7.6

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$3,000
Average Mileage:
24,500 miles
Total Complaints:
15 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. not sure (8 reports)
  2. repaint entire car (6 reports)
  3. clear coat peeling off (1 reports)
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2009 Toyota Camry:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #15

Jul 012014

Camry 2.4L I4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 65,000 miles

The paint is dull, and has no shine, even though I kept it washed and waxed regularly. I own numerous cars, and this is the only one with this issue. This car is white.

- Keith L., Sulphur Springs, US

problem #14

Mar 102014

Camry LE 2.4L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 61,000 miles

click to see larger images

defective exterior paint defective exterior paint defective exterior paint

My Camry 09 was 2 yrs. old when I purchased it in 2011 and it had 51,000 miles on it - unfortunately I didn't get the 100,000 - 10 yr. warranty - just the original 60,000 /5 yr.. I took my car into the dealership for an oil change/service and at that time (2013 - April : the car had just under 60,000 miles on it - still under warranty).

I showed the service dept. some rust that was beginning to show inside my door around the seams of the sheet metal and on the surface of the door frame as well. I asked them why my car would show rust at that time with so little mileage and yet not old by any definition of a well made vehicle! They all just looked at me like deer staring into high beams and proceeded to tell me that wasn't part of the warranty and all but stated that was natural??

I then showed them how my paint was fading bad and it looked like the clear-coat was actually fading which in my mind was impossible?? Again they offered no solution nor that there were similar problems with others. Since and shortly after that I began to take notice of other white Toyota's that may be near the same age and have seen others that looked to be painted a flat white! = like most of mine does now!!

In discussing this with a guy who details vehicles about a year ago (2014) I was surprised to learn that Toyota DOES NOT apply a clear coat over the base color but instead MIXES the base with the clear coat and paints it on in one application!!!!! I also have since learned that they do this with their BLUE colored vehicles as well !!! S0 - THAT is the problem my friends and I believe the paint was either not completely mixed or that it may separate in certain situations. Mine went really bad over the winter of 2013-14.

Last year I brought this to the attention of a friend who paints vehicles and did this as a professional for over 20 yrs. before he became an adjuster but he still does some paint jobs on the side. He looked closely to it and stated that it looked like the paint has some separation to it and didn't know what to make of it either? He suggested trying to rub it out which I've done with no real good success. T

he paint will shine a little better but still appears dull compared to the paint which is not yet affected. In my case the drivers side: front fender, front door, and rear door all have a nice shiny appearance just like factory but all the rest of the car less the bottom half of the car where the surfaces are more vertical have all faded and stained some too! I've polished and buffed with a medium/fine rubbing compound over and over again and have never gotten the affected areas to rub out shiny and like the parts of the car that look good. I've applied wax over it after rubbing only to get it to shine some but you can barely see a reflection in the paint at all!?? There is one last thing I must tell you that I found.

Once, when parked beneath a tree in the shade I noticed a very small beam of the sun made it's way onto the hood via a spot through all the leaves on the tree. I bent close to look at it and I noticed that the reflections were made up of perhaps hundreds of tiny beams of like refracting off the paint and the several beams or reflections were made up of the color of the rainbow - just as if the light from the sun had passed through a prism!?? It tells me that my paint on the car has separated and crystallized and perhaps the clear and base has separated as well!??

Please post and tell me if you have experienced this with your white or blue Toyota vehicles (especially the white) and if you have found some remedy for this?? Also, have you heard of a recall or some possible legal proceedings toward Toyota because of this?

- William H., Fairmont, WV, US

problem #13

Nov 062012

Camry LE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 28,060 miles

Went to the dealership to pick up this car. After buying it we have 5 days for them to re-touch and fix problems. They re-touched a ding in the 09 white camry and then that is when we noticed all the dull spots on this car. So i called around and found out how much it was to re-paint as the clearcoat had come off.

When we parked it next to my 98 volvo which is outside and dirty, my volvo was shinier than the camry.

The place said all it needed was a buff for it had overspray but when u simply poured water on some places it was dull. A good paint job is always shiny no matter if it is dirty or waxed.

Oxidation had occurred and for the price we paid 17,900, the car even with the extended warranty was not worth the price as the dealership would not re-paint it.

Was really sorry as i had had a toyota sienna for 7 years without 1 problem. The car drove like a dream but poor paint jobs only...get worse.

So check your clearcoats on all 09's.

- tracykreczmer, Moore, SC, US

problem #12

Mar 012012

Camry LE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 15,000 miles

I purchased a garage kept 2009 Camry in white, the car was my neighbors who could not afford to pay it and I took over the payments. My neighbor used to constantly wash, and care for this car as if it was his baby. Needless to say that the paint defect is not due to neglect from previous owner. The car is white so ALL of the chips, knicks, bubbles, and stains stand out. The biggest problem I have with my paint is right smack on the middle of my hood and trunk, there is a big yellowy orangy smearlike spot on it I have NO CLUE as to how this happened or what might have caused it. Second, it has rust spots EVERYWHERE, extremely annoying cause they are the size of a pin point and I know it's bound to start peeling at any point. Third, the roof of the car has big bubbles on it. Fourth, all the plastic parts (mirrors, bumpers) are peeling. The only solution would be to repaint the car from bumper to bumper which will be very pricey. Im so disapointed.

- Anabel L., Lehigh Acres, FL, US

problem #11

Apr 012011

Camry LE 4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 31,000 miles

. bought 4 Toyota car in 4 years and i will not buy any more Toyota big white dead paintspots

- fipps, Bladenboro, NC, US

problem #10

Jul 002009

Camry LE V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 7,000 miles

i bought my 09 camry in june of 08...i bought a 09 hyundi at the same time...maybe a month apart...it was maybe a year later that i noticed that my camry had these white dots all over it...they wouldnt wash off with any kind of auto product that i bought...i took it to my body shop and he told me that the paint was lifting...paint was contaminated when it was put on my car...i then took it to two other body shops and they told me the same thing...i then took it back to STEET TOYOTA and they told me it was from acid rain. i told them i have a hyundi same year and the paint is fine. i was told too bad lady. i then wrote to toyota corporate and they sent me back to STEET TOYOTA where i was told the same thing... to bad lady its from acid rain. my car looks aweful...i paid 26,000 for this car and its covered in white dots. please help me...

- mizzellen, Northville, NY, US

problem #9

Jul 012010

Camry LE 2.4L 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 26,000 miles

Paint is peeling off from the Hood. Took it to the Dealership they are saying it is an Environmental problem meaning there is a problem with the environment where I park the Car. I have two other Cars parked next to it with no issues and those cars are 5 years older than the Camry I am having problem with. There is something wrong with the Paint not the Environment.

- M. M., South River, NJ, US

problem #8

Sep 082010

Camry

  • Automatic transmission
  • 30,000 miles

Car paint scratches with slightest touch. Bump against it with anything hard and it will chip to the metal. Have to use shammy to wash and dry, anything else will leave lines. Very cheap paint job. I never had issues like this with a paint job before.

- drake23, Boise, ID, US

problem #7

Oct 152008

Camry Hybrid

  • Automatic transmission
  • 10,000 miles

click to see larger images

defective exterior paint defective exterior paint defective exterior paint

The problem is pitting that is under the clear coat layer. It started only a few months after I bought the car. I took it to two different Toyota body shops and was told that it was from tree sap and that I need to contact my insurace. The problem is that if that were the case it world be on top on the clear coat. It started off small just a few pitts, but over time it has continued to expand. No pealling, just pitt dots that are only about the size of a mark from a felt tip pin. I finally took it to another boby shop and they tried wet sanding a spot, and it did not come out. This is how I found out that it is pitting from under the clear coat.

Toyota has not been helpful at all. I contacted their support/issues line and got nothing. Based on the new information, I am going to try again with a dealer. My concern is that even if I repaint the entire car, since the pitts are on every panel, without knowing the cause they may come back.

- bbyerly, Brooksville, FL, US

problem #6

Mar 142010

Camry 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 48,000 miles

Bought a used 2009 Camry. Paint had some scratches and nicks. I thought that since the car was used and had high miles, this would be explainable. I keep my car in the garage and take very good care of it, however everytime the car gets hit by any small debris it chips the paint all the way to the metal. It also scratches abnormally easy. My car's paint job is terribly damaged. I bought it seven months ago and have seen it get worse almost everytime I drive it. I have owned many cars in my life and never seen such a terrible paint job. This should be taken care of by Toyota. Will try giving them a call.

- belkis, Branson, MO, US

problem #5

May 062010

Camry LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 21,236 miles

The clear coat on the Camry is starting to peel off starting from the side of the car on the driver side

- kbrian, Marksville, LA, US

problem #4

Aug 072009

Camry LX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 1,243 miles

The paint of my car is very bad and I feel really not good to see other cars with a good quality of paints. I do not know what Toyota is doing? What we thought of Toyota is Quality which is now unfortunately not the case any more.

- kastir, Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

problem #3

Jan 052010

Camry LE V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 89 miles

Bought brand new 2010 black toyota camry le. Right off the showroom floor. (AT night and did not notice poor paint)

Next day, noticed Paint is terribly orange peeled, I mean really seriously. Brought to dealers attention who shrugged it off and stated their all like that. I calmly walked him over to my black 07 ford expedition and then to a nearby black nissan all with smooth baby ass paint . Still hardheaded he brought the paint and body manager who at length explained toyotas poor paint process with cheaper paints than ford. WHAT A CROCK !

Totally ruined paint and many of the other camry's on this lot were the exact same. WTF!

Bringing car back under lemon law...

- Doug S., Tampa, FL, US

problem #2

Nov 252009

Camry 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 22,000 miles

I HAVE A 2009 CAMRY APPROXIMATELY 18 MONTHS. THE PAINT ON THE FRONT OF MY CAR IS PITTED .

- alpops, Brooksville, FL, US

problem #1

Dec 192008

Camry LE 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 1,500 miles

I just bought a brand new 2009 Dark Gray Camry in September. We just had a major snowstorm in Boston and I went out to scrape off my car as I usually do. I used a plastic scrapper on car which I have used on all my automobiles and have never had problem with scratches. When the car dried after the storm there were scratches ALL OVER the hood of my car (it was really bad) and then scratches on the top of the car and all around the sides of the car. I called Toyota and was told I was supposed to use a special foam scrapper devise to clear off my car. First of all why did they NEVER mention that and second of all how come I have owned 5 other cars and have never SEEN Paint scratches all over my car when I clear it off after a snow storm. What kind of paint is Toyota using??? You have got to WONDER??? I am going to write a letter to Toyota headquarters that their paint is DEFECTIVE and I will need to put in a claim for a $3500 paint job (repaint the whole car). This car has less than 2000 miles on it.

- Winnie H., Malden, MA, US