1997 Toyota Camry Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Camry years
- About as many complaints as other years 13th of 30 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 555 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Toyota Camry. That ranks 13th out of 30 Camry model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (100 complaints, 18%), typically at around 44,000 miles. Complaints mention 79 crashes, 27 fires, 59 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 555owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 79complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1997 Toyota Camry problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 100 | 18% | 44,000 | “grinding noise” (17%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 96 | 17% | 86,000 | “oil changed” (8%) | $2,400 |
| Suspension problems | 70 | 13% | 75,000 | “front strut” (14%) | — |
| Air Bags problems | 55 | 10% | 95,000 | “air bags deploy” (33%) | — |
| Electrical System | 40 | 7% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 35 | 6% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 30 | 5% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 30 | 5% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 30 | 5% | 98,497 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 26 | 5% | 72,227 | — | — |
| Structure | 25 | 5% | 118,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 22 | 4% | 39,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 15 | 3% | 58,980 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 13 | 2% | 70,945 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 13 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 11 | 2% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 9 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 1% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 6 | 1% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 1% | 123,500 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 4 | 1% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 147,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1997 Toyota Camry recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The steering wheel set nut may not have been sufficiently tightened causing steering vibration and looseness.
Risk: This can result in a loss of vehicle control.
Fix: Dealers will tighten the steering wheel set nut.
Electrical system:ignition
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Due to a possible jamming of the lock pin of the key interlock solenoid, it is possible to remove the ignition key even when the shift lever of the automatic transmission is not in the "park" position.
Risk: Under such a condition, should a driver fail to move the shift lever to "park" position and also fail to activate the parking brake, the vehicle could roll away down a slope.
Fix: Dealers will replace the key interlock solenoid.
Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles originally sold or currently registered in the states of alaska, colorado, idaho, illinois, iowa, kansas, maine, michigan,minnesota, montana, nebraska, nevada, new hampshire, new york, noth dakota, south dakota, vermont, wisconsin, and wyoming. A condition can occur where accumulated moisture can temporarily freeze in the brake vacuum hose if the vehicle is used in extremely cold climates for an extended period of time.
Risk: This can result in the elimination of vacuum assist to the brakes that can increase stopping distances and could lead to a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will install a new design brake vacuum hose.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Engine compartment fire (PE02079) — opened Oct 22, 2002, closed Mar 18, 2003.
- Engine seizure (DP02004) — opened Apr 30, 2002, closed Jun 20, 2002.
- Ignition interlock failure (PE97034) — opened Jul 16, 1997, closed Nov 28, 1997, led to recall 97V213000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
In January my starter caught on fire while driving down the road, and again in April causing me to lose days of work. Caused positive cable to battery to melt.
The steering wheel is set off center to the right of the driver. Yes it is available upon request. Causes extreme back pains. Has not been inspected by police or insurance reps. Has not been inspected yet. No warning lights or messages in car dash for this. Since I had the car noticed this.
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…
Bought the car used and the car ran well but now the transmission went out. It would slip from time to time but now is out completely. Which seems to be very mysterious. I was searcjing to see how commo. The problem is or has been. I thought there might. Have been recalls on the transmission but…
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 toyota camry. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing the same symptoms as listed in nhtsa campaign number: 97v156000 (service brakes, hydraulic). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was a brake vacuum hose leak and…
Other Toyota Camry years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Camry | 51 | 1 |
| 2023 Camry | 65 | 2 |
| 2022 Camry | 62 | 1 |
| 2021 Camry | 157 | 1 |
| 2020 Camry | 275 | 3 |
| 2019 Camry | 398 | 6 |
| 2018 Camry | 748 | 8 |
| 2017 Camry | 148 | 3 |
| 2016 Camry | 184 | 2 |
| 2015 Camry | 271 | 1 |
| 2014 Camry | 455 | 3 |
| 2013 Camry | 274 | 2 |
| 2012 Camry | 590 | 2 |
| 2011 Camry | 601 | 5 |
| 2010 Camry | 604 | 9 |
| 2009 Camry | 1,293 | 10 |
| 2008 Camry | 933 | 7 |
| 2007 Camry | 2,887 | 9 |
| 2006 Camry | 317 | 5 |
| 2005 Camry | 721 | 5 |
| 2004 Camry | 638 | 3 |
| 2003 Camry | 781 | 1 |
| 2002 Camry | 953 | 4 |
| 2001 Camry | 272 | 2 |
| 2000 Camry | 454 | 2 |
| 1999 Camry | 501 | 1 |
| 1998 Camry | 600 | 2 |
| 1997 | 555 | 3 |
| 1996 Camry | 417 | 2 |
| 1995 Camry | 303 | 1 |
See all Toyota Camry problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1997 Toyota Camry?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, engine and engine cooling, suspension problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 100 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Toyota Camry?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1997 Toyota Camry a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Camry model years, the 1997 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.