6th generation (XV30) · XV30 · 4,226 complaints, 3,107 with mileage
Owners filed 4,226 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002–2006 Toyota Camry, and 3,107 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
This generation has two distinct failure patterns rather than one, which is the most useful thing on this page. 22% of failures occur before 12,000 miles, which looks like a manufacturing defect, and a further 21% occur after 100,000, which looks like wear. Two different problems share one name in the complaint data — and an average of the two describes neither.
The most-reported areas are throttle and speed control (27.6% of complaints, typically around 40,000 miles), the hydraulic brake circuit (9.4% of complaints, typically around 15,000 miles), the airbag system (8.9% of complaints, typically around 60,000 miles).
5 recall campaigns cover this generation.
| System | Complaints | Share | Typical mileage | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1,166 | 27.6% | 40,000 | 15,901–70,000 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 398 | 9.4% | 15,000 | 4,000–47,000 |
| Air Bags | 375 | 8.9% | 60,000 | 29,269–113,000 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 300 | 7.1% | 73,000 | 39,000–100,000 |
| Steering | 276 | 6.5% | 42,500 | 15,565–76,000 |
| Power Train | 263 | 6.2% | 30,750 | 1,408–80,558 |
| Engine | 167 | 4.0% | 112,000 | 85,000–147,000 |
| Electrical System | 154 | 3.6% | 73,847 | 30,000–104,100 |
| Structure | 139 | 3.3% | 52,150 | 24,000–110,000 |
| Tires | 131 | 3.1% | 20,000 | 10,000–41,927 |
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 1,183 | 766 |
| 2003 | 946 | 677 |
| 2004 | 799 | 644 |
| 2005 | 905 | 721 |
| 2006 | 393 | 299 |
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 47,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 27.6% of complaints (1,166 reports, 895 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 40,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 15,901 and 70,000 miles.
A single system taking 27.6% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 9.4% of complaints (398 reports, 269 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 15,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 4,000 and 47,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 8.9% of complaints (375 reports, 255 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 60,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 29,269 and 113,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 7.1% of complaints (300 reports, 223 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 73,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 39,000 and 100,000 miles.
The steering accounts for 6.5% of complaints (276 reports, 221 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 42,500 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 15,565 and 76,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 6.2% of complaints (263 reports, 196 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 30,750 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 1,408 and 80,558 miles.
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2002 model year drew the most — 1,183 complaints — while 2006 drew the fewest at 393. The median year sits at 905.
NHTSA records 5 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around seats (2), equipment (2), the engine and its cooling system (1). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Of the 4,226 complaints filed against this generation, 1,319 reported a crash; 76 reported a fire; 775 reported an injury; 49 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 31.2% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
For a buyer, the two-peak pattern is the useful part. The early cluster — 22% of failures below 12,000 miles — will already have happened on any example you are looking at today, and either been repaired under warranty or not. Ask what was done. The late cluster, 21% above 100,000 miles, is the one still ahead of you if the car has lower mileage than that.
On inspection, throttle and speed control and the hydraulic brake circuit are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The hydraulic brake circuit in particular shows a median failure mileage of 15,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
2AZ-FE cylinder head bolt threads strip in the aluminum block, causing head gasket leaks and coolant loss; Toyota issued a warranty enhancement and revised the block with larger head bolts.
Tail end of the 1MZ-FE oil gelling program (engines built through 2002).
Takata front airbag inflator propellant degradation; large-scale recall coverage across this generation.
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 16V396000 | 2016-07-14 | Seats:Front Assembly:Seat Heater/Cooler |
| 14V743000 | 2015-01-29 | Seats:Front Assembly:Seat Heater/Cooler |
| 11V539000 | 2011-12-31 | Engine And Engine Cooling |
| 10V036000 | 2010-05-27 | Equipment:Other:Labels |
| 10V035000 | 2010-05-27 | Equipment:Other:Labels |