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.
Due to the fact (according to the dealer) that the throttle is computer controlled (should update the software by now), the vehicle shifts hard, usually a downshift, at slower speeds. Definitely annoying but difficult to get across to the service folks that there is something wrong.
Transmission shifts hard at slow speeds - when accelerating car jerks, this is dangerous when pulling ahead in traffic (getting worse). Each time I have it serviced, am told "that's just the way it is, every Camry has that problem and there's nothing they can do about it". Can't believe there's nothing dealer can do about it!
This has been an on going issue from early on. I now have nearly 50,000 miles on this car and just pray if something goes really wrong it is before the extended warranty is up.
From the get-go transmission shifted hard at slow speeds and when accelerating hard to ramp up on the freeway. Toyota told me it was because the accelerator was no longer a throttle cable but was digital and that is just the way it is. Now have 15,000 mi. Seems to be getting worse. Anyone else have the problem?
- mct17,
Clear Lake Shores, TX, US
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Due to the fact (according to the dealer) that the throttle is computer controlled (should update the software by now), the vehicle shifts hard, usually a downshift, at slower speeds. Definitely annoying but difficult to get across to the service folks that there is something wrong.
- Frank L., Tampa, FL, US