10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
12 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 0
Average Mileage:
112,584 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #151

Nov 252013

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 95,927 miles
When I was driving at approx. 45 miles and tried to apply brakes to stop, I realized that the brake pedal responded very slowly and almost failed to stop properly on November 25, 2013. I managed to bring the car to Toyota dealer services on that day. They could not find anything wrong. They recorded that C1202 stored in ECU, low brake fluid warning, ABS pump motor operation suspe topped off brake fluid. I started hearing a creaking noise in March 2014 when I stepped on the brake. I brought the car to the Toyota dealer services on April 2, 2014. Initially they could not find anything wrong, however, I insisted on testing it further. Eventually, they found that there was a problem with an actuator in the braking system. I had to replace the actuator in the braking system and was not covered by a warranty. I had to pay over $3300 including tax. After understanding how an actuator works in braking system, I believe that the incident on November 25, 2013 must be caused by an actuator issue. I urge Toyota to recall the actuator in braking system for the following reasons. First, even trained technicians at Toyota dealer could not find an issue easily. They finally found it after they failed twice in our case (it took nearly two days). Those technicians should be informed, so they can deal with customers like us quickly and properly. Second, a sign of actuator problem can be easily neglected. A creaking noise, which caused us to bring a car to the dealer was pretty subtle. Third a brake failure may lead fatal car accidents. I was very scared when the brake almost failed to work. This may be a lucky case since I did not have a car accident.

- College Station, TX, USA

problem #150

Apr 052014

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 68,565 miles
April 5, 2014' brake actuator malfunction. The visual of this problem occurred on three separate occasions while driving at varying speeds. On each occasion the emergency brake light came on and within a few minutes many of the warning/emergency lights (engine check, ABS, vcs, brake, etc.) on the dashboard came on. The brakes then became very spongy to the point I had to press very hard to get the Camry to stop. It could have been disastrous if I had had to stop to avoid a crash. After the first occurrence, I took the Camry to tejas Toyota to have it checked. The diagnostic information from the computer indicated nothing was wrong. I was instructed by the Toyota service manager to bring it in while it was happening, if possible, so they could see what was going on. On April 5th, the problem occurred again and we drove it directly to tejas. The problem was still occurring when they connected their computer to check the vehicles onboard computer. Their computer diagnosed the brake actuator assembly was faulty and needed to be replaced, and due to the faulty actuator, the brake pads on the both front and rear had to be replaced and the braking system flushed. The cost of the actuator with labor to install was over $3,500, total bill almost $4,200. Tejas personnel did a great job repairing the problem and getting the vehicle back to me. I called the Toyota main customer service number and spoke with one of their representatives, [xxx]. he created case # 1404141818 and I was instructed to fax (not email but fax) a copy of the invoice I received from tejas to him. Which I did. He spoke to the higher ups in Toyota and called me back today (4/16). Toyota management denied it was their responsibility to pay the repair costs because the vehicle was past the initial warranty period. I believe Toyota is responsible due to faulty design of their actuator. 'parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'

- Porter, TX, USA

problem #149

Apr 162014

Camry Hybrid

  • 102,000 miles
My wife experienced a failure of the assisted braking system on our 2007 Toyota Camry hybrid. This occurred while she was dropping off our children at school but fortunately occurred at low speed. The failure occurred without warning. The failure became apparent when multiple dashboard warning lights lit up and when the brakes failed to stop the vehicle adequately. After the vehicle had been parked a re-started, the problem resolved. We understand from information available from other drivers of this vehicle that the failure is likely to recur and so remains a serious safety concern.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #148

Apr 142014

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 80,000 miles
Warning brake light came on ( the emergency brake one) while I was out driving. The emergency brake was not engaged. Tried to get the car home and at a light when I went to take off, the car started to move then suddenly stopped in the intersection, but the car was still running. I turned on my flashers, and restarted the car. The "check vsc system" warning came on and I drove the car slowly home. The brakes were very spongy, like there was hardly any braking power.

- North Richland Hills, TX, USA

problem #147

Jan 182014

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 224,000 miles
My wife was driving from work as she was approaching a stop light she hit the brakes to stop. To her surprise almost all the lights on the dashboard came on simultaneously. And there was no brakes so instead of hitting the car in front of her she went over the curve to avoid hitting the car. It cost us a rim and tire. I M just glad she or someone else wasn't injured. Since then my wife refuses to drive the car never again she told me and wished me good luck. I have drove the car myself and have experience the same issue where all the ABS and brake lights come on and there's total loss of brakes. I have taken the vehicle to the mechanic and told me is the ABS actuator pump that goes bad without notice. He told me its not the first time a customer has came in with this problem on the 2007 and 2008. I guess they change something on ABS pumps on the 2009 and newer vehicles that's why they don't have this problem. I just hope the NHTSA looks into this defect part before somebody gets hurt or kill. Its a serious problem especially when your dealing with vehicle brakes not functioning the way there suppose to that we all depend on. The reason why Toyota haven't done a voluntary recall is because of the cost of the ABS actuator it's expansive at around 2,500 to 3,000 they know they have a problem in there hands. But if they refuse to acknowledge this problem is going to cost them more if somebody gets seriously hurt or kill.

- East Chicago, IN, USA

problem #146

Apr 112014

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 88,500 miles
Driving on the interstate at 65 miles per hour, I saw brake lights ahead, so I applied brakes. My vehicle failed to slow down at the normal rate and I noticed increased resistance on the brake pedal. I applied as much pressure as possible to the brake pedal and the vehicle eventually stopped to avoid a collision. I brought the car to Toyota and said problem is due to ABS accumulator. The vehicle never presented a computer code from problem. Problem was found by logging the ABS accumulator sensor and it was reporting consistently losing brake pressure. The price for the replacement part is $2626 for just the part. Two months prior to this incident, the dash lights came on with warning to "check vsc system". brought the car to the Toyota dealer and they said it was due to low rear brakes, replaced pads, rotors and reset the vsc system. The new part is also an updated version according to Toyota, which signifies that Toyota knows there is an issue with the original part.

- Marietta, GA, USA

problem #145

Apr 102013

Camry Hybrid

  • 88,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Camry hb. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle exhibited a sudden and intermittent loss in braking assist, delayed braking and an increase in brake pedal effort. All of the warning indicators on the instrument panel illuminated, including the check vsc warning light. On another occasion the contact was in traffic and when the brakes were applied, there was an abnormal increase in braking distance that caused the contact to crash into a preceding vehicle. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer multiples times but the failure was unable to be duplicated. The manufacture was made aware of the failure but declined to provide an alternative remedy. The contact was aware that the vehicle was under investigation for the same braking system type of failure (NHTSA action number: PE14001). The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 88,000.

- Costa Mesa , CA, USA

problem #144

Apr 072014

Camry Hybrid

  • 148,000 miles
Driving on freeway at approximately 45 miles per hour during rush hour. Brake lights appeared ahead, so I applied brakes. My vehicle failed to stop or slow down and I noticed increased resistance on the brake pedal. I continued to apply pressure to the brake pedal and the vehicle eventually stopped. Luckily, there was a good distance between me and the car ahead of me, and I was eventually able to stop and avoid collision. I brought the car to the shop to be checked out. The shop called Toyota, and they knew right away exactly what part needed to be replaced. Price tag of $2600 for just the part. A week prior to this incident, dash lights came on with warning to "check vsc system". brought the car in for oil change and to check the warning light. No problem was detected, the warning light was reset. This light had come on again just prior to the brake failure.

- Wyoming, MN, USA

problem #143

Mar 052014

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 97,256 miles
For the last couple of months have noticed the brake pedal "pulsing" on starting the car and sometimes on stopping at intersections. Then the brake warning light came on intermittently whilst driving but with no impact on the brakes and then whilst exiting the freeway all the brake warnings lights and check vsc system message was displayed with loss of assisted braking. Took it straight to the dealership but on braking to enter the inspection bay all warning lights went out. Toyota technician couldn't find an error code in the history and after driving 15 miles the warning lights didn't come back on. Technician did comment that they'd had other Camry hybrids with similar issues and said the ABS actuator needed replacing at a cost of $3,400! I was told that Toyota are using a different part on later model Camry hybrids which in itself seems an acknowledgement that the part is faulty.

- Sugar Land, TX, USA

problem #142

Apr 082014

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 81,000 miles
Upon starting the car, the check vsc alert appeared on the dash indicator screen. User manual instructed me to drive to nearest service center. This is not a safe procedure, as the braking system was near complete malfunction. Upon research online, it came to my attention that this is a common problem. The total cost of repair will near $2500. The service technician also informed me that there is a system update for this problem, indicating that Toyota is aware of the malfunction. Hopefully this complaint will assist in the issuing of a recall for the brake actuator or related vsc system that has been such a persistent issue. Thank you.

- Richmond, TX, USA

problem #141

Dec 242013

Camry Hybrid

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Camry hybrid. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 mph, the brake was engaged and failed to respond. The contact mentioned that the brake warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure was unable to be replicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 85,000.

- Rocklin, CA, USA

problem #140

Mar 282014

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 52,000 miles
I was driving on the freeway, when the vsc and ABS warning lights came on. I noticed a loss of braking power. The brakes "pop" when I depress the petal upon starting. I have noticed the brakes jerk on two occasions. I am concerned about my safety when I drive the vehicle, but cannot afford to repair it at this moment. The replacement part alone is over $2,100. On a side note, I previously owned a 2009 Camry xle that had the same problem.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #139

Feb 122013

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 85,000 miles
Car was parked. Turned on ignition and saw multiple waening lights. Drove to dealer for repairs and was told brake actuator assembly needs to exchanged.

- Katy, TX, USA

problem #138

Mar 202014

Camry Hybrid

  • 86,000 miles
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Camry hybrid. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph and applying the brakes, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the brake actuator assembly needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered to cover part of the repair costs. The vehicle was repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 86,000.

- Teaneck, NJ, USA

problem #137

Mar 102014

Camry Hybrid

  • 89,000 miles
I was driving my 2007 Toyota Camry hybrid and went to brake and my dash emergency lights, brake light, check vsc light, ABS, and traction control light went on and my brakes did not work. I was able to slow down without incident. Took it to two mechanics then finally to a Toyota dealership. The Toyota dealership could not fins anything wrong with it and sent me on my way. Two weeks later it happened again. My wife was driving just over 40 mph and applied the brakes and they did not work. She was able to swerve into a parking lot and cruise to a stop. The brakes work intermittently and come and go. Moving the car to a parking spot a few minutes later the brakes did not work when I started to move the car, but while moving it the warning lights went off and the brakes started to work again. This is a recurring problem that you do not know when the brakes will go out. The is a serious issue that needs to be looked at immediately.

- Oceanside, CA, USA

problem #136

Feb 122014

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 82,923 miles
My cars brake system is making a clunking noise, and I'm seeing a loss of breaking ability. While at a stop light with the brakes depressed it is particularly noticeable and loud. Finally the check vsc system warning came on the dash so I took it to the dealer for diagnoses. The diagnosis was that the ABS actuator is making the noise and the accumulator pressure is lower than spec. The quote to repair it was $5104.61.

- Holualoa, HI, USA

problem #135

Mar 272014

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 90,000 miles
Travelling about 30 mph I stepped on the brakes. Brake pedal felt 'hard' and car barely decelerated, nearly hitting another car as a result. Just missed car, but very shaken I took it to a nearby shop. They said the brake accumulator was failing, that part would be about $2600 and labor over $300.

- Georgetown, TX, USA

problem #134

Aug 152013

Camry Hybrid

  • 60,000 miles
After starting the vehicle and putting it in drive, I take my foot off the brake and the car lurches forward several yards, a bunch of warning lights flash on and the "check vsc system" message comes up (only on this last time). The brakes do not respond and steering is very difficult. Then after a few seconds, all the warning lights go off and everything is fine. This has happened 4 times. I'm grateful it's only occurred in parking lots but after reading about this happening to others, I'm very afraid this will happen at higher speeds. The dealership can't replicate my experience so they say everything is fine. When I ask about actuator issues that others have had, they deny any knowledge of a problem.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #133

Mar 242014

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 210,000 miles
Apparently my brakes lost significant brake pressure and I thought I might crash. Further when I start my car the brakes do not fully kick in until 5-10 seconds later so I tend to roll forward or backwards. I took the car to three dealerships and they all said my ABS actuator was bad and needed to be replaced. The part costs $2,600 just to buy from Toyota and then coast an additional $800 in labor to install. That is insane. I looked on the internet and her are tonsss of Camry with this problem. Clearly this as a design flaw and I should not have to pay to replace a part that Toyota failed to design safely. Not I can't safely drive with the broken part....

- Agoura Hills, CA, USA

problem #132

Dec 282013

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 86,000 miles
I was pulling into a parking space (in a parking garage) and when I attempted to brake, the car continued to accelerate. It was finally stopped when it smashed into steel cables in front of the parking space.

- Oberlin, OH, USA

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