2009 Toyota Camry Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Aug 22, 2026 · 1,293 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Camry years
Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 30 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 1,293 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Toyota Camry. That ranks 2nd out of 30 Camry model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is vehicle speed control (266 complaints, 21%), typically at around 17,215 miles. Complaints mention 150 crashes, 19 fires, 86 injuries. There are 10 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.

Toyota Camry
A 2025 Toyota Camry LE at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2025.. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: TaurusEmerald, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2009 Toyota Camry problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Vehicle Speed Control266 · ~17,215 mi
Structure224 · ~64,619 mi
Engine208 · ~96,000 mi
Unknown or Other174 · ~90,000 mi
Visibility/wiper92 · ~85,000 mi
Electrical System82 · ~71,242 mi
Suspension70 · ~41,000 mi
Air Bags66 · ~61,000 mi
Service Brakes55 · ~89,300 mi
Power Train51 · ~26,250 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Vehicle Speed Control problems26621%17,215“suddenly accelerated” (11%)—
Structure problems22417%64,619“dashboard melting” (17%)$1,600
Engine problems20816%96,000“oil consumption” (40%)$5,500
Unknown or Other17413%90,000——
Visibility/wiper problems927%85,000“sun visor” (17%)—
Electrical System problems826%71,242“abs brake” (16%)—
Suspension problems705%41,000“struts leaking” (47%)$1,100
Air Bags problems665%61,000“air bags deploy” (18%)—
Service Brakes problems554%89,300“abs brake” (27%)—
Power Train problems514%26,250“water pump” (14%)—
Steering474%51,098——
Engine and Engine Cooling464%20,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic423%21,500——
Visibility343%40,000——
Tires232%20,000——
Exterior Lighting181%77,000——
Equipment141%15,512——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)121%106,902——
Fuel/propulsion System121%120,000——
Seat Belts121%73,800——
Seats111%41,520——
Wheels111%80,270——
Service Brakes, Electric101%7,777——
Equipment Adaptive/mobility60%8,000——
Fuel System, Gasoline60%20,432——
Fuel System, Other30%19,500——
Child Seat20%———
Latches/locks/linkages20%10,000——
Forward Collision Avoidance10%———
Interior Lighting10%19,926——
Lane Departure10%———
Parking Brake10%18,590——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2010, with 302 complaints
2008: 3200832009: 49492010: 30220103022011: 65652012: 662012662013: 62622014: 19720141972015: 96962016: 722016722017: 74742018: 782018782019: 85852020: 472020472021: 29292022: 152022152023: 16162024: 152024152025: 13132026: 920269

n = 1,293 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2009 Toyota Camry recalls (10)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Seats:front assembly:seat heater/coolerJun 2, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V396000 · 7,749 vehicles

Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.

Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.

Visibility:power window devices and controlsOct 22, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V689000 · 1,814,284 vehicles

Problem: Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.

Risk: If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M.

Seats:front assembly:seat heater/coolerNov 19, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V743000 · 3,233 vehicles

Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.

Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.

Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

Seats; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactiveJan 16, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V014000 · 3,235 vehicles

Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.

Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.

Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

Visibility:power window devices and controlsOct 10, 2012 · NHTSA campaign 12V491000 · 2,519,424 vehicles

Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Camry, Camry Hybrid, RAV4, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Tundra, Sequoia, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Yaris, Scion xB, Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. The power window master switch assemblies in some of these vehicles were built using a less precise process for lubricating the internal components of the switch assemblies. Irregularities in this lubrication process may cause the power window master switch assemblies to malfunction and overheat.

Risk: If the switch overheats, it may melt, possibly resulting in a fire.

Fix: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will inspect the switch and apply a special grease that inhibits heat build up or replace any switch damaged by the defect, free of charge. Toyota owners that experience a problem with a switch should not attempt to make repairs, but should contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331. General Motors will contact the Pontiac Vibe owners affected by this recall and GM dealers will inspect and repair switches as necessary. Those owners may contact Pontiac Customer Care at 1-800-762-2737.

Exterior lighting:brake lights:switchMar 7, 2012 · NHTSA campaign 12V091000 · 186,798 vehicles

Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2009 camry vehicles manufactured from july 1, 2008, through february 28, 2009, and model year 2009-2011 venza vehicles manufactured from october 20, 2008, through january 4, 2011. During assembly of the contact-type stop lamp switch, silicone grease may have come in contact with the surface of the switch which could cause contact resistance. If this occurs, warning lamps could illuminate, a no start condition could result, the shift lever may not shift from the â“park┠position, or the vehicleâ’s brake lights could become inoperative.

Risk: Inoperative brake lights would not warn other drivers that the vehicle is slowing or stopping, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on april 12, 2012. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Equipment:other:labelsFeb 3, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V035000 · 271,417 vehicles

Problem: Gulf states toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between september 1, 2005 and june 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

Risk: This does not meet the standard requirements.

Fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. Dealers will also correct the owner's manual. The safety recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact gulf states toyota at 713-580-3300.

Equipment:other:labelsFeb 3, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V036000 · 153,418 vehicles

Problem: Southeast toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

Risk: A driver may overload a vehicle which may increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. The safety recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact southeast toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedalJan 21, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V017000 · 2,230,661 vehicles

Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 avalon, model year 2007-2010 camry, model year 2009-2010 corolla, corolla matrix, rav4, model year 2010 highlander, model year 2008-2010 sequoia, and model year 2007-2010 tundra vehicles. Due to the manner in which the friction lever interacts with the sliding surface of the accelerator pedal inside the pedal sensor assembly, the sliding surface of the lever may become smooth during vehicle operation. In this condition, if condensation occurs on the surface, as may occur from heater operation (without a/c) when the pedal assembly is cold, the friction when the accelerator pedal is operated may increase, which may result in the accelerator pedal becoming harder to depress, slower to return, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position.

Risk: The accelerator pedal may become hard to depress, slow to return to idle, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will install a reinforcement bar in the accelerator pedal which will allow the pedal to operate smoothly. Gm will notify owners for the pontiac vibe please see 10v-018. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on february 5, 2010 and will be completed on march 15, 2010. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedalOct 5, 2009 · NHTSA campaign 09V388000 · 4,445,056 vehicles

Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2010 passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.

Risk: A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.

Fix: Toyota filed an amended defect report on november 25, 2009, stating that dealers will modify the accelerator pedal and, on certain vehicles, alter the shape of the floor surface under the pedal. These changes address the risk of pedal entrapment due to interference with the floor mat. Redesigned accelerator pedals will become available beginning in april 2010 and dealers will replace any modified pedal with the new pedal if desired. Also, dealers will replace any genuine toyota or lexus all-weather floor mats with redesigned all-weather mats, or repurchase the previous mats from owners who do not want the new ones. Additionally, software modifications will be installed on camry, avalon and lexus es 350, is 350 and is 250 models that will ensure that the brake overrides the accelerator in the event both brake and accelerator pedals are applied. Toyota will begin mailing letters to owners on december 31, 2009. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331, lexus at 1-800-255-3987.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Power Window Master Switch Fire (EA12006) — opened Jun 14, 2012, closed Feb 12, 2013, led to recall 12V491000.
  • Power Window Master Switch Fire (PE12002) — opened Feb 6, 2012, closed Jun 14, 2012.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

I'm not even sure this is the right form for this complaint, but it has to do with non-compliance from Toyota. It's the master window switch recall 12V491. I had to schedule 2 separate appointments for this vehicle at Florence Toyota (Florence, SC), only to have them tell me the first time that…

Electrical System · received Aug 22, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11758804

The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked while accelerating from a complete stop. Additionally, the vehicle intermittently failed to start, with the ABS warning light displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for…

Power Train · received Aug 14, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11757031

The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, there was a glare coming from the dashboard, making it difficult to see out the windshield while driving. The contact stated that the dashboard was sticky to the touch and sunglasses…

Structure · received Aug 10, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11755951

The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the glare from the melted dashboard impaired visibility while driving. The contact stated that the glare from the melted dashboard was reflecting onto the front windshield. The vehicle was taken to…

Structure · received Jul 15, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11750635

The HV battery cooling fan on the 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid has no protective filter and no cleaning or inspection interval in Toyota’s published Scheduled Maintenance Guide. Toyota acknowledged this exact problem in TSB T-SB-0087-13 (July 2013) for 2012–2016 Camry HV vehicles, stating the…

Unknown or Other · received May 31, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11741119

Other Toyota Camry years

← 2008 Camry · 2010 Camry →

See all Toyota Camry problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.

Similar Toyota models

Embed this 2009 Toyota Camry badge on your site

Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Toyota Camry?

Owners most often report vehicle speed control, structure, engine problems. The top one, vehicle speed control, accounts for 266 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2009 Toyota Camry?

Yes, 10 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2009 Toyota Camry a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Camry model years, the 2009 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.