Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Toyota Camry submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 21 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
STEERING WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR ARE LOOSE. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM INCLUDING THE IGNITION ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE SERVICE BRAKES AND THE HYDRAULIC PARTS SEEMS TO WOBBLE WHILE DRIVING . THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING HEADLIGHTS ARE SO DIMMED IT IS HARD TO SEE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE VEHICLE IS PARKED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ILLUMINATING INTERMITTENTLY SINCE AUGUST OF 2002. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER THREE DIFFERENT TIMES FOR THIS FAILURE. ON THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT IT WOULD COST $5,000 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE LIGHT CURRENTLY REMAINS ILLUMINATED, HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE IS STILL BEING DRIVEN. SPEED WAS NOT A FACTOR BECAUSE THE LIGHT ILLUMINATES AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE IS STARTED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000. THE FRONT BRAKES WERE CRACKED AND THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE MACHINED. THE TAILLIGHT BULB WAS REPLACED, THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING. THE TIMING BELT WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 10/10/07. *JB
THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF "PLAY" AND "BODY ROLL" WITH RESPECT TO THE STEERING COMPONENTS/STEERING WHEEL OF THE VEHICLE. THIS HAS EXISTED FROM DATE OF PURCHASE. ADDITIONALLY, THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS NOT AS RESPONSIVE AS THAT WHICH I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN ALL OTHER VEHICLES. THE DEPTH WHICH THE BRAKE PEDAL MUST BE DEPRESSED IS MUCH DEEPER AND REQUIRES A GREATER AMOUNT OF PRESSURE, THAN THAT OF ANY OTHER VEHICLE I HAVE DRIVEN. FINALLY, THE HEADLIGHTS PROVIDE POOR VISIBILITY BOTH IN THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT EMITTED AND IN THEIR LOW MOUNTING OR ANGLE WHICH THEY SIT AT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORTS ON MY BEHALF. BEST REGARDS. *JB
1997 TOYOTA CAMRY LE / MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO VARIOUS TAIL LIGHTS / TURN SIGNALS / BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING. NOW IT SEEMS THE HEADLIGHTS ARE BURNING DIMLY. NEW BULBS MAKE NO DIFFERENCE. SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN ENGINEERING ISSUE OVERALL WITH RESPECT TO ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON THIS YEAR / MODEL OF CAR. *LA
THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE RACK AND PINION. WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE, VIEWED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AREA, AND IMMEDIATELY THE ENGINE DIED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT A ROD HAD BLOWN A HOLE THROUGH THE ENGINE BLOCK. ALSO, THE TURN SIGNAL MALFUNCTIONED. SCC DEALER RECOMMENDED ENGINE BLOCK BE REPLACED. TIMING AND DRIVE BELTS REPLACED. *TT
TAIL LIGHT FUSES KEEP BLOWING OUT. VEHICLE TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP AND REPAIRS SPLIT IN THE WIRE HARNESS DUE TO THE TRUNK BEING CLOSED ONTO IT. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK CONSUMER STATES HE WAS PULLED OVER DUE TO NOT HAVING TAIL LIGHTS. *SLC
INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS AT TIMES OPERATES INTERMITTENTLY DUE TO A MALFUNCTION IN THE COMBINATION SWITCH. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *YH
MAIN STEERING COLUMN LIGHT SWITCH FAILS, CAUSING HEADLIGHTS AND ALL DASHLIGHTS TO GO OFF.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
LEFT TURN SIGNAL IN NOT WORKING PROPERLY. YH
TURN SIGNAL BULB FAILED. *YC
LEFT TURN SIGNAL LIGHT FAILED. *YC
EMERGENCY LIGHT KEPT COMMING ON. YH
CONSUMER EXPERIENCING ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE HEADLIGHT POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE NO SOLUTION AT THIS TIME. ADJUSTMENT WAS MADE BUT PROBLEM CONTINUES TO OCCUR. MFR. NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THEY ARE THE ONLY CONSUMER COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER WAS GOING TO SEND AN ENGINEER OUT, BUT HE NEVER SHOWED UP. *AK.
HEADLIGHT DESIGN DOES NOT LIGHT EFFICIENTLY RESULTING IN POOR VISIBILITY.
HEADLIGHT ARE AIMED TOO LOW AND ARE NOT VERY BRIGHT. DEALER CLAIMS IT IS NORMAL AND THE HEADLIGHTS ARE PROPERLY INSTALLED.
LOW BEAM LIGHTS ARE NOT BRIGHT ENOUGH.
THERE IS A BLIND SPOT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHTS, CAUSING POOR VISIBLITY WHEN DRIVING, CAN'T SEE WHEN MAKING LEFT TURN. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, DEALER HAS ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, NOT ABLE TO CORRECT IT. *AK
HEAD LAMP SAFETY CAP COVER DESIGN DECREASES VISIBILITY SEVERELY.
HEADLIGHTS ARE AIMED, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE. WINDSHIELD SPARKLES, CAUSING IT TO BLIND THE CONSUMER. *AK
VERY POOR HEADLIGHT ADJUSTMENT CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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