1990 Toyota Camry problems
Owners have filed 160 complaints with NHTSA about the 1990 Toyota Camry. Seat belts is the most reported problem area, at 17% of complaints. Next are latches & locks (14%) and body & structure (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 160 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Seat belts 17% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 5 and 3
- Injuries and deaths
- 9 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 151,000 miles 14 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 0 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 0 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 2 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 1 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 2 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 0 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 3 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 1 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Of the 14 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 150,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 5 complaints mention a crash; 3 complaints mention a fire; 9 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 1990 ranks 35th most-complained-about out of 35 model years of the Toyota Camry with enough data (33 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
My husband was a passenger in this car when a dump truck smashed into the drivers side door, the impact caused the passenger side door to open which unlocked the seat belt which allowed my husband to be ejected from the car. He suffered broken back, crushed tibia, broken ribs....all because the door opened and the automatic seat belts unlocked when door opened. Seats where supposed to keep you in the car and not ejected from the car.
While driving flames came from under the back of car in the area of the gas tank-car was engulfed in flames and burned up. Tt
While driving at 20MPH smoke was noticed coming from passenger's door panel. Consumer pulled to the side and disconnected battery, and pulled the panel off. Fire was noticed on the wires and solenoid was very hot. Fire damaged all four lock actuators and relay. Dealer was contacted.
Was locked inside 1990 toyota camry, about 250 degrees or more. All door handles failed. Moonroof would not open. Had to kick out the driver's side window to escape. Toyota, if you don't think these are defective cars, you must be from an alien planet. Please, police department told me I survived a death trap...seems like a class action lawsuit is the only answer.
While traveling on the highway, the left rear tire experienced a vibration. The tire had been removed more than once and the problem still occurred. DOT number #acj73jfff1500. The dealer said that the steel belt was broken and caused a flat area. *scc