USED VEHICLE RESEARCH

2021 Toyota Camry

Is This A Good Car? organizes available NHTSA-derived research for the 2021 Toyota Camry. This page includes owner complaint records, safety recall campaigns, manufacturer communications, defect investigations, and information about the completeness of the available evidence.

DATA CONFIDENCE: Moderate

Owner complaints

154NHTSA records

Recall campaigns

1Year, make and model lookup

Manufacturer communications

0Matched NHTSA records

Investigations

0Matched NHTSA records

EVIDENCE AVAILABILITY — NOT VEHICLE RELIABILITY

DATA CONFIDENCE

Moderate

Data Confidence measures how much usable evidence CarIQ has for this vehicle. It does not measure how reliable the vehicle is.

Why this rating?
Owner complaint data
Available
Manufacturer communications
Available
Recall data
Available
Investigation data
Available
Production denominator
Unavailable
Complaint component completeness
100%
Mileage completeness
0%
Incident-date completeness
100%

DESCRIPTIVE ANALYTICS

DATA INSIGHTS

Derived from official NHTSA source records. These statistics are descriptive and are not a reliability score.

Complaint records analyzed
154
NHTSA complaints
Most reported component
Air Bags
50% of categorized complaint records
Top-three component concentration
72%
Records mentioning at least one top-three component
Median reported incident mileage
Not available from current source
0 valid mileage observations
Recall campaigns
1
NHTSA recalls
Most recent recall report
December 20, 2023
NHTSA recalls
Manufacturer communications
0
NHTSA manufacturer communications
Most documented component
Not available
NHTSA manufacturer communications
Top-three communication concentration
Not available
Share of categorized manufacturer communications

SOURCE COMPLETENESS

DATA QUALITY

Complaint records analyzed
154
Component classification available
100%
Incident date available
100%
Mileage available
0%
Structured outcome fields available
100%

Completeness describes fields present in the retrieved complaint records. It is not a data-quality grade or a vehicle assessment.

Learn about CarIQ methodology

PRODUCTION-ADJUSTED DESCRIPTIVE METRIC

NORMALIZED COMPLAINT CONTEXT

Production-normalized complaint data is not currently available for this vehicle.

This metric compares the number of NHTSA owner complaint records retrieved by CarIQ with NHTSA-reported production volume for the corresponding vehicle population.

It is not a vehicle failure rate. Complaint reporting behavior, vehicle age, time on the road, production definitions, and other factors can affect the result.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Early Warning Reporting, Light Vehicle Production Data. Read the methodology.

OFFICIAL NHTSA OWNER COMPLAINT DATA

OWNER-REPORTED COMPLAINTS

TOTAL COMPLAINTS154

COMPONENT CATEGORIES

Air Bags77 complaints
50%of categorized complaint records
Unknown or Other21 complaints
14%of categorized complaint records
Service Brakes16 complaints
10%of categorized complaint records
Power Train11 complaints
7%of categorized complaint records
Forward Collision Avoidance10 complaints
6%of categorized complaint records
Electrical System8 complaints
5%of categorized complaint records
Engine6 complaints
4%of categorized complaint records
Lane Departure5 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Steering4 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Structure4 complaints
3%of categorized complaint records
Hydraulic3 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Seat Belts3 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Tires3 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Vehicle Speed Control3 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Visibility3 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Visibility/wiper3 complaints
2%of categorized complaint records
Back Over Prevention2 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Exterior Lighting2 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Fuel/propulsion System2 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Latches/locks/linkages2 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Suspension2 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Wheels2 complaints
1%of categorized complaint records
Seats1 complaint
1%of categorized complaint records

A complaint may list more than one component and therefore contribute to multiple categories. Percentages show the share of categorized complaint records that mention each component—not the percentage of vehicles affected. Category percentages may overlap.

INCIDENT REPORTS BY YEAR

2021
16
2022
17
2023
25
2024
48
2025
35
2026
13

Grouped from complaint records with a valid incident date.

RECENT OWNER COMPLAINTS

Air Bags

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11750599
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I went to a toyota dealership June 24th to have my car checked for the airbag recall. They told me my car did have the recall on it and that they would have to order the part. I haven't heard anything from them at all.

Tires

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11748945
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Component failed: Falken tire size 235/40R19. The tire was manually over-inflated to a life-threatening 91 PSI by the service facility. It is currently available for inspection upon request.Safety risk: Upon driving onto public Highway 79, the extreme over-inflation caused the vehicle to immediately exhibit violent structural shaking and pull aggressively toward the ditch, creating an imminent danger of handling failure and a high-speed collision.Confirmation: The vehicle safety defect and inflation failure were officially confirmed and documented via a physical inspection by certified dealer Round Rock Toyota (Service Advisor Bryan Sanders).Symptoms: Extreme, immediate physical steering wheel vibration and severe vehicle pulling. They intentionally put a critical care patient out on the road with a tire turned into a bomb and then destroyed the CCTV footage.

Structure

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11747464
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2021 Camry with 29,000 miles panoramic roof is stuck in the vent position. Took it to two different automotive shops and was told they could not close the vent. The concern was too much pressure on the glass could cause it to shatter if they forced it to close. The recommended repair was to replace the entire sunroof assembly. A private auto garage quoted almost $15,000 to repair. Toyota confirmed the original diagnosis and quoted $10,600 plus tax. If the glass shatters, it obviously is a safety risk. Currently, the car is unusable as is. Two automotive centers confirmed the diagnosis. No warnings, the sunroof stopped responding. When googling, it appears many Camry owners have had the same issue. Contacted Toyota and was denied any assistance. The car has never been in an accident so it is hard to understand why there would be a bent mechanism other than a quality issue. Both diagnosis invoices are available upon request.

Vehicle Speed Control · Service Brakes

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11740908
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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)

Tires

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11734642
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We ordered this car custom what we wanted 2021 Toyota Camry xse awd. The car is great wife and I love driving it. But at 68,857 miles as of today 4/29/26 it’s on its second set of tires with regular maintenance and rotations on tires it’s eating them up on the inside. We have had 4 alignment checked by Toyota and les Schwab and everything time it comes out perfect. Two sets of tires within 30,000 give or take is a very bad problem as both times the inside of been to the cords. The last set was only 26,000 miles and half the tire was separated tread to tire. First set every tire was down to cords on the inside.

Tires

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11734287
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While driving down the highway, the whole car and steering wheel of 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid started shaking side to side. Was able to exit safely and found a bubble in the sidewall of the 2021 Hankook Kinergy GT H436 BW 235/45R18 tire. Never had this happen with any tire before. 31,000 miles on tire. Could have caused a blow out if the exit was further away. No notification on Toyota Camry Hybrid screen or dash that anything was wrong with the tire before failure. I will check if the tire center will inspect the tire for me when they replace it in a few days.

Air Bags

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11729674
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The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Camry. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue but provided no assistance. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Service Brakes

Owner-submitted NHTSA complaint · ODI 11729167
Read complaint narrative

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 complaints are reports submitted by vehicle owners and other consumers. Complaint counts do not represent the percentage of vehicles affected and do not by themselves establish that a safety defect exists.

A higher complaint count can partly reflect how many vehicles were sold, vehicle age, and other factors. CarIQ does not yet normalize complaint counts by vehicles sold.

Data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This site is not endorsed by NHTSA.

OFFICIAL NHTSA MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION DATA

MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATIONS

TOTAL COMMUNICATIONS0

No NHTSA manufacturer communication records were returned for this year, make, and model.

Manufacturer communications include service bulletins and other technical information submitted by manufacturers to NHTSA. The existence or number of communications does not establish how often a condition occurs or whether an individual vehicle will experience it.

Some manufacturers may issue more detailed service documentation than others, so communication counts should not be used alone to compare vehicle reliability.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration manufacturer communications

NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION

NHTSA DEFECT INVESTIGATIONS

TOTAL INVESTIGATION RECORDS0

No applicable NHTSA defect investigation records were returned for this year, make, and model.

NHTSA investigations evaluate potential motor-vehicle safety defects. The existence of an investigation does not by itself establish that a safety defect exists, and the absence of an investigation does not establish that a vehicle is problem-free.

Open and closed describe NHTSA's process status, not a CarIQ reliability judgment.

View official NHTSA investigation data ↗

DESCRIPTIVE SOURCE OVERLAP

CROSS-SOURCE VEHICLE DATA

CarIQ compares categories appearing across independent NHTSA datasets. Overlap can help identify areas with more available documentation, but it does not establish defect frequency or prove that an individual vehicle will experience a problem.

ComponentOwner complaintsManufacturer communicationsRecall campaignsNHTSA investigationsOfficial sources containing records
Air Bags770001 of 4
Unknown or Other210001 of 4
Service Brakes160001 of 4
Power Train110001 of 4
Forward Collision Avoidance100001 of 4
Electrical System80001 of 4
Engine60001 of 4
Lane Departure50001 of 4
Steering40001 of 4
Structure40001 of 4

Displayed first by the number of source categories containing the component, then by owner complaint count, then alphabetically. This is a presentation rule, not a vehicle ranking. Complaint reports, manufacturer communications, recalls, and investigations describe different events and are never added into a combined total.

complaint
Available
communication
Available
recall
Available
investigation
Available
production
Unavailable

OFFICIAL NHTSA SAFETY RECALL DATA

SAFETY RECALLS

1 recall campaign found

01AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATIONCampaign 23V865000December 20, 2023

Summary

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.

Safety Consequence

An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.

Additional Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Recall results shown here are based on year, make, and model. A specific vehicle may or may not be affected. Check the vehicle's VIN with NHTSA to confirm open recalls before purchasing. Data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

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