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 2004 Toyota Camry owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling there was an abnormal fuel odor detected. The contact stated that there was also a grinding sound while applying the brakes. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed with a fuel leak and ABS sensor failure. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the tank was rusted and was also replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.
I went to a local store to shop. I was attempting to park in the store lot, saw a space close to the front of the store. I slowed down to start turning (maybe 5-10 MPH) into the parking space and when I tried to brake, my brake pedal went straight to the floor and the car started speeding up. It kept going like someone else had control of the car! I couldn't stop it and it ran into a car that was parked in front of the space. It pushed the other car completely out of the parking spot and rammed her car in the front area. We both suffered vehicle damage and I was charged. There was smoke coming out from under my car and as I was attempting to stop my runaway car, my foot slipped onto the accelerator. I thought maybe my brakes had given out but the officer said the brakes were not bad. There were skid marks showing I tried to stop and I was able to drive it home, very slowly. …
I was slowly pulling into a parking lane, started to turn left towards a parking spot when my 2004 Toyota Camry xle accelerated suddenly and pressing on the brake did little to stop the car. This happened in a shopping center parking lot. As a result, two other cars were damaged and the my Camry was totaled. The car had approximately 148000 miles on it. The car had been routinely maintained. The car had previous accelerated without warning using the cruise control but the problem had never been traced down as to what caused this issue. On several occasions the RPM needle jumped from low RPM to high RPM. In addition, warning lights on the dash had come on un-expectedly. These issues were never reproduced when taken to the mechanic and the problems never resolved.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Toyota Camry. While driving approximately 5 MPH in heavy traffic, the contact attempted to depress the brake pedal, but it bounced back. As a result, the contact rear ended the preceding vehicle. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was taken to oak lawn Toyota (4320 85th street, oak lawn, illinois 60453), but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,150.
While driving locally at a non-speeding level,dry weather, wheel locked up preventing control of the vehicle which spun out of control, leadding to vehicle hitting a curb then airborne and turnover resulting to salvage damages.
I purchased a new Toyota Camry in 2004. On the morning of 4/2/2005, I took my daughter to her orthodontist appointment. On my way back, I first made a stop at a traffic light before making a left turn to get on a parkway. I did not notice anything unusual. A few minutes later, when I attempted to slow down in anticipation of the end of the parkway and the traffic light at the intersection, I noticed that the brake was not working. I tried squeezing (to the floor) and tapping. I had no effect. There was no acceleration (kept the same speed). By the time I reached the intersection, the light was red and all three lanes had vehicles in front of me. I steered my car between two lanes to get through the traffic (with only the mirrors scraped off). Once the traffic was behind me, I took the vehicle to the right to grind against the curb which brought it to a halt. …
I bought a 2004 Camry about a month ago from my local Toyota used car dealer. A week later I told them front-end felt funny and needed to be checked. They said I needed an alignment. Had that done. Called them last week and said I still feel like there's some sort of front-end problem. My brake pedal is spongy and almost to the ground. Sometimes I'm not sure if I'm going to stop in time. Also told them my steering wheel was shimmying. I was told that the steering wheel was probably indicating a tire balance issue and they would charge me $50 to balance/rotate my tires. I decided to put the money toward new front tires instead hoping that would also reduce road noise. As for the brakes.... I was told that was standard for the Camry models and was a known design issue but no corrections were in place that they were aware of. Last weekend I was in a crash. My brakes failed! …
A 2004 Toyota Camry on 26 December 2009 traveling at approximately 5 miles per hour into a parking space in front of the us post office had an un-commanded acceleration. Within a span of four feet into the parking spot, the car accelerated and the brake could not stop the forward movement. The car jumped the sidewalk and drove into the window and corner of the building while the engine continued to race with only the building holding the car as it tried to raced further. Moving the transmission lever from drive to park the doors did not automatically unlock. Turning the ignition key to off position was the only solution to stopping the racing engine. The floor mat was checked on exiting the car and was not to be anywhere near the accelerator pedal..the car was totaled and no life treating injury was sustained. The consumer experienced neck and back pain. Updated 03/17/10
I own a 2004 Toyota Camry le, my problem with this vehicle are two things one is the braking system/ABS and the second is the tires Bridgestone. The pedal is too soft, doesn't stop the car as it should, the ABS locked on many occasions regardless of the weather condition. I managed to hit a the front of the car twice and once in the rear. All of the ABS system, while the damage is only to my car its becoming a very serious safety issue regarding the how safe is this vehicle. I have spoken with the dealer and he replaced the pads once, however the problem still exist and the rear breaks are making squeaky sound. I have 21,000 miles on this car and its my first new car and it will be the last Toyota I own. The dealer denies any problems and they say its normal but its not.
I have bunion pain that required me to get larger shoes. When I starting wearing these shoes I noticed that the toe of the shoe would come in contact with the bracket that attaches the brake pedal, interfering with me applying immediate pressure to the break pedal. The bracket is designed with a bend that overhangs the top of the brake pedal. This is extremely dangerous. I size shoe greater than a men's size 10 interferes with breaking. It almost caused a crash. I was in motion and the toe of my shoe would bend back on this bracket before my forefoot would come push far enough down on the pedal to brake. I examined several other car models and none of them has a bracket with this bend over hanging the brake pedal. Very dangerous.
Brake complaints in other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2004 Toyota Camry?
NHTSA has 74 complaints about the brakes of the 2004 Toyota Camry, 12% of the model year's 638 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Toyota Camry brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2004 Toyota Camry, though it has 3 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 2004 Toyota Camry brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 30,000 miles, and 45% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 25 crashes, 0 fires and 18 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.