2018 Toyota Camry: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 708 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission, brakes, and steering. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2018- Owner complaints
- 708
- Recalls
- 8
- Crashes reported
- 47
- 45 injuries
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2018 Toyota Camry: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Cold start, engine bay, and underside
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/2
Test drive
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Which Camry is it?
EPA figures for each version of the 2018 Toyota Camry. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cylGas | FWD | 34 mpg |
| 3.5L 6-cylGas | FWD | 26 mpg |
| 2.5L 4-cylHybrid | FWD | 52 mpg |
- The 2018 Toyota Camry was sold in three versions. Confirm which one this is from the window sticker, the engine cover, or the VIN report before you compare prices.
- On the hybrid, watch for the car moving off on electric power at low speed and for any hybrid system warning on the dash.
- Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A Camry that averages well under the EPA 26 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.
Check the odometer against these mileages
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Rough shifting and hesitation
20,000–34,000 miles
Stiff, binding steering
30,500–50,000 miles
Electric water pump failure
38,000–74,500 miles
Transmission failure
65,000–132,000 miles
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2018 Toyota Camry, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Transmission1602 crashes
The 8 speed automatic is the main failure point. It shifts hard, hesitates, jerks when pulling away from a rolling stop, and whines or grinds. In many cases it slips into limp mode or stops driving altogether, often with no warning light. Complete failures cluster between about 65,000 and 132,000 miles, with repair quotes up to $9k. Dealer software updates and fluid changes often leave the problem in place. Some owners cite a service bulletin that does not cover their VIN. Two crashes are reported, one involving a car that rolled away while in Park.
Brakes12814 crashes
The brake pedal goes hard or sinks to the floor and the car does not stop. Sometimes a "Low Braking Power" message appears, and sometimes there is no warning at all. Many of these crashes happen at low speed while parking or in stop-and-go traffic. Several owners tie them to the recall covering the brake vacuum pump. Others report automatic emergency braking slamming on with nothing ahead, or the car lunging after braking. A smaller group describes warped front rotors that shake the car under braking. This category has the most crash reports of any listed here, 14 in total.
Steering584 crashes
The wheel stiffens, sticks at certain points, and does not return to center without effort. Some owners also hear growling or rattling. Onset clusters between about 30,500 and 50,000 miles, sometimes just after the warranty runs out. Dealers fix binding by replacing the intermediate shaft or steering column shaft, at times at the owner's expense. A few reports describe a sudden loss of power assist, or a hard pull to one side after a "steering power low" warning. Several crash reports filed here actually describe brake failure or a total electrical shutdown.
Electrical582 crashes
Brakes stop working without warning, or emergency braking triggers with nothing ahead. The display between the gauges goes black. Blind-spot monitors give false alerts or miss real vehicles. Push-button starts fail with an "ignition not ready" message and a screen full of error codes. Tail, parking, and plate lights all fail at once. Electric water pump code P26CB71 shows up, and owners say dealers charge for a repair they believe the emissions warranty covers. Windshield fires above the mirror also appear. The group includes two crashes and one fire.
Fuel system58No crashes
Gasoline leaks from the filler area, especially in hot weather or after the car sits. Owners describe strong fumes, fuel running down the side of the car, damaged paint, and fear of fire. Dealers often cannot find the cause, and a replacement gas cap does not stop it. Other reports describe stalling on the freeway, hesitation after a cold start, and a check engine light after refueling that comes back after repeated purge valve repairs. Several owners say they cannot get the fuel pump recall done because dealers have no parts.
Most of these filings are about the fuel pump recall, campaign 20V682, and not about a breakdown. Owners got the notice but dealers had no parts, and they say the wait has gone on too long. When the pump does fail, the car hesitates, stalls at low speed, loses power while driving, or will not start. Some cars show code P0087. Some failures happen on cars dealers say the recall does not cover, and some pumps fail again after replacement. One report adds a loss of braking along with the stall.
Engine452 crashes
The electric water pump fails suddenly. The check engine light comes on, coolant disappears, and a "Coolant Temp High" warning or overheating follows, sometimes with stalling in traffic. Failures appear between about 38,000 and 74,500 miles, often on cars not covered by a recall. Dealers have also found coolant getting into the engine, clogging an injector and calling for a new engine and transmission. Other reports describe the engine speeding up while braking on exit ramps, which caused crashes, plus cold-start misfires and stalls dealers cannot find. One shift solenoid failure brings a repair quote near $10,000.
Acceleration and cruise control332 crashes
Acceleration lags. The engine revs but the car barely picks up speed for several seconds, most dangerously when merging onto a freeway or pulling away from a light. Some cars stall or jerk when accelerating again after slowing. Owners often blame the fuel pump, and some say the problem returns after the recall pump goes in. Radar cruise control shuts off with a "clean sensor" message in rain, and pre-collision braking can slam on hard with cruise engaged. Two crash reports describe sudden acceleration while parking.
Airbags1814 crashes
Airbags fail to deploy in serious crashes. The reports include hard hits on highway medians, side impacts at intersections, head-on impacts with trees and oncoming cars, and high-speed rear-end collisions. Many of these cars were declared total losses. Injuries include concussions, a fractured sternum, neck and spine trauma, and seat belt bruising. One report describes a front seat snapping backward in a rear impact. Another describes a burn from a flash at the steering wheel airbag when it did deploy. Crashes appear in 14 of the 18 complaints, which list 18 injuries.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints Camry owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
the transmission has been slipping for a month . I consulted with a Toyota dealer and they said the fluid was "lifetime." then without any check engine warning the Auto brake system, other systems tied to torque converter failed and check engine light came on ..... then Toyota Tustin CA performed a diagnostic test and declared car needed a replacement transmission at just 88k miles --suburban/ highway driving
Filed with NHTSA, December 2025
Transmission gave out with no lights and prior indications that there was a problem with it. On my way to work one morning my car stopped at a light at a busy intersection and then would not accelerate any further. I got all of my regular maintenance done and never had any accidents or issues other than this. My car only has 115k miles and is a 2018. I just paid this car off last year after buying it brand new.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2025
I was stopped at a stoplight with my foot on the brake when all of the sudden my car just started driving forwad. I step on brake harder and no response. I then pumped the brakes and still nothing. I was about to try the emergency brake but it was too late and my car hit the truck in front of me.
Filed with NHTSA, February 2023
my car has only 56 K on the odometer and suddenly last week my steering wheel starting to get stuck, at time it feels like it is locking, and then a second later is normal. i see there is a recall for power steering #22TE02, but when i search my vin #, this recall is not showing for my car
Filed with NHTSA, July 2023
Driving down the road about 25 miles an hour, slowed further to take a left turn when the power sreering suddenly gave out. The steering wheel became extremly difficult to turn and resulted in me slowing to a crawl to safely make the turn. If cars were near there could have been a colision.
Filed with NHTSA, July 2024
During replacement of Brake Light Switch, observed that original switch nut was installed up-side-down. Replaced switch, because vehicle intermittently would not go into gear. It is highly likely that brake lights were also not working intermittently. Vehicle only had 20K miles and I assume it came from Factory with the switch nut installed up-side-down. This condition allows the brake switch to be misaligned.
Filed with NHTSA, April 2023
Only when it rains the forward collision warning light comes on. The last time it came on the engine light also came on with code P01280. Diagnostic at Toyota said the Thermostat needs to be replaced. I decided to look into this as the thermostat should not be bad at 54500 miles. Weeks later and the neither light has come on again.
Filed with NHTSA, April 2025
How the 2018 compares with other Camry years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2018 has the most owner complaints of the 8 Camry years we cover, about 5.5 times the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Transmission16019
- Brakes1287
- Steering581
- Electrical5813
- Fuel system5811
- Engine459
Where the 2018 fits in the Camry's history
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2018 is the first model year of the Camry's eighth generation (2018–2023). First years of a redesign often carry teething problems that Toyota fixes in later years, so the checks above matter more than usual.
Should you avoid the first year of a redesign? See the 45-car study.
Recalls to confirm (8)
Recall repairs are free at any Toyota dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
25V028000Fuel systemJan 2025
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Camry, 2019 Lexus NX300, and 2019 RX350L vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 12, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TA01 and 25LA01.
21V890000BrakesNov 2021
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Camry vehicles. The vane cap inside the vacuum pump may break, causing the pump to fail, which could result in a sudden loss of braking assist.
Risk: A sudden loss of braking assist can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will repair or replace the vacuum pump, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 16, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
20V682000Fuel systemNov 2020
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus RC200t, 2019 Lexus RC300, RC350, 2017 and 2019-2020 Lexus RX350, 2018-2020 RX350L, 2019 Lexus UX200, 2018-2019 Lexus NX300 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-012. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA01.
20V012000Fuel systemJan 2020
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include certain 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser, 2018 Avalon, Corolla, 2014 FJ Cruiser, 2017 Sienna and Lexus 2018 ES 350, 2018-2019 GS 300, 2013-2014 GS350, 2014-2015 GX 460, IS 350 and LX 570, 2014 IS F, 2018-2019 IS 350, LC 500H and LS 500H, 2013-2015 LS 460, 2015 NX 200T and RC350, 2017 RC 200T and RX 350. Toyota also removed the 2018-2019 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser and 2018-2019 Lexus GX 460 and LX 570 and 2019 NX300 from inclusion in this recall. On March 19, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include 2015 Lexus GS350 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began May 4, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB02 and 20TA02 for Toyota vehicles and 20LB01 and 20LA01 for Lexus vehicles.
19V503000EquipmentJun 2019
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims.".
Risk: An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: SET will notify owners and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. SET's number for this recall is SET19A.
18V211000BrakesApr 2018
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Camry and Highlander vehicles, 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles and 2017 Lexus RX350 vehicles. During the manufacturing process, the oil galley in the rotor for the brake booster vacuum pump assembly may have been improperly machined possibly resulting in a sudden loss of brake assist.
Risk: A sudden loss of braking assist can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake booster vacuum pump, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371, or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0K/JLD.
18V200000EngineMar 2018
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Camry vehicles equipped with a 2.5L, four-cylinder engine. The pistons on these vehicles may be larger than specified, possibly causing the engine to stall.
Risk: An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the production date codes of the pistons and, if an engine contains a piston from the affected production period, the engine assembly will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 25, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J1M/J0M.
18V108000Fuel systemFeb 2018
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Camry vehicles equipped with V6 engines. These vehicles have fuel delivery pipes that may not be properly connected to the fuel hoses in the engine compartment.
Risk: The improperly connected hoses may leak fuel, which, in the presence of an ignition source, can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel pipes for the correct installation, correcting them as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 30, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0G.
Also looking at these instead of a Camry?
Cars shoppers compare with the Toyota Camry, with their own 2018 checklists.
2018 owner complaints, side by side
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