Being one of the best-selling cars in the United States, the 2020 Toyota Camry is a name with a lot of reverence. However, with 88 complaints, one starts to doubt that reputation. The car has been found to be problematic in many areas including engine cooling, infotainment systems, transmission and brake problems, safety system malfunctions, and most importantly a battery issue that has affected a lot of cars. Prices start at an MSRP of $25,970, which is very affordably priced considering the equipment it offers. Its competition is equally impressive consisting of cars like the Honda Accord, the Hyundai Sonata, and the Kia K5. Let us find out the truth about Toyota Camry's reliability through this article.
2020 Toyota Camry User Complaints and Problems
Mechanical problems:
- A few owners have raised complaints about the Camry not accelerating when required. Even though the pedal is depressed, the vehicle fails to respond and no warning lights are illuminated. Sometimes this is accompanied by sudden jolts and other jerks.
- Some people have also raised complaints about the start-stop system being slightly jerky. This is sometimes followed by the smell of coolant leaking.
- Although only a few cars from the 2020 model year are affected, the Toyota Camry fuel pump recall has covered another issue that once affected a lot of people. The low-pressure fuel pump is faulty and has to be replaced with an improved version. Sometimes the fuel level readings are also showing wrong values.
- One of the most common issues in recent years has been Toyota Camry gear shift problems. The car is either hesitant to shift or shows the wrong gear according to the indicator.
- Several owners have also reported issues that feel very similar to what was covered in the Toyota Camry torque converter recall although that gearbox is no longer present. The transmission jerks and selects wrong gear times, making the car un-drivable. There was also one complaint about the car rolling even when stopped in park.
- There is also a long list of Toyota Camry hybrid problems that include hybrid malfunction warning, OCS warning, pre-collision warning, brake system warning and so on that get displayed on the driver information display and prevent the owners from trusting this car for their day-to-day purposes.
- Another owner has reported that the brake fails to engage and the car becomes harder to drive in this scenario. It presses completely down to the metal without any resistance.
- One car also caught fire while driving on the highway, but the cause of the problem was not found.
Electrical system problems:
- The most common complaint that seems to affect Camry owners has been battery issues. The car battery is dead much before the designed time period and causes a lot of issues associated with the electrical systems of the car. It also left many owners stranded in the middle of the road.
- The infotainment system has randomly shut down for some people without warning.
- Rodents also seem very attracted to the wiring inside the engine compartment and some owners have even had to better the fuel injection wiring which is very expensive.
Exterior problems:
- There have been multiple complaints about the front and rear windshield as well as the sunroof exploding without any apparent impact.
Interior problems:
- One owner was affected by an air conditioning drain hose that leaked into the cabin. This cost damage to the rugs, padding, soundproof insulation, corrosion to the metal frame, and damage to the electrical system.
- One owner had a problem with water pooling under the rear seat floor mats. This causes a horrible smell inside the car.
Safety problems:
- There have been a few complaints about the seatbelt not buckling properly. This falls under an immediate safety threat.
- Multiple owners have reported that the partial brake assist and automatic emergency braking system fail to engage during times when it is needed. In other cases, they cannot be turned off despite the owners trying.
- There are several instances where the car was declared totaled but it did not provide any safety features. The airbags failed to deploy, sometimes the seatbelts are defective and the active safety systems do not operate at all.
- One owner lost his son to an accident where the car hit a tree and went up in flames. It did not have a safety feature to cut off the fuel pump which resulted in this fatal accident. This is one of the top Toyota Camry fuel pump problems.
- One owner has raised the complaint about the windshield wiper's maximum speed being approximately half of what other cars have. This compromises vision while driving in adverse snow or rain conditions.
2020 Toyota Camry Recalls
|
S. No. |
Date |
NHTSA Campaign Number |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
November 4, 2020 |
20V682000 |
Fuel pump may fail |
The low-pressure fuel pump can fail in several Toyota models and this can cause the engine to stall. |
|
2 |
February 6, 2020 |
20V064000 |
Engine may leak coolant |
Porosity in the engine castings may result in cracks and this will leak coolant. |
Should you buy the 2020 Toyota Camry?
The Toyota Camry will be the flagship sedan once the Avalon makes its exit from the market and hence it should represent the best of technology from the brand. However, the reality is that Toyota Camry's reliability ratings only convey half the story and the car is quite unreliable looking at the wide range of complaints from what owners have reported in recent years. And while it is not a car that is particularly exciting to own, we would not recommend it to our readers.
