CSR
Check a VIN

Look up

About

Toyota · NHTSA safety record

2021 Toyota Camry

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 157 safety complaints about the 2021 Toyota Camry with the US government. Of those, 21 describe a crash, 2 mention a fire, 16 people were injured and 1 death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the air bags.

The most complained-about system is the air bags, named in 78 complaints, 50% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 20,500 miles, the median across the 18 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers July 2021 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

157 complaints on file

157

Complaints

21

Describe a crash

2

Mention fire

16

People injured

1

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
AIR BAGS 78 · 50%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 21 · 13%
SERVICE BRAKES 13 · 8%
POWER TRAIN 12 · 8%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 10 · 6%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8 · 5%
ENGINE 7 · 4%
LANE DEPARTURE 5 · 3%
STEERING 4 · 3%
STRUCTURE 4 · 3%
SEAT BELTS 3 · 2%
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 3 · 2%
0 35 69

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 157.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2024 at 48.

52 39 26 13
21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2021 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2021 Toyota CAMRY, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test 4 DR AWD 4 DR FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 9.9% 9.9%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

23V865000 · December 20, 2023

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

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 999,901 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 death · fire · crash · towed

My son hit a tree at an estimated speed of 45 (As estimated by the accident report) and the car went in flame burning completely my son and the entire inside of the car. I am amazed at a new car that does not have enough front crash support and most important the fuel pump should have shut off due to hitting the front to prevent the car from being burned. Yes, my son died in the accident but we did not have the chance to see him because of the fire, we have only bones to bury.

NHTSA complaint 11448682. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

4 injured · crash · towed

Air Bag malfunction, Car was total loss. Message of the car screen attach to this report.

NHTSA complaint 11611408. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

3 injured · crash · towed

The contact owned a 2021 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH another vehicle struck the front passenger side of the contact vehicle and the air bags did not deploy. After the crash, an indicator for the air bags was defective. A dealer was contacted. The contact, the wife, and the daughter where severely injured and sought medical attention. The vehicle was towed and was deemed a total loss. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was not unavailable.

NHTSA complaint 11491163. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:BRAKE FLUID LOW WARNING:SWITCH/SENSOR/FLOAT

1 injured · crash · towed · 3,922 miles

The contact's wife leased a 2021 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while his wife was pulling into a parking space, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. He stated that his wife continued to depress the brake pedal but it would not respond, causing the vehicle to crash into trees. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's wife was able to exit the vehicle with assistance. The contact's wife sustained pain in the chest, upper back, shoulders, and ankle. The contact's wife also sustained a laceration on her finger from the broken window glass. The contact's wife sought medical assistance. A police report was filed. The vehicle

NHTSA complaint 11443667, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
I took it to a repair shop for a transmission issue, the technician noted the transmission fluid degraded or burnt fluid or And it is causing the torque converter shudder and transmission rpm to slip

NHTSA complaint 11766822. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Power loss, had to pull off road. multiple fault codes on this event. 2 broken plastic parts in intake duct, one stuck in throttle body butterfly. cleared plastic parts from intake to get home. Later determined 2 of 4 intake resonator tube internal catch bevels broke off. The remaining 2 were very weak and easily broke off as well. Serious FOD hazard to engine!

NHTSA complaint 11763848. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 83,000 miles

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, a second vehicle T-boned the vehicle while driving approximately 60 MPH and crashed into the driver’s side of the vehicle. During the crash, no air bags had deployed inside the vehicle, including the side curtain air bags. Police and Emergency Services were called to the scene. The contact had to be extracted from the vehicle and was transported to a nearby hospital. During the crash, the contact sustained a concussion and left hip and left torso injuries. A Police report was filed at the scene, and the vehicle was towed to a nearby salvage yard. The cause of the failure was not yet determined.

NHTSA complaint 11757888, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
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.

NHTSA complaint 11750599. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
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

NHTSA complaint 11748945, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY
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

NHTSA complaint 11747464, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Toyota Camry

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2024 50 1 —
2023 64 2 —
2022 61 1 —
2020 274 3 —
2019 395 6 —
2018 743 8 —
2017 148 3 —
2016 184 2 —
2015 271 1 1
2014 455 3 1
2013 274 2 1
2012 589 2 —
2011 600 5 —
2010 603 9 —

Other 2021 Toyota models

Highlander 522 RAV4 387 Venza Hybrid 188 Corolla 185 RAV4 Prime 99 Tacoma 80 Sienna Hybrid 43 4Runner 36

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Toyota on this site — 281 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst