U.S. public vehicle records

2004 Toyota CAMRY problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

638 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

45,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2004 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 516 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Vehicle Speed Control is the most frequently named component, appearing in 211 of 638 complaints (33.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	192	30.1%
Steering behavior	84	13.2%
Transmission and shifting	47	7.4%
Engine operation	25	3.9%
Electrical and battery issues	10	1.6%
Fuel system concerns	4	0.6%

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

211

Steering

Air Bags

Electrical System

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal

Engine

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Vehicle Speed Control	211
Steering	62
Air Bags	57
Electrical System	35
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	32
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	29
Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal	27
Engine	26

Vehicle Speed Control: 211; Steering: 62; Air Bags: 57; Electrical System: 35; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 32; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 29; Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal: 27; Engine: 26

Reported problems by failure mileage

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

Under 25,000

170

25,000 to 49,999

112

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 170; 25,000 to 49,999: 112; 50,000 to 74,999: 79; 75,000 to 99,999: 60; 100,000 to 149,999: 63; 150,000 and above: 32

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (170). 122 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.

2003

2004

103

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

143

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2025

2026

2003: 11; 2004: 103; 2005: 55; 2006: 41; 2007: 30; 2008: 25; 2009: 45; 2010: 143; 2011: 33; 2012: 29; 2013: 26; 2014: 22; 2015: 17; 2016: 17; 2017: 14; 2018: 8; 2019: 6; 2020: 3; 2021: 2; 2022: 3; 2023: 3; 2025: 1; 2026: 1

Pattern summary

Vehicle Speed Control leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 192 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 84 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 47 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 10061941 · 2004-03-11 (March 11, 2004)

AS I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE WITH MY FOOT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, MY NEW (LESS THAN ONE MONTH OLD) TOYOTA CAMRY 2004 SURGED FORWARD AT A HIGH VELOCITY AND I HIT A BRICK WALL DAMAGING MY VEHICLE. INJURY: SPRAINED RIBS AND BRUISES TO CHEST AND KNEES. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 671 miles reported. Look up ODI 10061941 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10062828 · 2004-03-10 (March 10, 2004)

WHEN BRAKING VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND HIT TWO OTHER VEHICLES. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10062828 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10045911 · 2003-11-10 (November 10, 2003)

JUST BOUGHT A NEW 2004 CAMRY XLE FULLY LOADED, HAD 18 MILES ON IT.ONE OF THE BEARINGS ON THE STEERING U-JOINT FELL OUT,CAUSING AT LEAST 2" OF PLAY IN THE WHEEL, LUCK HAS IT THIS WAS JUST BEFORE WE WERE GOING ON A TRIP. WE COULD OF LOST THE STEERING ON THE FREEWAY AND CRASHED. POWER TOYOTA IN IRVINE CA. WILL NOT GIVE ME THE BAD PART THEY SAID THEY HAD TO SEND IT BACK TO THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 18 miles reported. Look up ODI 10045911 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10046836 · 2003-11-13 (November 13, 2003)

I PURCHASED A NEW 2004 TOYOTA SOLARA SLE V-6 A FEW WEEKS AGO AND HAVE SOME PROBLEMS. THE MAIN PROBLEM IS DRIFTING TO THE LEFT. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THE FIRST TIME I GOT THE CAR BACK FROM OURISMAN FAIRFAX TOYOTA THE STEERING PROBLEM WAS WORST THAN WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN. "ALIGNED TO TOYOTA SPECIFICATIONS" THEY SAID. THE SERVICE MANAGER ROTATED THE TIRES MANY TIMES AND ADJUSTED THE ALIGNMENT "OUT OF SPECIFICATIONS" TO TRY AND MAKE THE CAR TRACK STRAIGHT DOWN THE ROAD. HIS ATTEMPT TO FIX THE CAR HAS FAILED AND I AM …

Owner-reported narrative. 1 miles reported. Look up ODI 10046836 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10066311 · 2004-04-16 (April 16, 2004)

TRANSMISSION "SHUDDERS" WHEN UPSHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR AT RPM NEAR 3,000.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 1,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10066311 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10066506 · 2004-04-19 (April 19, 2004)

WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR, AT A FASTER ENGINE SPEED OF ABOUT 2,800 TO 3,000 RPM, THERE IS A ROUGH SPOT OR ROUGH NOISE. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR AT LOWER ENGINE SPEEDS A NOISE IS NOT NOTICEABLE. FOR A LONG TIME I THOUGHT THE NOISE WAS FROM ROUGH SPOTS IN THE ROADWAY, BUT THE NOISE KEPT OCCURRING ON SMOOTH PAVEMENT. THERE IS A DEFINITE DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 17 miles reported. Look up ODI 10066506 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10087644 · 2004-08-10 (August 10, 2004)

DRIVER'S DOOR HANDLE STUCK WHILE DRIVER TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ALSO, WHILE APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL VEHICLE HESITATED AND STALLED. CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10087644 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10094573 · 2004-11-03 (November 3, 2004)

WHEN APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL VEHICLE HESITATED THEN SURGED FORWARD. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE WILL BE REAR ENDED. *AK THE VEHICLE MAY STALL. *SC

Owner-reported narrative. 2,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10094573 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10097671 · 2004-11-30 (November 30, 2004)

THE CONSUMER STATED ON OCTOBER 17, 2004, AFTER BEING OUT OF THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 HOURS, THE VEHICLE BURNED TO ASHES. THE FIREMEN SEEMED TO THINK THE PROBLEM WAS THE AIR FUEL FLOW AND OR ELECTRICAL. CONSUMER JUST GOT THE VEHICLE. IT WAS LOCKED SO NO ONE COULD HAVE DONE THIS. *AK THE CONSUMER HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND A PEDESTRIAN YELLED ABOUT THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE BURNT TO ASHES, TOTALING THE VEHICLE. *SC

Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10097671 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10102436 · 2004-12-09 (December 9, 2004)

MANUFACTURER DEFECT - INSIDE CABIN HOOD RELEASE LATCH NOT ATTACHED TO HOOD RELEASE MECHANISM. O RESOLVE THE ISSUE, THE DEALER ATTACHED NEW CABLE TO ALLOW FOR OPENING HOOD WITHOUT USING SPECIAL TOOLS. DEALER ALSO REPLACED WEAK/DEFECTIVE BATTERY.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 11 miles reported. Look up ODI 10102436 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10063898 · 2004-06-04 (June 4, 2004)

- NEW TOYOTA CAMRY LE PURCHASED JANUARY 2004 - ON FEBRUARY 25TH KEY WOULD NOT TURN (TOOK 10 - 15 MINUTES TO START IT) - LATER WHILE PARKING, THE CAR THE STEERING LOCKED TURNING THE CAR TO THE RIGHT - THE CAR ACCELERATED AND SURGED DESPITE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE (SAME AS ODI PEO4021) - THOUGH THE CAR BROKE A METAL FLAG POLE, DAMAGED A RETAINING WALL, AND FELL SEVEN FEET INTO A MAJOR STREET, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY - CAR IS SEVERELY DAMAGED: WHEELS, TIRES, FRONT END, GAS TANK, FRONT AXLE - DRIVER HAS A SWOLLEN AND SORE KNEE ALONG WITH SIG…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10063898 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11385130 · 2020-12-27 (December 27, 2020)

THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY STOP. INITIALLY, WE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A BATTERY ISSUE. IN FACT, WE CHANGED THE BATTERY WITH A BRAND NEW ONE, IT HAPPENS AGAIN. TWO MORE TIMES, I DID OWN A TOYOTA CAR MORE THAN 25 YEARS AGO. IT WAS IDENTIFIED AS FUEL PUMP ISSUE. FOR SURE, THIS IS THE CASE. CAN I GET A REPLACEMENT FOR FREE ON THE FUEL PUMP.

Owner-reported narrative. 180,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11385130 at NHTSA ↗