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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 1
Average Mileage:
59,267 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.

2001 Toyota Camry engine problems

engine problem

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2001 Toyota Camry Owner Comments

problem #18

Jan 022011

Camry 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 79,500 miles

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

The contact owns a 2001 Toyota Camry. While driving 65 mph, the contact heard a loud cracking noise coming from under the vehicle as the vehicle stalled. After inspection, the contact noticed oil leaking from the engine. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was advised that part of the engine had fallen and caused the engine to leak. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who replaced the entire engine. The manufacturer was aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The current mileage was 90,000 and the failure mileage was 79,500. Updated 03/16/12 updated 06/04/12

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #17

Jan 222011

Camry 4-cyl

  • 79,500 miles
We bought a brand new 2001 Toyota Camry ce in 2000 and were pretty comfortable with the vehicle until something happened to us about 8 weeks ago. On Jan 22, we were driving on I 15 freeway South from la back to las vegas. About after 30 minutes on the road I heard something sounding like a crack under the vehicle (last only about one second). I thought the vehicle might hit a rock underneath and slowed down trying to figure out what exactly happened. Then in about 3 minutes the vehicle lost the power. I turned on the emergency flash light and pulled the vehicle to the roadside. I could see that the engine oil was leaking out badly. After lots of hassles the vehicle was towed to crown Toyota dealer shop in Ontario. The next day morning their service manager called to tell me that nothing indicated that the vehicle hit a rock since there was no damage outside of the engine. To the best of his judgment the engine was damaged from inside. He said something from inside of engine could fall down and knocked the engine that caused the leaking. Soon after that my insurance company denied my claim stating that they talked to the crown Toyota dealer shop and concluded the accident was caused by the mechanical failure of the engine, which is not covered by the insurance policy. Last month I had the engine replaced in an auto shop and was told the same thing about the cause of the problem. From pictures attached one can see a big hole knocked out on engine(see attached picture). It is a real surprise to me since the vehicle has run only 79,500 miles and we gave it maintenance on regular bases as required. By this letter we request an investigation of what engine defect caused the failure and an explanation from Toyota company. At the same time we reserve the right to ask for compensations for the loss caused by this mechanical failure. This complaint has been sent to national customer relation of Toyota moto sales.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #16

Feb 122009

Camry

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2001 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while braking from 3 mph in an attempt to make a left turn, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact coasted off the roadway and was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the mechanic replaced the egr valve. The failure persisted. The contact stated the failure would only occur when traveling at low speeds. The vehicle was then taken to an authorized dealer where unknown repairs were made to the vehicle. The repair did not correct the failure and it recurred at least five times following repairs. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer but the dealer was unable to provide an adequate repair. The vehicle was not further repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage 119,000.

- Cary, NC, USA

problem #15

May 102010

Camry

  • miles

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

My 2001 Toyota Camry started developing a problem more than two years ago, where it would start running rough and then stall--or sometimes stall without any warning. I have taken it into the Toyota dealership numerous times, but they have not been able to fix it. If the car stalls or comes close to stalling then the engine light goes on, and the dealership has only been able to reset the engine light. Recently the dealership replaced the charcoal canister when the engine light came on, but that has not helped the running rough/stalling problem. The car seems to run rough or stall if it has gone above 4000 rpms, and we can moderate the instances of a problem by avoiding sudden acceleration. My fear is that the car will stall in traffic and cause an accident.

- Arlington, VA, USA

problem #14

Jun 072006

Camry 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,000 miles
The contact owns a 2001 Toyota Camry le. While the contact was driving the vehicle at a speed of 55 mph and the vehicle had suddenly accelerated. The contact had to apply the brakes.in order to stop the acceleration. The front passenger side door can only be opened from the inside. The contact had called the dealership and was informed that her vehicle was not included in NHTSA recall# 10V017000 vehicle speed control: Accelerator pedal. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The failure mileage was at 70,000 and the current mileage is 101,000. Updated 05/06/10. The consumer also stated the check engine light has been on for 3 years, despite replacing the gas cap.

- Bonita Springs, FL, USA

problem #13

Apr 052009

Camry

  • 120,810 miles
2001 Toyota Camry went out of control when our son was driving on a ramp and rolled over several times and the car was upside down trapping our son in the car upside down. He had to break the side window to get out of the car. It is completely total damage and the insurance company compensated for the value of the car. He was saved miraculously with minor cuts and bruises. Policeman gave him ticket after he got out of the car. It was night and cold.

- Downers Grove, IL, USA

problem #12

Sep 062009

Camry

  • 103,000 miles

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

I was traveling in my Toyota Camry 2001 on I 75 S from royal oak to detroit, mi around 2:30 am on September 6th 2009, when suddenly I heard some cracking noise underneath the hood and fire from underneath the hood. I was traveling at around 70 miles/hr and tried to steer the vehicle to wards the shoulder and power steering failed and I saw engine light blinking, then tried to slow down and brakes failed. I quickly used hand brake and stopped the vehicle. I quickly turned off the ignition and tried to open the door and noticed that it was locked. I quickly pulled both the knobs simultaneously and got out of the car and called 911. By the time fire engine came to the scene, the car was on huge fire. My car didn't have any major issues in the past. I did change timing belt as per the company guidelines and at authorized dealer/service center. I changed the tires 2 months ago and oil change 1 and half month ago. Neither cops nor me could come to a conclusion on what went wrong. I am letting you know as it may help to increase the safety of cars if you investigate my car. I will be waiting for your response.

- Detroit, MI, USA

problem #11

Jun 302009

Camry

  • 110,000 miles
I was driving my 2001 Toyota Camry at normal highway speed when without warning, I heard a loud noise. My engine immediately stopped operating and fortunately I was able to coast to the shoulder of the road. After having my car towed to a repair shop, the mechanic determined that an engine rod was thrown through the engine block. My car requires a new engine at an approximate cost of $ $3,000.

- Torrance, CA, USA

problem #10

Nov 172008

Camry

  • 30,000 miles
The contact owns a 2001 Toyota Camry. While driving approximately 20 mph on normal road conditions, the driver suffered a heart attack and crashed into a parked vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy and the vehicle erupted into flames. The police, ambulance, and fire departments were called to the scene and reports were filed. The driver was fatally injured in the crash. The vehicle was completely destroyed and towed to a collision center. The information was provided by the insurance company report. The failure and current mileages were 30,000. Updated 12/30/08 updated 01/02/09.

- Waukeshe, WI, USA

problem #9

Jul 152008

Camry

  • miles
After parking the vehicle on my home drive way, smoke came from under hood, then the vehicle caught on fire. After 911 call, the fire fighters came and put out the fire. All of the parts under the hood were all melted, especially engine side were burnt out significantly. The front window panel was also damaged. There were no warning lights which came on, no strange smells, nothing.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #8

Jul 202007

Camry 4-cyl

  • 49,600 miles

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

We purchased a used (about 43,000 miles) 2001 Toyota Camry le ) at the end of June 2006. Every thing works fine since we purchased it. The previous owner is a friend of mine, who always did regular maintenance and oil changes in Toyota dealer and left all maintenance records to me. After we got the car, we had changed brand new tires, new brakes, replaced driver side auto window motor, and also done oil changes regularly. On June 11, 2007, I took my Camry to mechanic to do oil and brake changes. No problem was reported. The total mileage on that car was less than 49,600 miles at that time. On Friday, July 20, 2007, at 11:00 am, my wife drove kids from home to local library for about 7 minutes. After parking in the library parking lot, walking into library, a few minutes later, the librarian announced and asked the owner of Camry with the specific plate number to go to front lobby. However, the librarian did not state the reason. My wife thought she parked well without any violation, so she did not pay too much attention to the first announcement. After librarian's second announcement, my wife felt that the plate number sounded familiar, so she went to front lobby to check out what's happening. When my wife got out to the parking lot, she saw police car and fire truck, and her car was burned out. All of the parts inside the engine cover were all melted. The fire also damaged the right front panel of the car parked next to my Camry. I asked my mechanic to tow my car to his repair shop and checked my car. He told me that this car is not repairable and is totaled. I had contacted Toyota corporate office customer experience center regarding my Camry engine fire since July 23, 2007. The case manager - sandra told me that she would send my case to Toyota's claim department and someone will contact me to investigate my car. However, it had been two weeks since my first contact with Toyota, I had not received phone call from Toyota claim department.

- Setauket, NY, USA

problem #7

Nov 102005

Camry 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 83,000 miles
While approaching a red light I heard a noise with a loud bang all lights came on and the motor stopped. I had to get out because smoke came from all over the front of the car with fear that a fire would start I grabbed my girls and got to the side of the road. When my husband got there he opened the hood there was a hole in my motor the size of a baseball. When I called Toyota they told me that my car was out of warranty nothing they could do. I investigated and found that they are paying for the motor to be fixed I need to have all my receipts from the oil changes which I happen to have.

- Sewell, NJ, USA

problem #6

Nov 122004

Camry

  • 96,000 miles
While driving at any speed engine warning light illuminated. Consumer had no other problems. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.

- New Hope, PA, USA

problem #5

Jul 192004

Camry 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
While driving check engine light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. Consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic placed the vehicle on the diagnostic machine. Then, mechanic informed consumer that the machine showed that emission charcoal canister, and vacuum switch valve were not working and needed replacement.

- Herndon, VA, USA

problem #4

Oct 152003

Camry 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 66,000 miles
My car (a 2001, 4-cylinder, Toyota Camry le; VIN #: [xxx]) has been at the service department for 26 days. I had the car towed to that dealership when it suddenly broke down on a major interstate without warning. The car started to jerk sporadically and hesitate when I depressed the gas pedal. The car got worse it started to make a clicking-and-clacking noise and seemed that it would die at anytime. As I approached the service station, I heard a loud popping sound and the front of the car started to smoke. I asked the mechanics at the station to check under the hood. After looking at the car, one of the mechanics asked how long have you had this car"? when I told him that it was a 2001, he said that he"D never seen this type of damage in a 2-year old car. He recommended that I take it to the dealer because it should be a repair that would be covered under warranty. Two letters and several calls later and my car still sits at the dealership. I received a call from percy chan of Toyota's national customer relations center (310-468-2846) on October 17, 2003. [xxx]. [xxx] called to find out what happened with my 2001 Toyota Camry (approx 66,060 miles). He then said that he'd gotten an email from the dealership that said that the dealership offered to make the repairs for $500 (this is down from $5,500; the original estimate for the repair. I received a second call from [xxx]. [xxx] on October 20, 2003. He called to tell me that he'd reviewed the letter and couldn't understand why the dealership would let my car sit on the lot taking up space. He said that they had gotten money from Toyota to make repairs under the customer support program. I received a third call from [xxx]. [xxx] on October 21, 2003. He called to tell me that the [xxx]. boots was no longer the service manager and the new manager was [xxx]. he said that [xxx] checked with the mechanic and said that the damage was caused by valvoline who had done my last oil change. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information

- Waldorf, MD, USA

problem #3

Jan 152002

Camry

  • Automatic transmission
  • 326 miles
Car makes lound rattling nosey when stopped at a red light. The whole car shakes. The also take a while before putting off. Car dealer won't fix or look at the problem.

- Eustis, FL, USA

problem #2

Jan 052004

Camry

  • 13,000 miles
While parked for 5 hours vehicle caught on fire. The dealer stated that fire started in the engine compartment, however, the cause had not been determined.

- Paramus, NJ, USA

problem #1

Sep 032003

Camry 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 66,066 miles
The car suddenly broke down on a major interstate out of Washington, DC, on my way home from work. Without warning (e.g., no warning lights or previous problems), it started to jerk sporadically and hesitated when I depressed the gas pedal. As I approached my exit to I-495 North, the car got worse it started to make a clicking-and-clacking noise and seemed that it would die at anytime. I took the first exit off of I-495 (210: Indian head highway, South) because I knew that there was a shell gas station with a garage. As I approached the station, I heard a loud popping sound and the front of the car started to smoke. I was terrified that the car would catch on fire.

- Waldorf, MD, USA

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