U.S. public vehicle records

1999 Toyota CAMRY problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

427 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

80,733 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1999 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 174 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Vehicle Speed Control is the most frequently named component, appearing in 47 of 427 complaints (11.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	87	20.4%
Steering behavior	20	4.7%
Electrical and battery issues	16	3.7%
Engine operation	15	3.5%
Transmission and shifting	13	3.0%
Fuel system concerns	4	0.9%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Vehicle Speed Control

Air Bags:Frontal

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Electrical System

Tires

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Vehicle Speed Control	47
Air Bags:Frontal	44
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	35
Engine And Engine Cooling	29
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	21
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	19
Electrical System	18
Tires	18

Vehicle Speed Control: 47; Air Bags:Frontal: 44; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 35; Engine And Engine Cooling: 29; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 21; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 19; Electrical System: 18; Tires: 18

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 12; 25,000 to 49,999: 26; 50,000 to 74,999: 38; 75,000 to 99,999: 34; 100,000 to 149,999: 41; 150,000 and above: 23

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (41). 253 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2019

2021

2000: 65; 2001: 48; 2002: 57; 2003: 55; 2004: 54; 2005: 26; 2006: 10; 2007: 11; 2008: 13; 2009: 16; 2010: 36; 2011: 4; 2012: 4; 2013: 5; 2014: 7; 2015: 2; 2016: 4; 2017: 5; 2019: 2; 2021: 3

Pattern summary

Vehicle Speed Control leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 87 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 20 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 16 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10001906 · 2003-01-10 (January 10, 2003)

THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN APPLIED WOULD STOP LESS THAN AN INCH FROM THE FLOOR BOARD. AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS, DEALERSHIP REPLACED A FAULTY BOOSTER, WHICH SEEM TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM. *TT *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10001906 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10006103 · 2003-02-06 (February 6, 2003)

BRAKE FAILURE. *DT

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10006103 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003335 · 2003-01-24 (January 24, 2003)

TOYOTA DOES NOT FIX THEIR CARS PROPERLY. I BROUGHT MY 1999 CAMRY IN FOR A REPAIR TO THE STEERING COLUMN, THEY "FIXED" THE PROBLEM, BUT PUT MY STEERING WHEEL BACK ON INCORRECTLY. THE DEALERSHIP IS HARD TO DEAL WITH, AND TOYOTA HOME OFFICE, WILL NOT GET INVOLVED, AS THEY STATE THAT EACH OF THEIR DEALERSHIPS ARE INDIVIDUALLY OWNED AND OPERATED.

Owner-reported narrative. 38,266 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003335 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10043203 · 2003-10-19 (October 19, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH GOING UPHILL ON EXPRESSWAY, WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY SMOKE AND FLAME. BY THE TIME WE GO TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD, WE HAD NO BRAKES, NO STEERING, NOTHING WAS WORKING. CAR WAS TOTALLY COVERED IN SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE INTENSE. ANOTHER VEHICLE STOPPED WITHIN SECONDS OF OUR PULLING OVER WITH A MEDIUM SIZED FIRE EXTINGUISHER. HE PROCEEDED TO LAY ON HIS BACK AND TOTALLY EMPTY THE EXTINGUISHER FROM UNDER THE CAR, WHICH MADE NO DIFFERENCE. BY THE TIME THE FIR…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10043203 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10024443 · 2003-07-11 (July 11, 2003)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WIRING MALFUNCTIONED. THIS RESULTED IN ALL ELECTRICAL OPERATED COMPONENTS FAILING AND BEING INOPERATIVE, WHILE DRIVING. *AK THERE WAS BREAKAGE OF THE WIRES THAT OCCURRED IN THE WIRE PACK WHICH CROSSED BETWEEN THE SIDE OF THE TRUNK AND THE HINGE OF THE TRUNK COVER AT THE POINT WHERE THE WIRES WERE FLEXED DUE TO THE OPENING/CLOSING OF THE TRUNK COVER. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY FOUND DUE TO NO VISIBLE DETERIORATION OR DAMAGE TO THE WIRE PACK COVERING AT OR NEAR THE POINT OF BREAKAGE. THE BROKEN WIRES WERE ULTIMATELY F…

Owner-reported narrative. 42,655 miles reported. Look up ODI 10024443 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10100647 · 2004-11-28 (November 28, 2004)

HORN NOT WOKING, NEED TO REPLACE STEERING PAD ASSEMBLY AND ORDER LEFT AIR BAG MODULE. THEY STATED DUE TO HORN, AIR BAG WILL NOT WORK. ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH AIRBAG/HORN. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 60,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10100647 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10013963 · 2003-04-04 (April 4, 2003)

THE ENGINE STALLED. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 34,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10013963 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10074240 · 2004-05-25 (May 25, 2004)

WHILE PULLING INSIDE OF A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DRIVER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT WAS ONLY ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE BY APPLYING THE ACCELERATED AND BRAKE. THEN THE VEHICLE STARTED. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT HOME. THE DRIVER CONTACTED THE DEALER FOR AN APPOINTMENT. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10074240 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10116823 · 2005-04-12 (April 12, 2005)

ON MARCH 2, THE ENGINE ON MY TOYOTA CAMRY THREW A ROD, AND RESULTED IN A TERMINAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINE. I HAVE MAINTAINED THIS CAR SINCE I BOUGHT IT, SUPPOSEDLY "CERTIFIED USED" FROM ROSEVILLE TOYOTA, IN AUGUST 2002. I PLEADED WITH TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION FOR ASSISTANCE BUT THEY SAID THAT MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. DUE TO EXTREME STRAINS ON MY TIME, I HAD THE ENGINE REBUILT FOR NEARLY $3700. UPON DRIVING THE CAR FOR LESS THAN 200 MILES AFTER HAVING THE ENGINE REBUILT, THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED AND NEEDS TO …

Owner-reported narrative. 66,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10116823 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10131646 · 2005-08-04 (August 4, 2005)

SHIFTED (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) INTO REVERSE. FUSE BLEW. POWER WINDOWS AND ALL DASHBOARD GAUGES STOPPED FUNCTIONING. WIRING HARNESS, AT THE HINGE, IN THE TRUNK HAD TO BE REPAIRED. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 74,318 miles reported. Look up ODI 10131646 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10039266 · 2003-09-22 (September 22, 2003)

DRIVER & PASSENGER'S SIDE WINDOW MAKES RATTLING/BUMPING SOUNDS WHEN OPENED OR CLOSED . ALSO, WHEN CAR IS CARRYING 4 ADULTS. THE VEHICLE SUSPENSION SAGS TO A POINT WHERE THE TAIL PIPE AND POSSIBLY THE FUEL TANK, OCCASIONALLY COMES IN CONTACT WITH THE ROAD WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION OR WHEN VEHICLE ROLLING OVER THE SMALLEST SPEED BUMP OR EXITING DRIVEWAY. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10039266 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11182504 · 2019-02-26 (February 26, 2019)

I TURNED ON REAR DEFROST AND WITHIN FEW SECONDS BACK SEAT WAS ON FIRE. WINDOW BURNT SEAT AND SEAT BELT ALSO BURNED HAND. IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL CAUSE. I FIGURED A FUSE WOULD BLOW PRIOR TO A FIRE INSIDE CAR. HAD I BEEN ON FWY I WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN LUCKY GAS TANK IS INCHES BELOW FIRE .

Owner-reported narrative. 205,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11182504 at NHTSA ↗