2021 Toyota Camry

Family: Camry · filed with NHTSA as CAMRY, CAMRY HYBRID

Summary

Of the 152 complaints that name a component, 57% concern Airbags (86).
These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
Not enough history to compare this year with the rest of its generation.
1 recall filed for this model year.
1 federal defect investigation covers this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints: 166
Recalls: 1
Investigations: 1
NCAP overall: 5 of 5 stars
Combined MPG: 25–52
Annual fuel cost: $1,200–$2,500
Median mileage at complaint: 21,000 mi (n = 18)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths: 21 / 2 / 16 / 1

What owners report

Airbags

86 complaints · 57% of complaints that name a component · median 55,000 mi (n = 8)

Owner report 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.…

Owner report 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.

Brakes

16 complaints · 11% of complaints that name a component · median 14,284 mi (n = 4)

Owner report 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.…

Owner report The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while the vehicle was being parked in the residential garage, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The vehicle was in reverse, and due to the failure, the vehicle crashed into a built-in heater in the garage. The passeng…

Driver Assistance

16 complaints · 11% of complaints that name a component · median 68,000 mi (n = 2)

Owner report The rear camera has stopped working. It started working intermittently approximately 6 months ago and now it does not work at all. The warning light saying that it was not available would come on when it first started having a problem but that stopped when it stopped working completely. It will show rear cross traffic …

Owner report When I do these checks I have my hands lightly on the wheel ready to correct the car when needed. The lane control assist tends to stay to the left of the lane, crossing over the left side lane markers, it also tends to head towards the right side of the lane, crossing over the right side lane markers without compensa…

8% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2018–2024)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 186.

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Note
2018	782	331	most complaints
2019	411	186
2020	284	101	fewest complaints
2021	166	43	not compared
2022	65	34	not compared
2023	66	44	not compared
2024	52	52	not compared

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

23V865000 · AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

Filed 2023-12-20 · 999,901 vehicles

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.

Risk: 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.

Federal investigations

Action	Component	Opened	Closed	Recall
DP22005	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM	2023-01-27	2023-08-07	22V063000

DP22005: Pedestrian alert sounds

Engines and fuel economy

Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Fuel cost / yr
Camry	3.5L 6cyl	Automatic (S8)	Front-Wheel Drive	22	33	26	$2400
Camry AWD LE/SE	2.5L 4cyl	Automatic (S8)	All-Wheel Drive	25	34	29	$2150
Camry AWD XLE/XSE	2.5L 4cyl	Automatic (S8)	All-Wheel Drive	25	34	28	$2250
Camry Hybrid LE	2.5L 4cyl Hybrid	Automatic (AV-S6)	Front-Wheel Drive	51	53	52	$1200
Camry Hybrid SE/XLE/XSE	2.5L 4cyl Hybrid	Automatic (AV-S6)	Front-Wheel Drive	44	47	46	$1350
Camry LE/SE	2.5L 4cyl	Automatic (S8)	Front-Wheel Drive	28	39	32	$1950
Camry TRD	3.5L 6cyl	Automatic (S8)	Front-Wheel Drive	22	31	25	$2500
Camry XLE/XSE	2.5L 4cyl	Automatic (S8)	Front-Wheel Drive	27	38	31	$2000
Camry XSE	3.5L 6cyl	Automatic (S8)	Front-Wheel Drive	22	32	26	$2400

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

Variant	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover
2021 Toyota CAMRY 4 DR AWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★
2021 Toyota CAMRY 4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★
2021 Toyota CAMRY HYBRID 4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 311 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about structure.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

Date	Component	Summary
2026-09-10	FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	Under certain conditions, debris can accumulate inside the fuel cap causing potential fuel vapor leaks that can cause increased evaporative emissions to exceed the regulated limits. This issue will not trigger the M.I.L. (Malfunction Indica…
2026-08-20	ENGINE	This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge at battery on high voltage (HV) Ni-MH and Li-ion batteries.
2026-08-20	ENGINE	OBSOLETE NOTICE August 20, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0051-26.
2026-08-11	ENGINE	Although the flow shut-off valve is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 36 months or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repair…
2026-08-11	FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	Under certain conditions, debris can accumulate inside the fuel cap causing potential fuel vapor leaks that can cause increased evaporative emissions to exceed the regulated limits. This issue will not trigger the M.I.L. (Malfunction Indica…
2026-08-11	FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	TECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR EMISSION NONCOMPLIANCE RECALL 26TF01 Certain 2018 – 2024 Model Year Camry HV and 2019-2022 Avalon HV Fuel Cap Negative Pressure Valve & Fuel Filler Dust Intrusion
2026-08-11	ENGINE	Although the flow shut-off valve is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 36 months or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repair…
2026-04-14	STRUCTURE:BODY	Some 2018 – 2024 model year Camry and 2018 – 2026 model year Camry Hybrid vehicles may exhibit the weatherstrip on the panoramic roof center glass peeling on the edges of the glass.
2026-04-14	STRUCTURE:BODY	Some 2018 – 2024 model year Camry and 2018 – 2026 model year Camry Hybrid vehicles may exhibit the weatherstrip on the panoramic roof center glass peeling on the edges of the glass.
2026-04-01	ENGINE	Some customers may experience a rough running engine with a MIL ON P140018 DTC. Upon further inspection, a loose C90/C27 connector pin at the EGR valve may be found. To correct this concern, please reference the repair section of this TSB.

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Camry, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Toyota Camry model page.

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.