1997 Toyota Camry Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 96 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Toyota Camry, 17% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 86,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “oil changed” (8% of reports).
- 96engine and engine cooling complaints
- 86,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,400typical repair cost reported by owners
- 50%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Oil changed: mentioned in 8 of 96 complaints (8%)
- Hole engine: mentioned in 6 of 96 complaints (6%)
- Blue smoke: mentioned in 5 of 96 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 1997 Toyota Camry at $2,400, and half of them between $1,900 and $4,100.
Based on 6 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2000–2012), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 38 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 96 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 10 a fire, 3 an injury.
Toyota Camry engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Camry | 4 | 1% | 97,150 |
| 2019 Camry | 2 | 1% | 106,769 |
| 2018 Camry | 5 | 1% | 70,000 |
| 2017 Camry | 1 | 1% | 200,000 |
| 2016 Camry | 2 | 1% | 39,368 |
| 2015 Camry | 1 | 0% | 25,000 |
| 2014 Camry | 5 | 1% | 5,500 |
| 2013 Camry | 4 | 1% | 2,716 |
| 2012 Camry | 4 | 1% | 87,719 |
| 2011 Camry | 9 | 1% | 10,905 |
| 2010 Camry | 15 | 2% | 10,000 |
| 2009 Camry | 46 | 4% | 20,000 |
| 2008 Camry | 12 | 1% | 53,000 |
| 2007 Camry | 152 | 5% | 45,000 |
| 2006 Camry | 9 | 3% | 43,305 |
| 2005 Camry | 35 | 5% | 51,918 |
| 2004 Camry | 30 | 5% | 65,250 |
| 2003 Camry | 112 | 14% | 76,000 |
| 2002 Camry | 107 | 11% | 82,630 |
| 2001 Camry | 47 | 17% | 73,000 |
| 2000 Camry | 54 | 12% | 70,700 |
| 1999 Camry | 110 | 22% | 66,000 |
| 1998 Camry | 92 | 15% | 93,613 |
| 1997 Camry | 96 | 17% | 86,000 |
| 1996 Camry | 76 | 18% | 77,350 |
| 1995 Camry | 34 | 11% | 130,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1997 Toyota Camry. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Please see the information below, and let me know if you can help me pursue this matter. At the very least, i would like to file a complaint against toyota and lucas oil. > attorney comment: the website for lucas oil regarding its stop leak product says that it repairs worn seals without risk of…
Connecting rod failure. While i was checking my battery, the engine exploded, blowing a 4" hole on the engine body and spreading pieces of the connecting rod around the yard. No prior signs had indicated anything was wrong with the engine. Engine was running fine up to the last second before the…
Engine froze while on nj turnpike. Oil coagulated into gook/mudr
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Toyota Camrys have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 96 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1997 Toyota Camry (17% of the 555 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Toyota Camry engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 86,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Toyota Camry?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,400 (half paid between $1,900 and $4,100), from 6 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Toyota Camry?
The most frequent phrase is “oil changed”, in 8 of 96 complaints, followed by “hole engine” (6).
Other 1997 Toyota Camry problems
See all 1997 Toyota Camry problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Camry years.