1998 TOYOTA CAMRY — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 580 complaints · 3 recalls
Most-reported system: SERVICE BRAKES (102 complaints · 17.6%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 63
  • Fires 31
  • Injuries 45
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 1997 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution SERVICE BRAKES appears in 102 of 580 owner complaints (17.6%) in this vehicle snapshot. SERVICE BRAKES: 102 complaints, 17.6% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 102 · 17.6% · 3 crash reports 1 fire reports ENGINE: 82 complaints, 14.1% of reports ENGINE 82 · 14.1% · 18 fire reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 74 complaints, 12.8% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 74 · 12.8% · 23 crash reports 1 fire reports SUSPENSION: 57 complaints, 9.8% of reports SUSPENSION 57 · 9.8% AIR BAGS: 43 complaints, 7.4% of reports AIR BAGS 43 · 7.4% · 28 crash reports 1 fire reports SEAT BELTS: 33 complaints, 5.7% of reports SEAT BELTS 33 · 5.7% STRUCTURE: 30 complaints, 5.2% of reports STRUCTURE 30 · 5.2% · 1 crash reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 27 complaints, 4.7% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 27 · 4.7% · 1 crash reports 6 fire reports TIRES: 27 complaints, 4.7% of reports TIRES 27 · 4.7% · 1 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 388 complaints, 66.9% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 388 · 66.9% · 36 crash reports 16 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
SERVICE BRAKES 102 17.6% 3 crashes · 1 fires
ENGINE 82 14.1% 0 crashes · 18 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 74 12.8% 23 crashes · 1 fires
SUSPENSION 57 9.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
AIR BAGS 43 7.4% 28 crashes · 1 fires
SEAT BELTS 33 5.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
STRUCTURE 30 5.2% 1 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 27 4.7% 1 crashes · 6 fires
TIRES 27 4.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 388 66.9% 36 crashes · 16 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 1997; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 1999. 1997-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 1998-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 1998-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 1998-Q3: 16 owner reports 16 1998-Q4: 21 owner reports 21 1999-Q1: 94 owner reports 94 1999-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 1999-Q3: 41 owner reports 41 1999-Q4: 16 owner reports 16 2000-Q1: 19 owner reports 19 2000-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2000-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2000-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2001-Q1: 19 owner reports 19 2001-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2001-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2001-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2002-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2002-Q2: 21 owner reports 21 2002-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2002-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2003-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2003-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 2003-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2003-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2004-Q1: 25 owner reports 25 2004-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2004-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2004-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2005-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2006-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2006-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2007-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2008-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2009-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q1: 26 owner reports 26 2010-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2010-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2011-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2012-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 1997 Jul 2020 Recall campaign 99V307000 ◆ Recall campaign 99V307000 Recall campaign 01V012000 ◆ Recall campaign 01V012000 Recall campaign 09E025000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E025000 Investigation DP02004 ● Investigation DP02004 Investigation PE02079 ● Investigation PE02079
  • Campaign 99V307000 was reported 630 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 09E025000 was reported 4,175 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1997-Q4 Owner reports 6
1998-Q1 Owner reports 11
1998-Q2 Owner reports 10
1998-Q3 Owner reports 16
1998-Q4 Owner reports 21
1999-Q1 Owner reports 94
1999-Q2 Owner reports 12
1999-Q3 Owner reports 41
1999-Q4 Owner reports 16
2000-Q1 Owner reports 19
2000-Q2 Owner reports 8
2000-Q3 Owner reports 11
2000-Q4 Owner reports 6
2001-Q1 Owner reports 19
2001-Q2 Owner reports 8
2001-Q3 Owner reports 9
2001-Q4 Owner reports 8
2002-Q1 Owner reports 10
2002-Q2 Owner reports 21
2002-Q3 Owner reports 14
2002-Q4 Owner reports 9
2003-Q1 Owner reports 12
2003-Q2 Owner reports 12
2003-Q3 Owner reports 7
2003-Q4 Owner reports 6
2004-Q1 Owner reports 25
2004-Q2 Owner reports 5
2004-Q3 Owner reports 11
2004-Q4 Owner reports 5
2005-Q1 Owner reports 4
2005-Q2 Owner reports 4
2005-Q3 Owner reports 4
2005-Q4 Owner reports 5
2006-Q1 Owner reports 1
2006-Q3 Owner reports 7
2006-Q4 Owner reports 5
2007-Q1 Owner reports 2
2007-Q2 Owner reports 1
2007-Q3 Owner reports 3
2007-Q4 Owner reports 2
2008-Q1 Owner reports 5
2008-Q3 Owner reports 2
2008-Q4 Owner reports 1
2009-Q3 Owner reports 5
2009-Q4 Owner reports 3
2010-Q1 Owner reports 26
2010-Q2 Owner reports 8
2010-Q3 Owner reports 2
2010-Q4 Owner reports 4
2011-Q1 Owner reports 3
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 1
2012-Q2 Owner reports 5
2012-Q3 Owner reports 2
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2013-Q4 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 2
2014-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q4 Owner reports 2
2015-Q1 Owner reports 1
2015-Q3 Owner reports 2
2016-Q1 Owner reports 1
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 2
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 2
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 99V307000
Recall campaign 1 01V012000
Recall campaign 1 09E025000
Defect investigation 1 DP02004
Defect investigation 1 PE02079
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (3)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 01V012000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THIS COULD ALLOW THE THROTTLE TO RETURN TO IDLE OR REMAIN IN ITS MOST RECENT POSITION REGARDLESS OF ACCELERATOR PEDAL OPERATION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ACCELERATOR CABLE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 23, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 09E025000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 99V307000

    Report date
    Component:
    STEERING
    Consequence:
    THIS CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 580 complaints · page 1 of 24

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources