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Home›Toyota›Toyota Camry› engine problems
Owner complaints · Engine · every model year

Toyota Camry engine problems, 2016–2026

318 of the 2,441 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Toyota Camry 2016–2026 name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). The loudest years: 2018 (143), 2019 (82), 2020 (64). Filed under the same heading across these years: 8 manufacturer bulletins, 2 recall campaigns. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.

318 complaints, 11 model years 13% of everything filed about the Camry typically at 20k miles

Toyota Camry engine problems by model year

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

One row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.

Model yearComplaints naming the engineShare of the year’sTypically atOn file under the heading
20260——1 TSBthe year →
20250——8 TSBsthe year →
202448%—33 TSBsthe year →
20230——36 TSBsthe year →
2022610%—67 TSBsthe year →
202174%—89 TSBsthe year →
2020 in depth6423%12k100 TSBs · 1 recallthe record →
2019 in depth8220%21k82 TSBsthe record →
2018 in depth14319%21k88 TSBs · 1 recallthe record →
2017128%—25 TSBsthe year →
20160—20k29 TSBsthe year →

Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the engine. Nothing here is a rate.

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When the engine complaints were filed, and at what mileage

Source: NHTSA complaint database
318complaints name the engine, all years

Filed per calendar year, every model year together: 2017: 1 · 2018: 20 · 2019: 36 · 2020: 57 · 2021: 43 · 2022: 17 · 2023: 22 · 2024: 33 · 2025: 50 · 2026: 39

20kmiles, typically

Across the model years, half of the 144 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 7,000 and 46,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.

In owners’ own words

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine, from the model years with the most to say. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.

Vehicle in motion getting onto freeway. Pressing gas pedal to accelerate car not accelerating beyond 40mph and felt like it was being forced to accelerate like there was drag and pull. Car jerked forward a few times as if it was being choked on gas.
Engine at 20,600 miles Oct 17, 2019 NHTSA owner report
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. While driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle surged forward and accelerated independently without depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle then decelerated and the contact depressed the brake pedal to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. In addition, the vehicle stalled as the motor revved.
Engine at 275 miles Aug 29, 2018 NHTSA owner report
Vehicle often has extreme hesitation when applying gas. Car often lags. Does not accelerate consistently as it should. Primarily occurs after car is moving slowly
Engine at 100 miles Apr 17, 2020 NHTSA owner report
Engine stalling, as if fuel pump not working properly, when vehicle is in motion on city streets and highway
Engine Mar 28, 2020 NHTSA owner report
I leased this vehicle in july 2020 for 24 months, the battery is not dependable; frequently, at random times, the car won't start.. I have had to call for assistance 6 times.
Engine at 878 miles Mar 2, 2021 NHTSA owner report

What is on file about the engine, across the years

Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

Recall campaigns filed under this heading, any model year

8 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading, any model year

Every one filed under the heading is listed. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.

Other systems with a record on the Toyota Camry

Source: the same files

Every system, every model year: Toyota Camry problems by year →

From here
Every 2027 model on file, by price Compare two vehicles, trim vs trim See what a VIN was priced at See what owners reported

Common questions

Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communications

Which Toyota Camry years have the most engine complaints?

2018, 143; 2019, 82; 2020, 64. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2020 (23%).

Is there a recall for the engine on the Toyota Camry?

Yes — 2 campaigns are filed under this heading across these model years: 20V064000 (2020), 18V200000 (2018). A recall is matched by VIN, and applies to specific years; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

When do engine problems show up on the Toyota Camry?

Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 20,355 miles across the model years; half of them between 7,000 and 46,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.

What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?

The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.