The Lemon Index2004 Toyota Camry.
The 2004 Toyota Camry is about average by owner complaints: 309 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 85, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about speed control, it has 3 recalls, and it gets 21 to 24 mpg combined. The best Toyota Camry year is 2022.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 799 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Toyota Camry year. 2004 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 12K to 83K miles on the car (632 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- speed control complaints mostly came at 20K–79K miles
- steering complaints mostly came at 3K–68K miles
- airbags complaints mostly came at 38K–108K miles
Recalls 3
- engine 2011
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…
- seat belts 2004
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 …
- airbags 2004
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.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Toyota told dealers about
Toyota sent dealers 225 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Steering intermediate shaft noise
- SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedEngine surging2006–2007
- ClosedVehicle speed control2005–2006
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★☆ · side ★★★★☆ · rollover ★★★★☆
Fuel cost and engines
About $2700–3050 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 2.4L 4-cyl, 3.0L 6-cyl, 3.3L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
When driving, the steering wheel pulled to the left/right intermittently.
2004 Toyota Camry owner · NHTSA complaint 10099224
More owner reports
While shifting into reverse with foot depressed on the brakes vehicle accelerated at high speed. As a result, vehicle crashed into four houses, injuring several people, especially one person in bedroom.
NHTSA complaint 10072290
Dt: when consumer's wife was backing the vehicle into the driveway it accelerated on its own. Consumer took vehicle to the dealer who determined that nothing was wrong with the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint 10124898
Quick answers
Is the 2004 Toyota Camry reliable?
About average by government complaints. It drew 1.2× fewer complaints than average filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 85; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Toyota Camry year by this measure is 2022.
What are the most common 2004 Toyota Camry problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are speed control (22%), steering (19%) and brakes (14%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2004 Toyota Camry have?
3 safety recalls (latest: engine). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2004 Toyota Camry get?
21 to 24 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2004 Toyota Camry problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 12,700 and 83,000 miles. The middle report was at 45,200 miles, from 632 complaints.
Does the 2004 Toyota Camry have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 13% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2004 Toyota Camry cost in fuel a year?
About $2700 to $3050 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2004 Toyota Camry have?
2.4L 4-cyl, 3.0L 6-cyl, 3.3L 6-cyl.
What Toyota Camry year is better than the 2004?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2022, 2017 and 2016.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works