2011 Toyota Camry Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2011 Camry most often describe a sticky, melting or bubbling dashboard that reflects sunlight into the windshield and limits forward vision, and a driver-side sun visor that droops and will not stay up. Unintended or unexpected acceleration and air bags that did not deploy in a crash also appear repeatedly in the sample, along with front strut leaks and engine oil consumption.

1. 1
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Sun visor droops and will not stay up

   • 117 complaints (19%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 5.8 yrs old (86 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2011–2025

   Owners report the driver or passenger sun visor losing tension and hanging down into the line of sight while driving, sometimes with a popping sound before it fails. Some say the visor eventually broke away from its mount and had to be removed, and a few mention the mirror light stopped working. Complaints describe dealers quoting a replacement part, noting back orders, or saying warranty coverage did not apply to their vehicle. Reported from about 20,000 to 165,000 miles, appearing on both visors and worsening over time.

   What to check: Fold both visors down and back up several times and see whether they hold position; check the hinge and clip for looseness or a broken mount.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The sun visor on the drive side went into the down position and when I tried to put it back up it would not stay. After a few days the entire visor fell off. Not long after the the passenger side did the same thing. Have not heard anything from Toyota. I was told it was only certain vehicles. Still waiting to hear if mines is one of them.”

   NHTSA complaint #10605193, filed 2014-06, 20,154 miles

   “Passenger side shade visor sagged down and will not stay in place. This happened on my 2011 Camry se, same thing happened on my 2007 Camry se and a recall fixed that. Why is this 2011 Camry to be repaired by Toyota as was the 2007? Also, the sun roof has been noisy since I bought the car aug 31, 2010. Why is that not recalled.? Am I the only one with these issues?”

   NHTSA complaint #11324116, filed 2020-05, 163,825 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Sticky, melting dashboard and windshield glare

   • 71 complaints (12%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 7.5 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2015–2026

   Owners describe the top of the dashboard turning sticky, shiny, and bubbled, sometimes with a chemical or burnt-plastic odor in hot weather. Several say the shiny surface reflects sunlight onto the windshield and blocks their view of the road, and some report the material leaves a film on the inside of the glass. Complaints describe dealers saying the related service bulletin or coverage had expired, and in most cases the dashboard was not replaced. Mostly reported between roughly 35,000 and 175,000 miles, with several owners tying the glare and stickiness to hot, sunny weather.

   What to check: Sit in the car on a sunny day and look at the dashboard top for shine, tackiness, or bubbles, and check whether reflections wash out the view through the windshield. Ask whether the dashboard has ever been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I noticed the windows getting hazy with a difficult to remove film and never knew why until I discovered that the dashboard is becoming sticky and shiny. I suspect the hazy film is coming from the disintegrating dash board. It is also becoming shiny and this is reflecting in the windshield. Seems like a repeat of what happened to my 2007 Camry.”

   NHTSA complaint #11354989, filed 2020-09, 55,000 miles

   “My dashboard is becoming a gooey mess. There is something that seems to be eating away the plastic and if you touch it you'll stick to it leaving behind an indention for life. The sticky film has caused a glare, from the sun, onto the windshield, causing me to hit a concrete barricade that would otherwise be visible. I had a crash with this concrete and it tore off part of the fender and headlight. I replaced the headlight but not the fender. Please fix this safety hazard so I can drive my granddaughter around soon.”

   NHTSA complaint #11342160, filed 2020-07, 173,000 miles
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Unexpected acceleration and braking concerns

   • 58 complaints (10%)
   • median 17,100 mi at 2.3 yrs old (52 state mileage)
   • 30 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2025

   Complaints describe the engine revving and the car surging forward at low speed, while parking, or from a stop, sometimes with the brake pedal pressed. Owners say they hit another vehicle, a pole, or a divider, and that dealers or the manufacturer could not find a cause. Some reports link the episodes to the brakes not slowing the car as expected. Reported across a wide mileage range, including cars under 10,000 miles and others past 150,000, often at low speed in parking areas or at stops.

   What to check: During a test drive, check that the pedal returns freely and that engine speed settles at idle with the car stopped; ask whether any diagnostic work was done for a surge complaint.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My vehicle's accelerator behaved oddly when my vehicle would not slow done. Instead my vehicle accelerated faster resulting in my vehicle becoming involved in a collision. It also has me very concerned that my airbags never deployed given the severity of my accident due to the speed at which my vehicle reached.”

   NHTSA complaint #11193028, filed 2019-04, 47,000 miles

   “I was pulling out of the parking lot at bank of america in lithonia, ga and when I put the car in reverse, it accelerated and I couldn't stop it until it hit a light pole located behind the car. It was a loud impact but thank god my husband and I were not injured nor did we injure another person or their vehicle. It was only the grace of god that spared our lives because it was at 9:00 a.m. In the morning and a lot of people were coming in and out of the bank. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11308453, filed 2020-02, 138,000 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Air bags not deploying in a crash

   • 49 complaints (8%)
   • median 56,500 mi at 4.1 yrs old (40 state mileage)
   • 49 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2026

   Owners describe front and side impacts, rollovers, and guardrail or median strikes in which the air bags did not deploy, and some report injuries from striking the steering wheel or interior. Complaints say the manufacturer declined to inspect the vehicle unless it could also access the crash data recorder, and several note no cause was determined. Reported from about 34,000 to 200,000 miles, typically after higher-speed collisions.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask whether the car has been in a collision and whether the air bag system was inspected or the warning lamp checked afterward. A scanner can confirm whether air bag fault codes are stored.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On march 18, 2020 I was driving on a highway on a steep grade during a winter storm and was part of an accident that involved hitting the guard rail causing my car to spin out and sustain a total loss of damage. Luckily I received no injuries but it was brought to my attention due to the extent of the damage that the airbags should have deployed and they did not. The vehicle is being held in a lot in case it needs to be examined. Toyota has stated they are not going to examine the vehicle unless they can also access the edr.”

   NHTSA complaint #11322198, filed 2020-04, 80,000 miles

   “The contact owned a 2011 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at 75 MPH, the vehicle drove over an unknown object on the roadway, and then veered to the left when she lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle drove to the median and the brakes failed to stop the vehicle immediately while the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle crashed into the guardrail and then rolled over into a ditch. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11480518, filed 2022-08, 146,708 miles

Buying note. Check the dashboard surface and both sun visors on any 2011 Camry you look at, since those are the most frequent complaints and repairs are often at the owner's expense. Ask for service records covering struts, oil consumption, and any prior air bag or acceleration diagnosis.

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.