Print this page

CarComplaints.com Notes: Beware of the NHTSA complaint data for the 2004 Camry. It is almost certainly misleading.

The problem with NHTSA data for the 2004 Camry is that for months on end, the news media repeatedly told the public that several Toyota models had an unintended acceleration defect, & to go to safercar.gov (the NHTSA's website) to file a complaint.

So, the NHTSA received a disproportionate number of complaints about unintended acceleration issues because of the national news media attention, to the point where their data is unreliable taken in context with any other vehicle that did not receive national news attention.

CarComplaints.com typically receives more complaints per day about vehicles than the NHTSA does, but the news media did not repeatedly say "go to CarComplaints.com to report your Camry acceleration problems" like they did about the NHTSA -- so although we have less complaint data than the NHTSA for the 2004 Camry, our data for the Camry is a far more statistically accurate representation of the Camry's reliability than what the NHTSA data shows.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
45,875 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Toyota Camry brakes problems

brakes problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2004 Toyota Camry:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2004 Toyota Camry Owner Comments

problem #4

Dec 122004

Camry

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2004 Toyota Camry le I hv front end shaking when I applied brakes. I have chavez front rotors, pad(both organic N semi metallic) rebuilt calipers, new set of 4 tires and I still have vibration it's 100 percent coming from front. End some one plz help [xxx] thanks. One more thing brake master cylinder was on the bulletin board not recall I have had that done also.I hate Toyota I only got 40,000 original miles on it N looks like brand new but drive likes Toyota (like crap). Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Sylmar, CA, USA

problem #3

Jul 222009

Camry

  • 88,000 miles
-a 2000 Camry with brake problems -tried to fix problems but mechanics unable to identify problems. -a 2004 Camry with brake and acceleration problmes. Reported to Toyota but ignored me. Reported again but still ignored. -need help as I spent so much until problems killed my transmission.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #2

Dec 252009

Camry

  • 91,000 miles
On christmas day, December 25, 2009, I was driving our 2004 Toyota Camry on the 880-N freeway in oakland, exited the freeway, and when I applied the brakes to stop at the first intersection after exiting, the car suddenly accelerated forward. I was unnerved as my foot hit the brakes and the car reacted by jumping forward. Fortunately, my wife and infant child were strapped safely with seat belts in the car and no accident occurred. This was not supposed to happen. The incident was also not the result of driver error ' my right foot hit the brakes. The weather and road conditions were good. The weather was dry and partly cloudy. The roads were dry. After the incident, I contacted the san bruno, ca based melody Toyota service department and a local independent mechanic. Both told me that they would have to replicate the problem under similar driving conditions before they could do anything. While the incident has not repeated itself, I am concerned that the problem could pop up at any time. I believe Toyota should, at their own expense, inspect and repair my vehicle so the brakes function as intended. I am concerned about the safety of my 2004 Camry vehicle and believe other 2004 Toyota Camry owners have had similar experience. As of today, I believe Toyota has only partially addressed the sudden, unintended acceleration issue and I am calling on the NHTSA to investigate this matter more thoroughly. I would like Toyota to investigate this matter and believe that government legislators and regulators ought to prod Toyota to do more. Toyota has stated that it does not believe its current recall should reach back to the 2004 model year. I disagree. I would like Toyota to fix the defect to ensure that my brake system functions properly. Beyond safety concerns, I am also disappointed that Toyota's Camry troubles have caused a significant decline in the value of my car.

- South San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #1

Apr 022005

Camry

  • 4,500 miles
I purchased a new Toyota Camry in 2004. On the morning of 4/2/2005, I took my daughter to her orthodontist appointment. On my way back, I first made a stop at a traffic light before making a left turn to get on a parkway. I did not notice anything unusual. A few minutes later, when I attempted to slow down in anticipation of the end of the parkway and the traffic light at the intersection, I noticed that the brake was not working. I tried squeezing (to the floor) and tapping. I had no effect. There was no acceleration (kept the same speed). By the time I reached the intersection, the light was red and all three lanes had vehicles in front of me. I steered my car between two lanes to get through the traffic (with only the mirrors scraped off). Once the traffic was behind me, I took the vehicle to the right to grind against the curb which brought it to a halt. The vehicle was pronounced total. Three other vehicles were affected with varying degrees of damage (due to direct impact on the side or reaction to the sudden traffic movement). I informed Toyota and requested their inspection. Toyota later responded stating that they found no "design or manufacturing defect". I am not sure if they took my report seriously. They may have lost the opportunity to investigate a potential problem.

- Staten Island, NY, USA

Not what you are looking for?