2005 Toyota Camry recalls and problems

The 2005 Toyota Camry has 5 safety recalls and 721 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Toyota dealer.

Recalls
5
Complaints
721
Crashes / fires
223 / 10
Injuries / deaths
126 / 18

Recalls may cover only some 2005 Toyota Camry vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2005 Toyota Camry recalls

Recall 16V-396: Seats

Reported Jun 2, 2016 · 7,749 vehicles affected · Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC

Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.

Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.

Recall 11V-539: Engine and Engine Cooling

Reported Nov 9, 2011 · 420,326 vehicles affected · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004 avalon vehicles; 2004 and 2005 camry, camry solara, highlander, and sienna vehicles, 2006 highlander hybrid; 2004 and 2005 lexus es330 and rx330; and 2006 lexus rx400h vehicles manufactured from june 1, 2004 through march 31, 2005, equipped with the 1mz-fe or 3mz-fe engine. The amount of adhesive agent applied between the outer ring and the torsional rubber damper (Inner ring) in the crankshaft pulley may be inadequate. If the adhesive is insufficient, there is a possibility that the outer ring may become misaligned and it may not properly rotate with the inner ring, causing noise and/or illumination of the battery discharge indicator light.

Risk: In some cases, the belt for the power steering pump may become detached from the pulley which could result in a loss of power steering and a sudden increase in steering effort, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will check the crankshaft pulley to identify whether it was produced by the U.S. Supplier. If so, the dealer will replace the pulley with a new one at no charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during early january 2012. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Recall 10V-035: Equipment

Reported Feb 3, 2010 · 271,417 vehicles affected · GULF STATES TOYOTA, INC.

Problem: Gulf states toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between september 1, 2005 and june 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

Risk: This does not meet the standard requirements.

Fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. Dealers will also correct the owner's manual. The safety recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact gulf states toyota at 713-580-3300.

Recall 10V-036: Equipment

Reported Feb 3, 2010 · 153,418 vehicles affected · SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS, LLC

Problem: Southeast toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

Risk: A driver may overload a vehicle which may increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. The safety recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact southeast toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

Recall 04V-595: Seat Belts

Reported Dec 15, 2004 · 150,061 vehicles affected · TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Problem: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with a front passenger power seat, when installing certain rear-facing infant child seat bases onto the seat with an excessively high seatbelt tension, it may be possible to unseat a component called the buckle status switch from the seat belt buckle.

Risk: If the switch becomes unseated, the front passenger occupant classification system may mistake the rear-facing child restraint for an unbelted adult occupant, and may not suppress the deployment of the front passenger airbag.

Fix: Dealers will replace the front passenger seatbelt buckle status switch. This safety improvement campaign (Ssc 40m) began on december 20, 2004. Owners should contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or lexus at 1-800-255-3987..

2005 Toyota Camry problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Vehicle Speed Control274
Power Train87
Steering71
Air Bags69
Service Brakes, Hydraulic67
Seat Belts46
Engine and Engine Cooling35
Electrical System35
Unknown or Other25
Equipment24
Tires23
Structure21

Most reported parts

  • Power Train › Automatic Transmission — 55
  • Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal — 23
  • Air Bags › Frontal — 15
  • Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 15
  • Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine — 14
  • Structure › Body — 8
  • Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Control Module (Tcm/Pcm/Tecm) — 5
  • Electrical System › Alternator/Generator/Regulator — 4

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 42,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2005 Toyota Camry complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Electrical System · at 142,000 miles · reported Apr 9, 2026
The contact owned a 2005 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that his daughter's vehicle caught on fire while parked in a residential area. The vehicle was unoccupied during the fire; the contact was alerted by the fire department. The fire originated from the engine, it was reported that the cause of the fire was faulty wiring. There were 2 vehicles next to the vehicle that was damaged in the event of the fire. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. A police report was filed. The vehicle was totaled. No injuries were reported. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle…
Electrical System · at 248,083 miles · reported Feb 10, 2026
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2005 Toyota Camry. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 125,647; however, the contact found a repair bill from January 10th, 2018, that indicated that the mileage as 233,045. Additionally, a Carfax Report indicated that the mileage was 248,083 on March 15th, 2022.
Service Brakes · reported Oct 12, 2025
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.…
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · reported Aug 6, 2025
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…
Fuel/Propulsion System · reported Mar 15, 2025
Just bought this car on 3/12/2025 Was assured nothing wrong. When taking off it goes about 8 ft then hesitates causing the car behind to almost hit me. Twice it's happened. Pulling out of busy intersections is dangerous. Also it will down shift while driving regularly. Causing cars to run up on you. It also almost died at.a stop sign. Could be tranmission. Not sure exactly.

Other Toyota Camry years

Compare all Toyota Camry years · All Toyota models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2005 Toyota Camry have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2005 Toyota Camry: 16V-396 (seats), 11V-539 (engine and engine cooling), 10V-035 (equipment), 10V-036 (equipment), 04V-595 (seat belts). Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2005 Toyota Camry?

Owners report vehicle speed control problems most often (274 reports), followed by power train (87). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 42,000 miles.

Are Toyota recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Toyota dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.