2000

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Suspension

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

THE LOWER CONTROL ARM IS SEPARATING AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SWITCH LANES WHEN GAS IS APPLIED. DEALER SAYS IT IS NOT COVERED. *AK

NHTSA ID 815520 · filed Aug 20, 1997

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .