2021 Toyota Camry: Common Problems, Recalls and Vehicle Data

What the public data shows

The public record for the 2021 Toyota Camry includes 163 complaints filed with NHTSA. Airbag-related reports dominate that total, with 85 of the 163 complaints falling into that category. Other complaints, a broad catch-all category, add 31 more, while brakes and drivetrain each account for smaller shares. That concentration in airbags lines up with the one recall on file for this model year, campaign 23V865000, which covers an air bag that may not deploy during a crash and notes the increased risk of injury that failure to deploy would carry. With only a single recall recorded, this is a single documented campaign rather than a pattern of repeated action on the same component, but the overlap between the complaint category and the recall subject is worth noting on its own terms. No investigations are open against this model year, and there are no repeat-repair campaigns, meaning no earlier recall repair has been reflected in a follow-up campaign. Manufacturer service bulletins, which are guidance to dealers rather than recalls, are more numerous, totaling 148, with the largest clusters touching equipment (26) and structure/body (23), followed by the electrical system and engine and engine cooling. Bulletins reflect what dealers were told to watch for and address, not confirmed defects. As with any complaint data, these counts reflect how many reports were filed and categorized, not how many vehicles were actually affected or how severe any underlying issue may be.

163 complaints on file with NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, grouped into CarTold's broad component categories.

Most frequently reported, by the specific component NHTSA logged each complaint under (not CarTold's category groupings above):

• AIR BAGS — 77 complaints (47%)
• UNKNOWN OR OTHER — 13 complaints (8%)
• POWER TRAIN — 8 complaints (5%)
• ENGINE — 6 complaints (4%)
• SERVICE BRAKES — 5 complaints (3%)
• STRUCTURE — 4 complaints (2%)

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

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.

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.

NHTSA crash-tests each body-style/drivetrain configuration separately, so ratings can differ by variant — shown as tested, not averaged. See how the 5-star ratings work, including why an overall score isn't the average of the three category scores.