1999 Toyota Camry Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year report a wide spread of problems on an older vehicle, most often engine-related trouble (oil sludge leading to engine failure), sticking or surging accelerator behavior, premature brake wear, airbags that did not deploy in some crashes, and cooling-system and strut noise. Many complaints come from cars well past 60,000 miles, though a notable share of engine failures were reported under 70,000 miles despite regular maintenance.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Engine failure after oil sludge buildup

   • 82 complaints (16%)
   • median 66,000 mi at 5.5 yrs old (43 state mileage)
   • 19 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,700 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 1998–2014

   Owners describe engines that blew a connecting rod or holed the block, often with a loud bang, knocking, smoke and oil loss. Several say they followed regular oil-change schedules and that a dealer attributed the damage to excessive oil sludge or gel. Some report dealer goodwill repairs covering part of the cost, others say they paid for a replacement engine or short block themselves. Reported from roughly 44,000 to 150,000 miles, with several failures under 70,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check oil-change records and look inside the oil filler cap for dark sludge; ask whether the engine has ever been replaced or had sludge-related work done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Problem with 1999 Toyota Camry: in trying to pass a vehicle on a country road, the engine literally blew a hole. The RPM was just a little over 4,000. Thankfully, there was no vehicle coming from the other side and the other drivers on my side quickly slowed down to let me come back to my side of the road. Otherwise there could have been a major accident.”

   NHTSA complaint #10207100, filed 2007-10, 55,000 miles

   “8/12/03 heard unusual noise shortly after getting on a highway. Pulled the car to the side and stopped. Found oil all over the place, inside the engine and outside on the ground. A Toyota dealer examined the car and said that the "#1 connecting rod" was broken and that it is not customer's fault. We bought Toyota Camry (4 cylinders) in 1999. We have been following the recommended maintenance schedule at the same Toyota dealer. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10070833, filed 2004-01, 75,000 miles
2. 2
   Vehicle speed control

   Gas pedal sticks, surges or hesitates

   • 111 complaints (22%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 11.1 yrs old (47 state mileage)
   • 35 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2019

   Complaints describe the accelerator pedal not moving when pressed, then surging or the engine revving on its own, sometimes while the cruise control is set. A few owners report uncommanded acceleration at low speed. Dealers and mechanics often could not find a cause, though in some cases the cruise control actuator was replaced or a hose was tightened. Mostly reported between about 45,000 and 135,000 miles, in varied driving conditions.

   Recall 01V012000

   What to check: With the engine off, work the pedal by hand and check that it moves freely and returns; ask whether the accelerator cable or cruise control actuator has been serviced under the recall.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 1999 Toyota Camry, le, that the gas pedal continually sticks. I have to hold the gas pedal when it sticks and press down, sometimes hard, on the gas pedal to continue forward. My daughter has driven the car and almost was rear ended when she couldn't get the car to move.”

   NHTSA complaint #10331797, filed 2010-05, 90,000 miles

   “I purchased a new Toyota Camry in november 1999. In 2004 (the car has fewer than 45,000 miles on it), while traveling on a local highway, the accelerator became stuck . Luckily, we were traveling at a low rate of speed, because we had just accelerated after leaving a red light. The driver (a friend) kept her wits and put the car in neutral, then steered into an empty lot where she shut off the engine. At this point the car's rpms were redlining . …”

   NHTSA complaint #10310065, filed 2010-02, 45,000 miles
3. 3
   Air bags

   Airbags did not deploy in a crash

   • 110 complaints (22%)
   • median 73,787 mi at 7.0 yrs old (37 state mileage)
   • 88 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2016

   Owners report frontal and side impacts where the airbags did not inflate, including cases with injuries and vehicles declared a total loss. Complaints describe impacts at moderate speeds and in some cases seat belts locking. Most had no dealer diagnosis of the airbag system. Reported across a wide mileage range, roughly 40,000 to 155,000 miles.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the airbag warning light works and goes out after start-up, and have the airbag system scanned for stored fault codes before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “(1) the vehicle I was driving in was proceeding to make a left turn on a green traffic signal when other vehicle failed to obey red traffic signal thus striking my vehicle between the driver's side front and driver's side rear doors ( b pillar). (2) side airbag did not inflate contributing to more serious injuries sustained. (3) vehicle was totaled by insurance company. Could not find contact information on manufacturer to make notifcation of defect.”

   NHTSA complaint #10086082, filed 2004-08, 70,000 miles

   “I only had my 1999 Camry for 5 days. I was driving on the expressway doing about 35 MPH. I was going around a slight curve when the wheel locked and I couldn't turn. I tried to stop but couldn't and ran directly into the concrete median causing me to spin around and then hit the median again. Both air bags came out and my car was towed to a lot where it was declared totaled. No one or any other property was damaged. I had my car for only 5 days and it malfunctioned.”

   NHTSA complaint #10923747, filed 2016-11, 153,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brakes weak or worn early

   • 75 complaints (15%)
   • median 66,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 14 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2012

   Owners describe longer stopping distances, brakes that feel ineffective on downgrades or wet roads, and front pads worn to metal with no warning noise. Some report repeated brake and ABS work with the dealer unable to find a clear fault. A few mention a squeal or groan from the brakes. Mostly reported between about 27,000 and 90,000 miles, including use on hills and in wet weather.

   6 related service bulletins

   What to check: Have a shop measure pad and rotor thickness and check brake fluid condition; ask for service records showing how often pads and rotors have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Without warning, I.e. Squealing, sounds, etc., I experienced increased stopping distance when I pressed the brakes to avoid a collision. When I returned the car to the dealer/service, they stated that the front pads are metal to metal. The car has 89,000 miles and the brakes and portions of the braking system have been replaced on average every 8,000 miles. This has been the eleventh time that there has been brake problems with this car. The front brake pads are being worn prematurely. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10046965, filed 2003-11, 89,416 miles

   “The brakes do not seem to work properly when the car is on a decline; this is particularly a problem when the road is wet. Sometimes it seems as if the brakes do not want to work. My mechanic has twice thoroughly checked the brake system and replaced worn parts, but he is unable to locate any problem with the braking system.”

   NHTSA complaint #10308776, filed 2010-02, 80,000 miles

Buying note. This is an old vehicle, so condition and maintenance history matter more than the model's reputation. Have a mechanic check for oil sludge, coolant and head gasket condition, brake wear and airbag fault codes before buying, and confirm any open recalls were done.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.