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Toyota CamryModel year report

2018 Toyota Camry Problems

Compared with other Toyota Camry years

More complaints than typical for this model

98/100 3.0× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2021

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
754filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
17,500miles, 333 complaints with mileage
Recalls
8campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
5 / 5stars overall
EPA fuel economy
32 mpgcombined, 2.5L 4-cyl FWD · 28 city / 39 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2018 Toyota Camry (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about a jerky or delayed 8-speed automatic transmission at low mileage, brake assist and vacuum pump failures that produce a "low braking power" warning, and stalling or hesitation traced by owners and dealers to the low-pressure fuel pump. Many complaints involve low-mileage cars still under warranty, and several describe dealers unable to reproduce the symptom or waiting on recall parts.

  1. Brakes

    Low braking power warning / brake assist failure

    • 143 complaints (19%)
    • median 60,184 mi at 3.5 yrs old (57 state mileage)
    • 15 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,200 (median of 7 quotes)
    • filed 2018–2026

    Owners report a "low braking power" or "stop in a safe place" message with a red brake light, and a pedal that goes firm or requires heavy effort or two feet to stop the car. Complaints describe dealers or independent shops diagnosing a failed brake booster vacuum pump, and in some cases the pedal did not respond at all during a turn or while slowing in traffic. Several owners link the symptom to the vacuum pump recall. Reported from roughly 25,000 up to about 150,000 miles, appearing during normal braking in traffic or while starting the car.

    Recall 21V890000Recall 18V211000

    What to check: Ask whether the brake booster vacuum pump recall was performed and whether the pump has been replaced; during a test drive listen for a hard pedal and watch for the low braking power message.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “An emergency message came on telling me my brakes were losing power band I needed to pull over to a safe area. I was on the freeway! I could not push down. I had to use the parking break and go into a lower gear to get to the shoulder then my car came to a stop in the crosswalk of the freeway exit. Vacuum pump stopped working. Went in to replace it and the backside is decentigrated into the motor. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11399864, filed 2021-03, 143,000 miles

    “While driving on a city street june 4th brake pressure decreased low brake power warning light came on also brake warning came on was told brake vacuum pump malfunctioned by valdosta Toyota service advisor valdosta ga.”

    NHTSA complaint #11327406, filed 2020-06, 125,745 miles
  2. Fuel system

    Stalling, hesitation or no-start tied to fuel pump

    • 190 complaints (25%)
    • median 12,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (95 state mileage)
    • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $8,300 (median of 7 quotes)
    • filed 2017–2026

    Complaints describe the engine stalling at speed or after start-up, rough running, sputtering, and occasional no-start conditions, sometimes with the fuel pressure dropping. Owners report dealers replacing the low-pressure fuel pump, diagnosing a fuel pump code, or being unable to reproduce the stall; several mention waiting on recall parts or that their vehicle was not covered by the recall. Most often reported between about 5,000 and 70,000 miles, sometimes on the highway or after several hours of driving.

    Recall 25V028000Recall 20V682000Recall 20V012000Recall 18V108000

    What to check: Check whether the low-pressure fuel pump recalls were completed for this VIN, and ask whether the car has ever stalled, hesitated or failed to restart.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When I first start the car in the mornings,let run for a few minutes,and drive off about half a block,stop at intersection and proceed,the car will hesitate,die down if it floods out and then it will pick up,during this hesitation,I could in the intersection and with traffic coming,I do not know if the car will stop or go. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11306947, filed 2020-02, 2,500 miles

    “I purchased this vehicle 1 month ago. It has stalled on the freeway twice. I am at 10k miles. The dealer is replacing the bad fuel pump with another identical pump! Those cars considered part of the known recall get a different pump. So I am to drive this vehicle at my own risk.”

    NHTSA complaint #11352880, filed 2020-09, 10,000 miles
  3. Transmission and drivetrain

    Jerky, delayed or harsh shifting (8-speed automatic)

    • 234 complaints (31%)
    • median 9,825 mi at 1.3 yrs old (112 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $10,000 (median of 11 quotes)
    • filed 2017–2026

    Complaints describe hesitation or a hiccup when accelerating from a stop or rolling slowdown, and in some cases the engine revs while the car barely picks up speed. Owners say the transmission seems to hunt for a gear before engaging, and several report the dealer could not duplicate the behavior or said it passes software tests. A few complaints state the transmission eventually needed replacement after the vehicle lost power or failed to accelerate. Mostly reported under 20,000 miles, often within the first months of ownership and during low-speed acceleration or from a stop.

    What to check: Test drive at low speed from a stop and on an uphill turn, watching for hesitation or a delayed downshift; ask whether any transmission software updates or repairs have been done.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I just bought my car and the transmission jerks and is really bad. Dealer said he's aware buy Toyota isnt doing anything about it and it passes the software tests. I read online and there's hundreds of people complaining of the same issue. My car is a week old... I really hope you can investigate this and make.Toyota fix their transmissions. The issue happens when first starting; when driving on the highway and really any time I press the gas.”

    NHTSA complaint #11308540, filed 2020-02, 28,600 miles

    “Transmission: when accelerating hard, such as on an on ramp, my speed only increases slightly while the engine revs to 5000+ rpms. I let off the gas & then it shifts and speeds up. The 8 speed automatic transmission will not shift on hard acceleration until I let off the gas pedal. This is consistent and I believe, a safety hazard. Cruise control: this system has what Toyota calls a safety feature that automatically slows the car if it thinks the vehicle or object ahead is too close. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11310663, filed 2020-02, 14,000 miles

Buying note. Check recall completion for the fuel pump and brake vacuum pump campaigns, and note that brake assist and fuel pump symptoms are the most consequential things owners describe. A longer test drive covering low-speed stops, an uphill turn and highway acceleration will surface most of the transmission, brake and stall complaints above.

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.

NHTSA recorded 754 consumer complaints for the 2018 Toyota Camry. 333 of the complaints include a mileage, and 75% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 17,500 miles. Of all complaints, 46 involved a crash, 4 a fire, 45 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns and 375 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 15 Toyota Camry model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 98 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Air bags (22), Body and structure (15), Wheels (15), Lane departure (13), Suspension (10), Seat belts (9), Back-over prevention (rear camera) (8), Electronic stability control (8), Exterior lighting (8), Engine cooling (5), Tires (5), Equipment (2), Seats (2), Latches, locks and linkages (1).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “While driving, car has problem selecting the right gear. I was driving and I decelerate not to a complete stop and them try to accelerate again that when I notice car has struggle to select the proper gear. Car does not accelerate for about 2 second before a rough fast start through 2 or 3 gear, them the proper gear is selected.”

NHTSA complaint #11170684, filed 2019-01, 3 miles

Brakes: “My automatic emergency braking system has been going off even when a car is nowhere near, today I was involved in an accident due to the automatic emergency braking system. When going to yield, the warning light came on, and it felt like the car stalled, I could not manually brake and it resulted in me rear ending the person in front of me.”

NHTSA complaint #11394377, filed 2021-02, 39,360 miles

Engine: “Takata recall: when accelerating and deaccelerating the vehicle I noticed the transmission shifts really rough and makes the car jerky like it's going to stall out. Do not feel safe at all with my brand new car driving this way. I've had the car for 7 months and want to get rid of it as soon as possible for this rough ride experience!”

NHTSA complaint #11187415, filed 2019-03, 3,500 miles

Fuel system: “It feels like the transmission is slipping while I am driving. It has done this since I first bought the car. I told the Toyota dealership while in for service and the service rep told me that the problem is my fuel pump but they will not fix it until my car is actually recalled by the manufacturer. I am scared to drive it long distances or highway speeds. It happens every single day and every single time I drive the car.”

NHTSA complaint #11329225, filed 2020-06, 200 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

75% of the 333 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 4,600 and 49,000 miles.

39%0–1019%10–2517%25–509%50–755%75–1008%100–1503%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (333 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 17,500 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

20182020106202220242026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2018 Toyota Camry. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Camry · sedan FWD★★★★★5 / 5555 · 9.9% risk

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2018 model year: forward collision warning not available, lane departure warning standard, automatic emergency braking standard.

Neighbouring years: 2017: same overall rating; 2019: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2018 Toyota Camry version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Camry FWD2.5L 4-cyl8-speed automatic294134$1,950
Camry FWD3.5L 6-cyl8-speed automatic223326$2,600
Camry LE/SE FWD2.5L 4-cyl8-speed automatic283932$2,100
Camry XLE/XSE FWD2.5L 4-cyl8-speed automatic283932$2,100
Camry XSE FWD3.5L 6-cyl8-speed automatic223226$2,600

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

See all 8 recalls for the 2018 Toyota Camry → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 375 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 375 bulletins →

Other model years of the Toyota Camry

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2024525,5551526Too new to compareToo new
20236530,00025265 · FewerToo new
20226440,50015260 · FewerRising
202115820,50015268 · FewerRising
20202757,750353152 · TypicalRising
201940011,100653276 · MoreStable
201875417,500853298 · MoreFalling
201714830,797352717 · FewerFalling
201618428,886252822 · FewerFalling
201527139,70015286 · FewerFalling
201445537,060352848 · TypicalFalling
201327426,500252827 · FewerStable
201259040,000252857 · TypicalFalling
201160249,00053–42578 · MoreFalling
201060430,0009—26100 · MoreFalling
20091,29449,00010—25100 · MoreFalling
200893355,0007—2581 · MoreFalling
20072,88860,0009—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200631742,7485—24Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200572142,0005—24Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200463845,0003—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200378248,7851—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200295350,0004—24Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200127270,0002—24Not compared (before 2008)Rising
200045470,0002—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199950180,7321—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199860085,0002—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199755587,0003—23Not compared (before 2008)Rising
199641796,4282—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1995303122,5891—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1994287105,5141—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1993260134,5080—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1992565126,0000—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1991149119,5001—24Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1990134150,5002—24Not compared (before 2008)Stable
1989113153,5003—24Not compared (before 2008)Rising
19886490,0004—24Not compared (before 2008)Stable
198758159,7963—26Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19863276,1100—27Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19851358,0000—27—Not enough data
19848—2—27—Not enough data
19836—2———Not enough data

All Toyota Camry model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2018 Toyota Camry?

Owners of this model year most often write about a jerky or delayed 8-speed automatic transmission at low mileage, brake assist and vacuum pump failures that produce a "low braking power" warning, and stalling or hesitation traced by owners and dealers to the low-pressure fuel pump. The issues reported most often: Low braking power warning / brake assist failure; Stalling, hesitation or no-start tied to fuel pump; Jerky, delayed or harsh shifting (8-speed automatic).

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2018 Toyota Camry have?

NHTSA recorded 754 consumer complaints for the 2018 Toyota Camry as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2018 Toyota Camry is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 200 complaints (27% of the total), followed by brakes with 165.

Has the 2018 Toyota Camry been recalled?

NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2018 Toyota Camry do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2018 Toyota Camry 5 out of 5 stars overall. Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2018 Toyota Camry get?

The EPA rates the 2018 Toyota Camry (Camry LE/SE, 2.5L 4-cyl) at 32 mpg combined, 28 city and 39 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,100 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2018 Toyota Camry reported?

Among the 333 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 17,500 miles and the middle half falls between 4,600 and 49,000 miles; 75% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.