2002 Toyota Camry Owner Complaints

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11699360

Incident

Oct 30, 2025

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2002 Toyota Camry. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 127,000. It was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 283,000.

NHTSA ID

11681457

Incident

Aug 18, 2025

Mileage

283,000 mi

Toyota dealer contacted me; said my car will cost $15000 to fix. He said people at Toyota who has my exact car costed $15000 to fix! it’s known in automotive circles this year make model & engine size has this factory defect of the rear head studs stripping out and becoming loose. This causes combustion failure of the head gasket and engine block. The cylinder heads will be warped & cracked. Engine won’t hold coolant! Gauge jumps to H after brief attempt at combustion. Replacing the head g. Cylinder heads or engine block is insufficient due to the factory defect . only a total engine replacement has worked for past owners at $15000 if Toyota dies it. A mechanic said if u can fine like a 2006 lower miles engine & get mechanic to instal maybe $2000, that’s $4000. Bridgetown automotive in my area said at the very minimum in a discounted price it will be $8000. He said only a totally rebuilt engine or a new one put in will work. I’m seeking Toyota to give me a new car that doesn’t have this issue. People posting at blogs said they spent the $2200 to disassemble their engines as the auto places told them it was definitely their head gaskets causing coolant. once opened though, it was found their head gaskets were fine. The issue was , from factory, the head studs had stripped out and were loose. This, according to engine experts is total engine failure. Only replacing everything can fix this.

NHTSA ID

11611504

Incident

May 24, 2024

The components or systems that have failed are (Catalytic Converter, Exhaust Manifold, Air Bag Control Module, Engine including head gasket) My safety is at risk due to catalytic converter not functioning properly producing harmful carbon monoxide that can be smelled through air vents, Air bag control module not functioning which will not able to initiate the deployment of airbag in the event of a wreck/accident could lead to fatality. Engine not functioning properly due to blown head gasket which could lead to overheating amongst other things. Vehicle has been inspected by Dealership. Yes there are warning lights prior to failure (Check engine light)

NHTSA ID

11597202

Incident

Feb 16, 2024

The contact owned a 2002 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH the steering wheel had seized up and the vehicle had begun to lose forward momentum. The contact heard an abnormal "popping" sound at the moment the steering had stopped functionality. The contact stated she was not aware of any warning lights. The contact pulled off of the roadway and stopped, as she placed the vehicle in park (P) she noted smoke coming from the front. The contact stated she exited the vehicle and saw that there were flames from under the vehicle. The contact stated that after about 2 to 3 minutes the entire front of the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the flames using foam and other chemicals. The police were also on scene and filed a report. The vehicle was towed away to an impound lot. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

NHTSA ID

11546975

Incident

Mar 1, 2021

Mileage

180,000 mi

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while parked, the sunroof shattered from the center of the glass. The contact stated that because of the failure, the contact was treated for a concussion. The contact stated that there was no impact on the sunroof prior to the failure. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be inspected. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ID

11532845

Incident

Jul 15, 2023

Mileage

130,000 mi

The drivers side seat belt even tho put in the position of “locked in” it comes out or doesn’t latch at all.

NHTSA ID

11523375

Incident

Mar 10, 2023

The electrical/switch inside the passenger side door caught on fire, with out warning, while driving. There was a passenger in the vehicle at the time. Driver pulled over when smoke was visible. Flames were soon visible, driver poured water on the flames in effort to extinguish the fire. Flames were reduced but the door began to melt and the window shattered. Emergency services arrived at the scene shortly after calling 911. State police, fire, and ambulance arrived shortly after. Thankfully there were no injuries. The insurance was also called and a claim was filed. An adjuster was assigned to the claim to inspect the cause of the fire. After reading numerous reports of the same incident it sounds like this is a known issue that Toyota has not taken responsibility for. Serious injury could have occurred to the driver and passenger if quick action was not taken.

NHTSA ID

11516424

Incident

Apr 10, 2023

I was sold an bad car

NHTSA ID

11501977

Incident

Dec 20, 2022

My passenger side dash airbag is bloating and tearing at the seam. It is available for inspection. I am concerned that it will continue to add pressure and eventually deploy. It seems unsafe for passengers -would it work properly in the case of an accident? And for myself as the driver, it would certainly startle me while driving if it deployed by itself. I took it in to get serviced and was told it would need to be replaced. The cost will be around $1600. I haven’t had my insurance inspect it, is that something that is recommended? I tried to contact Toyota but never heard back. I don’t have any warning lights on, and I noticed the issue starting in the past year. I have found threads of other Toyota Camry in the same car age range with owners that are having/had the same issue. These threads mentioned it happening around 40,000 miles, and that aligns with my car too. - I also have a friend that has the same issue with her Camry airbag!

NHTSA ID

11501050

Incident

May 15, 2022

Airbags failed to deploy

NHTSA ID

11498468

Incident

Jun 30, 2021

I did the texas inspection test, and my vehicle failed the test, and the report with catalyst, evap, and O2 sens was not completed. I'm wondering what is the problem and how I can fix it. I would like to have my vehicle get checked out and find the problem.

NHTSA ID

11479595

Incident

Aug 15, 2022

PURCHASED THE CAMRY FROM REYES AUTO GROUP IN LAKEWOOD, NJ. TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO PA WHERE I LIVE AND 2 MECHANICS SHOWED ME THE RUSTED OUT UNDER CARRIAGE OF VEHICLE AND STATED THAT IT WILL NOT PASS THE PA SAFETY INSPECTION AND WOULD COST OVER $2000 TO FIX! GAS STARTED LEAKING FROM TANK BECAUSE OF RUSTED CONDITION.

NHTSA ID

11407273

Incident

Jan 11, 2021

Mileage

120,960 mi

03/16/2021 - 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY 2.4L MY REGULAR AUTO SHOP REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE'S HEAD BOLTS ARE STRIPPED AND IS A COMMON ISSUE AMONGST THIS CAMRY YEAR. IT'S GOING TO COST $2,200 TO REPAIR ALBEIT NEW RADIATOR, AND THERMOSTAT. COOLANT WAS FOUND IN THE ENGINE BLOCK. STRIPPED HEAD BOLTS. MECHANIC SAYS HE'S SEEN MANY CAMRY'S WITH THIS ISSUE ESPECIALLY THE 2002-2003. THE KBB VALUE IS LESS THAN THAT. THINKING IT MAKES SENSE TO SELL AS SALVAGE THAN REPAIR. SO DISAPPOINTED! LONG-TIME TOYOTA FAN BUT IF THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE INDICATIVE OF A MANUFACTURE DEFECT THEN WHAT'S THE HOLD UP FOR A RECALL.

NHTSA ID

11403191

Incident

Mar 16, 2021

Mileage

108,000 mi

LIKE MANY OTHER 2002 CAMRYS, I HAVE A STRIPPED THREADS FOR THE HEAD BOLTS IN THE 2.4L ENGINE; THIS REPAIR IS EXPENSIVE. TOYOTA ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN DESCRIBING THE REPAIR. GOOGLE 'TOYOTA BULLETIN T-SB-0015-11' TO READ MORE. TOYOTA SHOULD BE MADE TO REPLACE THIS ENGINE.

NHTSA ID

11390425

Incident

Feb 15, 2017

Mileage

150,000 mi

I HAD AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE MY 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY DIDN'T STOP WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE BUT KEPT ON GOING TILL IT HI A FIRE HYDRA06NT. I HAD JUST PULLED INTO A PARKING PLACE BUT THE CAR JUST DIDN'T STOP. IT HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE BUT JUST LASTED A FEW SECONDS AND IT DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I'M STILL DRIVING BUT AM AFRAID THIS MIEHT HAPPEN AGAIN. I CAN'T KEEP DRIVING A CARE THAT JUST DRIVES ITSELF.. I KNOW THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE TOYOTA AND THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS. I JUST CAN'T FIND IT IN THE 2002 MODLE.

NHTSA ID

11340901

Incident

May 14, 2020

Mileage

70,998 mi

SOLD *TR

NHTSA ID

11323807

Incident

May 7, 2020

Mileage

150,000 mi

LIKE MANY OTHER 2002 CAMRYS, I HAVE A STRIPPED THREADS FOR THE HEAD BOLTS IN THE 2.4L ENGINE; THIS REPAIR IS EXPENSIVE. TOYOTA ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN DESCRIBING THE REPAIR. GOOGLE 'TOYOTA BULLETIN T-SB-0015-11' TO READ MORE. TOYOTA SHOULD BE MADE TO REPLACE THIS ENGINE.

NHTSA ID

11317851

Incident

Mar 13, 2020

Mileage

170,500 mi

THE CAR IS EXPERIENCING SUDDEN ACCELERATION IT IS LUNGING FORWARD. THE LAST OCCURRENCE WAS AROUND 20 MINUTES AGO, IT HAS HAPPENED TO TWO FAMILY MEMBERS SO FAR, WHILE DRIVING NO EXTRA PRESSURE ON THE GAS THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATE.

NHTSA ID

11316195

Incident

Mar 4, 2020

Mileage

220,000 mi

BOUGH THE CAR FROM A TOYOTA DEALER 8/2013 WITH 36K MILES. YES, VERY LOW MILEAGE, 36,000 MILES. ON 11/2015 ON MY WAY TO WORK WHILE I WAS IN THE FREE WAY, I'VE NOTICED MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS STARTING TO GO UP, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO EXIT OUT OF THE FREEWAY AND WAS ABLE TO TAKE IT TO ONE OF THE MECHANIC I USUALLY USE AFTER I WAS ABLE TO ADD WATER. THE MECHANIC DID NOT EVEN LOOKED AT THE CAR AFTER I TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPEN, HIS RESPONSE WAS YOU NEED A NEW ENGINE. THE CAR HAS 52.5K MILES ON THE ORIGINAL ENGINE. HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET ISSUE FROM STRIP HEAD BOLTS. THE PROBLEMS THAT COULD HAVE CREATED AN UNSAFE CONDITION IS IF I DID NOT NOTICED MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND THE CAR SUDDENLY STALL WHILE I WAS ON THE FREEWAY, I COULD HAVE GOTTEN HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. I DID A RESEARCH ABOUT THE 2.4L 2AZFE ENGINES AND FOUND OUT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THIS ENGINES. I'VE CALLED THE DEALER AND EVEN TOYOTA CORPORATE OFFICE TO SEE IF THEY COULD HELP ME OUT, I AM PRETTY MUCH OUT OF MY LUCK. MY MOM CAR WAS A 06 SCION TC WITH SAME ENGINE, 136K, 1/18, BLOWN HEAD GASKET DUE TO STRIP HEAD BOLTS. I ENDED UP BUYING REBUILT ENGINES FOR BOTH CARS AND I DID NOT BUY IT FROM THE DEALER. I HAD A 92 CAMRY, 2.2L I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO ALMOST 300K WITH ORIGINAL ENGINE.

NHTSA ID

11309457

Incident

Nov 13, 2015

Mileage

52,500 mi

THE CAR IS BURNING A QUART OF OIL A WEEK AND NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF A LEAK. THE DOOR LOCKS DO NOT WORK ONLY THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR OPENS WITHE THE KEY AND FOB.

NHTSA ID

11287845

Incident

Sep 6, 2019

Mileage

150,900 mi

EVERY TIME I TRIED TO USE THE AC AIR CONDITIONER IN THE CAR IT MAKES THE CAR SHUT OFF IF I USE THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER OUTLET TO CHARGE UP MY CELL PHONE IT DRAIN THE BATTERY AND THAT WILL CAUSE THE CAR TO SHUT OFF ALSO MY FRONT PASSENGER DOOR OPENS BY ITSELF EVEN WHEN I'M DRIVING IT WILL UNLOCK AND OPEN ON ITS OWN

NHTSA ID

11269342

Incident

Sep 9, 2019

Mileage

75,752 mi

THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND WOULD NOT STOP. THE ACCELERATOR STUCK

NHTSA ID

11268507

Incident

Oct 8, 2019

Mileage

1 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO DRIVE, THE GAUGES START TO GO CRAZY, AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED AND THEN STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE AND PUSH IT OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH ASSISTANCE FROM ANOTHER PERSON. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE BATTERY CABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. AFTERWARDS, WHILE REVERSING THE VEHICLE, IT STALLED. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR A SECOND TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE 30 MILES FROM THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE GROUND WIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE BATTERY CABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT TWO WEEKS LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS RATTLING AND FAILED TO START. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE RESTARTED THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A NEW BATTERY WAS INSTALLED TWO DAYS AGO, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE RAN OUT OF OIL AND THREE QUARTS HAD TO BE ADDED. THE OIL HAD TO BE CHANGED EVERY 700 MILES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VALVE COVER GASKET AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS CONSUMING TOO MUCH OIL AND SHOOK WHEN DRIVING MORE THAN 50 MPH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 1909271661. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,800.

NHTSA ID

11265691

Incident

Aug 17, 2019

Mileage

23,800 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG WAS PROTRUDING OUT OF ITS COMPARTMENT. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. LEGACY TOYOTA (3800 W TENNESSEE ST, TALLAHASSEE, FL 32304, (850) 688-9264) WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE DEALER PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 1907100960. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000.

NHTSA ID

11230746

Incident

May 15, 2019

Mileage

127,000 mi