2008 Toyota Camry Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2008 Camry most often write about a dashboard that turns sticky and highly reflective, and about the engine using noticeable amounts of oil between changes. Sun visors that droop or split, unintended acceleration or a sticking pedal, and ABS/VSC warning lights that come on with a change in brake feel also appear repeatedly. Many reports involve older, higher-mileage cars, though the pedal and visor complaints often arrive early in the car's life.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Sticky, melting dashboard and windshield glare

   • 185 complaints (20%)
   • median 74,500 mi at 6.7 yrs old (93 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,650 (median of 14 quotes)
   • filed 2008–2026

   Owners describe the top of the dashboard turning soft, tacky and shiny, to the point that papers or a sunshade stick to it. Complaints say sunlight reflecting off that surface washes out the view through the windshield, and some say they lost confidence driving into the sun. Several owners were told by a dealer that a customer-support program had expired or that the car was out of warranty, and a few report the surface becoming sticky again after a replacement dash was fitted. Reported from roughly 28,000 to over 160,000 miles, typically after several years of sun exposure.

   What to check: Sit in the car with the sun ahead of you and look for a shiny, tacky dash surface or strong glare on the glass. Ask whether the dashboard was ever replaced under a customer-support program, and when.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The dash has become very sticky. Not only is this bothersome as I can not lay anything on it without it sticking such as parking passes and such nor can I use a sin visor because part of it stuck to the dash but it is also a safety issue. The sticky melted dash causes a bad glare and you can't see very well out of the windshield.”

   NHTSA complaint #11310692, filed 2020-02, 105,000 miles

   “My 2008 Camry xle has a very shiny, sticky dashboard. This problem has been getting worse over the period of a few years. Now, I can hardly see to drive because of the glare on the windshield when the sun is shining bright and sometimes with certain night driving conditions.”

   NHTSA complaint #10863578, filed 2016-05, 165,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   Engine burns excessive oil between changes

   • 120 complaints (13%)
   • median 91,500 mi at 8.0 yrs old (76 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $4,750 (median of 12 quotes)
   • filed 2009–2025

   Owners report the engine using large amounts of oil between services, in some cases a quart every several hundred to a thousand miles, with the oil light coming on well before the next oil change. Complaints describe dealers running an oil consumption test, recommending an engine teardown or replacement, or telling owners the repair fell outside a warranty extension. A few reports mention the engine stalling or being damaged once the oil level dropped. Most often reported between roughly 55,000 and 145,000 miles, with the oil use becoming obvious between routine oil changes.

   What to check: Pull the dipstick and check the level, and ask for oil-change records or an oil consumption test result. It is also worth asking whether the engine has been rebuilt or replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle noted to burn a tremendous amount of oil driving less than 1,200 miles. Contacted Toyota who indicated they did do an extension to fix the issue but I was too late. I never received the notification to learn they had an old address for me. I am now having to drive the vehicle cannot afford a new one and having to put oil in every 7-10 days.”

   NHTSA complaint #11317882, filed 2020-03, 135,000 miles

   “Oil light went on. I took the car to sun Toyota, holiday, fl. They advised me to have an oil change at my expense and to come back later to see if there were any issues. I called later and they said it was too early and to come back at about 1100 miles. In the meantime, I received a letter from Toyota re. Warranty enhancement up to 10 years and 150k miles for excessive oil consumption. I was unable to return until today (3/28/15) despite my best efforts. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10702348, filed 2015-03, 115,493 miles
3. 3
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Sun visor droops or splits and blocks the view

   • 243 complaints (26%)
   • median 50,000 mi at 4.0 yrs old (201 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $625 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2010–2026

   The driver or passenger sun visor stops holding in the raised position and slowly drops, or the visor splits and hangs into the driver's line of sight. Owners describe this happening without heavy use, and some say the dealer replaced one visor or clip under warranty but declined to replace the other side because it had not failed yet. A few report the visor falling while driving. Usually reported between about 18,000 and 80,000 miles.

   What to check: Flip both visors down and back up and confirm they stay firmly in place, and that the hinge and retaining clip are not cracked.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The drivers side sun visor will not stay up, impairing visibility. I have been swinging it over to the driver window. This must be a design/quality problem that surely Toyota can correct and replace without cost to the owners. I would like to repair it myself for now until a possible recall could be enacted.”

   NHTSA complaint #10442131, filed 2012-01, 29,500 miles

   “The driver side sun visor is dropping down on my 2008 Toyota Camry. Both the clips are fine but it just quit staying in place. It happened around 40000 mile or after 3 and 1/4th year of ownership. I haven't used the visor heavily; my regular commute is opposite of sun position.”

   NHTSA complaint #10404100, filed 2011-06, 40,000 miles
4. 4
   Vehicle speed control

   Unintended acceleration or a sticking pedal

   • 85 complaints (9%)
   • median 25,000 mi at 2.4 yrs old (69 state mileage)
   • 31 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,500 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2007–2022

   Owners describe the car picking up speed on its own or the accelerator pedal staying down, often at low speed in parking lots or while merging onto a road. Complaints say hard braking or shifting into neutral was needed to slow the car, and some mention floor mats trapping the pedal. Several owners say similar behavior returned after a recall repair had been performed. Most reports come in under about 40,000 miles, frequently during low-speed parking or merging maneuvers.

   Recall 09V388000Recall 10V017000

   What to check: Ask for proof that both accelerator-pedal recalls were completed, check that the floor mats are the correct type and clipped down, and press the pedal by hand to confirm it returns smoothly.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My Toyota Camry pedal was in the sticking position and when I went to brake the brakes would not do their job and I couldn't stop until I bumped the car in front of me. Prior to this incident, I had experienced sudden acceleration a few time over the last two and half years with this car, but never any sticking or break failure.”

   NHTSA complaint #10322093, filed 2010-03, 36,512 miles

   “In approx apr 2009 I experience accelerate pedal , I went to slow the car down easing on brake because I was coming to a intersection and could not stop and tried to push on brake that did not work had to switch to neutral because brake was not working I was on dry land and it was like I had no control of the car, when I took it to have oil changed no one said anything and it was like oh well.”

   NHTSA complaint #10316603, filed 2010-03, 14,000 miles
5. 5
   Brakes

   ABS and VSC warnings with changes in braking

   • 158 complaints (17%)
   • median 58,000 mi at 3.6 yrs old (133 state mileage)
   • 36 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,350 (median of 14 quotes)
   • filed 2007–2025

   Owners describe the brake pedal dropping or going hard while the ABS, VSC and brake warning lights come on together, leaving the car difficult to stop. Complaints say a dealer diagnosed the ABS or brake actuator assembly, and one owner reports the same repair being performed twice before the warning lights returned. Diagnostic charges and repair quotes are mentioned in several reports. Reported mainly on higher-mileage cars, from about 43,000 to well over 200,000 miles.

   What to check: Check that no ABS, VSC or brake warning lights stay on after startup, and ask whether the brake actuator or ABS assembly has ever been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was approaching an intersection on a city street and started to slow down when the brake pedal dropped, the check vsc system message came on the dash, several dash lights turned on, and the power brakes failed so I had to step on the brakes very hard in order to stop. I was able to slowly drive home. The check vsc system ,message is still on the dash.”

   NHTSA complaint #11385035, filed 2020-12, 277,630 miles

   “While driving uphill all of a sudden I received multiple warnings ( noise, brake light, exclamation point, and a message about ABS). I went to make a right turn on a street to see what was wrong with my car and had no brakes. The brake pedal did not move at all. Realizing I could not stop, I drove on the grass and coasted until the car came to a stop. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11383953, filed 2020-12, 143,000 miles

Buying note. A 2008 Camry with records showing regular oil changes and a dashboard in good condition is the safer starting point, since both the sticky dash and oil consumption are expensive to put right later. Ask for recall paperwork for the accelerator pedal and check for brake and window-switch recalls before buying.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.