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CarComplaints.com Notes: Beware of the NHTSA complaint data for the 2005 Camry. It is almost certainly misleading.

The problem with NHTSA data for the 2005 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 Toyota 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 2005 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:
142 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
70 / 5
Average Mileage:
38,920 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.

2005 Toyota Camry engine problems

engine problem

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2005 Toyota Camry Owner Comments (Page 7 of 13)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #127

Feb 242010

Camry

  • 50,000 miles

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

I was driving home after a brief commute (~10 miles) and was in my driveway waiting for garage to open and when I stepped on the accelerator gently to enter the garage, the car seemed to surge forward. I stepped on the brake with all my strength and the car stopped in time and I turned the ignition off.

- Lawrence, KS, USA

problem #126

Aug 152009

Camry

  • 90,000 miles
2005 Toyota Camry. Car was being driven through town and had stopped at a red light. Light turned green and when accelerator was pressed to turn right car suddenly over accelerated and started to accelerate on it's own even when slamming on the brakes. After a few more seconds the car did decelerate and was able to be stopped. No further occurrences since then. This year model should be included in Toyota's recall for defective accelerators.

- Hartwell, GA, USA

problem #125

Aug 082009

Camry 6-cyl

  • 20,000 miles
The contact owned a 2005 Toyota Camry. While driving 55 mph, the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated and rear-ended a vehicle. The vehicle continued to accelerate uncontrollably off of the road. The driver avoided striking a pedestrian and crashed into a parked vehicle. The air bag deployed with the level of impact involved. The police was called to the scene. The driver sustained multiple injuries, and died of the injuries three months later. The other vehicle driver suffered minor injuries. The failure mileage was 20,000. Updated 4/26/10

- Las Cruces, NM, USA

problem #124

Oct 272008

Camry

  • 19,776 miles

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

The car revs for no apparent reason and the rpms go very high. First time in Oct 2008 backing out of a parking the revs shot up. Toyota service found nothing. Second occasion July 2009 while at a light the rpms shot up for no apparent reason. Fortunately foot was on the brake, so no damage done. Also noticed that even after letting foot off the gas pedal the revs would not come down for some time. Non Toyota service station looked at it, and cleaned the throttle plate. Third occasion in Jan 2010 my wife was driving downhill when suddenly there was a surge and the car RPM's shot up for no apparent reason. She hit the brakes hard and everything went back to normal. I took the car to Toyota and they could not find anything. They blamed it on the floor mats, which I disagreed with as there is a reasonable clearance gap between the gas pedal and the mats. A week later I left the car with Toyota for 3 days and they drove it for two test runs and the manager took it home (158 miles) and they could not recreate the problem. Toyota have told me there is not a problem with my 2005 Camry as it's not on the recall list. I disagree with this statement.

- Newtown, PA, USA

problem #123

Jul 182005

Camry

  • 19 miles
We purchased a 2005 Toyota Camry in 2005. The first day I drove it the car hesitated on acceleration to change lanes it was lucky that it didn't cause a wreck. I took the car back to the dealership (I don't remember why) but I asked them to check it and the guy I talked to just said it was because of the fuel injection. The guy didn't offer to check it, he just made that statement. The hesitation happens any time and it always feels like someone is going to rear end us while the car is deciding what it wants to do. On the freeways in California people go 70 miles an hour that makes it a hazard to drive a Toyota on the freeway. The Toyota also has a mind of its own, sometimes when I have my foot on the brake preparing to stop the engine seems to be trying to override the brake to keep going. It feels like the car is trying to increase the speed when I am trying to slow down. I have been concerned about it but I just figured Toyota was not going to do anything about it. Now my husband does not want me to drive the Toyota.

- Moreno Valley, CA, USA

problem #122

Feb 182010

Camry

  • 76,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Camry. While the contact was driving 5 mph into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning causing the contact to crash into 2 vehicles. No one was injured during the crash. A police report was filed. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealership and there were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 76,000.

- Topfield, MA, USA

problem #121

Jan 172010

Camry

  • 83,300 miles

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

My 2005 Toyota Camry has had no problems and has been maintained as recommended for 5 years up to the date of the accident which occurred on January 17, 2010. I was pulling into a parking spot at approximately 1 mile per hour, lightly touched the brake and instead of stopping the car lunged forward (self-accelerated) up over a concrete block onto a sidewalk and came to a stop when it hit a heavy metal railing. An 8' section of the rail was broken off and fell 4' away from the car. I reported the accident to the police and to my insurance company. A tow truck driver got the car moved, checked the brakes - which he said were working properly - and suggested that the accident may have been caused by a stuck throttle. Neither the floor mats or the gas pedal caused the problem. The damage to the car came to $2200 but nothing was done to fix the problem because Toyota has not recalled this year vehicle and the forensic mechanic who inspected it felt that it was a computer problem and the solutions offered by Toyota would not address the random acceleration problem.

- La Crescenta, CA, USA

problem #120

Jun 022008

Camry

  • 44,316 miles
Vehicle will excel after lightly touching the gas pedal from stopped position.

- Lebanon, KY, USA

problem #119

Dec 102009

Camry 4-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Camry. While driving approximately 5 mph into a parking space almost coming to a complete stop, the vehicle accelerated over the fence, hit some boulders and then crashed into a tree. There was front end damage to the front bumper and under carriage. There were no injuries. The police were not notified. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where she was able to purchase another vehicle. The Toyota manufacturer was not called. The failure mileage was 45,000. Updated 04/16/10. Updated 07/07/10.

- Costa Mesa, CA, USA

problem #118

Aug 292009

Camry 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 40,000 miles
The contact owned a 2005 Toyota Camry. He stated that the brakes continued to lock while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they could not duplicate the failure. The manufacturer stated that they did not have any additional complaints similar to his. On a separate occasion, while driving at speeds of approximately 25 mph through a school zone, the vehicle abnormally accelerated to the right and crashed into a pole. The driver attempted to stop the vehicle by depressing the brakes, to no avail. The vehicle was destroyed and a police report was filed on scene. The contact was transported to the hospital and suffered moderate injuries and bruises. The manufacturer investigated the vehicle further and could not find any technical errors in the vehicle. The cause of the crash was inconclusive. The failure mileage was 40,000. The VIN was not available. Updated 04/27/10. Updated 07/08/10.

- Randolph, NJ, USA

problem #117

Oct 102009

Camry

  • miles

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

I have a 2005 Toyota Camry that I feel accelerates even after the brakes has been applied. I had taken my car to the dealership to check it however was advised that there was no problem with my car. Anyhow after all this I don't feel driving a Toyota is safe for me and my family. I am hopeful that the authorities should also look at 2005 and 2006 Camry's.

- Norwalk, CA, USA

problem #116

Feb 132010

Camry

  • 24,000 miles
2005 Toyota Camry accelerated when I took my foot of the gas pedal and slammed into, and went up on, a snow bank. I attempted to step on the brake but it was too late, and I suffered a sprained ankle upon impact. I went to the local Toyota dealer and was told that my vehicle was not one that had been recalled and if I wanted, I could bring the car in four days later to be looked at but I would be charged.

- Woburn, MA, USA

problem #115

Sep 012008

Camry

  • miles
Sudden acceleration.

- Fremont, CA, USA

problem #114

Feb 182010

Camry

  • 58,000 miles
Camry acceleration. My 2005 Camry has accelerated at full throttle at least 5 times. The latest occurrence was on 2-18-2010. So far no one has gotten hurt, but this vehicle is unsafe.

- Jackson, CA, USA

problem #113

Jun 202005

Camry

  • 57,000 miles
I was stopped at a signal light. The Toyota Camry I was driving off of holt ave. Pomona. Ca. I accelerated by tapping the accelerator and the car abruptly started accelerating aggressively on its own and lead me directly head on into a tree. It was almost like the car was "taken over" by something. I suffered some minor injuries of the back, head, and shoulder. I almost died. The airbag came out so I survived. I was taken to the hospital for check up and released the same day. I was holding a Nevada license. I called the pomona police today for a accident report number however the police department denied there was report taken. The car was totaled. The car was insured in California. This accident occurred after a other car in our family of 2, mysteriously rolled over on road of the 15 interstate highway were my mother almost died. The cause of the accident is also still unknown.the acceleration speed is unknown I have guessed the speed in the further documentation..I am not sure of the equipment type in the car.

- Diamond Bar, CA, USA

problem #112

Nov 302009

Camry

  • 12,630 miles
On 11/30/2009 my wife was parking her 2005 Toyota Camry. The car suddenly sped up and she turned to the right and crashed the left front of the car into the poured concrete foundation. Fortunately she was not injured. She is certain the floor mat did not get stuck under the gas pedal. The car was towed to the dealer they told us the 2005 model year Camry was not involved in the recall (they also told us the 2005 model year was not fly-by-wire and after checking recanted that statement) and submitted a claim to our insurance company. The insurance company will not pursue Toyota for reimbursement because the cost to do so would exceed the cost to repair the car (about $5,000). The dealers repair shop says that the transmission fluid was low, burned and black and this caused the car to lurch forward. In the course of repairs they flushed and refilled the transmission fluid (at our expense) and said that would solve the problem. The car was purchased with only 12,630 miles on the odometer and the front end repaired after a similar crash. We had no idea about any problem regarding the accelerator system sticking at that time. With the most recent Toyota recall I called the dealership about reflashing the computer for that portion of the software that controls the accelerator system. It is my understanding that the reflash installs an override that cancels the accelerator when the brakes are depressed. I was told that there was no computer upgrade available for the 2005 model Camry, only 2007 and newer models.

- Marietta, OH, USA

problem #111

Sep 112008

Camry 6-cyl

  • 73,569 miles
Toyota Camry 2005 V-6. as accelerated vehicle to merge on highway, the vehicle took off and I was unable to stop or control any steering. I was in the lt. Lane with a diesel truck next to me. I needed to merge soon so looked down to cupholder, grabbed my slurpee while accelerating, the car hit the rt. Lane pads and would not slow down, I steered to the right to avoid hitting the truck, the car was out of control I screamed "oh my god, what's happening" hit the cement highway divider at which time I lost consciousness. The care went into oncoming traffic and flew off the South bound freeway, stopping in a ditch. I was wedged between the drivers seat and door, unable to move. I was now a trauma patient, severing my spleen, fracturing 4 ribs, internal bleeding and a surgical patient for removal of my spleen, transfusions and a tube sucking my internal bleed through a pump which delivered my blood back into my veins. Hospitalization for 7 days, unable to eat, ice chips only for 6 days. 30+ staples up my stomach and a new digestive process forever. I knew the car sped up when I accelerated to merge and as I tried to stop the car by pushing on the brakes, it would not slow down and immediately seemed to go off the road in the lt lane fishtailing while I braked. Fortunately I did lose consciousness and did not hit another vehicle during the accident. I have never had an accident before this and have driven for approx. 32 years when this happened. I know the car would not stop which I told the chp and my insurance investigator who sent forensics to the auto yard. We thought maybe the new tires were at fault but with Toyota recent transparency, it becomes obvious they knew of this issue but failed to put out a recall for acceleration problems recently but more importantly knowing of an issue and it's potential to lead to death for some of its customers but lacked the safety conscious to recall their accelerators and braking systems.

- Westwood, CA, USA

problem #110

Jun 202008

Camry 4-cyl

  • 10,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Camry. While backing out of a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The consumer stated she had her foot on the brake, but the vehicle continued to accelerate. The consumer swerved and crashed into a tree and finally stopped. Updated updated 07/06/10.

- Sewickley, PA, USA

problem #109

Aug 222006

Camry

  • 12,000 miles
This is to report an accident we had in our 2005 Toyota Camry. At the end of August 2006 my family, with my husband driving, were turning into the luby's parking lot in plano, Texas. As he turned into the parking space going approx, 1-2 mph, the car suddenly started revving like crazy and accelerated at high speed into a light pole at the front of the parking space. The acceleration happened in a space of about 5 to 7 feet and yet the front end of the car was damaged so bad that the passenger side door wouldn't open. The light pole had a cement base and stopped the car from going any further but the car was still accelerating after we had stopped. After my husband turned off the key, the engine ran for a minute or two more. At the time we had no clue that it could have been a problem with the Toyota. Although we suspected it. Our car is also not on the recall list. My husband made a statement to the insurance company at the time and I would assume they would have this on file. The car was repaired but we are worried this might happen again. Since we don't know which if any part malfunctioned, we do not know if it was replaced after the accident.

- Mckinney, TX, USA

problem #108

Jan 052010

Camry

  • 33,500 miles
I was in a multi-storey car park and I spotted a free space 20 yards ahead. I took my foot off the accelerator, and the vehicle begun to lose speed normally. I applied the brake gently to turn right into an empty spot. I was braking to a halt at an appropriate distance from a retaining wall when suddenly, with no warning, the Toyota lurched forward at an incredible rate of acceleration, struck the wall then bounced back several feet and the engine cut out. I suffered severe neck trauma, due first to the sudden acceleration and then the impact. The airbag did not deploy despite the fact that the damage to the front of the car was according to an expert consistent with an impact speed of 30 to 35 mph. Earlier in the same trip, I was stopped at traffic lights with the car in drive and my foot on the brake. Suddenly the car vibrated and lurched against the brake, trying to move ahead. I had to brake hard to prevent it from doing so. The lights changed and I proceeded towards the parking garage where the accident described above subsequently occurred. The damage to the front of the car has not yet been fixed and the car has not been used since the accident. I reported this accident to Toyota customer service who arranged for someone from their local service company to examine the vehicle at the body shop where it was located. The main conclusion of their examination was that they found no problem with the brakes. In fact, my complaint was not about the brakes, which had always worked perfectly normally. Their report also said "we are happy that you did not sustain injuries in this incident". I am sorry to inform them that I am still suffering from severe back and neck pain from the injuries that I sustained.

- Los Altos, CA, USA

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