Problems · NHTSA complaints
2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid problems
Owners filed 1,412 complaints about the 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid with NHTSA between Jul 2008 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is vehicle speed control (285).
Complaints
1,412
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
161
Reported by owners
Fires
22
Reported by owners
Injuries
90
People reported injured
Deaths
2
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
3
49
307
68
69
77
232
106
87
79
88
98
47
33
15
16
15
13
10
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 49 |
| 2010 | 307 |
| 2011 | 68 |
| 2012 | 69 |
| 2013 | 77 |
| 2014 | 232 |
| 2015 | 106 |
| 2016 | 87 |
| 2017 | 79 |
| 2018 | 88 |
| 2019 | 98 |
| 2020 | 47 |
| 2021 | 33 |
| 2022 | 15 |
| 2023 | 16 |
| 2024 | 15 |
| 2025 | 13 |
| 2026 | 10 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Vehicle speed control
285 reports86 crashes2 fires1 related recall
“We (my wife and I) were driving our vehicle Sunday November 5th 2023 in the morning and experienced a serious issue. While on the highway, the car was stuck with the gas petal in the down position (we did not realize this until after we were able to successfully power down the car) and continued to accelerate in an uncontrolled manner. We were fortunate that our breaks were able to stop the car, and we navigated it to the shoulder of the highway. We then put the car in park, all while the engine was full throttled. We powered down the car and removed the keys. We waited a few moments and tried to power the car again - the engine however remained full throttled. We turned the vehicle off once again and then realized the gas petal was stuck in the down position. We were able to manually get the petal unstuck at this time. We have not driven the vehicle since this incident and consider it too dangerous to do so. Since this incident, we have looked up any potential recalls for this issue and have not found any. To answer the questions above: The gas petal/acceleration malfunctioned. The safety of everyone in the vehicle and other drivers on the road were at…”
Structure
241 reports12 crashes5 fires
“Component or System Failed: Unibody structural frame / Front chassis suspension and crumple zone architecture. Description of the Incident and Safety Risk: A structural repair was executed on this vehicle involving an improper "rough pull" on a frame rack/jig rather than replacing the compromised structural components to OEM specification. The auto body facility failed to restore the vehicle's unibody structural integrity. Misaligned body lines and underlying unibody damage remain uncorrected, severely degrading the vehicle's engineered crumple zones. This creates an immediate, severe safety risk. Because the high-strength steel and structural collision-energy management features have been altered and weakened without proper sectioning or component replacement, the vehicle's structural performance in a subsequent impact is entirely compromised. This significantly elevates the risk of severe cabin intrusion and catastrophic structural failure in a future accident, endangering the safety of all occupants. Confirmation and Documentation: The underlying structural and unibody deficiencies have been identified and documented via visual inspection, initial estimates,…”
Engine
219 reports2 crashes5 fires
“The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked while accelerating from a complete stop. Additionally, the vehicle intermittently failed to start, with the ABS warning light displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for repairs, but the failure reoccurred shortly after the repair. The contact stated that while attempting to shift into drive(D), the transmission remained stuck in neutral(N) with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled forward while the vehicle was parked, turned off, with the parking brake engaged. The contact placed trash bins in front of the vehicle to prevent the vehicle from rolling. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure, and the vehicle remained unrepaired. The failure mileage was 127,990.”
Service brakes
108 reports8 crashes2 fires
“I have 2009 Toyota Camry LE, the problem is engine oil, if I changed/filled the engine oil in certified stores, but after 400 miles the engine oil is not in the engine chamber I checked the leaks or any other sort of damage but there's nothing like that I verified the same thing with the dealership too. Basically my point is due to extensive consumption of engine oil the engine will brake in the middle of driving and there are chances it will explode and there's a DANGER while driving the car it's like pulled the granite pin and sit above it. And due to this the braking system will fail and the person loose his life and the dependses will be suffered a lot. Please look at this issue. Thank you.”
Visibility/wiper
100 reports1 fire
“I purchased a 2009 Toyota Camry on [XXX]. After a few years, the dashboard became soft and sticky. During the summer of 2018, I noticed it melting on a hot sunny day. I looked into having it replaced. There was a warranty enhancement notification letter previously sent to me, which stated this type of known problem would be covered for up to 10 years since car was first placed in service. Unfortunately, I didn’t determine this was enough of a problem to me until [XXX]. I missed the warranty extension by 5 days. I contacted Newbold Toyota on June 29, 2018, and the service manager said that after the 10 years, it was the manufacturer's responsibility and there is nothing they can do, except to charge me for the repair. The repair was estimated at approx. $1,500 for the dashboard replacement. At first, I thought "Oh well, I can live with this." But now the dashboard has melted so much that it now reflects sunlight into the windshield so badly that it is has become a safety hazard. It is very difficult to see through the windshield when driving towards the sun or with the sun directly above on a sunny day (even while wearing sunglasses). So the defective dashboard…”
Electrical system
90 reports7 crashes4 fires
“I'm not even sure this is the right form for this complaint, but it has to do with non-compliance from Toyota. It's the master window switch recall 12V491. I had to schedule 2 separate appointments for this vehicle at Florence Toyota (Florence, SC), only to have them tell me the first time that they didn't have the part, and the second time that it wasn't covered under "warranty" due to the vehicle having been issued a salvage title. This isn't a warranty issue, rather a safety recall that should be addressed and fully reimbursed by Toyota anyway, so I don't understand the problem? Nothing has happened with the switch, thankfully, in all these years. But they keep sending regular alerts that the recall was issued and that I should make an appointment to have it remedied at no cost.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.