Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 1985 Toyota Camry
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Brakes
421.1%
Tires
315.8%
Electrical System
315.8%
0 crashes, 1 fires
Transmission & Drivetrain
210.5%
Engine & Cooling
210.5%
0 crashes, 2 fires
Other & Unspecified
15.3%
Median failure at 58,000 miles
Fuel & Propulsion
15.3%
Lights
15.3%
Acceleration & Cruise Control
15.3%
Suspension
15.3%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Jan 1995peak 5Aug 2018
NHTSA investigations into the 1985 Toyota Camry
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
PE87057Opened 10 Sep 1987Closed 30 Mar 1988ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
IGNITER ASSEMBLY FAILURE
SUMMARY: TOYOTA RECOVERED SOME FAILED IGNITION CONTROL MODULES FROM THEFIELD. INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT A SOLDER JOINT IN THE POWER TRANSISTOROF THE MODULE WAS SUBJECT TO FAILURE. BECAUSE THE PART IS AN EMISSIONRELATED COMPONENT A VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS RECALL CAMPAIGN WAS CONDUCTED.THE PREDOMINANT MODE OF FAILURE IS AN INABILITY TO START THE ENGINE,ALTHOUGH A STALLED CONDITION CAN OCCUR WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING.SINCE THE REPORTED OCCURENCE OF ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES IS SMALL, AND THEREPAIR IS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE EMISSIONS RECALL CAMPAIGN, THELIKLEHOOD OF FURTHER ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES IS...
Complaints that involved harm
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Cleveland, OHFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE CONSUMER WAS SMELLING SMOKE INSIDE VEHICLE. SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDER. AND TRUNK AREA WAS IN FLAMES.
NHTSA complaint #8004750 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tallahasse, FLFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #490482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tallahasse, FLFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #488513 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
at 58,000 milesLake George, NY
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE CAR SIMPLY WON'T START. I'M NOT SURE WHY, BECAUSE THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR SEEM TO BE WORKING. AT FIRST, I THOUGHT IT WAS THE STARTER RECALL. I HAD THAT REPAIRED AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. BUT IT'S NOT THE PROBLEM. THE CAR JUST WON'T START, AND IT TURNS OVER TO TRY TO START.
NHTSA complaint #11118106 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Auburn, AL
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND CHATTER. CONSUMER PULLED UP INTO A SERVICE STATION AND CHECKED TIRES. SHE COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING WRONG, THERE WERE NO PUNCTURES OF BUBBLES IN THE TIRES. SHE THEN CONTINUED ON HER WAY, BUT ABOUT A MILE DOWN THE HIGHWAY , VEHICLE SHACKED AND CHATTERED. ONLY THIS TIME WHEN SHE GOT OUT OF VEHICLE SHE NOTICED THAT RIGHT TIRE SEPARATED BECAUSE THE TREAD PEELED OFF. THERE 9800 MILES ON THE TIRES. DOUGLAS TIRES , P185 70R13. VEHICLE DID NOT RUN OVER ANYTHING, OR HIT ANYTHING.
NHTSA complaint #10038243 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Auburn, AL
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TIRE TREAD SEPARATED AND TIRE BLEW OUT ON INTERSTATE.
NHTSA complaint #10036939 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cleveland, OHFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE CONSUMER WAS SMELLING SMOKE INSIDE VEHICLE. SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDER. AND TRUNK AREA WAS IN FLAMES.
NHTSA complaint #8004750 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Star City, AR
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE.
NHTSA complaint #705410 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Newtonvill, MA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN ACCELERATION, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL/CRASH.
NHTSA complaint #780287 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fayetteville, NC
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THERE IS A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ASSEMBLY WHEN THE CONSUMER IS MAKING A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP TWICE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, AND CONSUMER HAS TO TAKE VEHICLE BACK TO THE SHOP SINCE THE PROBLEM HAS REOCCURRED. DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #833151 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
NEW Hartfo, NY
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
FUEL/BRAKE FLUID LEAKED FROM CORRODED METAL TUBING.
NHTSA complaint #513263 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tallahasse, FLFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #490482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tallahasse, FL
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #488513 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tallahasse, FL
TIRES
TIRES REPLACED.
NHTSA complaint #488513 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tallahasse, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
ELECTRICAL CONTROL UNIT PROBLEM.
NHTSA complaint #488513 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tallahasse, FLFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.
NHTSA complaint #488513 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tallahasse, FL
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
CLUTCH FAILED.
NHTSA complaint #488513 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Springfiel, VA
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY LOSES POWER WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS DUE TO TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. *DSH
NHTSA complaint #487064 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Elmont, NY
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKE PEDAL GOES DOWN TO FLOOR.
NHTSA complaint #490718 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Elmont, NY
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKE PEDAL GOES DOWN TO FLOOR.
NHTSA complaint #490718 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vernon Hills, 00
INTERIOR LIGHTING
INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF DOME LIGHTS.
NHTSA complaint #959132 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vernon Hills, 00
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM
REAR BRAKES WEAR OUT EXCESSIVELY. TT
NHTSA complaint #959132 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.