Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Toyota Camry owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
As I was driving to work, at 7:30 am on Thursday April 22, 2004, I noticed a clicking sound coming from under my auto's hood. The auto was a 1999 Toyota Camry, with about 90,100 miles on it. The clicking noise reminded me of a spinning roulette wheel. After a few minutes, the noise increased in intensity. At that point, I decided that I needed to go to a repair facility to have it examined. As I was doing that, there was a loud, explosion-like noise and the engine started smoking very heavily. I pulled off the road, at which point, I gathered up some important items from my car, and exited the vehicle. By this time, there were flames coming out from under the hood. I called 911 and advised the dispatcher of my circumstances and location. The connecticut state police arrived within three minutes of my call. They tried to put out the fire with an extinguisher, but were unable to do so. …
At about 3 pm I was driving north on the on ramp of route 15 north at mira mesa. Suddenly my car accelerated and would not stop. I moved to the right where there was room. And despite pushing hard on the brake, I could not stop the car. I moved to the guard rail hoping to slow the car, which il did, but the car bounced off the rail and side swiped a white Lexus. Then the car came to a stop. A workman saw the accident and confirmed the pattern of what occurred. He checked with me and the driver of the other car and we both said there was no injury. He refused to identify himself. Both cars were able to drive away without difficulty. When I got home I checked that the floor mats were in the proper place and not near the accelerator. I feel that there was a defect in the operating system of the car to cause this sudden acceleration.
1999 Toyota Camry le 4cyl starter failed to disengage from flywheel causing fire. The starter kept running burning it out and also burning the positive cable to the battery. Damage to the battery is under investigation. I was sitting parked in a parking lot with the radio and the air on when I observed smoke coming from the engine then started to come into the car thru the air conditioning. I turned the car off but the smoke continued and the fire dept was called. After looking at the internet this seems to be a widely known issue with multiple postings. I have not seen a recall on this. It needs to be investigated. My insurer said that my claim will be denied due to mechanical failure. Toyota needs to he held accountable.
On March 9, 2007 the Toyota Camry erupted into a fire during my normal driving. On nov 28, 2006, I repaired my vehicle at Toyota authorized service statin, fitzgerald Toyota, m for changing water pump and timing belt. My odo meter reading was around 93.213 miles and within 800 miles (close to 94100) the vehicle met with fire accident. Repeated letter Toyota corporation is being ignored and Toyota service station is yet to reply back my letter.
Dt: while driving the vehicle threw a rod. This caused the vehicle to catch on fire on September 23, 2005. There was a report taken by the fire department, but the consumer was unsure if a police report was taken. There was no previous warning before this occurred. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic. They did not tell her what they thought caused it, only that it was not due to sludge build up in engine. There were no injuries.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that her vehicle caught fire without warning. She parked the vehicle and one half hour later, the police arrived to find that the fire department had extinguished the fire. The dealer stated that they have never heard of this before. A police report was filed. The engine size and powertrain were unavailable. The current and failure mileages were 42,000. Updated 06/08/07.
Tl* the contact owned a 1999 Toyota Camry. After exiting the vehicle, flames engulfed the front end of the vehicle. The contact extinguished the fire. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
Engine blew out on freeway. Engine failure diagnosed as sludge build up leading to thrown rod and crankshaft. Rod busted through crankcase. My 1999 Toyota Camry was one of Toyota's flawed engine designs suffering from a known oil gel build up problem - *5s-fe four cylinder and 1mz-fe v-6 engines.
While driving at highway speeds, a clicking noise was heard and then smoke started to come from under the hood. The vehicle lost power. The consumer viewed flames under the hood.
Blue exhaust smoke and odd engine noice during ignition. I took the car in to cobb county Toyota in kennesaw, ga. I took all of my maintenance records and some articles I'd printed out regarding oil gelling, in case they gave me any hassle. I told them I didn't want them to do a flush - he said that Toyota wouldn't allow them to do that anyhow, and that they would be taking it apart. He wouldn't even speculate whether or not it was gelling until they took it apart. As such, they wouldn't agree to pay for a rental car until they they confirmed it was gelling. They did take it apart and found that the gelling was limited to the head. Without asking for maintenance records (even though I'd had most of my oil changes done by 3rd parties), and completely free of cost to me, they cleaned the head, and replaced the valve stem seals, oil pump, pick-up screen, pvc valve, and valve cover. …
NHTSA investigations
Engine compartment fire
Odi's data analysis found the fires rates to be consistently low and evenly distributed among six model years and six different engine configurations.odi examined a variety of root causes, those being detonation (resulting in oil pan puncture from connecting rod), starter fires, various fuel related fires, leaking oil filters, wiring issues, improper repairs and brake fluid leaks.none of the issues examined had…
Engine seizure
Engine complaints in other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 1999 Toyota Camry?
NHTSA has 115 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 1999 Toyota Camry, 23% of the model year's 501 complaints. The component named most often is engine (35 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Toyota Camry engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 1999 Toyota Camry, though it has 1 recall 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 1999 Toyota Camry engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 23 fires and 3 injuries to engine & cooling 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.