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 2004 Toyota Camry owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
2004 Camry se car sitting for two days. Car caught fire. Fire department stated that it seemed no foul play involved. To me it look like the origin of the fire started by the battery and wiring was the issue. Interior in good shape no windows busted.
According to the sheriff and fire rescue, an electrical short in the passenger side of the engine caused the entire engine to catch fire. The car was stationary and had not been driven for almost 12 hours.
Toyota Camry driver-side window fire. During August of 2014, I went shopping in lithonia, ga. I parked my 2004 Toyota Camry in the shopping center parking lot. A short time later, I returned to my car and observed smoke billowing from the driver side window of my vehicle. I immediately drove across the street to nalley Toyota of stonecrest to have the vehicle checked out. I was not aware of any recall at this time, and asked the service advisor to check for one. She did so, and told me there was not a Toyota recall for my vehicle. I proceeded to pay them $967.00 in parts and labor to replace my entire master switch, the master switch assembly, and window motor in the driver-side door. After coming home, I proceeded to look for any information I could find on Toyota recalls of other 2004 camrys. …
The key in my Toyota special edition 2004 Camry is designed to be removed only when the gear shift is in the park position. However, mine can be removed regardless of the position of the gear shift. Ex: once the car is stopped and shut off and should it still be in the drive position, the key can be removed. This should not be.. As a result , I had an accident as the car rolled down an incline and struck another vehicle..no one was in the car at the time, but a child could have been in a car seat in the rear and I would not have been able to stop the car. I t has happened at least three times while under warranty, but I thought it was my fault for not placing the car in the park position before exiting the vehicle. Didn't realize it until the accident that it was not designed that way. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Toyota Camry. The contact was reversing from a parking space when the vehicle abnormally accelerated to 45 MPH and continued to drive in circles. The contact stated the vehicle did not stop until it crashed in several car on the left and the right. The force hit the other vehicles directly in the rear. The consumer hit a total of eight vehicles. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed by the police and was declared as destroyed. The vehicle was not inspected for the failure. The failure mileage was 64,323 . Updated 11/01/11 the consumer stated three of the vehicle including hers was totaled. Prior to the accident, the consumer stated the vehicle suddenly accelerated and she discovered the floor mat was jammed under the accelerator pedal. The pedal jammed on several occasions. On several occasions, the consumer would experience a jolt while driving. …
After entering a parking lot my mother-in-law was turning into a spot when the car suddenly accelerated thru the spot and was heading for the concrete wall. She was able to turn it to the left, run over the curb and in to a snow bank. She was unable to back the car out and had to be towed out. There was damage to the front end, but the airbags did not deploy. The tow truck driver said that she could drive it home and she managed to do so, but she was scared to do so. It is now sitting in the driveway and will not be driven until we are satisfied with the repairs to the acceleration problem. I am still waiting to hear from the dealer?.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Toyota Camry. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the high beam headlights were activated and the engine stalled without warning. The vehicle restarted. Also, when the turn signal and windshield wipers were engaged, the vehicle stalled. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. The VIN was unavailable. Updated 06/15/16
I was driving down the road from my home when my car stopped working. It died on me. It just stopped working completely without any notice whatsoever. I was able to maintain control of the steering wheel and I pulled over to the side of the road. At the time I was driving approximately 45 miles an hour (when the car engine stopped working). I turned the key in the ignition to the off position. When I turned the key in the ignition to start the car, the car started up immediately.
The consumer stated on October 17, 2004, after being out of the vehicle for about 1 1/2 hours, the vehicle burned to ashes. The firemen seemed to think the problem was the air fuel flow and or electrical. Consumer just got the vehicle. It was locked so no one could have done this. The consumer heard a popping sound and a pedestrian yelled about the fire. The vehicle burnt to ashes, totaling the vehicle.
Toyota Camry 2004 got caught on fire I drove my Toyota Camry 2004 the other day and suddenly the ABS system was triggered. Engine died. When I cranked it back up again, smokes started coming out. I changed my oil regularly. The last one was a week before at valvoline (they checked all fluids) Toyota ran an investigation and this is what they made up: "serpentine belt is faulty, continued to be operated, pressure in radiator caused it to burst and sprayed coolant onto the battery and fuse box and relay panel which LED to a short circuit" I talked to a nice service technician at Toyota and I was told that it might be something that they made up to get away it. He explained to me how that wasn't too likely to happen Toyota told me that they'll call me before inspecting the car. They never did . …
Electrical complaints in other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2004 Toyota Camry?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the electrical system of the 2004 Toyota Camry, 6% of the model year's 638 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › interior/under dash (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Toyota Camry electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 64,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 7 fires and 2 injuries 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.