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CarComplaints.com Notes: How can we give the 2006 Camry our "Seal of Awesome" when the NHTSA data shows engine problems in the triple digits & multiple deaths/injuries/crashes etc?

The problem with NHTSA data for the 2006 Camry is that for months on end, the news media repeatedly told the public that several Toyota models had an unintended acceleration defect, & to go to safercar.gov (the NHTSA's website) to file a complaint.

So, the NHTSA received a disproportionate number of complaints about Toyota unintended acceleration issues because of the national news media attention, to the point where their data is unreliable taken in context with any other vehicle that did not receive national news attention.

In other words, it's our opinion that the 2 deaths & other injuries/fires/crashes reported to the NHTSA are significant, but (unfortunately) not out of the ordinary for any vehicle, once you factor in the effects of the extended national media coverage of Camry unintended acceleration issues.

CarComplaints.com typically receives more complaints per day about vehicles than the NHTSA does, but the news media did not repeatedly say "go to CarComplaints.com to report your Camry acceleration problems" like they did about the NHTSA -- so although we have less complaint data than the NHTSA for the 2006 Camry, our data for the Camry is a far more statistically accurate representation of the Camry's reliability than what the NHTSA data shows.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
7 / 0
Average Mileage:
35,550 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2006 Toyota Camry brakes problems

brakes problem

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2006 Toyota Camry Owner Comments

problem #20

Oct 012022

Camry

  • 85,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, he depressed the brake pedal however, the brake pedal felt spongy. The contact depressed the brake pedal forcefully to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact parked on the side of the road to inspect the vehicle but was unable to locate the cause of the failure. The contact was able to continue driving at a slower speed to his residence. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and had the brake master cylinder and brake booster replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The contact called an unknown local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #19

Apr 282012

Camry 4-cyl

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving 15 mph she applied the brake pedal and they failed. She was able to drive the vehicle to a local gasoline station where the brakes began to function normally. There were no warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The dealer stated they were unable to find any defects. The manufacturer stated there was no recall and she to take the vehicle to another dealer for a second diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 107,000. Updated 08/15/12

- Auburndale , FL, USA

problem #18

Jan 202012

Camry 4-cyl

  • 165,946 miles
There is an apparent engineering design defect of the anti-lock brakes on the 2006 Toyota Camry when a minor impact with a deer completely wipes out the braking system. After impact with the deer, use of the brake sent the car into an uncontrollable sideways slide. Utilizing every defensive driving technique I could, I recovered the car to a forward path only to touch the brake again and go back into the sideways slide. After three failed attempts to stop the car the fourth brake attempt sent the car into a spin out and slung it into the ditch. The damage from this impact totaled the car and was a near death experience for the driver. It appears that the wiring for the anti-lock brake system is in the wheel wells and vulnerable to major damage with a minor impact. A better protection of the wiring needs to be addressed. The impact with the deer must have shorted the wiring to the anti-lock brakes. The day after the accident, when I went to remove my belongings from the vehicle, it was extremely hot to the touch both inside and out even though the temp was in the 30's. I was afraid it was going to go up in flames at any moment. We had to disconnect the battery to prevent that from happening. Please utilize this information to help avoid this situation in the future. Had there been any other vehicular traffic that night I probably would not have survived that incident and with out some prior snow and ice driving experience, I would have been in the trees with the first slide.

- Georgetown, SC, USA

problem #17

Nov 092011

Camry 4-cyl

  • 114,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have a 2006 Toyota Camry. When driving over small bumps in the road, speedbumps, potholes, especially at speeds over 45-55 mph, there is a grinding noise that comes from the front left wheel that sounds like metal-on-metal such as something grinding on the rotor, almost like the wheel is coming off. When this sound occurs, the brakes do not work - when the brakes are applied, you get a grinding noise such as the noise you would get when your brakes are so low that it begins grinding on the rotor. I told the dealer about this problem approximately 1-2 weeks ago and I had my brakes replaced, but the problem is still occurring. This is a huge safety threat as I have to get off of the interstate because the stopping ability of the car was severely compromised. The problem occurs at high speeds when driving over extremely minor bumps. The dealership states that nothing is wrong with the car.

- Lakeland, FL, USA

problem #16

Apr 142010

Camry

  • 20,580 miles
I have a 2006 Toyota Camry. The car would not stop sometimes when the brakes are applied. I had the problem in November 2006 at 5,055 miles and took it to the delaer in kent oh (Toyota case # [xxx] ). I was told there is nothing wrong. I again had the problem in September 2008 at 15,092 miles and took it to a dealer in North charleston SC (Toyota case # [xxx] ). I was told there is nothing wrong. Today 04/14/2010 the car did not stop again and I have called Toyota. Case number is [xxx]. information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Summerville, SC, USA

problem #15

Nov 102009

Camry 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 95,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Camry. She stated when depressing the brake pedal, the brakes would hesitate to engage and would feel spongy causing her to use extreme force when braking. This would occur frequently and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they confirmed that the brakes were not engaging as designed. The master cylinder was replaced under the factory warranty but did not correct the failure. The manufacturer sent a representative to investigate the vehicle and stated that there were no failures within the brake system. On a separate occasion, while driving at speeds of approximately 70 mph, the vehicle began to abnormally accelerate. She depressed the brakes and the vehicle immediately decreased in speed. The dealer was contacted and stated that her year, make and model were not associated with the recall. The failure persisted and no repairs were made to the vehicle. The failure mileage was unknown and the current was 95,000. Updated 6/21/10 when the consumer went to the dealer, they found air in the brake system. The second time she went for the same problem, they found the master cylinder was bad and replaced it. Updated 06/24/10.

- Racine, WI, USA

problem #14

Nov 262005

Camry

  • 200 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have constantly complained to Toyota dealers regarding the anti-lock brakes on my 2006 Toyota. It takes the car a longer time to stop when the brakes are skipping. It can happen on dry or wet surfaces, on hills or on flat surfaces. I have been told the brakes are good, that the ABS on my car are normal and one Toyota dealer repair technician said he did not like the ABS either. No incidents have occurred, however, the car is making me more nervous as the continuous reports of problems with Toyota car pour in.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #13

Jan 122009

Camry

  • 16,000 miles
My car 2006 Toyota Camry had sudden accelerate from stopped position at a yield and hit the car in front though damage to the front car was not significant. I still could not figured it out why this would have happened since I drive carefully. No other accident on the record since I started driving from 2003. It happened around 9am on my daily route to workplace. Recently I heard about Toyota recalls for Camry 2007 to 2010. But I am not sure if my car also have similar problem. Once I visited to service center after the incident for regular service then they mentioned that my car's brake & gas pedals need clean-up or I have to get it replaced. Since they told little higher amount I told no for repair. I am not sure if my Toyota Camry 2006 too have the problems described in recall. I have incident reported with my insurer and can provide claim number, documents, insurer info etc as required. There were no charges paid to any vehicle in this minor incident till now but insurer has kept this incident open till now if other party makes new claims. I still think why my vehicle had sudden acceleration so thought to report this incident with dot.

- Mclean, VA, USA

problem #12

Jun 182006

Camry

  • miles
I bought my 2006 Camry in October 2005 and have been complaining to claremont Toyota, the dealership where I bought the car, of the sudden acceleration and braking problem since about 2006. It's an intermittent problem that I have had to deal with since I bought this car. My complaints have been that the brake pedal drops to the floor and then the car accelerates forward and that the car accelerates on its own. The service writers have dismissed my complaints and given many excuses such as: When I left the car there to have them check out the problem they said that the problem could not be repeated so the car was fine, another time I was told that the new cars have ABS brakes that drop down to the floor, and at a different time they said that with these new cars the rear brakes had to be adjusted at every oil change and etc. There was an incident in 2006 when I was at a stop and some pedestrians were walking across the street. The car did stop but all of the sudden the brake pedal hit the floor and the car started to move forward. I had to pump the brake pedal a few times in order for it work again. Thankfully the pedestrians had not passed infront of my car yet. I don't remember the specific date but I do know it was in 2006. On 2/20/2010 I had my husband take the car to get an oil change at claremont Toyota. I had my husband take the car because I do not want to lied to or given another excuse because I don't know much about cars. My husband mentioned the problem about the brake pedal going down to the floor and sometimes having to downshift or use the parking brake to slow down the car and was told that this condition exists due to the ABS system sensing the rotation of the tires and that the car would eventually stop. My husband then mentioned what we had been told about the rear brakes and the service writer grinned and said that the brakes do not need adjustment. I do not feel safe driving this car because it feels as if it has a mind of its own.

- Ontario, CA, USA

problem #11

Jun 232006

Camry

  • 1,000 miles
Toyota Camry 2006 model purchased 2/28/2006: Could it be that this model was also brake or acceleration defective? my wife tried to park the car but it did not stop. It mounted the curb, drove over our lawn, continued toward a ditch when she managed to steer it to a tree which it knocked down. She continued to another street, went down the curb and regained control. Our neighbors saw it and carried her home. She was clearly confused and never drove the repaired car again. Subsequently had a severe partially disabling cerebral brain hemorrhage. Ambulance. Local hospital could not treat it and she was picked up by a NY presbyterian ambulance. Was taken to neuroscienceoperationicu. After 1 month in hospital and 3 months rehab is back home but definitely impaired. We only a few days realized this might be part of the Toyota Camry problem. Thank you.

- West Caldwell, NJ, USA

problem #10

Jun 012007

Camry

  • 3,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Camry. She has experiencing the same failure as the Toyota prius regarding the brakes while driving 20 mph. Whenever she drove over a bump or encountered a pothole the brakes failed to engage immediately. She experienced the failure several times since the vehicle was purchased, but she thought it was driver error. She is concerned about the safety risk involving her year, make and model vehicle. She will take the vehicle to the dealer to be diagnosed. The failure mileage was 2,000 and the current mileage was 70,000.

- Virginia Beach , VA, USA

problem #9

Jun 152009

Camry

  • 30,831 miles
Driving at slow speed. Tried to slow at an intersection and when I hit brakes, the car unexpectedly accelerated and I narrowly avoided a head on crash!

- West Chester, PA, USA

problem #8

Jan 042007

Camry

  • 200 miles
There is a delay between pressing the brake and braking action. This condition has existed since I purchased the car. The dealer keeps telling me that the car is okay, there is nothing wrong with it.

- Whitestone, NY, USA

problem #7

Jun 192007

Camry

  • 132 miles
2006 Toyota Camry - 1. while braking on surfaces that are uneven, bumpy or containing potholes my brakes don't hold. 2. anytime I brake on any of these surfaces. Occurs during any rate of speed (low/high). I try to avoid braking on these surfaces. 3. nothing has been done to correct the issue. Toyota dealership has told me me it is a normal function of the anti-locking system.

- New Orleans, LA, USA

problem #6

Sep 112007

Camry

  • 9,000 miles
I am concerned that my 2006 Toyota Camry is not on the recall list. While reversing out of a parking place the vehicle accelerated and crashed into a tree then surged forward at a high rate of speed back into the parking area with trees that I had reversed out of. My foot was firmly on the brake but the vehicles engine revved and surged back through the trees. Impact with tree on left drivers side first then vehicle slammed into tree on the right side. There is no time to react to this type of deadly speed acceleration. When my vehicle did come to a stop it was in neutral. The damage to the vehicle was $4,300, my insurance doubled and I am lucky to be alive and that I didn't kill someone in the parking lot. Toyota has no recall for 2006 Camry but I have counted 50 to 60 plus complaints on this site alone under brakes, ignition, acceleration etc. Toyota says I will have to pay for the repair which is totally unfair. My vehicle has depreciated quickly in value because of this defect, the accident, and used parts being used in the accident repair. I feel as if I am taking a chance with my life and the life of my child each time I drive this car. You cannot get the car into neutral fast enough to avoid a crash. This is deadly safety issue.

- Mobile, AL, USA

problem #5

Aug 032006

Camry

  • 40,305 miles
I was traveling at 70 mph on the 210 East near pasadena, California, and under normal driving condition, the vehicle"S brakes failed near the mountain street exit. My immediate reaction was to use the hand brake, after which I pumped the brake pedal in an attempt to restore the mechanism. I was unsuccessful in doing so. Turning on the emergency lights, I traveled for about 2 miles, going through a tunnel, and took the first exit, lake avenue, off the freeway. I left vehicle at a friend?S place close to the exit. While attempting to restore the brakes all along, the car finally did stop on a side street near the exit. I was transporting three adults and a child in the car at this time. The vehicle was not involved in a crash, and accordingly there were no deaths or injuries. This is the first occurrence of an incident of this nature. I am the first owner of the vehicle. The vehicle was purchased from frontier Toyota in valencia, California. Acting on the advice of the service representation at frontier Toyota, who indicated that the vehicle had a warranty on it that would cover the towing, I had the vehicle towed to the dealership. Upon inspection, I was informed that the warranty would not cover the towing, and that the towing charges of $264 had to be paid for the vehicle to be released. The vehicle was later inspected, and the brakes were certified as ?in good condition? by a mechanic at frontier Toyota. The mechanic"S records that were furnished by the dealership indicated that the brakes had work done on them. The mechanic certified that the brakes pads were good, without addressing the inherent problem that exists with the entire breaking system. The breaks, as I experienced it while driving probably had an air leak in the pedal. I was extremely disappointed in the service provided at the dealership, and the basic overall performance of the vehicle.

- Newhall, CA, USA

problem #4

Nov 232005

Camry 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 3 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the brake pedal was very soft and similar to stepping on a sponge. He stated that there was no resistance in the brakes and the pedal has to be depressed all the way to the floorboard for the vehicle to stop. The Toyota dealer stated that this was a normal occurrence. The dealer later repaired the brake pedal for free so that there would be a little more resistance. The failure mileage was 3 and current mileage was 5,000. Updated 09/16/08 updated 09/22/08.

- Lonchmont, NY, USA

problem #3

May 242007

Camry 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 5,637 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Camry. The dealer stated that the vehicle's front brakes were out of round and caused the vehicle to pulsate. The dealer resurfaced the front rotors and sanded the front brake pads. While driving 40 mph under normal driving conditions, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and failed to stop. The contact was unable to steer the vehicle and crashed into a cement wall. The driver suffered bruises on both legs, a hand, and chest. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The current and failure mileages were 5,637. The consumer provided correspondence letters from Toyota, amended accident report, vehicle description via web, and extended warranty information. Updated 09/20/07 see ODI 10308272

- Cambria Heights , NY, USA

problem #2

Jan 052007

Camry 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 8,360 miles
- the contact has a 2006 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that when she applied the brake at about 25 mph the vehicle would accelerate about a twenyth of a mile before slowing down. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer several times, but they have been unable to find a problem. The contact stated that only once wet weather may have been a factor when this problem has occurred. Updated 03/07/17.

- New Hyde Park, NY, USA

problem #1

Nov 052006

Camry 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 15,800 miles
When I pressed on my brakes while turning into a store ront my car would not stop. My car ran into the storefront.

- Missouri City, TX, USA

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