1997 Toyota Camry Electrical system Problems

“My car made a wining noise and then a loud pop. I managed to get it off rt 40 and into a parking lot. The brakes went out and there was severe smoke. I did roll down my window half way and then shut car off tried the unlock button and it did not work. I then crawled out the window and ran the car ignited and continuously burned up?”

“This is the second time in 2 years that the ignition cylinder assembly needs replaced, leaving me stranded once again. Managed to get a friend to get a replacement part for me but now I cannot get it installed. The key has to be in the acc position for it to go in but the tab that it slides into doesn't line up. I have been a faithful Toyota customer for 3 decades but this is beyond frustrating!”

“My chek enigne light came on when I was headed out for a 250 mile trip. I took it to the dealer and got theis list of problems. Timing belt replacment,water pump, reseal oil pan, replace engine pipe, transmission gasket and filter replacement oxygen sensor, a/f sensor, efi service, cam seal, crank seal, oil pump seal . Blue smoke coming from exhaust. I went on line and realized that I had oil sludge. Called toyaota, they told me to get it evaluated for oil sludge”

“I own a 1997 Toyota Camry with 194,000 miles. Last week it caught on fire. I pulled into the office parking lot and turned off the ignition and removed the key. The starter continued to try to start the car. I tried to stall it out by letting out the clutch, but it just continued to try to start. I then put the key back in turned on the ignition and put it in neutral. I then ran into the office to get a tool to disconnect the battery. When the battery was disconnected the starter quit, but by then the solenoid was so overheated it started to smoke and burn. …”

“Poor design and build - 1997 Toyota Camry le (4 cylinder). I own a 1997 4-cylinder Camry le. It is well maintained and has less than 80,000 miles. A few months ago, its starter went bad and was replaced. This morning, the dealer found that its engine valve seals worn out and must be replaced (over $1000 repair). I checked the internet car forums and found that this is a common problem with 1997 model year 4-cylinder Toyota Camry. I believe that it is a poor design and build problem. Customers should not be paying a problem caused by the manufacturer's poor design and build. …”