RoadVitals

1996 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.
417
Latest Dec 31, 2020
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.
7
Latest May 11, 2009
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.
2
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.
65
59 injuries, 5 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 417 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 Toyota Camry, most frequently naming the engine, brakes and driver assistance categories. 7 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 2 NHTSA investigations name it; and 53 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

7 campaigns cover this model year

View all 7

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
09E025000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

May 11, 2009
42,540 units potentially affected
The defect: DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.
The risk: DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
The remedy: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
DOPE, INC.View on NHTSA.gov
08E050000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

Aug 11, 2008
1,921 units potentially affected
The defect: K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE MISSING THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT."
The risk: WITHOUT THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTORS, THE LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY BE AFFECTED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
The remedy: K2 MOTOR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMEBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT K2 MOTOR AT 1-909-839-2992.
K2 MOTOR CORPORATIONView on NHTSA.gov
06E049000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

May 24, 2006
27,176 units potentially affected
The defect: CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
The risk: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
The remedy: CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
CK MOTORSPORT, INC.View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

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

DP02004ClosedDefect Petition

ENGINE SEIZURE

Opened Apr 30, 2002
Closed Jun 20, 2002
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
PE01024ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

SUSPENSION COIL SPRING

Opened Jul 18, 2001
Closed Jan 29, 2002
SUSPENSION

Recent owner complaints

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

View all 417
EngineSteeringSuspension
Filed Dec 31, 2020

THE STEERING SUCKS IVE TRIED EVERYTHING BUT NOTHING IT STILL DRIVES MY SUCKS

NHTSA ID
11385727
Incident
Oct 17, 2018
Airbags
Filed Aug 22, 2019

MY 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY IS LISTED UNDER THE "AIRBAGS" UNREPORTED RECALL FOR REPAIR/REPLACEMENT. PLEASE ADVISE.

NHTSA ID
11245820
Incident
Aug 22, 2019
Driver assistance
Filed Jan 15, 2017

I AM THE OWNER OF THE 96 TOYOTA CAMRY IDENTIFIED BY THE VIN NUMBER PROVIDED. I HAVE EXPERIENCED AN ABNORMAL SPEEDING OF MY CAR AS EXPLAINED BELOW: THIS PAST FRIDAY, JAN 13TH ABOUT 6:30 PM CENTRAL TIME, I WAS TRAVELING ON I-65 SOUTH (FROM BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA TO HOOVER, ALABAMA). ABOUT 15 TO 20 MINUTES ON THE ROAD, WHEN I WAS JUST ABOUT TO REACH MY DESTINATION, MY VEHICLE STARTED ACCELERATING ABRUPTLY EVEN WHEN THE FOOT WAS OFF THE PEDAL. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES BUT THE ENGINE KEPT REVVING UPWARDS OF 3000 RPM. IN GREAT DISTRESS, PRAYING TO JESUS, I KEPT HARDLY PRESSING THE BRAKES AND WAS ABLE TO SHIFT GEAR TO NEUTRAL. IT STARTED REVIVING UP HIGHER IN NEUTRAL. SHIFTED TO PARK AND STOPPED THE ENGINE. IT SEEMS, THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE DESIGN OF THROTTLE OR THE PARTS INVOLVED IN THE VEHICLE'S SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM. I TOWED THE VEHICLE TO MY PLACE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND ADVICE ME IF I HAVE TO REACH OUT TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR A CAR REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10945355
Incident
Jan 13, 2017
Mileage
222,198 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 22, 2016
Crash reported1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SPEED UP IN EXCESS OF 100 MPH AND CRASHED HEAD ON INTO A GUARDRAIL. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BRAIN INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DEEMED DESTROYED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AFTER THE FIRST OCCURRENCE AND ADVISED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED AT A TOYOTA DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER; HOWEVER, THE SPECIFIC DETAILS OF THE DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR COULD NOT BE PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. ..UPDATED 05/09/17 *BF CONSUMER REPLACED THE PART CAUSING UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WITH NEW PART ON JULY 26,2013. CONSUMER HAD A CAR ACCIDENT ON NOVEMBER 25,2013. UPDATED 9/5/18*JB

NHTSA ID
10927399
Incident
Nov 25, 2013
Mileage
100,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 29, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IT INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000. UPDATED 10/06/16*LJ *TR

NHTSA ID
10891622
Incident
Jan 1, 2015
Mileage
165,000 mi
ElectricalSteering
Filed Mar 10, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SEIZE IN THE TURNED POSITION WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EXCESSIVE FORCE WAS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE WHEN IT SEIZED. IN ADDITION, THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED TO PROVIDE ACCURATE READING LEVELS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

NHTSA ID
10845948
Incident
Aug 1, 2015
Mileage
140,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Nov 2, 2015

BOTH THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW AND FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW HAVE STOPPED WORKING ON OCCASION. PRESENTLY THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW MAY GO DOWN, BUT WILL NOT GO UP. THE NEXT DAY IT MAY GO UP. I DON'T PUT IT DOWN BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE IT DOWN IN RAIN OR OVERNIGHT. MY PREVIOUS CAMRY ALSO HAD ELECTRICAL WINDOW PROBLEMS.

NHTSA ID
10787876
Incident
Oct 16, 2015
Mileage
118,000 mi
Filed Aug 28, 2015

I HAD DRIVEN THE CAR FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES WHEN THE GAS PEDAL SEEMED TO BE SUCKED TO THE FLOOR. THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO 50 AND I COULD BARELY GET IT TO STOP. I HAD IT TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP; BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I'M NOT CRAZY. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME IN 2 WEEKS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. WHAT IS WRONG?

NHTSA ID
10759865
Incident
Aug 27, 2015
Mileage
171,750 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.

TTT063620

BACK OVER PREVENTION; SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions

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-TT-0636-20 Rev

BACK OVER PREVENTION; SERVICE BRAKES

TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions.

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-TT-0636-20

BACK OVER PREVENTION; SERVICE BRAKES

TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions.

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
1996Viewing4177263.2
19953035161.4
19942873264.4
19932602263.5
19925652362.1
19911491655.9
19901342958.4
19891133765.1
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.