2022 Toyota Camry: What to check before buying

Deployment fails in serious crashes, including a deer strike and a high-speed side impact that totaled the car. Other reports describe the opposite: every air bag firing after a curb strike or on entering a heavy rainstorm at highway speed, which led to loss of control and injury. One crash report also says the seat belts failed to lock. Separately, an "SRS Air Bag Malfunction" message and warning light come on at startup, and a dealer could not reproduce the fault. Seven of 10 complaints involve a crash, with 5 injuries.

The windshield wipers run too slowly on high to clear heavy rain. Drivers report little or no forward view on highways during storms, including in a car only 2 months old. Other reports describe a windshield that cracked on a cold morning with no impact and a sunroof that shattered with a gunshot-like bang at highway speed. None of the complaints in this category involves a crash, but the wiper reports describe near-zero visibility in traffic.

The side mirror housing covers melt on both sides, a complaint flagged as fire-related. The dealer refused warranty coverage, and the manufacturer blamed the climate. A separate report describes a sunroof that seized at highway speed and showed a "Take Vehicle for Maintenance" message. A dealer said it needed full replacement at approximately 46,800 miles. With only 2 complaints on file, these read as isolated failures rather than a clear pattern.

The infotainment screen freezes and drops Android Auto maps and streamed music, sometimes many times in one drive. The problem starts soon after delivery. Reports also cite a stereo menu that stops working, wired connections that cut out over bumps, weak Bluetooth, false warnings about a dirty rear camera, and an unreliable key fob. More serious complaints describe a sudden loss of power along with a cluster of warnings, including hybrid system, braking power, and pre-collision malfunctions. One of those reports adds lost power steering. In another, the dealer replaced the transmission but the parts were backlogged.

The car accelerates on its own or will not slow down. Reports describe sudden, loud surges from low speed, one of which ended in a totaled car and 2 injuries. Others describe the engine revving while only the brake is pressed, triggering a warning that both pedals are down, and a hybrid that holds highway speed after the accelerator is released. Neither dealers nor a manufacturer engineer found a cause. One complaint cites loose driver's-side carpet near the pedals, which a dealer traced to carpet cut too short at the factory.

The brake pedal stops responding or goes soft. In one report the brakes failed completely on a steep hill. Shifting to neutral or reverse and using the electronic parking brake did nothing, and the car crashed with an injury. Another report describes brakes that turn loose and rattle whenever the proximity brake warning appears, which has happened more than once. A third cites a failed brake booster that made the car almost impossible to stop.

The pre-collision system fails in both directions. It can slam the car to a full stop while the driver is already slowing in highway traffic, nearly causing a rear-end crash. It can also seem to fight the throttle when the driver pulls into a gap in traffic. In the opposite case, it gave no warning before a low-speed collision in bad weather that caused a back injury at approximately 10,000 miles. One of the 3 complaints involves a crash.

Sudden blowouts and sidewall separations happen at highway speed. In one report a rear sidewall separated from the tread on the interstate at approximately 5000 miles, and the car ran off the road down an embankment. Another driver had a tire blow off the rim within 30 minutes of a pressure warning and reports 2 blowouts in the first 13 months. A third found sidewall bubbles on two tires at 48,000 miles. Tires named in the reports include Hankook Kinergy GT on a hybrid.

Transmissions fail early and need replacement. Symptoms include a grinding noise from the front under acceleration or a hum above 40 MPH that grows louder and more frequent. Dealers confirm the transmission as the source and replace it at around 11k miles and under 30,000 miles. Replacement units are on backorder, and one dealer offered no loaner while the car sat. A separate report describes the brake pedal sinking and the car lurching over a parking block at low speed.