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 2002 Toyota Camry owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was coming out of my mechanic driveway and I let cars go by down a busy street> my foot was clearly on the brake and suddenly I heard a wining noise and my the accelerated on it's own and went across the road and hit a car in the middle of the street. I said to myself this car is causing me to have an accident. I had my mechanic check the brakes ABS and transmission no problem with that.
Driving on the freeway, check engine light came on, smoke coming out of the hood, brakes and emergency brake failed, vehicle accelerated on its own (no pedals were working), car crashed and fire engulfed the vehicle
I have a 2002 Toyota Camry which has faulty brakes. Earlier in the year I was using this car for long distances due to school and work. I thought this car would be safer because of its larger body and smoother drive. I noticed that the brakes had a slow response time and that if I had to stop hard, I could end up hitting the car in front of me. I had to deal with the stop and go of rush hour every day and one day I was driving my friend home and there was a sudden stop in traffic and if I hadn't stopped in the emergency lane to stop, I would have ran into the car in the front of me. Later, on my graduation day from college, my father was driving the car home and there was a car turning left in the oncoming lane and due to the brakes slow response time we ending up hitting the car at a speed that could have been controlled if the brakes had worked better. …
My son was making a left turn off brown rd onto amber glen dr in charlotte, nc when the cars steering wheel locked up causing the car to go out of control. When he tried to press the brakes to stop the car it would not stop. The car hit a tree that cause major damage to the vehicle. Thank god no one was hurt/injured or killed. But my 2002 Toyota Camry is totaled and cannot be repaired. I just bought this car in April 2012 from the Toyota Scion dealership in huntersville, nc and was not made aware of any problems or recalls with the steering wheel locking up. This is a very serious issue that could have caused someone to lose their life. I feel like I have been mislead and cheated out of my money to purchase the vehicle. This car should not have been sold to anyone and why was the dealership not aware of the problem and made the customer aware or did they just not care. …
My wife was slowing for a stop sign off a highway exit ramp when"the brakes did not stick and the car lurched foreward' striking a stopped vehicle.she told the police she was only going 5-10mph at most, but the other vehicle suffered over $500.00 in damages.this was in good road conditions where she travels daily. Prior to this I had told the dealer that the brakes felt mushy and rarely gave confidence. The service records state the following:complaint-brake pedal travels a long way to stop. Reply-brakes function as designed. Normal travel for this type of brake system. [3000 miles later] complaint-brake pedal feels like it loses pressure when stopping. Worried car will not stop at times. Reply-improper adjustment rear drum brake. Obviously there is more wrong than an out of adjustment rear brake. …
I had a new 2002 Toyota Camry. The brakes seemed to be very soft when the first day I drove the car home from the dealer - I needed to really press the brake down to get the car to stop. I went back to the dealer the next day, they checked and told me no problems were found. Later I also found that when braking from a slightly more elevated speed (bet 40-50 miles), the car's ABS system seemed to make the brake pump by itself and cause braking to delay. I was worried about this and went back to the dealers at least another two times but every time was told no problems. Because the brake, I had three accidents in which two times I rear-ended the vehicles that had stopped in front of me and the front end of car was badly damaged. I had not been going more than 30 miles an hour, as far as I know. But if the brakes had functioned correctly, I do not think the accidents would have occurred.
On November 13, 2009, I applied my brakes to turn in and park my car (my foot still pressing the brake). When my car unexpectedly accelerates about 15 feet and smacks into a building. A $10,000 claim was made against my insurance company. I informed the local Toyota dealership where I purchased the car since the responding officer urged me to get my vehicle checked out. Almost instantly after I began explaining the details of the incident over the phone, they informed me that the gas pedal wasn't the issue and that my car was not included in the recall. I feel like I have been passed over because my car wasn't brand new, even though it was one of the same year models that received an electronic throttle. I received a post card notifying me of a class action lawsuit against Toyota, however it does not pertain to property damage and I'm not sure which avenue to take.
I was pulling into my driveway in my 2002 Toyota Camry. The driveway is about 80 feet long. I slowed down to about 5 MPH and activated the garage-door opener when all of sudden the car sped up and I crashed into the brick wall at the back of my garage, demolishing it. I filed two insurance claims, under both my auto and homeowner's policy to clean up the mess. I had one of my kids in the car at the time but neither of us were hurt, though we were pretty shaken up. Nobody has ever been able to explain that accident. I have been driving more than thirty years and have an impeccable driving record. (no moving violations in a lifetime of driving.) about a month later I was with my wife and was pulling into a parking space--again at a speed of about 5mph--when the car suddenly sped up. This time I was ready for it and I put on brakes in time to avoid an accident.
I was backing into a parking space with the foot on the break when my car suddenly accelerated back and I hit the wall. I looked down to see if my foot was on the gas but it was on the break. I got out and looked at the car but since I was close to the wall there was no damage. This was two days ago. Forward to today, I pulled out of my parking spot on the street. I put my foot on the brake at the intersection to check for traffic, when I applied the break, the engine revved and the car accelerated about a foot and stopped. So while going to my destination I had to stop significantly far away from cars, intersections or anything else because when I break. The car accelerates 1-2 feels at a very high speed before jerking to a stop. The car is now parked because it is unsafe to drive.
While parking the vehicle, the brakes failed and the vehicle proceeded forward until it hit a building. The frontal air bags did not deploy. The sheriff stated by the position of the wheels he knew the brakes failed. Before the accident, the consumer complained to Toyota about the brake going to the floor when it was applied. The consumer stated she was sure that the high acceleration that occurred with her vehicle was the result of the gas pedal sticking. The consumer stated she knocked down a 4 foot metal parking light, proceeded and hit one wall, ran over numerous shrubbery, a tree and hit the entrance of a brick wall at a bank. Updated 04/19/10
Brake complaints in other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2002 Toyota Camry?
NHTSA has 173 complaints about the brakes of the 2002 Toyota Camry, 18% of the model year's 953 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (40 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Toyota Camry brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2002 Toyota Camry, though it has 4 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 2002 Toyota Camry brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 20,000 miles, and 53% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 37 crashes, 1 fire and 15 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.