Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Toyota Camry owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I own a 2001 Toyota Camry le. I have owned the car for approx 11 months. In August my son while leaving the beach claimed the ABS breaks locked up causing him to slide into a pole in the parking lot. Neither air bag was deployed but there was over 6000 damage. The mechanic said it was a low impact hit ... The car was repaired and breaks checked and said to be working. Now just 7 months from that accident I was driving in a snow storm and despite my best driving I too experienced the ABS breaks actually locking ... On a hill in the snow causing my car to fish tail and all the while gaining speed leaving me with no way to slow down my passenger watch the speedometer go from 15... To 30... …
I was driving home from the dr. S and noticed that the brake pedal was making this loud noise and the pedal went almost to the floor but it had a crunchy noise and I knew that the brakes were not the same when I left my house. I pulled over and got out and noticed that the brake fluid was low and I had to go buy dot 3 and put it in the master cylinder. I kept driving it until I could find out what it was an was told that I needed a brake booster, but the car only has 87,546 mile's on it.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Toyota Camry. While driving 25 MPH, an abnormal revving sound emitted from the vehicle without warning. The contact mentioned that the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was able to be stopped by turning into a parking garage. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but the failure was unable to be duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,000.
While backing out of a parking space very slowly, looking both directions, the car suddenly accelerated and flew across a busy street into a store front. Three persons were slightly injured and the car was considered totaled as well as the main front window of the store.
2001 Toyota Camry was involved in an accident and none of the air bags deployed. When the consumer attempted to stop the vehicle abruptly the brake pedal went to the floor and the vehicle did not slow down. As a result the vehicle collided with another vehicle.
I had an accident recently with my 2001 Toyota Camry. My husband also had an accident in the same car a few years back. But both are kind of same scenario. The brakes don't work properly in rain.tried to stop but nothing happened and we rear ended cars before us.
We purchased a used (about 43,000 miles) 2001 Toyota Camry le ) at the end of June 2006. Every thing works fine since we purchased it. The previous owner is a friend of mine, who always did regular maintenance and oil changes in Toyota dealer and left all maintenance records to me. After we got the car, we had changed brand new tires, new brakes, replaced driver side auto window motor, and also done oil changes regularly. On June 11, 2007, I took my Camry to mechanic to do oil and brake changes. No problem was reported. The total mileage on that car was less than 49,600 miles at that time. On Friday, July 20, 2007, at 11:00 am, my wife drove kids from home to local library for about 7 minutes. After parking in the library parking lot, walking into library, a few minutes later, the librarian announced and asked the owner of Camry with the specific plate number to go to front lobby. …
The brakes on Toyota Camry le models are not functioning properly. In each of three different Camry cars that I have owned (1996,2000, and 2001) the brakes make a rumbling sound when slowing down from a speed over 50 miles an hour. Furthermore, on my 2001 Camry the ABS light came on during use on icy roads, I took it to the dealer who said that this happens and that he had five other complaints about the very same thing that day. He attributed this to one of the sensors "sticking", and that all I had to do is turn the car off and let it "cool " down and the light would go off. This is true, this did happen, but what good are ABS brakes if they malfunction on the very icy roads that they are supposed to protect you from? …
On Thursday, May 9th, 2002 I was pulling into a parking spot in the parking lot of the jewel store at 40th street and harlem ave. In stickney, il. My speed at that time was 1 or 2 MPH. About 3 or 4 feet from where I was to make a complete stop - the car suddenly made a loud "revving" noise and lurched forward - up over a curb, up a grassy embankment, knocked down two pine trees and sideswiped a 6' wooden fence before coming to a stop. My foot was on the brake as all this was happening, but the car wouldn't stop until stopped by the fence.
While setting the emergency brake, the plastic button which holds the brake in place detached from the handle, and now the brake will not hold, and the parking brake now does not stay set. I feel that this is an unsafe situation, but I have not been able to find anybody with the replacement part. Please contact me immediately with a plan of action. Thank you, david wisdom.
Brake complaints in other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2001 Toyota Camry?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the brakes of the 2001 Toyota Camry, 10% of the model year's 272 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Toyota Camry brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2001 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 2001 Toyota Camry brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 1 fire and 6 injuries to brakes 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.