1997 Toyota Camry Toyota Camry 1997

We are 103,000+ car owners sharing real-world car information.

Join Us

1997 Toyota Camry repairs by problem area

Engine (48%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (8%)

Brakes and Traction Control (2%)

Suspension and Steering (18%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (11%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (2%)

Other (6%)

Chart based on 62 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 1997 Toyota Camry.

1997 Toyota Camry repair cost distribution

$2500+ (0%)

$1000 - $2499 (21%)

$500 - $999 (18%)

$100 - $499 (30%)

< $100 (30%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 56 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

1997 Toyota Camry

Engine not specified

Toyota in Arizona, United States
May 2011 - Jul 2012
Sep 2011

78000 mi

US $1000
Had to replace all 4 struts, appeared to be original struts from 1997 and alignment 
Toyota in Illinois, United States
Nov 2013 - Nov 2013
Nov 2013 i'm not sure about the details but it was going to cost over $1000 to repair so we opted to sell 
Toyota in California, United States
Jun 2011 - Jul 2011
Jul 2011

208000 mi

US $350
Cracked engine mount was repaired. 
Toyota in Indiana, United States
Jun 2010 - Jun 2011
Jul 2010

184000 mi

US $130
Interior driver door handle was broken and did not work. 
Sep 2010

184000 mi

US $30
injector cleaner added to engine 

Return to top

1997 Toyota Camry 4-door

6-cylinder automatic 2WD

Toyota in Ohio, United States
Sep 2008 - Dec 2010
Dec 2008

211000 mi
 
Toyota in Arizona, United States
Jan 2009 - Feb 2011
Mar 2009

98000 mi

US $250
Leaking power steering hoses. Cracked belts needed to be replaced. 
Aug 2009

99000 mi

US $195
replaced alternator 
Nov 2009

103000 mi

US $125
broken door latch on passenger door 
Mar 2010

107000 mi

US $187
very minor radiator hose leaking around clamps 
Sep 2010

109000 mi

US $566
Oil leaking. Replaced oil pan and gasket.  
Toyota in Massachusetts, United States
Apr 2010 - Sep 2011
Feb 2011

116000 mi

US $1000
Engine was leaking oil, dead battery (towed for this), needed new tires, exhaust problems. 
Mar 2011

116000 mi

US $1250
Radiator core was leaking needed to be replaced.  EGR valve and tube also had to be replaced (check engine light had come on). 
Toyota in Virginia, United States
Sep 2008 - Dec 2009
Oct 2008

100000 mi

US $25
Driver side interior door handle broke. Replaced assembly. 
Jul 2009

108000 mi

US $25
Started dripping coolant; shop found leaking water pump and crankshaft seals. Not worth repairing at this time, and the leak seems to have stopped by itself. 
Toyota in Pennsylvania, United States
Sep 2010 - Apr 2018
Feb 2011

252000 mi

US $750
cracked (or broken?) exhaust section with cat converter. Welded in a new piece of flex pipe and reinstalled. 

Return to top

1997 Toyota Camry 4-door

4-cylinder manual 2WD

Toyota in Quebec, Canada
Jan 2011 - Sep 2011
Feb 2011

127100 mi
Starter/ignition or battery issue. changed battery poles removed, retested starter, everything worked correctly, put back together, suspect ignition (possible remote starter?) problem but nothing pinpointed. all fixed/bypassed problem gone. 
Toyota in Ontario, Canada
Jan 2010 - Jun 2011
Mar 2010

339140 mi

C $990
front struts 

Return to top

1997 Toyota Camry 4-door

4-cylinder automatic 2WD

Toyota in California, United States
May 2008 - Jan 2012
Mar 2011

242000 mi
Left headlight changed, right taillight changed. Engine checklight, coolant and engine servicing. 
Jan 2012

US $1000
Failed smog test. Check engine light was on, we replaced regulation valve, water pump, and few things inside the engine. CEL still on. Going to donate car. 
Toyota in British Columbia, Canada
Jun 2017 - Jun 2018
Jun 2017

153760 mi

C $90
CV outer boots replace - older ones (5-6yrs old from Edmonton) were badly cracked 
Toyota in South Carolina, United States
Apr 2011 - Jul 2011
Jun 2011

222000 mi

US $600
Timing Belt Broke 
Toyota in New Jersey, United States
Sep 2011 - Dec 2011
Nov 2011

111200 mi

US $2276
Check engine light came on & was told I needed an O2 sensor & front pipe/catalytic converter -$2276! Just completed repair today,will see how it is in 1 week 
Toyota in Ohio, United States
Jun 2013 - Jul 2018
Jul 2013

231000 mi

US $450
Compressor outer bearings went bad, causing the compressor to seize after a few minutes of operation. 
Toyota in Alabama, United States
May 2008 - Mar 2010
Toyota in Tennessee, United States
Jun 2011 - Oct 2021
Dec 2011

150000 mi

US $596
replace struts 
Oct 2017

212000 mi
replaced front struts. no cost due to lifetime warranty on parts and I did the change myself 
Feb 2018

213000 mi

US $1000
replace front left wheel bearing & hub assembly, front left drive shaft, sway bar link, left front lower control arm, left front lower ball joint, used spindle knuckle, 2-wheel alignment 
Jan 2019

218375 mi

US $20
replaced thermostat 
Apr 2019

219262 mi

US $597
replace radiator, oil pressure sensing switch, and install driver door handle 
Dec 2019

222000 mi

US $45
replaced instrument cluster with part from salavage yard 
Jul 2021

234711 mi

US $764
replace lower right control arm and inner and outer right tie rod ends; alignment 
Toyota in Michigan, United States
Mar 2011 - Apr 2012
Apr 2011

131000 mi

US $1200
suspension in rear squeaking loudly. replaced entire strut assembly in rear brake caliper froze shut causing noise and wear on pads in front. Pads replaced for free, paid for both sets of calipers 
Jul 2011

134000 mi

US $85
Pipe leading from catalytic converter to muffler rusted out. Pipe patched. 
Nov 2011

137500 mi

US $265
pipe leading from catalytic converter to muffler rusted out 
Toyota in Washington, United States
Nov 2010 - Jun 2011
Dec 2010

90000 mi

US $1900
Struts making lots of noise had them replace at 2000 canadian 
Toyota in Hawaii, United States
Dec 2009 - Jun 2011
Sep 2010

156000 mi

US $700
Radiator got large leak. Had to replace radiator. 
Toyota in Alabama, United States
Dec 2009 - Mar 2011
Feb 2010

210000 mi

US $35
Transmission leak 
May 2010

211700 mi

US $120
Ignition switch would not turn to "ON" position 
Toyota in California, United States
Dec 2008 - Jul 2009
Jan 2009

127000 mi

US $100
Seemed to be transmission-related, but mechanic could not replicate and had driven fine since. 
Toyota in Wisconsin, United States
Dec 2009 - Jun 2012
Mar 2010

123000 mi

US $250
Oil leak on driver's side. 
Oct 2010

131000 mi

US $400
Car would not turn off. Mechanic said bad starter needed replacement. Turned off car by unhooking battery. Lots of noise coming from suspension system between front tires. Told I would have to replace the "springs" that cushion the front of the car. Noise is irritating and gets worse in the winter when it's stiffer. May fix this winter. 
Toyota in California, United States
Jan 2008 - Jan 2014
Mar 2008

185000 mi

US $300
Leaky gasket diagnosed previously but left alone as it was a minor leak. I took care of it when I had to do the routine maintenance timing belt replacement & therefore access was easier and therefore costs were reduced. 
Jun 2008

187000 mi

US $390
Check engine light code showed a problem with a transmission solenoid, which was then replaced & the computer reset. Check engine light did return 2 days later - however it has since gone out by itself? 
Oct 2008

195000 mi
The aircon light started flashing & so I took it into the shop (the aircon was still blowing cold) the mechanic checked the clutch which is the usual cause of the symptom - but it was fine as was the pressure. Therefore I will wait till it breaks ;-) 
Apr 2009

202000 mi

US $50
the battery died (in the car Wash!) the car had to be jumped to get it to start. the battery was replaced and the connectors on the battery cable were replaced too. 
Dec 2011

247000 mi

US $1106
Replaced cracked oil pan after plug got cross-threaded and pan too worn and thin to cut new threads. showing a p0420 code - shop checked and the gauge before and after the cat had the same readings & therefore the cat was replaced. 
Jan 2014

215000 mi
head cracked @$3k for a refurbed engine it was more than the value of the car - so I donated it 
Toyota in Minnesota, United States
Nov 2010 - Jan 2015
Oct 2014

201500 mi
Engine overheated intermittently. Repaired/replaced fan. 
Toyota in Washington, United States
Oct 2008 - Nov 2010
Apr 2010

176000 mi

US $1300
Transmission slipping. Need a new transmission. Dealer cost $3500,transmission shop cost $2500. Ended up finding a certified mech. from toyota to put in a used tranny for $1300. One day job, car runs fine. 
Nov 2010

181000 mi

US $5
Replaced light bulb on AC control unit. Bad/sticky IAC valve. I didn't fix it. Rear center seatbelt wouldn't retract. 
Toyota in Ontario, Canada
Jun 2010 - Jul 2011
Jul 2010

80800 mi

C $250
ignition cylinder mechanism sticking and wont turn.  
May 2011

85560 mi

C $500
oxygen sensor replaced 
Jun 2011

85560 mi

C $500
Transmission selection cable broke at engine where it attaches to the lever to shift transmission into gear 

Return to top

See TrueDelta's information for all Sedans
See TrueDelta's information for all Toyota models.

1997 Toyota Camry Repair Histories

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 1997 Toyota Camry problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.