AI Damage1999 Toyota Camry Solara: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Toyota Camry Solara filed 84 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 84
- involving a crash
- 16
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 27% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 15% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 11% of all complaints
- 4 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 7% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 7 Latches, locks, linkages 6% of all complaints
- 8 Structure 6% of all complaints
- Air bags: 23 complaints (27% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 13 complaints (15% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 9 complaints (11% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 7 complaints (8% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 6 complaints (7% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 84 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 23 | 6 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Suspension | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Equipment | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Tires | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained unknown injuries that required medical attention. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,600.
The seat belt did not engage nor did the airbags. Both cars totaled. Trunk hood popped, also rear panels bent. I sustained a head injury either on windshield or steering wheel . My firm belief is the seatbelt should have engaged and avoided the head injury.
Car was being driven in the city of chicago at a slow speed...brakes went to the floor... Avoided hitting another car and pedestrian and then hit a tree near a home. Car was towed by aaa to a aaa service shop.... Marathon- western/toughy who inspected the vehicle and determined both brake lines failed...
While still trying to stop the vehicle, my daughter hit a parked car to the right, just clipping it causing damage to the hit car's taillight. Her car hit a car to the left then hit a parked tahoe which stopped my daughters car after being pushed 4 parking spaces. We complained to toyota corp.
Mechanic noted both brake lines were rusted through causing complete catastrophic failure which apparently happens alot on this age of toyota because of design of covering brake lines trapping in salt and moisture leading to failure.
I tried to get the door windows down and the power windows were stuck. I braked hard and used the rear view mirror to pull over. I had glass chips all over me and couldn't see anything in front. Once I pulled over I inspected the hood latch and found both latches were rusted and latched open.
Consumer states sudden acceleration. The consumer stated as she pulled into her garage, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own. Consequently, she crashed into a false wood wall at the end of the garage.
The driver seatbelt was engaged with a deployment of the driver side airbag. The vehicle was completely destroyed. There was no mention of a police report filed of the incident. The cause of failure had not been determined. The failure and current mileages were 190,000. Updated 11/05/10.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 3,956 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 11% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Camry Solara has 79 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 84, about average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Toyota Camry Solara?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine and cooling, service brakes. Total complaints: 84. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbag warning light (15%), warning lights, check engine (10%), rust, corrosion (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Toyota Camry Solara?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1999 Toyota Camry Solara from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1999 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.