Independent · Not affiliated with NHTSA or any automaker MethodologyData sourcesData refreshed Oct 6, 2026

2004 Toyota Camry: Problems, Recalls and MPG

What this means

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2004 Toyota Camry, most recently filed November 2011. Owners have filed 638 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the vehicle speed control.

Data summary generated from official records. Methodology Data: NHTSA, DOT, EPA · Refreshed Oct 6, 2026
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Recalls (3)

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2004 Toyota Camry. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗

Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.

Check on NHTSA ↗
Listed for 2004 Toyota Camry. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 11V539000 Filed Nov 9, 2011

CRANKSHAFT PULLEY

Engine and engine cooling
Official NHTSA text
Summary
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AVALON VEHICLES; 2004 AND 2005 CAMRY, CAMRY SOLARA, HIGHLANDER, AND SIENNA VEHICLES, 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID; 2004 AND 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND RX330; AND 2006 LEXUS RX400H VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 2004 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2005, EQUIPPED WITH THE 1MZ-FE OR 3MZ-FE ENGINE. THE AMOUNT OF ADHESIVE AGENT APPLIED BETWEEN THE OUTER RING AND THE TORSIONAL RUBBER DAMPER (INNER RING) IN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY MAY BE INADEQUATE. IF THE ADHESIVE IS INSUFFICIENT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE OUTER RING MAY BECOME MISALIGNED AND IT MAY NOT PROPERLY ROTATE WITH THE INNER RING, CAUSING NOISE AND/OR ILLUMINATION OF THE BATTERY DISCHARGE INDICATOR LIGHT.
Consequence
IN SOME CASES, THE BELT FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE PULLEY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND A SUDDEN INCREASE IN STEERING EFFORT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy
TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL CHECK THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER IT WAS PRODUCED BY THE U.S. SUPPLIER. IF SO, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PULLEY WITH A NEW ONE AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING EARLY JANUARY 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Repair progress not yet reported420,326 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 11V539000
Listed for 2004 Toyota Camry. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 04V595000 Filed Dec 15, 2004

TOYOTA/SEATBELT BUCKLE STATUS SWITCH

Seat belts · front · buckle assembly
Official NHTSA text
Summary
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A FRONT PASSENGER POWER SEAT, WHEN INSTALLING CERTAIN REAR-FACING INFANT CHILD SEAT BASES ONTO THE SEAT WITH AN EXCESSIVELY HIGH SEATBELT TENSION, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO UNSEAT A COMPONENT CALLED THE BUCKLE STATUS SWITCH FROM THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE.
Consequence
IF THE SWITCH BECOMES UNSEATED, THE FRONT PASSENGER OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM MAY MISTAKE THE REAR-FACING CHILD RESTRAINT FOR AN UNBELTED ADULT OCCUPANT, AND MAY NOT SUPPRESS THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT BUCKLE STATUS SWITCH. THIS SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN (SSC 40M) BEGAN ON DECEMBER 20, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331 OR LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987..
Repair progress not yet reported150,061 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 04V595000
Listed for 2004 Toyota Camry. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 04V346000 Filed Jul 13, 2004

TOYOTA/CURTAIN SHIELD AIRBAG

Air bags · side/window
Official NHTSA text
Summary
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH CURTAIN SHIELD AIR BAGS (CSA), ONE OR BOTH OF THE CURTAIN AIR BAGS MAY BE TWISTED NEAR THE INFLATOR DUE TO IMPROPER ASSEMBLY.
Consequence
IF THIS OCCURS, THE CSA MAY NOT DEPLOY RAPIDLY ENOUGH WHEN ACTIVATED IN A SIDE IMPACT COLLISION. THIS MAY RESULT IN FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE INTENDED HEAD PROTECTION, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE CSAS AND REPLACE THE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 6, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Repair progress not yet reported128,316 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 04V346000

PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.

Owner complaints (638)

638 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The vehicle speed control is mentioned most often.

199involved a crash
11involved a fire
133injuries reported
5deaths reported

As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.

Most-reported components

Complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Toyota Camry, by component (top 10). One complaint can list several components, so these add up to more than 638.Source: NHTSA ODI owner complaints · Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 · Report a data error

How 2004 compares with other Camry years

Best and worst Camry years →
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
This year (2004)Other yearsStill collecting reports

Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Fuel economy: up to 24 mpg combined

24
mpg combined
20
city
29
highway
EPA annual fuel cost
$2,800
CO₂ tailpipe
370 g/mi
EPA class
Midsize Cars

What it costs you to run

$2,721per year
$227per month
625gallons a year

Miles ÷ 24 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.

EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.

Specs by configuration

2004 Toyota Camry configurations with EPA data
Engine · transmissionDriveCity / Hwy / CombEPA $/yrCO₂ g/mi
2.4 L 4-cyl · 4-speed automaticFront-Wheel Drive20 / 29 / 24$2,800370
2.4 L 4-cyl · 5-speed manualFront-Wheel Drive21 / 30 / 24$2,800370
3 L 6-cyl · 5-speed automaticFront-Wheel Drive18 / 27 / 21$3,200423
3.3 L 6-cyl · 5-speed automaticFront-Wheel Drive18 / 27 / 21$3,200423

Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.

Used blue SUV on a sunny dealer lot with its hood open and a clipboard on the fender

Looking at a 2004 Camry for sale?

Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.

All Camry years

Where to next

2004 Toyota Camry FAQ

How many recalls does the 2004 Toyota Camry have?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns: 11V539000 (engine), 04V595000 (seat belt), 04V346000 (air bag). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.

What are the most common 2004 Toyota Camry problems?

Owners filed 638 complaints with NHTSA. Vehicle speed control (238), Steering (80), Air bags (79) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.

What mpg does the 2004 Toyota Camry get?

EPA rates the 2.4 L 4-cyl · 4-speed automatic version at 20 city, 29 highway and 24 combined mpg. Other configurations are listed in the fuel economy section.

How does the 2004 Camry compare with other years?

Among the 2000–2009 Toyota Camry model years at least five years old, the 2001 drew the fewest complaints (272) and the 2007 the most (2,887). The 2004 drew 638. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.

How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes

Processing

  • Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
  • Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.

Limitations

  • Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
  • Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
  • Recent model years are still collecting reports.

Review

Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.

Changelog

  • 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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