Being from the house of Toyota, the Camry Hybrid offers great reliability. The efficiency is a definite value-added feature of this car and the 2014 Toyota Camry Hybrid has managed to satisfy its customers by delivering one of the best hybrid vehicles in the midsize sedan category. With 377 complaints and just 3 recalls, the Camry Hybrid holds lesser issues than a few of its rivals. Speaking about rivals, Camry is up against the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, and the Honda Accord Hybrid. Toyota has made sure to keep the car as user-friendly and reliable as possible and they’ve managed to achieve it. The car has majorly had complaints revolving around the electronics and the headlights but let’s go through them in detail and understand the car better.
User complaints and problems
Electrical Problems
- Infotainment – Users weren’t able to use the touchscreen as the response failed at times. They also noticed the radio malfunction and upon contacting the dealers, they found the head unit to be faulty and informed that certain vehicles were installed with a faulty module. The part was replaced and functioned normally.
- Instrument cluster – The instruments started to fail and the dash lights started flickering without any warning. The vehicle was taken to the mechanics who informed us that the wiring harness casing was made using an organic compound that attracts rodents. The damaged wiring harness had to be replaced.
Mechanical Problems
- Powertrain – The car hesitates when depressing the accelerator and it would also shudder when trying to pick speeds. The dealers diagnosed the issue and found the torque converter to be at fault. A replacement fixed the acceleration issue for a while but users found it to happen again. Toyota issued a recall but many affected Camry’s didn’t fall in the specified VIN number.
- Brakes – The user was attempting to stop the car but the brakes barely did anything to slow the vehicle. The Camry rear-ended another vehicle ahead and resulting in minor injuries to both the vehicle occupants. The dealers found that the hydraulic brake system failed, causing the vehicle to lose stopping power.
Safety Problems
- Seatbelt – The release button on the latch was said to pop out when releasing the latch. The button could not be fixed and required replacing the seatbelt.
Exterior Problems
- Headlights – There were multiple complaints regarding the headlights of the car as they were said to be very dim and provided very limited visibility at night. The dealers were contacted but the lights were claimed to be perfect and normal.
- Trunk door – The trunk would drop down on its own and required external support while trying to load any cargo. This was identified to be happening due to a fractured strut and this was said to happen very often with multiple users.
2014 Toyota Camry Hybrid recalls
|
S. No. |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
7th November 2014 |
14V715000 |
Ball joint may detach from left lower arm. |
Due to insufficient clamping force, the lower arm may separate, increasing the risk of a crash. |
The left side lower arm will be replaced. |
|
2. |
19th September 2014 |
14V576000 |
Fuel may leak from fuel delivery pipe. |
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of fire. |
The faulty fuel delivery pipes will be replaced. |
|
3. |
17th October 2013 |
13V505000 |
Wiper switch may fail. |
A short circuit may cause an inoperative windshield wiper. |
The wiper switch assembly will be replaced. |
Should you buy the 2014 Toyota Camry Hybrid?
Toyota is definitely known for its easy-to-maintain cars and to offer more than what you pay for. The 2014 Toyota Camry Hybrid is worth the money it asks for and comes with one of the best hardware and tech. There definitely have been issues with the infotainment that annoys the users but Toyota confirmed that the faulty module was only seen on very limited vehicles. There also have been early recalls, fixing three key issues. However, one issue that does not have a solution is the headlight luminance. We suggest checking out aftermarket solutions for the headlights and fixing that makes the Camry Hybrid almost perfect. We highly recommend going for the Toyota even though the competition is equally impressive as the Camry feels better built and sturdier on the road.
