2004 Toyota Camry Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Camry years
- More complaints than other years 8th of 30 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 638 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Toyota Camry. That ranks 8th out of 30 Camry model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is vehicle speed control (238 complaints, 37%), typically at around 45,000 miles. Complaints mention 199 crashes, 11 fires, 133 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 638owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 199complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 238 | 37% | 45,000 | “suddenly accelerated” (16%) | $1,300 |
| Steering problems | 80 | 13% | 39,000 | “steering column” (23%) | $830 |
| Air Bags problems | 79 | 12% | 65,000 | “air bags failed” (18%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 54 | 8% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 48 | 8% | 37,763 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 37 | 6% | 64,323 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 30 | 5% | 65,250 | — | — |
| Engine | 26 | 4% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 25 | 4% | 13,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 20 | 3% | 7,296 | — | — |
| Structure | 19 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 17 | 3% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 14 | 2% | 104,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 13 | 2% | 68,720 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 13 | 2% | 49,108 | — | — |
| Equipment | 12 | 2% | 22,197 | — | — |
| Visibility | 12 | 2% | 52,350 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 10 | 2% | 157,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 1% | 13,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 6 | 1% | 69,167 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 6 | 1% | 43,850 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 4 | 1% | 88,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 3 | 0% | 8,100 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 0% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 0% | 30,837 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 0% | 7,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 0% | 39,500 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 50 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 80,400 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Toyota Camry recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004 avalon vehicles; 2004 and 2005 camry, camry solara, highlander, and sienna vehicles, 2006 highlander hybrid; 2004 and 2005 lexus es330 and rx330; and 2006 lexus rx400h vehicles manufactured from june 1, 2004 through march 31, 2005, equipped with the 1mz-fe or 3mz-fe engine. The amount of adhesive agent applied between the outer ring and the torsional rubber damper (inner ring) in the crankshaft pulley may be inadequate. If the adhesive is insufficient, there is a possibility that the outer ring may become misaligned and it may not properly rotate with the inner ring, causing noise and/or illumination of the battery discharge indicator light.
Risk: In some cases, the belt for the power steering pump may become detached from the pulley which could result in a loss of power steering and a sudden increase in steering effort, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will check the crankshaft pulley to identify whether it was produced by the u.s. Supplier. If so, the dealer will replace the pulley with a new one at no charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during early january 2012. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Seat belts:front:buckle assembly
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a front passenger power seat, when installing certain rear-facing infant child seat bases onto the seat with an excessively high seatbelt tension, it may be possible to unseat a component called the buckle status switch from the seat belt buckle.
Risk: If the switch becomes unseated, the front passenger occupant classification system may mistake the rear-facing child restraint for an unbelted adult occupant, and may not suppress the deployment of the front passenger airbag.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front passenger seatbelt buckle status switch. This safety improvement campaign (ssc 40m) began on december 20, 2004. Owners should contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or lexus at 1-800-255-3987..
Air bags:side/window
Problem: On certain vehicles equipped with curtain shield air bags (csa), one or both of the curtain air bags may be twisted near the inflator due to improper assembly.
Risk: If this occurs, the csa may not deploy rapidly enough when activated in a side impact collision. This may result in failure to provide the intended head protection, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the csas and replace the air bag assembly if necessary. The recall began on august 6, 2004. Owners should contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
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 surging (DP06003) — opened Sep 14, 2006, closed Apr 3, 2007.
- Vehicle speed control (DP05002) — opened Aug 5, 2005, closed Jan 5, 2006.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My wife was in a crash that totaled my 2004 Camry. She swerved to miss a deer and was pulled off the road and into two utility poles and several areas of fence. None of the airbags deployed and the crash was well over the 14 mph speed limit suggested for the airbags to deploy. My wife was seriously…
The SRS warning light came on. I took it to my mechanic and he tested the sensor. He said the code that showed is B1821...Open in Side Squib (D Seat Side) Circuit. He said I needed to take it to a Toyota Dealer. I have an appointment with one on 4/17/25.
The power steering freezes up upon the slightest amount of street water ponding making it almost impossible to turn the steering wheel. I have experienced a number of scary situations that make driving this car in wet elements very very difficult. As a result I generally refrain from driving…
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the catalytic convertor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not…
Unknown
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 | 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 Camry | 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.
Similar Toyota models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Toyota Camry?
Owners most often report vehicle speed control, steering, air bags problems. The top one, vehicle speed control, accounts for 238 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Toyota Camry?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 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 2004 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.