Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
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 power steering freezes up upon the slightest amount of street water ponding making it almost impossible to turn the steering wheel. I have experienced a number of scary situations that make driving this car in wet elements very very difficult. As a result I generally refrain from driving altogether under these conditions. This dangerous problem must be fixed soon! I HAVE MENTIONED THIS PROBLEM IN THE PAST TO MY LOCAL DEALER (TOYOTA OF DALLAS)
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.
Was informed that my power steering column was leaking and the steering devices could lose its restraints at any given time. This could lead to car losing complete steering causing a severe crash and potentially death to its occupants. With the recent recall for Nissan vehicles regarding power steering fluid leaks, there is a concern that the leaks May cause fire to my vehicle. When asked about the problem to the Toyota service technician, he stated that over time the power steering system May "rust" and need repairs. I asked about how often does this or has this issued occurred for Toyota brand cars or trucks? No data was provided. I went on to press for additional information, but the service technician did not provide additional details regarding this issue with my 2004 Toyota Camry. …
I was approaching a freeway in atlanta, ga. As the connector curved, I was driving about 35 MPH and gently brake about 200 feet from the freeway. The car immediately and violently accelerated, throwing my head back against the headrest; I brake harder but there was no response from the car; the car seemed to pivot on the right front tire and the rear end flew to my left about 240 degrees or so and struck the guard rail with the left rear quarter panel and bumper. The car then, continuing at high speed, ricocheted off the guard rail and the rear end pivoted toward the road, making the front bumper strike the same guard rail. The second collision scraped the paint off the center of the bumper but the impact seemed stronger than the damage would indicate. The second impact did stop the car. …
Car started pulling to the right when travelling 65-70 MPH, leading to hitting a bridge wall and going down hill after that.suspension and steering heavily damaged, also damage to the body of car. I have been driving for more than 4 years now and this is the first time that I saw a car behave so strangely. Since Toyota Camry has so many complaints from consumers saying that the car pulls to the left, I am thinking if the car was tampered with before sale, causing it to pull to the right instead of left to keep the complaints at bay.. Also while driving for the 4 months that I had the car I noticed that the steering would turn to the right when ever I braked(I should have reported this at that very moment) unfortunate that I am doing this after been an horrible accident.
I was driving, took a corner and my car turned off without warning or signal, and I lost power steering and hit another parked vehicle. I proceeded to turn my car back on, drive ten feet and the engine shut off again without warning. I went to the auto body shop and they stated it was a code 2112 throttle issue. I researched on the internet and saw several other consumer complaints about this same issue with the same make/model/year and around the same mileage as my car has. Toyota is not recalling or providing free service on the parts and I was given an estimate of over 1300.00 to fix. Seeing that this is normal wear and tear - I didnt do a thing to cause this to happen, and it's a safety issue, I believe they should be replacing and or recalling these vehicles.
The front left of the car was making noise. When I drive, the steering wheel was vibrating when I press the brake. When I was driving on the freeway, the steering wheel stopped working. As the steering wheel did not work, I tried to stopped the car by pressing the brakes, but that did not stop the car. The front of my car hit into the center divider on the freeway and then the back of my car also hit the divider. When the car finally stopped I was blocking 3 lanes on a 5 lane freeway facing traffic. The air bags did not deploy even though I was driving 55 MPH. The front bumper completely detached from the car. I suffered whiplash including neck and shoulder pains. I just had my car maintained about a month ago.
I own a 2004 Toyota Camry. It has a defective throttle body which has left my wife stranded and cost $1000 to fix from the dealer. This is a common problem and a few of my friends have had to pay twice to get this fixed. The other issue is there a defective part in the steering linkage that pops when you turn. This eventually leads to slop in the steering and it cause my to go in the ditch. This accident has given me a chronic back condition and prevented me from commissioning in the military. This issue is also known to be a problem with the camrys but Toyota refuses to do anything about it.
While driving yesterday - August 18, 2016, power steering went on and off when turning. Seemed to be the power steering - made it hard to turn the wheels. Driving on highway straight ahead was fine. On city streets and parking the issue was very noticeable and frightening since I didn't know if I could control my moving vehicle. . In checking to see where to get repair done, I noticed there is a recall for power steering on the 2004 Camry. Called local Toyota dealer where I bought the car, and was told that this VIN number has no recalls.
Tl contact owns a 2004 Toyota Camry le. The contact lost control of the vehicle because the steering wheel malfunctioned on the vehicle. The contact was not injured in the crash. The contact was not able to give more details of what caused the vehicle to lose control. The consumer was traveling 55 MPH when the crash occurred. The failure mileage was 39,000. The vehicle was destroyed. Updated 4/26/10 updated 04/30/10.
Steering complaints in other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2004 Toyota Camry?
NHTSA has 80 complaints about the steering of the 2004 Toyota Camry, 13% of the model year's 638 complaints. The component named most often is column (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Toyota Camry steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering 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 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 39,000 miles, and 34% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 9 crashes, 0 fires and 9 injuries to steering 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.