2006 Toyota Camry Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2006 Toyota Camry has a Complaint Index of 42 and ranks 12th of 20 model years, earning a Good verdict relative to other Camry years. NHTSA lists 317 complaints, 5 recalls, and no do-not-drive recalls, with Engine as the top problem area.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 42/100
- #12 of 20 Camry years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 317
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 5
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 101
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 4
- Injuries
- 71
- Top issue
- Engine
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 22.5
- 19.5 city / 28.5 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 71 / 2
Top 2006 Toyota Camry problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine125 (39%)
- Airbags59 (19%)
- Brakes41 (13%)
- Electrical System30 (9%)
- Steering28 (9%)
- Other23 (7%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires18 (6%)
- Transmission & Powertrain18 (6%)
- Structure & Body16 (5%)
- Seat Belts9 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners describe sudden unintended acceleration while backing out of parking spaces, with the pedal seeming to push into the floor or the engine surging to high speed.
- Some report the vehicle lunging forward or backward despite the brake pedal being pressed, in some cases crashing into storefronts or trees.
- Multiple owners state the brakes failed to stop the vehicle in time, leading to rear-end collisions or running through stop signs.
- A tire blowout at highway speed reportedly destroyed a rim and caused the vehicle to spin and hit a median.
- Owners report airbags failing to deploy during frontal collisions, resulting in injuries.
2006 Toyota Camry recalls
5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 16V396000Jun 2, 2016Structure & Body7,749 vehicles
Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler
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.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 14V743000Nov 19, 2014Structure & Body3,233 vehicles
Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.
Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
- NHTSA 10V035000Feb 3, 2010Other271,417 vehicles
Equipment:other:labels
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.
Remedy: 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.
2006 Toyota Camry fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 19.5 MPG
- Highway
- 28.5 MPG
- Combined
- 22.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,900
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2006 compared with other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2006 Toyota Camry reliable?
- Compared with other Camry model years, 2006 scores well: its Complaint Index is 42, ranking 12th out of 20 years, and it carries a Good verdict.
- What problems does the 2006 Toyota Camry have?
- NHTSA complaints center on the engine (125 complaints, 39% share), followed by airbags (59 complaints) and brakes (41 complaints). Median mileage at failure for engine complaints is 35,618 miles.
- Does the 2006 Toyota Camry have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2006 Camry, none of them do-not-drive recalls; most involve tire information labels and seat heater elements.
- Which Camry model years should I avoid instead of 2006?
- Model years 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011 all carry Avoid verdicts with higher Complaint Index values than 2006's 42, with 2007 the worst at an index of 100.
- How many people were injured in 2006 Camry complaints?
- NHTSA records 71 injuries and 2 deaths among the 317 complaints filed for the 2006 Camry, along with 101 crashes and 4 fires.