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 2005 Toyota Camry owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
When slowly finishing my entry into a parking spot and braking the car suddenly accelerated to a high speed and bolted over the curb with a planter zone into another parked car directly facing my parking lane hitting the front passenger side. My car was still accelerating and hit another car to the left of the first parked car, hitting it in the rear driver side door. My car kept going until I was finally able to get the brake to work and it stopped just before another parking lot curb with planter zone. As far as I can tell the brake and or accelerator malfunctioned dangerously and suddenly. It could also have been a malfunctioning TPS (throttle positioning sensor). I would like my car inspected to determine what caused this malfunction. While everyone involved said they felt fine. …
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds, the brake was depressed and failed to respond, and the vehicle drove over the parking block. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to her residence. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the brake master cylinder was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 72,000.
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Camry. The contact's brother performed brake repair on the vehicle and added Prestone DOT 3 brake fluid to the brake reservoir. The contact stated that several days later, while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the brakes locked up and the vehicle failed to move. The vehicle was taken to the brother's residence by her brother while driving and depressing the accelerator and brake pedal simultaneously. The contact's brother flushed the brake lines however, the failure persisted. The contact's brother became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24E101000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Steering) from the NHTSA.gov website. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was cross contamination of the braking system and the entire braking system needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
I, robert, was sitting in the car when my wife came out of the store and got into it. I put my foot on the brake and started the car. It took off at a very high rate of speed. The car lunged ahead and steadily picked up speed. The car hit a lady walking with her groceries, then hit a parked vehicle and pushed it into another vehicle. The air bag never deployed. The brakes would not work. The only thing that made it stop was that it hit a large SUV. My wife did not have time to fasten her seat belt, thus sustaining injuries. It all happened in a matter of seconds. There was a police report filed. I was not charged with the accident. I purchased the vehicle on May 24, 2017 at a public auction in washington, dc. That means that these vehicles are still being sold as if there is not a problem with them. The vehicle had about 240,000 miles when I purchased it. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Toyota Camry. While reversing into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. As a result, the vehicle crashed into two different vehicles and the curb. The contact mentioned that the transmission became stuck into second gear and the brakes failed. A police report was filed and no injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 118,000.
On March 19, 2016, I was driving my Toyota 2005 Camry at approximately 35 MPH, when the car suddenly accelerated. I applied the brakes, emergency brake and put the car in park. The car continued to accelerate and I attempted to approach the freeway on ramp. I was unable to turn the steering wheel. I crossed a raised island and into the freeway lane and hit a car that was driving onto the freeway ramp. Both cars were damaged. My car was totaled. I was transported to hospital and was discharged from emergency room.
While driving from friends home to pickup kids from school, I was going on a 2 lane road going east bound, car was travelling @ 30 MPH on startight road of speed limit 35mph, all of sudden steering and brakes did not function due to which the car was about to collide with a tree head on, all of the sudden the streering and brakes started functioning and I tried to avoid the tree collision during which the trunk of the car hit the trunk of the tree. I pulled the car to the curb of the road
March 19th 2016, driving on a city street when the car suddenly accelerated. Applied the brakes/emergency brake. Car continued to accelerated and I attempted to enter freeway. I was unable to turn the steering wheel and I hit a car that was entering the freeway.
Tl* the contact owned a 2005 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, he noticed a burning odor. Another driver noticed flames coming from under the hood on the passenger side and alerted the contact. The contact attempted to stop the vehicle, but the brakes would not respond after depressing the brake pedal continuously. The contact jumped out of the vehicle and the vehicle came to a stop when it crashed into the divider on the road. The contact sustained severe scrapes to her left foot, legs, and arms. The contact was then transported to the hospital for treatment. After being released, the contact suffered muscle spasms and was rushed back to the hospital for further treatment. The fire and police departments reported to the scene and reports were filed. …
I have had over 20 braking incidents with my 2005 Toyota Camry. All between the speeds of 10 to 40 MPH. Everytime I go to apply the brake, the car will accelerate, and feels like the brakes aren't catching or something. Especially when on a poorly paved road. I have now been involved in 2 separate rear-end collisions where I could not stop and ended ramming the vehicle in front of me. A third time I was able to swerve, and clipped a metal sign. I bought the car as a Toyota certified pre-owned with 29 k miles on it, in October 2006. I began encountering this braking problem after only having the car a week. The dealer said there was nothing wrong. So I bought all new brake pads even though the others were practically new. Didn't help. Had the brake lines bled again, and the rotors resurfaced. Didn't help. …
Brake complaints in other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2005 Toyota Camry?
NHTSA has 95 complaints about the brakes of the 2005 Toyota Camry, 13% of the model year's 721 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Toyota Camry brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2005 Toyota Camry, though it has 5 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 2005 Toyota Camry brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 28,000 miles, and 43% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 29 crashes, 2 fires and 14 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.