1998 Toyota Camry

Typical pattern

13.7% of complaints about the 1998 Toyota Camry came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 1998 vehicle — around the middle of the 180 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 4.3 yr in service. The most-reported system is engine cooling (81 complaints), typically at 5.4 yr or about 95,000 miles.

Complaints: 474
Median age at failure: 4.3 yr
Median mileage: 87,844 n=166
Crash / fire / tow: 23.2% of reports
Safety recalls: 3

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Engine cooling

81 reports · 95,000 mi

5.4 yr

27.2%

Service brakes, hydraulic

67 reports · 80,000 mi

2.0 yr

7.5%

Speed control

57 reports · 96,390 mi

6.1 yr

38.6%

Suspension

51 reports · 60,000 mi

3.4 yr

Air bags

42 reports · 127,623 mi

6.1 yr

83.3%

Seat belts

28 reports · 90,000 mi

6.8 yr

3.6%

Tires

24 reports · 62,876 mi

4.4 yr

4.2%

Structure

22 reports · 100,000 mi

2.3 yr

4.5%

Electrical system

22 reports · 75,000 mi

4.4 yr

22.7%

Steering

17 reports · 98,000 mi

7.3 yr

41.2%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

09E025000 2009-05-11

Exterior lighting:headlights

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

01V012000 2001-01-16

Speed control

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH CRUISE CONTROL AND V6 ENGINES, AND BUILT AT ONE OF TWO LINES AT THE KENTUCKY PLANT. THE ACCELERATOR CABLE HOUSING COULD BE DEFORMED AT THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTUATOR-TO-THROTTLE BODY CONNECTION. THE ACCELERATOR INNER-CABLE COULD WEAR AWAY AND EVENTUALLY BREAK.

THIS COULD ALLOW THE THROTTLE TO RETURN TO IDLE OR REMAIN IN ITS MOST RECENT POSITION REGARDLESS OF ACCELERATOR PEDAL OPERATION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

99V307000 1999-11-01

Steering: steering wheel/handle bar

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED CAUSING STEERING VIBRATION AND LOOSENESS.

THIS CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.

In owners’ own words

Air bags mileage not reported 0 mo in service crash / fire / tow

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A RIGHT SIDE IMPACT COLLISION AT 25 MPH IN WHICH THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK *NLM

Air bags mileage not reported 3 mo in service crash / fire / tow

DURING A 70 MPH FRONTAL CRASH, THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE DRIVER'S HEAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD.

Air bags mileage not reported 10 mo in service crash / fire / tow

WHILE DRIVING 30-35MPH DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIRBAG SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. HAD A FRONTAL IMPACT AND BOTH AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, WHICH DID NOT PROTECT THE OCCUPANT IN THIS ACCIDENT. DEALER STATED THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY BECAUSE THE SENSORS ARE LOCATED IN DASH PANEL. *AK

Suspension mileage not reported 4 mo in service

VEHICLE DRIFTS FROM THE RIGHT TO THE LEFT. VEHICLE PERFORMS A LANE CHANGE FROM RIGHT TO THE LEFT ON ALL TYPES OF ROADS AT ALL SPEEDS. THE FASTER THE SPEED THE SOONER THE LANE CHANGE. *AK

Other Camry model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.