2004 Toyota Camry: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 638 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is vehicle speed control (35% of complaints); the 2006 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 1 new complaint in the last 90 days · latest recall Nov 2011
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 638 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“My wife was in a crash that totaled my 2004 Camry. She swerved to miss a deer and was pulled off the road and into two utility poles and several areas of fence. None of the airbags deployed and the crash was well over the 14 mph speed limit suggested for the airbags to deploy. My wife was seriously injured and was lucky the seatbelt held her back. She spent time in a hospital and broken two ribs and bruised her heart. This could have been avoided if the airbags deployed. No warning signs and the vehicle was inspected on time every time. No recalls.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jun 2026
“The SRS warning light came on. I took it to my mechanic and he tested the sensor. He said the code that showed is B1821...Open in Side Squib (D Seat Side) Circuit. He said I needed to take it to a Toyota Dealer. I have an appointment with one on 4/17/25.”Owner report · Air Bags · Apr 2025
“The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the catalytic convertor needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 193,868.”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Dec 2022
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling there was an abnormal fuel odor detected. The contact stated that there was also a grinding sound while applying the brakes. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed with a fuel leak and ABS sensor failure. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the tank was rusted and was also replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Nov 2021
“The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at the residence, there was an abnormally strong fuel odor detected. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was made aware of a fuel leak. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000.”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Nov 2021
“The power steering freezes up upon the slightest amount of street water ponding making it almost impossible to turn the steering wheel. I have experienced a number of scary situations that make driving this car in wet elements very very difficult. As a result I generally refrain from driving altogether under these conditions. This dangerous problem must be fixed soon! I HAVE MENTIONED THIS PROBLEM IN THE PAST TO MY LOCAL DEALER (TOYOTA OF DALLAS)”Owner report · Steering · Nov 2021
“The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Camry. The contacts stated that while her daughter was driving at 55mph down a hill when the contact's daughter crashed the vehicle into another vehicle that was stopped. None of the airbags deploying. Medical treatment was required and she sustained bruising to the left breast and ribcage. The contact's daughter service dog was in the vehicle at the time of the failure and hit the floorboard during the incident. A police report was filed and the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The manufacturer was informed of failure and was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jul 2021
“The car will suddenly stop. Initially, we thought that it was a battery issue. In fact, we changed the battery with a brand new one, it happens again. Two more times, I did own a toyota car more than 25 years ago. It was identified as fuel pump issue. For sure, this is the case. Can I get a replacement for free on the fuel pump.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Dec 2020
“While driving locally at a non-speeding level,dry weather, wheel locked up preventing control of the vehicle which spun out of control, leadding to vehicle hitting a curb then airborne and turnover resulting to salvage damages.”Owner report · Steering · Aug 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry. While driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the engine belt had fractured. The vehicle was towed to marietta toyota (750 cobb parkway s, marietta, ga) where it was diagnosed that the crankshaft pulley and crankshaft seal failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 11v539000 (engine), although the vehicle exhibited the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 249,000.”Owner report · Engine · Aug 2019
When filing, owners marked a crash in 199 of these complaints and injuries in 133 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AVALON VEHICLES; 2004 AND 2005 CAMRY, CAMRY SOLARA, HIGHLANDER, AND SIENNA VEHICLES, 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID; 2004 AND 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND RX330; AND 2006 LEXUS RX400H VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 2004 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2005, EQUIPPED WITH THE 1MZ-FE OR 3MZ-FE ENGINE. THE AMOUNT OF ADHESIVE AGENT APPLIED BETWEEN THE OUTER RING AND THE TORSIONAL RUBBER DAMPER (INNER RING) IN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY MAY BE INADEQUATE. IF THE ADHESIVE IS INSUFFICIENT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE OUTER RING MAY BECOME MISALIGNED AND IT MAY NOT PROPERLY ROTATE WITH THE INNER RING, CAUSING NOISE AND/OR ILLUMINATION OF THE BATTERY DISCHARGE INDICATOR LIGHT.
Remedy: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL CHECK THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER IT WAS PRODUCED BY THE U.S. SUPPLIER. IF SO, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PULLEY WITH A NEW ONE AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING EARLY JANUARY 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH CURTAIN SHIELD AIR BAGS (CSA), ONE OR BOTH OF THE CURTAIN AIR BAGS MAY BE TWISTED NEAR THE INFLATOR DUE TO IMPROPER ASSEMBLY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE CSAS AND REPLACE THE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 6, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A FRONT PASSENGER POWER SEAT, WHEN INSTALLING CERTAIN REAR-FACING INFANT CHILD SEAT BASES ONTO THE SEAT WITH AN EXCESSIVELY HIGH SEATBELT TENSION, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO UNSEAT A COMPONENT CALLED THE BUCKLE STATUS SWITCH FROM THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT BUCKLE STATUS SWITCH. THIS SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN (SSC 40M) BEGAN ON DECEMBER 20, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331 OR LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987..
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2004 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Camry by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2004 Toyota Camry reliable?
NHTSA has 638 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2004 Toyota Camry. The most complained-about area is vehicle speed control (35% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2004 Toyota Camry problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 49,604 miles or less.
Does the 2004 Toyota Camry have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning engine and engine cooling. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.