Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
POWER TRAIN
0030506/03/200510015481Engine control module (ecm) calibration: transmission shift feeling enhancement. *tt07/26/2005
0050506/21/200510015490Engine control module (ecm) calibration: transmission shift feeling enhancement. *tt07/26/2005
0020404/06/200410007125The proper identification of the 7 solenoids used in the u151e/u151f transmissions. *tt05/26/2004
0030404/16/20040030410007103Malfunction indicator lamp on condition with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0748, p0798, p0985 or p0986. *tt revision. *tt05/26/2004
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
463703/03/200510015844'04 camry electronic controlled automatic transaxle (ect) (u241e) (from july, 2003) repair manual correction. 00400-rm106-3u1. *tt08/15/2005
0060409/13/200410010191Vibration during 1-2 upshift. *nm11/04/2004
0050408/26/200410009397Proper identification of the 5 solenoids used in the u240e/u241e automatic transaxles. *tt09/29/2004

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
POWER TRAIN
02/06/20131
 I was driving and without warning the gas petal was no longer working. then the check engine light came on. fortunately i was on a side street and was able to pull over. got it towed and was told that the throttle body was broken and it was a pretty common problem for camrys. *tr
08/04/20121030001
 On august 4, 2012, i was driving on the highway when the throttle actuator control on my 2004 camry broke. my car came to a complete and sudden stop, which i am very fortunate to have not been hit by another vehicle. i was not able to move the car and many cars were forced to swerve around me to avoid an accident. all of the lights on my dashboard were flashing. when i turned the car off and tried to restart it, the engine light stayed on. i was finally able to move the car after approximately 10 minutes, but was only able to drive at 10 mph. my mechanic checked the engine code & found the problem to be the throttle body actuator control. the price for the part was $900, not including labor. i purchased the car from lia toyota of northampton, whom i have contacted & they will not assume any responsibility. i have also contacted the toyota manufacturing of north america office in kentucky and am waiting for a response. this problem needs to be addressed as it is extremely dangerous. *tr
01/15/2010967052
 I have experienced sudden acceleration in my 2004 toyota camry and toyota does not have a plan to correct the problem because this model has not been recalled. one incident happened in early december 2009 and th e last incident occurred on january 15, 2010.please help. this is too dangerous. i have tried desperately to avoid accidents and do not want to hurt myself or others while toyota wait on enough problems to recall the 2004 camry le. please mandate that they repair my car and others that are experiencing the problem. *cn
08/13/20051
 Problem: 2004 toyota camry shift gear from overdrive to neutral without pressing gear button. over the weekend, i was driving the car going uphill with left turn, the passenger at front was trying to reach napkin box at the back seat, he accidentally hit the gear with his elbow, even though very lightly, the shift gear suddenly shifted from overdrive to neutral gear while i was making left turn uphill and suddenly lost power. i have ford taurus that does not have such problem. it always requires pressing the gear button to shift gear. i sincerely request toyota manufacturer to fix current design flaw to prevent future accidents. *jb
05/28/200514200211/20/2003
 Recently i brought my 04 camry to my dealer because of sulfur smell and rattle at light acceleration. the dealer verified the problems and replaced the converter and intake manifold according to the tsbs. they said they also had to re-program the ecm. then after i picked up the car, i found everything is harder: the acceleration, steering, and braking. i found it is hard to maintain a speed whether on local or highway. on may 28,2005, while i drove the car on highway with 4 persons sitting in the car (including me), i found the steering was very hard and felted like it was locked, and i found it is very hard to accelerate to hwy speed and hard to maintain it. i brought the car to the dealer again on may 31. after having a technician test drove it, they told me it was similar to other camrys (normal) and wouldn't want to solve my problem. i believe they never tried to reproduce my problem (by having more people sitting in the car). i think this problem is a safty issue so i file complaint with nhtsa. i also feel the car doesn't shift right and engine is noiser after the convert/intake change and re-programming.
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
08/25/201179300
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry xle. the contact was driving 65 mph when the vehicle stalled and coasted to a stop. the vehicle restarted and was diagnosed by a private mechanic who advised that there was a throttle body failure. the manufacturer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 79,300. kmj
08/25/201179300
 Tl- the contact owns a 2004 toyota camry xle. the contact was driving 65mph when the vehicle shut down, and coasted to a stop. the vehicle restarted and was diagnosed by a private mechanic. the testing failure diagnostic message was code 2112 new throttle body failure. the manufacturer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 79,300. rds.
12/17/201045000
 My 2004 toyota camry began leaking transmission fluid from the rear part of the transmission where the two halves of the housing are bolted together. two mechanics, including one whose expertise is in transmission repair, inspected the transmission and said that the transmission's seal apparently failed. the vehicle has 45,000 miles on it, and stays indoors except for a 12-mile round-trip commute between my home and the local indoor public parking garage. both estimates for repair were at least $1,500 because the design of the camry does not allow easy access to the transmission, requiring the mechanic to drop the entire frame to access the transmission. the fluid leak is small, likely no more than a half milliliter every 10 days, so the repair has not been done. both mechanics stated that it is very unusual for a vehicle like this to begin leaking from between the halves of the housing and, based on there being no other physicial damage or wear to the area, it was their opinions that this is a manufacturer's defect. the transmission fluid color is still tinged with pink and diffuses well on blotter paper, and the mechanical function of the transmission appears fine.
10/23/201054564
 Power train: automatic transmission-i have owned this toyota camry for approximately five months. the transmission has a mind of its own. occationally it slips into the wrong gear. the worse problem i encountered was five weeks ago when i placed the vehicle into reverse and the vehicle wanted to go forward. i nearly hit the car parked in front of me. i am glad nobody was walking in front of the car when i placed the vehicle into the reverse gear. this car is dangerous and if i could i would return it back to the dealer. suspension-when is raining the car is difficult to manuever above 50mph. the rear of the car want to go right making the front of the car go left. the same thing happens when the car hits bumps on the road. again, the car is unsafe and should be taken off the road.
08/09/201076000
 On 8/0/10 vehicle in parking lot. backed up vehicle. put vehicle in drive. vehicle engine revved up and crasked into two vehciles. attempted to hit brake. distance between brake and gas pedal is 3 1/2 inches. vehicle involved was a toyota. engneer is inspecting vehicle on 8/27/10/
04/24/200414081
 Following are the descriptions of two similar complaints involving the same vehicle: 1. vehicle, 2004 toyota camry v-6, accelerated unexpectedly while being driven into a head-in parking space. vehicle did not respond to braking, overshot parking space, hit and punched hole in building wall approximately 6 feet ahead of parking space. over $1,000 dollars damage to car and unknown amount to building. 2. about two years later, vehicle accelerated while coasting slowly to stop at a stop light. did not respond to braking, rear-ended stopped vehicle in front. similar front end damage to the toyota and some damage to forward vehicle. *tr
05/04/2009480001
 2004 camry 4-cyl. fails to accelerate (delay of about 1 second) when gas pedal is depressed, in this situation: you have either just rounded a corner at slow speed, or you have started to move from stop, gained speed to about 10mph, then engine revs up to around 3000 rpm, but does not deliver power to wheels. danger of getting hit because your car does not move quickly enough through a traffic situation that you would normally progress through faster. you might also be prevented from averting a crash situation due to lack of acceleration. this problem is intermittent. it can occur 1-3 times in a day, or possibly not at all, but it has been occurring for at least 10,000 miles now. toyota claims this is just the way the transmission works. but it can lead to injury due to crashing. dealer claimed that for some years/lots of vehicles, there was a service performed to re-program an electronic control module. but he also said that the problem would tend to come back after the service was applied. this needs to be addressed before injuries occur. *tr
01/04/20096883201
 My car is toyota 2004 camry show check engine light i didn't pass the air care emission test,so they say is a manufacture problem they say is a federal issue. *tr
10/01/20081010001
 2002-2005 toyota throttle body assembly failure. fails at various mileage. no warning - just dies. not a warranty item. one dealer admits that toyota is aware and have redesigned part. topix.com has blog reports many instances, but not recall or campaigns. repair is $1k-$1.5k. owners feel this to be a recall item and that toyota should be responsible. please help. corporate office is no help and will not report any web material - will only motor phone calls. please help. if this part fails on highway could cause major accident or worse. *tr
02/21/200894000106/01/2004
 Just had to completely rebuild the transmission in my toyota camry 04. this is ridiculous and i have heard from many others that this is a common occurrence since the 2002 camry. having to pay $3000 for a supposedly #1 car that i have not even had for four years is extremely disappointing. there should have been a recall if it is that common an occurrence! daniel j mulligan *tr
10/20/200622000108/01/2004
 Dt*: the contact stated the gear was in reverse while the driver got out of the vehicle. the consumer expressed concern that vehicles should not be able to move with no one in the vehicle and should not be able to move with a door open. minor injuries were sustained.*ak the consumer didn't realize the vehicle was in reverse when he exited. the left door hit the consumer and knocked him down to the ground. then the door pinned him against the garage wall. the consumer sustained injuries. updated 12/12/06. *jb
04/26/200410010002/21/2004
 Severe hesitation when depressing throttle to full-throttle. ex: when pulling into traffic or when attempting to over take a vehicle engine appears to remain at idle when gas pedal is fully depressed to the floor. no down shifting occurs along with no engine rpm increase. after 2-4 seconds engine then responds. if throttle is gradually depressed to full-throttle there is no symptoms, engine does respond properly. i believe it may be a problem in communication between the throttle position sensor and transmission tcm. *jb
03/13/2006105/12/2004
 Automatic transmission slips and vibrates when shifting between 1st and 2nd gears. occurs intermittently. dealer can't find problem. dangerous when entering traffic. *jb
11/12/200327210011/12/2003
 Since i purchased my 2004 toyota camry se v6 new in november 2003, there has been a problem with acceleration after coming to a yield. basically what occurs is i come to an intersection or a situation where i must yield and when i press the gas pedal the car hesitates for a few seconds. when i first purchased the car i thought this may be new car jitters and it would eventually straighten out. however, two years later the problem still exists. this can potentially be a dangerous situation for several reasons. if you make the decision to go and there is oncoming traffic but the car hesitates a wreck could possibly happen. so to keep this from happening, i will press the gas pedal more than necessary to over-compensate for the hesitation and then when the car does go it jets out into traffic faster than i anticipate. i voiced my concern to the local toyota dealer in columbia, missouri and their first response was oh, that's just normal v6 hesitation. i expressed there was nothing normal about it and i wanted to talk to the manager. the manager called in the regional rep and we all went for a ride in one of the 2004 xle v6 so they could show me the problem exists in all the v6's. the regional rep agreed there was a problem but they didn't know exactly how to fix it. he did say that when the problem was resolved they would let me know. so far no phone call. *jb
07/06/20041010007/06/2004
 Extreme hesitation when accelerating from stop or from low speed. *nm
07/02/200450105/22/2004
 Intermittent problems with engine/transmission hesitation and shifts in speeds lower than 40 mph. problems noticed from time car was purchase to current. dealer has checked the car four times and duplicate the problem. the vehicle changes gears several times when driving at 25 mph. originally the shifting problems lurched,jerked, as if someone was hitting from behind. tsb 00505 was applied on july 28, 2005 by the dealer. it changed the shifting problem so that it isn't a jerk but sounds like a bump from the rear of the vehicle, also caused significant delay when vehicle is at a stop and then accelerated. many instances made me uncomfortable about safety: pulling out when there's a break in traffic, hesitation happens significantly long enough for there not to be a break anymore; coming to four way stop, when its my turn to go, hesitation creates confusion to other drivers. the problem is also distracting when driving in traffic because driver is trying to second guess the vehicle to alter the problem. *jb
05/10/200545000309/29/2004
 Dt: 2004 toyota camry. on three occasions at a stop light the engine roared while the consumer's foot was on the brake. the vehicle actually lurched forward when this happened.the consumer had to press the brakes as hard as possible. the vehicle has been to the dealership to be inspected. they could not duplicate the problem. on one occasion he tried to put the vehicle in neutral and it went into reverse. *ak *jb
12/30/2004104/27/2004
 While parking his 2004 toyota camry the vehicle accelerated suddenly and hit a parked car. *nm when turning sharply to the right the vehicle felt as if it were going to flip, shifting gears were not smooth, the brake pedal felt soft and would go to the floor and there was an erratic effect when changing the radio stations. *sc *jb
01/30/20041101/15/2004
 Severe hesitation on accelleration. the car reminds me of a 1970's volkswagen i had that would stall when the gas pedal was depressed. it can be scary accelerating across an intercection with cars coming or pulling out into traffic because of the unpredictability.*ak
09/22/20041052410004/02/2004
 When shifting from 1st to 2nd gear the transmission will hesitate for a second or two. at the same time the whole drive train will shudder. the hesitation will happen just as i pull into traffic from a side road. i have had the car at toyota service three times, and all they have done is to cause the transmission to leak oil. *jb
05/24/2004500504/20/2004
 V6 engine, 5 speed transmission'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>automatic transmission'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>automatic transmission'; return true; onmouseout=window.status=''; return true;>automatic transmission. vehicle fails to accelerate for several seconds after the accelerator is pressed following a stop. appears to happen after a quick rolling stop and when the air conditioner having to work. car is unpredictable, it will start moving after the accelerator is pressed in these circumstances. this can cause an accident due to the unpredictable nature of throttle hesitation. *jb car also hunts for gears at slower speeds causing uncomfortable ride as the car lurches forward at unpredictable times after the accelerator is pressed. vehicle has been taken to the service department of the dealer the car was purchased from. i was told this was a problem with all the v6 camry's which the dealer could not fix. i was asked to bring the car in for further testing, which i did, but nothing has been done to attempt to fix the vehicle. *jb the vehicle jerked the consumer around as gears where shifted. the consumer stated that the vehicle searches for the right gear while traveling at low speeds. *tc *jb
12/18/2003112/12/2003
 I have a 2004 v6 camry. the car has no clues as to which gear it is supposed to be in. half of the time you can put your foot on the gas and it will go and half the time it will not. i have almost gotten hit several times changing lanes or pulling out due to the car being stuck in gears. the shifting between 2 and 3 will jerk your neck. it has been to the dealerships over four times and everytime i am told that this is a charteristic of the car. i went last week...the general manager told me he felt the jerks in the transmission and proceeded to call toyota to find out how to fix it.30 minutes later i was told that i am on my own with it. another dealership told me toyota has had them replacing 02 sensors and many other useless ideas trying to correct the problem. this issue is on every single complaint website (including this one) and i want to know if someone has to be killed before toyota is made to correct their mistakes? the brakes are the second issue...they do not work!! they have been reported over and over and nothing has been done. i have came within inches of hitting the car in front of me several times due to the brakes being smashed all the way to the floor and the car just not stopping.*ak
09/23/2004107/03/2004
 When driving at speeds over 40 mph then reducing speed due to traffic or to turn there is a marked delay in throttle and transmission response on re-acceleration, dangerously slow when changing lanes on the freeway. when the engine and transmission finally due kick in, the tachometer jumps to red line and the car rockets forward! *jb
07/03/20045001
 Transmission may delay gear selection and accelleration for up to 4 seconds putting lives in jeapordy when wishing to acccelerate or pass. transmission knocks and searches when creaping in traffic between first and second gear. clearing an intersection from oncoming traffic may be hazardous. passing downshifts are completely dangerous.....would not attempt to pass anymore in this car! *ak
09/11/20043376105/05/2004
 When ever the vehicle was positioned on an incline and the consumer moved her foot off the brake, the vehicle rolled backwards before she was able to apply the accelerator pedal
03/05/2004100102/28/2004
 When shifting from 1st to 2nd gear only from a stop, there is a jerky or stuttering feeling on varying road surfaces. this occurs approximately 2 - 3 times daily. the car is driven approximately 50 miles a day. the car has been test driven by the dealer on several occasions, they have not been able to duplicate the problem. the car's computer was reprogrammed on the 3rd visit; however, the problem continued. the dealer contacted toyota; however, has been told that there are no complaints about this problem and they can not authorize any repairs at this time. *jb
03/14/2004101/10/2004
 Difficulty shifting from park to reverse, then upon shifting into drive the car accelerated uncontrollably, would not stop, collided with a mobile home, air bags did not deploy, resulting in the death of one passenger and injury of driver *la see also voq 10171110. *dsy. updated 03/05/10 *bf
02/18/2004452002/17/2004
 Car shudders, sometimes quite violently, when automatic transmission engages second gear. noticed on second day of ownership feb 18, problem continues. my dealer has more complaints of this identical problem. *ak
102/12/2004
 Whenever vehicle traveled up an incline and the consumer released the brake, the vehicle moved backwards. *ph this was a very dangerous problem when going up a hill and the smallest hill. as soon as the driver's foot released the brakes, the vehicle moved backwards. this happened when the transmission was placed in drive, the vehicle went into reverse and the second one's foot was taken off the brake, the vehicle went forward. this was experienced a few times a week. *sc *jb
12/12/200317112/12/2003
 When the transmission shifts from 1st to 2nd gear, at a faster engine speed of about 2,800 to 3,000 rpm, there is a rough spot or rough noise. when the transmission shifts from 1st to 2nd gear at lower engine speeds a noise is not noticeable. for a long time i thought the noise was from rough spots in the roadway, but the noise kept occurring on smooth pavement. there is a definite defect in the transmission.*ak
04/14/20041300103/01/2004
 Transmission shudders when upshifting from 1st to 2nd gear at rpm near 3,000.*ak
01/16/2004700212/27/2003
 When i shifted from parking to back, my 2004 toyota camry le went forward instead of backward, which really surprised me. same situation happened again 20 days later.*ak
POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM)
05/28/200514200211/20/2003
 Recently i brought my 04 camry to my dealer because of sulfur smell and rattle at light acceleration. the dealer verified the problems and replaced the converter and intake manifold according to the tsbs. they said they also had to re-program the ecm. then after i picked up the car, i found everything is harder: the acceleration, steering, and braking. i found it is hard to maintain a speed whether on local or highway. on may 28,2005, while i drove the car on highway with 4 persons sitting in the car (including me), i found the steering was very hard and felted like it was locked, and i found it is very hard to accelerate to hwy speed and hard to maintain it. i brought the car to the dealer again on may 31. after having a technician test drove it, they told me it was similar to other camrys (normal) and wouldn't want to solve my problem. i believe they never tried to reproduce my problem (by having more people sitting in the car). i think this problem is a safty issue so i file complaint with nhtsa. i also feel the car doesn't shift right and engine is noiser after the convert/intake change and re-programming.
POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
03/30/2007393941
 While driving in heavy rain a/c button started flashing and all windows fogged up. i took it to the dealership 3-31-07, they performed diagnosis and replaced a/c magnetic clutch relay. next heavy rain on april 14, 2007, the ac/button started flashing and all windows fogged up. i took the car to the dealership and they found the clutch assembly shorting when wet. replaced clutch assembly. in august, during a heavy rain, the a/c button started flashing and all windows fogged up. i took the car to the dealership and they said the a/c belt was not tight. they tighten the a/c belt and said if it happened again, the belt would have to be replaced. today, october 15, 2007, the same thing happened. i haven't taken it to the dealership because i don't think they can fix the problem. *tr
POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION
04/01/200410003/27/2004
 My 2004 camry, v6 has had a hesitation since i first purchased it. the hesitation happens after stopping a signs or when trying to accelerate to merge into traffic. twice i have taken it to the dealer and was told it was something with the brain that sends information from throttle sensor to the transmission. the service tech stated that it was just the v6's and the 2004 cars that have this problem, until more people complain no repairs or recalls will be made. *nm
04/22/200512500704/28/2004
 Contact states: manual transmission, going 50 mph with no power. speed drops and there is no acceleration. last a couple of seconds anywhere 10 to 30 seconds it picks back up. noticed about a week ago. normal drive happening anytime. haven't noticed it before 50 mph. speed drops but hasn't changed speed with accelerator with still applying pressure on accelerator. noticed this happening for about a week. *ak