There are 50 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 1997 Toyota Camryin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
1997 TOYOTA CAMRY TRAVELING AT OR ABOUT 30 MPH STRUCK A STANDING/STOPPED VEHICLE FROM THE REAR. STANDING VEHICLE STRUCK REAR END OF CAR IN FRONT. 1997 TOYOTA DRIVER SUSTAINED MULTIPLE, BODILY INJURIES. FACIAL INJURIES INCLUDE LIP/MOUTH CONTUSION, EYE SOCKET BRUISES FROM STRIKING STEERING WHEEL. STEERING WHEEL AIR BAG DID NOT OPEN. OTHER BODILY INJURIES INCLUDES LARGE INTERIOR RIGHT KNEE HEMATOMA, BROKEN LEFT FOOT REQUIRING IMMEDIATE INSTALLATION OF METAL PLATE & SCREWS & MULTIPLE BRUISES TO BOTH LEGS. DRIVER IS WW2 VET & IS SCHEDULED FOR 3 WEEKS REHAB IN CARE FACILITY. CAR IS CURRENTLY A LOCAL SALVAGE YARD AWAITING DISPOSITION WITHIN 2 DAYS. POLICE REPORT 902361501 ON FILE AT AVON INDIANA POLICE DEPARTMENT & INDICATES DRIVER AIR BAG DID NOT OPEN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS STRUCK ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE DEFLATED AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 255,000.
BOTH LEFT REAR AND RIGHT REAR SEAT BELTS NO LONGER RETRACT, MAKING FOR AN EXTREMELY LOOSE AND DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LATCHES FOR ALL OF THE SEAT BELTS WERE DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NOT HOLD THE SEAT BELT. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT EACH LATCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT REPLACED FOUR OF THE FIVE LATCHES IN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON ROUTE 93 SOUTH IN MASSACHUSETTS BEHIND A SEDAN. THERE DRIVING CONDITIONS WERE NOT GOOD; IT WAS RAINING HEAVILY. THERE WAS A TRUCK IN FRONT OF THE SEDAN AND IT HAD JUST PASSED ITS EXIT. THE TRUCK THEN WENT IN REVERSE TO GO BACK TO THE EXIT. THE SEDAN WAS UNABLE TO STOP IN TIME AND REAR ENDED THE TRUCK. BY THE TIME I HAD REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO STOP. I SLID ON THE WET ROAD STRAIGHT INTO THE BACK OF THE SEDAN. I WOULD ASSUME THAT BECAUSE I CRASHED INTO A CAR GOING OVER 40 MPH, STRAIGHT ON, THAT MY AIRBAGS WOULD DEPLOY BUT THEY DID NOT. SINCE MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, MY NECK WAS THROWN FORWARD AND ALTHOUGH IT DID NOT BREAK IT HAS CAUSED SEVERE DISCOMFORT. EVERYONE WHO SAW MY CAR AFTER THE INCIDENT WERE AMAZED THAT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1997 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END DRIVER SIDE COLLISION. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN BOTH A SIDE IMPACT AND FRONT END COLLISION. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SALVAGE YARD WHERE IT WAS DEEMED DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED (ACCIDENT NUMBER 2822). THERE WAS ONE INJURY THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT SUFFERED FROM A BROKEN JAW AND NERVE DAMAGE THAT REQUIRED APPROXIMATELY 23 SURGERIES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000.
THE REAR SEAT BELTS DO NOT ROLL BACK AFTER PULLED OUT. NOW THEY ARE STAYING ON THE SEATS. DRIVER'S SEAT BELT RETRACTS SLOW. *JB
SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILURE. SEAT BELT WAS EXTENDED TO USE, BUT ONCE EXTENDED AND SECURED WILL NOT RETRACT TO PROPER TENSION. HAS NOW HAPPENED A THIRD TIME TO SEPARATE BELTS. TWICE ON DRIVER'S SIDE, ONCE ON PASSENGER'S SIDE IN THE FRONT.*AK
OWNER WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH AND WHILE TRYING TO AVOID HITTING A VEHICLE, OWNER REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.
DRIVERS SIDE SEATBELT FAILS TO RETRACT AS IT SHOULD...I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE 8 OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THE DATABASE. I ALSO HAVE 2 FRIENDS THAT HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE WITH THEIR CAMRYS.*AK
FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING HEAD ON COLLISION. DRIVER WAS INJURED. *NM
2 YEARS AGO I HAD THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR SEAT BELT FAIL. THE LOCKING MECHANISM FAILED ALLOWING THE SEAT BELT TO COME OUT AND THEN WOULD NOT RETRACT. IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS PAST SUMMER I HAD THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR SEAT BELT DEVELOP THE SAME PROBLEM (IT ALSO FAILED) AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *AK
WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE SEAT BELT LOCKED UP. *JB MADE ATTEMPT TO CONTACT CONSUMER 10/16/07, NO ANSWER *LJ RETURN USPS, MADE 2ND ATTEMPT 07/16/07 FAILED. *BF
VEHICLE WAS IN A HEAD ON COLLISION BUT NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT.
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. PH *JB
DRIVERS SEAT BELT LOCK IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY.MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND HAS TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WILL CHARGE ALMOST $600.00 TO FIX IT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY.*AK
THE SENSOR FOR THE AIR BAG MODULE BLEW THE FUSE FOR THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND CAUSED THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO FAIL. AS A RESULT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE STARTED. *NLM
AIR BAG COMPUTER SENSOR BAD AND SHUTS DOWN CAR WHILE ENGINE ON IN PARK. CAR DID NOT RESTART. SENSOR BLEW ENTIRE FUSE BOX FOR OPERATION OF VEHICLE. *JB
CONSUMER STATES WAS HIT FROM THE REAR BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING APPROX 25-30MPH AND IN TURN COLLIDED WITH A VEHICLE IN FRONT. BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MR
SEAT BELTS IN REAR SEATS FELL FALL APART WHEN BRAKING, CONSUMER'S GRAND CHILD FELL FORWARD. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK *JB
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026