2,310 of the
23,365 complaints filed about the Toyota Camry
are about the braking system —
10% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2007.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The contact stated that the pre-collision, secondary brake, lane departure, and engine warning lights were illuminated and flashed on and off. The vehicle was restarted after depressing the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle stalled shortly afterwards. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
NHTSA complaint #11756907 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle's braking system intermittently self-activates, engaging the brakes with no obstruction, pedestrian, or object present in the vehicle's path and no driver input. This creates an unpredictable, unprovoked braking event while driving, which is a direct safety hazard to the driver and to other vehicles on the road that may not anticipate sudden deceleration. A distinct pattern has been observed: after the brake pedal is touched, the vehicle behaves as though it believes it is on an incline, repeatedly reapplying the brakes on its own in a pulsing or repeated manner, even on flat, level ground with no incline present. This repeated self-application occurs without further driver input. The dealership has attempted repairs on multiple occasions. On the first visit, the brake booster was replaced. This did not resolve the issue, and additionally caused the brake lights to remain illuminated overnight, draining the vehicle battery. On a second visit, a brake bracket was replaced; the self-braking defect recurred within minutes of leaving the dealership. On a third visit, the vehicle was retained by the dealership for approximately three weeks, during which a brake switch was replaced; the defect recurred after approximately one day of normal driving. The problem has been reproduced and acknowledged by the dealership's service department on multiple occasions, as evidenced by the repeated repair attempts targeting the braking system (brake booster, brake bracket, brake switch). Despite three separate repair attempts across different brake-related components, the dealership has been unable to identify or correct the root cause. Dealership service management stated they can only make repair recommendations and cannot guarantee that any given repair will resolve the issue, and that their process involves replacing parts until the defect happens to stop occurring. The dashboard brake warning light is on, and an ABS warning light also illuminates intermittently.
NHTSA complaint #11747547 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
A thumping noise on the driver's side can be heard at times when I encountered low spots. In addition, the rear brakes has grinding noise. Hendricks Toyota of [XXX] were made of the issues there times. On XXX during the schedule maintenance I asked that the hubs be removed again to check the noise. A ride along test drive was conducted by a technician. Due to rainy conditions it was noted that I would have to reschedule the test. The offical service records indicate the exact facts. I received a later email from the dealership stating they would not honor the return trip. A complaint was filed with the NC Attorney's General Office Consumer Protection. The dealership used deceptive practice and stated they had service the vehicle and never mentioned about the denied return for the inspection. They have been asked several times to remove the hubs but refused. As a 100% disabled veteran I relie on the vehicle for medical transportation and daily necessities to and from places. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11746841 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle Information: • Year/Make/Model: 2021 Toyota Camry • VIN: [XXX] Incident Date: May 4, [2025] Incident Time: Approximately 9:45 AM Incident Location: [XXX] toward [XXX] Description of Incident: While driving at approximately 25 MPH, multiple dashboard warning lights suddenly illuminated simultaneously. Immediately after, the vehicle began to accelerate on its own without any input from the driver. The driver applied the brakes repeatedly and forcefully, but the vehicle did not respond to braking. The car continued to accelerate uncontrollably until it abruptly stopped directly in front of another vehicle, narrowly avoiding a serious collision. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11740908 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while drivng at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The vehicle was towed to the dealer ted after several attempts, the vehicle eventually started. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, howver the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The RPM's increased. In addition, the contact stated that the failure occurred while traveling over 800 miles away from home. The vehicle was driven to the contact's cousins's residence. The contact's husband inspected the vehicle, and noticed metal shavings on the dip stick. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was ade aware of the failure and a case was filed. where it was diagnosed with a failed brake vacuum pump assembly. The vehicle was repaired. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V890000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated when retrieving the vehicle from the dealer, the contact noticed an unusal sound. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The contact stated that the dealer confirmed that some was wrong. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to O'Riley where a potable diagnostic tester was connted P050. The co
NHTSA complaint #11739592 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2018 Camry XSE, Vacuum pump went on my car less then a year ago. I had my car towed to the dealership for the recall to be fixed. Since that incident my car hasn’t been the same. While stopped at a light my dash board lite up with every issue the car could possibly have. Lane departure assist, secondary breaking system failure, engine coolant too hot, emergency brake failure and then the check engine light came on. I was able to get my cat to the side of the road and eventually make it home. I brought my car back to Toyota and a day later I was informed I might need a new engine, 8,000 dollars. I am very diligent about oil changes, tune ups etc. My car has 140,000 highway miles. I travel a lot for work. This car has never had a major issue until the recalled vacuum pump was repaired. All these complaints from other people with primarily the same issue cannot be wrong. It is definitely a manufacturing issue and I shouldn’t have to pay out-of-pocket for an issue that the dealership caused. Now I either have to buy a new car or pay 8000 to repair my current vehicle. I will never buy another Toyota again
NHTSA complaint #11737096 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while parking on two occasions, a "brake pressure low, stop at a safe place" message appeared and an unknown warning light. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where she was informed that there was an unknown recall associated with the failure and it was diagnosed that the brake pump and booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where the failure was not able to be replicated. The vehicle was then was taken to the same independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brake pump and booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,184.
NHTSA complaint #11736279 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving on the interstate 10 in California in rush hour traffic my vehicles’ brakes pedal suddenly became hard to press down and slow the vehicle down.fortunately I was able to safely get to the right shoulder and call a tow truck to get my car towed home.
NHTSA complaint #11732685 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In February of 2025 the brake vacuum pump failed and lost braking power. It was promptly towed to Toyota and the recall was performed. Roughly 3 weeks later an internal engine part that was removed during the recall repair came loose and damaged something internally. Since then the vehicle has yet to be adequately repaired. It produces no power, struggles to accelerate and has constant safety system malfunctions. Toyota had the vehicle from April to October and failed to adequately repair the vehicle after dozens of attempts. The vehicle was forcefully returned and will no longer pass smog from the engine malfunction they introduced during repairs. Currently in litigation and Toyota is ignoring all complaints.
NHTSA complaint #11731730 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Owner bought new 2021 Camry XLR 4 cylinder all wheel drive. It currently has 39,000 miles on it. No problems until January 25, 2026. It was 11 degrees below zero, my car had the original battery. Car started without issue, I return to house to "warm it up" prior to driving. Upon my return I had multiple error codes; 1. AWD System Malfunction, 2 WD Engaged (Visit your Dealer), Secondary Collision Brake System Malfunction, Pre-Collision Brake System Malfunction, Parking Brake Malfunction, Check Engine light. I did NOT drive the car that day. Once the weather warmed up in Iowa, the number of codes would change and sometimes absolutely NO codes. Upon extensive internet research, I purchased a new battery (old battery did "test" ok, but no load test was completed). During all of this time, my car has always started well, performed well, etc. HOWEVER, when the "codes" show up, my cruise control also will not work. . . . Original dealership "ran computer codes" (C059746) indicating "calibration memory failure."Quote was given for: Parking rake actuator replacement $1,760. 2nd Toyota dealership opinion: $3,300 for parking brake actuator, low pressure fuel pump replacements. Original dealership adamantly denied the need to fuel pump replacement. Again, my car intermittently may or may NOT show warning codes. . . .Not I dealership has conducted any examination, they simply "run the computer codes" and quote a repair cost. I am concerned about repair scandals, diagnostic incompetence and perhaps the CAUSE of my "error codes" has not even be addressed (computer glitch, faulty sensor, corroded wiring, etc.) I am a 70 yr old female still working and needing transportation. I spent $34,000 on my car expecting safe and reliable transportation. I have NO confidence in the Toyota Repair diagnostics. I also own a 2005 Toyota Camry which was involved in the Toyota acceleration debacle years ago, of which they decline any responsibility. Luckily, no human injuries!!!!!
NHTSA complaint #11729167 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I own a 2018 Toyota Camry XSE. The car is equipped with a radar cruise control and automatic braking system that will brake the car if programming believes there is risk of an accident. The problem is this is all front-based monitory and no rear based monitoring. Recently I was traveling the speed limit on a 4-lane highway when a car stopped abruptly in the turn lane in which I was following. There was no need for my car to brake abruptly as I was not traveling so close behind the car in front of me to justify that. Rather, I was more concerned about a car behind me that was tailgating me. I wanted to brake gradually to give the car behind me time to stop. But the auto braking system in my car braked so suddenly against my will causing the car behind me to veer off the road onto the shoulder in order to avoid rear ending me. It also made me worry that the driver of the car behind me might believe I intentionally braked hard to make him back away from my car when this was not the case. The 2018 Camry XSE auto braking system is a hazard because it looks forward with the radar but did not consider the car tailgating me and it nearly caused me to be rear ended were it not for evasive action of the car behind me veering onto the shoulder. I can turn it off when I drive the car but it always comes back on when I start the car. I am undecided about liability as well if I must permit this defective system to run or whether I am protected legally by turning it off. It is such a hassle to constantly turn it off each time I start the car so I just let the car do it's thing most of the time thinking I might be better legally protected with it on than with it off.
NHTSA complaint #11724804 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The Vacuum Pump for the Power Assist Brake System failed on my vehicle, the dealership would not provide me with the failed unit as they "have to send it back to Toyota". My brake assist was very inconsistent, sometimes barely had any which lead to very poor braking, accompanied with a KNOWN problematic knocking noise with an active TSB. I complained about this issue when I bought this used vehicle that was barely driven, at the local Toyota Dealership knowing the vehicle was made at the same time that other vehicles built in the same timeframe with the same issue were recalled, they told me it was just "injector noise" and it didn't apply to me. I brought it up again a few months later as it got worse, they told me it was "normal noise, use injector cleaner" and sent me off. I brought it up there last month about the Brake System Error message, they told me it was because the car wasn't on, however it never did this when I bought it nor do other cars on their lot. I brought it up again to the dealership this week as it got a lot more frequent that I would have poor brake assistance, the knocking was loud enough to hear in heavy traffic, and they finally told me the vacuum pump had failed. The dealer told me they couldn't do anything about the recall, would not cover it as goodwill warranty even when it is simmilar/same failure as the recall and previously complained about it, and the full repair would be over 1,800 dollars. I called Toyota Customer Hotline and explained that the failure was the same as the known issue in their recall on the same vehicles and the active TSB, they would not tell me why my VIN was not included in the recall, they would not extend a goodwill coverage on it as being it was the same failure, or take a complaint. Symptoms were present at the time of purchase, starting with inconsistent brake assist and light knocking, ended with excessively loud knocking and significant increase in frequency of the inconsistency and brake error message.
NHTSA complaint #11722375 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I came out to my vehicle and attempted to start it as usual and the EPB would not disengage and I had to have it towed to the dealer. They had to manually disengage it and told me I needed a new switch. I purchased the switch and that did not fix the problem, all of my warning lights have been on the vehicle ever since due to error code "PARK BRAKE MALFUNCTION" i cannot use my parking brake and all of my other ADAS safety features are disabled as a result of this, ABS light, PCS, including Cruise Control, Lane Departure, etc are ALL disabled due to this EPB Malfunction.
NHTSA complaint #11718699 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving the car just shut-off in the middle of the road. If you tried to restart the car it would turn on rev the engine and shut off. The dash display displayed a message " precollision system malfunction" and "secondary brake collision malfunction". Safety wise if this had happened on the highway could have been very dangerous or worse. The car was inoperable and required a tow truck. Luckily we were not on a very busy road during the incident. The problem has been replicated and is currently being tested at Joe Meyers Toyota in Houston, Texas. When the message displayed on the dash, check engine light came on as well as the brake light on the dash.
NHTSA complaint #11716750 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the braking system erroneously activated, causing the vehicle to decelerate unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was contacted, and a field representative was sent to the dealer to examine the vehicle. During the diagnostic test, the vehicle control history report stated that the accelerator pedal and brake pedal had been depressed simultaneously and was caused by driver error. The contact stated that driver error was not the cause of the failure. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the Lane Departure feature malfunctioned, causing the vehicle to erroneously steer into the opposite lane of oncoming traffic. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 5,555.
NHTSA complaint #11706473 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 1997 Toyota Camry. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 97V156000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. In addition, the contact lived in a hot climate area and believed that the recall would not affect the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
NHTSA complaint #11704532 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving out of my neighborhood at a low speed, the vehicle’s brakes suddenly stopped responding. I pressed the brake pedal multiple times, but it felt soft and failed to slow or stop the car as expected. I had to rely on the parking brake to bring the vehicle to a stop safely. Fortunately, there were no injuries or collisions, but this created a serious safety risk for myself and others. There were no prior warning lights or error messages before the incident. After researching, I discovered that my vehicle model and year have been associated with a known braking issue, as described in a recall for certain 2018–2019 Toyota Camry vehicles related to a vacuum pump or braking system malfunction. I took the vehicle to an authorized Toyota dealer immediately after the incident. The dealer confirmed the brake vacuum pump had failed, matching the symptoms described in the existing recall for other vehicles of the same model and year. However, they stated that my specific VIN was not included in the recall and refused to cover the repair under warranty or recall service. As a result, I was forced to pay over $1,200 out of pocket to fix a problem that is clearly related to the same known defect.
NHTSA complaint #11697407 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When I purchased this vehicle there were no problems, no lights on my dash, the trim all matched and was the color blue. Then after having a falling out with some family members I started noticing problems with my HVAC system. It started with antifreeze leaks then id fix it and the next week the radiator hose would be leaking again. I started really keeping track of everything about my car after that. Next I started noticing parts changed and parts missing. My VSC fuse block in the engine bay is completely missing now. Next I started noticing while driving my seat would move without me doing anything. The family member that I had a falling out with is in the HVAC union also. While driving I hear some type of switch click on and a gas smell starting coming out of my vents. Also I noticed after getting an aliment done that someone had adjusted the aliment bolts over night it's very noticable. You can clearly see where someone ran new electric wires for something. I went to the police 3 the mea about the issue but no investigation. Please help.
NHTSA complaint #11696589 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.