RoadVitals

1989 Toyota Camry

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

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.
113
Latest Jul 17, 2023
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
3
Latest Jun 2, 2016
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
7
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.
17
9 injuries, 1 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 113 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1989 Toyota Camry, most frequently naming the seat belts, interior & seats and fuel system categories. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 7 NHTSA investigations name it; and 19 manufacturer communications are on file.

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

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

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

Safety recalls

3 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
16V396000

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER

Jun 2, 2016
7,749 units potentially affected
The defect: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
The risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
The remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLCManufacturer number SET16BView on NHTSA.gov
92V135000

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

Sep 22, 1992
554,910 units potentially affected
The defect: THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) FOR THE POWER DOOR LOCK SYSTEM CAN FAIL, CAUSING THE CONTACTS TO "WELD", AND RESULTING IN DOOR LOCK SOLENOID DAMAGE, WITH FAILURE OF THE DOOR TO LOCK OR UNLOCK, EVEN UNDER MANUAL OPERATION.
The risk: IF THE DOOR FAILS TO OPEN AFTER ECU FAILURE, VEHICLEOCCUPANTS WOULD HAVE INCREASED DIFFICULTY EXITING THE VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY.
The remedy: INSTALL AN ADDITIONAL SUBCIRCUIT RELAY CONTROL TO PREVENT MALFUNCTION OF ORIGINAL RELAYS IN THE ECU.
TOYOTA MOTOR CO., LTD.View on NHTSA.gov
89V175000

SEAT BELTS:FRONT

Oct 18, 1989
408,225 units potentially affected
The defect: OCCUPANT RELEASE OF THE LAP BELT IN A CERTAIN MANNER COULD CAUSE THE BELT RETRACTOR TO LOCK AT THE RETRACTED AND STOWED POSITION.
The risk: SEAT BELTS MAY BE UNUSABLE OR OCCUPANTS MAY BEDISCOURAGED FROM USING BELTS, INCREASING THEIR POTENTIAL FOR INJURY IN ANACCIDENTAL OR SUDDEN STOP.
The remedy: REPLACE LAP BELT WITH A REDESIGNED BELT GUIDE.
TOYOTA MOTOR CO., LTD.View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

EA97008ClosedEngineering Analysis

LEAKING FUEL TANK

Opened Apr 23, 1997
Closed Apr 22, 1998

CRACKS IN THE SOLDER JOINT OF THE FUEL FILL OR INLET PIPE IN THE FUEL TANK ALLOWS LIQUID FUEL TO LEAK FROM THE TANK

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
PE97003ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

LEAKING FUEL TANK

Opened Jan 21, 1997
Closed Apr 23, 1997

CRACKS IN THE SOLDER JOINT OF THE FUEL FILL OR INLET PIPE IN THE FUEL TANK ALLOWS LIQUID FUEL TO LEAK FROM THE TANK.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
EA92044ClosedEngineering Analysis

THROTTLE STICKING

Opened Dec 18, 1992
Closed Jan 31, 1994

There is no summary currently available

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
PE92065ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

THROTTLE STICKING

Opened Jul 16, 1992
Closed Dec 18, 1992

There is no summary currently available

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 113
Electrical
Filed Jul 17, 2023
Fire reported

The contact owns a 1989 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and his wife noticed smoke coming from under the driver's side of the hood. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated that when he opened the hood, he noticed that the battery had caught on fire and the fire was expanding. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of the fire department. The vehicle was then pushed to the side of the road. There was no injury sustained. There was no police report filed. There was no fire department report filed. The contact stated that the battery was a 24 months Group 25-24 battery, made by Battery Energy Group, and purchased on February 15, 2022. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

NHTSA ID
11532767
Incident
Jul 1, 2023
Mileage
144,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Mar 25, 2019

PASSENGERS DOOR WILL MOT UNLOCK. EITHER BY ELECTRIC DOOR LOCK OR BY PULLING UP THE UNLOCK BOTTON. 1989 TOYOTA CAMRY RECALL - #92V135000 RECALL FOR LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES : DOORS : LATCH THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) FOR THE POWER DOOR LOCK SYSTEM CAN FAIL, CAUSING THE CONTACTS TO "WELD", AND RESULTING IN DOOR LOCK SOLENOID DAMAGE, WITH FAILURE OF THE DOOR TO LOCK OR UNLOCK, EVEN UNDER MANUAL OPERATION.

NHTSA ID
11191391
Incident
Mar 19, 2019
Mileage
198,315 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 31, 2018

GOT EMAIL SAYING 1989 TOYOTA CAMRY ON RECALL LIST BECAUSE OF ENGINE PISTON PROBLEMS

NHTSA ID
11082257
Incident
Mar 30, 2018
Mileage
260,000 mi
Filed Nov 14, 2017

CAR STALLS WHILE EITHER GOING DOWN THE STREET, OR AT A STOPLIGHT. MY FEAR IS THAT I WILL GET REAR-ENDED. AND, ALSO EMBARRASSING AND FRUSTRATING. THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 1989 NEW. IT HAPPENS SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR. IT IS ALWAYS WHEN WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE WET/DAMP. I CAN FEEL IT START "MISSING" AS I AM DRIVING DOWN THE CITY STREET. SOMETIMES, I HAVE TO GO TO A QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD AND KEEP DRIVING AROUND AND CHUGGING AROUND. IT STOPS, I HAVE TO PULL OVER AND TRY TO START IT SEVERAL TIMES, AND GO, AND IT DIES. ATFER I DO THIS FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES, THEN PARK IT FOR ABOUT AN HOUR OR TWO, IT WILL USUALLY START, AND GO OK. NEVER HAPPENS IN DRY WEATHER. I THINK IN THE FIRST YEAR OR 2 OF OWNING IT, I TOOK IT IN SEVERAL TIMES. FINALLY THEY CHANGED THE "COMPUTER" OR SOMETHING. BUT, SADLY THIS HAS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN EVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT NEW, AND IT JUST DID IT A COUPLE DAYS AGO AFTER A WET WARM SNOW STORM. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MY CAR DOES THIS. BUT IT IS SCARY WHEN I AM AMIDST TRAFFIC, AND IT CUT OUT AND STALLS. MY CAR HAS 92,000 MILES ON IT. I EVEN HAD RECENT ENGINE WORK, AND IT STILL ACTS THE SAME WAY. I DON'T HAVE REPAIR INVOICES, BUT ALWAYS HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER HERE IN BILLINGS, MT.

NHTSA ID
11045960
Incident
Feb 22, 1999
Mileage
1,000 mi
Seat belts
Filed Sep 29, 2016

THE SHOULDER HARNESS ON THIS CAR MOVES IN A TRACK TO GET OUT OF THE WAY WHEN THE DRIVER OPENS THE DOOR, AND TO MOVE TO THE OTHER END OF THE TRACK TO SECURE THE DRIVER WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED. IT IS A DUMB DESIGN. THIS CAR IS OLD, AND DESPITE MY MECHANIC'S BEST EFFORTS, THE MOTION TO GET OUT OF THE WAY SOMETIMES HESITATES AND THE DRIVER MUST USE HIS HAND TO MOVE THE ANCHOR ALONG IN THE TRACK. I AM CONCERNED THAT SOMEDAY THE ANCHOR WILL FAIL TO MOVE INTO POSITION TO SECURE THE DRIVER PROPERLY.

NHTSA ID
10910499
Incident
Sep 28, 2016
Mileage
173,000 mi
AirbagsDriver assistanceElectrical
Filed Nov 19, 2014

I BOUGHT A 1989 TOYOTA CAMRY ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER. IT NOW HAS 250,000 MILES ON IT. SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR I'VE HAD TROUBLE WITH THE GAS PEDAL STICKING. I DID NOT SEE THIS YEAR LISTED ON THE RECALL LIST. YOU REALLY HAVE TO PUSH HARD ON IT WHEN YOU PUT IT IN DRIVE TO GET THE CAR TO MOVE. WAS THIS PARTICULAR YEAR RECALLED? I'M ALSO HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW POWER SWITCH YOU HAVE TO SQUEEZE THE WHOLE PLASTIC PIECE TO GET IT TO WORK, AND WHAT ABOUT THE AIRBAGS? I REALIZE THE CAR IS OLD BUT I'VE HEARD THAT TOYOTA'S RUN FOREVER AND MECHANICALLY IT'S BEEN GREAT SO FAR (EXCEPT FOR A LITTLE RUST). PLEASE LET ME KNOW ABOUT THESE ISSUES ASAP.......THANKS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10659447
Incident
Sep 12, 2011
Mileage
235,000 mi
Body & structureInterior & seats
Filed Oct 7, 2014

1989 TOYOTA CAMRY'S DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE POWER DOOR LOCKS STUCK IN LOCKED POSITION. UNABLE TO EXIT VEHICLE FROM FRONT SEATS. UNABLE TO UNLOCK FRONT DOORS MANUALLY FROM INSIDE VEHICLE. UNABLE TO UNLOCK FRONT DOORS USING KEY FROM OUTSIDE VEHICLE. SAFETY ISSUE ALONG WITH INCONVENIENCE WHEN ENTERING AND EXITING VEHICLE FROM REAR DOORS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10643066
Incident
Oct 4, 2014
Mileage
103,002 mi
Interior & seats
Filed May 19, 2014

AUTOMATIC LOCKS LOCK DOWN, CANNOT OPEN CAR. *JS

NHTSA ID
10592605
Incident
May 17, 2014
Mileage
40,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

TSB003220

AIR BAGS; EQUIPMENT; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2023 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate.

Toyota PRO19-02

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL; TIRES; WHEELS

POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Toyota. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any customer that requests it. Customers can find this information on the Owner?s section of Toyota.com. Dealers can locate a copy of this guide on the Claims Processing & Resource Center in Dealer Daily as well.

T-SB-0032-20 Rev

EQUIPMENT

TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2021 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate.

T-SB-0304-17 Obs

EQUIPMENT

TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 07, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0032-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates

T-SB-0032-20

EQUIPMENT

TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. PG021-88, PG015-89, PG0015-90, PG002-91, PG002-93, PG005-97, PG007-01, PG007-07, PG006-01, PG004-97, T-SB-0144-08, and T-SB-0304-17. The aforementioned bulletins are obsolete, and any printed versions should be discarded. Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2020 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate.

PG006-01-Obsolet

EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Technical Service Bulletin: OBSOLETE NOTICE: July 31, 2018: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0304-17.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Toyota Camry by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
20251441054.6
2024471049.6
2023602060.3
2022581056.6
20211541055.4
20202683056.2
20193896058.6
20187318059.3
20171483061.0
20161802059.9
20152681046.8
20144533055.6
20132742053.3
20125882053.6
20115985059.4
20106029058.0
20091,29110263.4
20089328362.9
20072,88510363.7
20063175167.3
20057215269.0
20046383267.1
20037801359.7
20029534469.1
20012724164.6
20004544268.2
19995012264.0
19986003261.4
19975554365.5
19964177263.2
19953035161.4
19942873264.4
19932602263.5
19925652362.1
19911491655.9
19901342958.4
1989Viewing1133765.1
1988644867.9
19875831064.8
1986320142.5
1985130147.7
1984823—
1983624—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.