Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1998 Toyota Camry owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the odometer failed. All the other gauges and lights were illuminated and worked as intended. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 218,000. The VIN was not available.
Toyota customer and owner with unfortunate problems with my car driven normally in the ordinary course of the day as an elder. The electrical system has failed, the oil leaks, the floormat interferes with the accelerator pedal and sticks, interfering with braking experienced recently on the ny-ct highway. I paid to repair the electrical failure and oil leaks and still the electrical system as indicated for example by the dashboard which is continuously lit up, I.e. Is still not working properly. I wrote to Toyota motor sales, U.S.A., inc. 19001 south western ave. Dept. Wc11 torrance, ca 90501 cc: nancy fein, vp customer service Toyota motor sales USA inc., po box 10054 toldeo ohio 43682-4419.
Ignition key jams, will not turn to start engine, and can not be removed when engine is turned off. Frequency of jamming increased until I switched to using the spare "master" key. It worked fine for a while and then the same problem occurred. Finally, I used the "valet key" and it has worked fine for nearly 2 years. When I recently went to the local Toyota dealer to purchase 2 new keys, after nearly 2 hours I was advised that due to the age of the vehicle the new keys could not be programmed without the purchase and installation a new ignition module (on-board computer) costing $1,812 including labor and 2 keys. Toyota's customer experience office has refused any assistance.
I have a check engine light that won't go away. Supposedly it was related to the o2 sensors. They've both been replaced, to no avail. A dual-certified Toyota master mechanic is scratching his head on this one. There's obviously nothing wrong with the engine as it's been performing well for the last couple of years, with an engine light burning brightly, regardless. It's very annoying as it's obviously a useless light, now, and all I can hope for is for the bulb to eventually burn out - as I don't care to get into tearing out the dash to remove it. Very very annoying (now have a piece of black duct tape over the lens but that's hardly a fix).
1. The automobile would shimmy, shake and stop operating suddenly when the brakes were applied. This lead to several near accident scenarios. . When the automobile would shake violently and the engine would cut off it prevented the driver from proceeding on major highways and at intersections causing a dangerous situation. 3. The car was taken to a Toyota dealer for repair. Brake repairs were done but this was not the problem. This resulted in another very dangerous near accident during rush hour traffic at an intersection in which the auto would not start after shaking and coming to a violent halt.
Car stalled on highway at 45 MPH, steering and lights worked, stall caused collision-3 people hurt. The dealer does not know why car stalled. Car could not start until after a computer chip was replaced. But when car was running and we pulled the chip the car continued to run. No one knows why car stalled. The convertable top leaked water, brought to dealer back three times. But now the convertible top does not come up on windshield flush-brought back to dealer five times still working on it. The front brakes began squeaking and pulling at 5000 miles. This is my 4th new car never happened before.
Insured stated that while tow truck was putting the vehicle on the flat bed the vehicle caught on fire and burned the tow truck, the cause of fire was a sjort circuit. Claim number 75-a137-314.
The original manufacture key fails to unlock the trunk of the car and door locks intermittently. I also have difficulty starting the vehicle with the key. This problem is not weather or accident related.
1998 Toyota Camry with engine and ignition coil problems. Customer states that the vehicle shut off without warning while exiting the highway. Mechanic determined that the vehicle needed ignition coils.
On 2/9/2002 driving on the 55 close to the 91 freeway we noticed smoke coming from the vents of the passenger side of the car. We barely had time to park it on the side of the road the brakes were already burning so we had to coast to a complete stop.we ran away from the car for it was already ignited with flames when we got to another car that had stopped to help us the car blew up leaving the frame only orange county fire dept assisted us .and declared the car a total loss. We then contacted Toyota who then said it was our fault and we had to pay for the car.thecar was and still is under warranty which expires on 4/16/2004 upon purchasing the vehicle Toyota sold us lojack theft system 2 days later they came out to our house and installed it the only maintenance done on this car was lojack and my brother added 1/2 quart of oil no maintenance was needed at the time of the fire. …
Electrical complaints in other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1998 Toyota Camry?
NHTSA has 33 complaints about the electrical system of the 1998 Toyota Camry, 6% of the model year's 600 complaints. The component named most often is ignition › switch (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1998 Toyota Camry electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 1998 Toyota Camry, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 1998 Toyota Camry electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 6 fires and 1 injury to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.