2018 Toyota Camry: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
741 NHTSA owner complaints · 8 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The Camry's reputation for invulnerability is only partly borne out by the record. The 2007–2011 cars with the 2.4-litre engine consumed oil and had melting dashboards; the 2011–2012 years carry those complaints. Read the full note on the model page. 2018 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 741 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
How to read NHTSA complaint data before you buy a used car, including 2018 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 741 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 92.62
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
My regularly serviced 2018 Toyota Camry is now in need of a $10,000 transmission replacement. Based on research, it is not normal for a modern Toyota Camry to need a new transmission at 125k miles. Toyota has DOCUMENTED complaints that the 2018 Camry's 8-speed automatic transmission has a known history of premature failures and is the subject of thousands of owner complaints. A recall needs to be enforced as Toyota h…
My panoramic sunroof has a defect , my sunroof stopped working only a few months after having my car , I’ve Spoke with many other people with the same car and it’s common. I had a warranty on my car but they wouldn’t cover the cables for the setup to the roof , and it’s $10,000 at Toyota to get it fixed and I’m having transmission problems . I keep my maintenance up to date on my car , I’ve also done my research and …
After taking the car on a short drive: Pre-collision malfunction; parking brake malf; ICS malf; chk eng reduced power; secondary collision brake malf; rough idle and driving; sometimes won't accelerate (revs only); cruise control won't work; battery drained when off (12.5 v to 10.5 in one day; battery just under 3 years old); after replacing battery: OBD 2:P0302
Recalls: 8 campaigns (6 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 18V211000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Camry and Highlander vehicles, 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles and 2017 Lexus RX350 vehicles. During the manufacturing process, the oil galley in the rotor for the brake booster vacuum pump assembly may have been improperly machined possibly resulting in a sudden loss… |
| 20V682000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus… |
| 20V012000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020,… |
| 18V108000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Camry vehicles equipped with V6 engines. These vehicles have fuel delivery pipes that may not be properly connected to the fuel hoses in the engine compartment. |
| 21V890000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Camry vehicles. The vane cap inside the vacuum pump may break, causing the pump to fail, which could result in a sudden loss of braking assist. |
| 25V028000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Camry, 2019 Lexus NX300, and 2019 RX350L vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. |
| 18V200000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Camry vehicles equipped with a 2.5L, four-cylinder engine. The pistons on these vehicles may be larger than specified, possibly causing the engine to stall. |
| 19V503000 | Equipment:Other:Labels | Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 34 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $1,900
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train196 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Service Brakes168 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Engine133 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other97 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Vehicle Speed Control73 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
- Fuel/Propulsion System72 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
Other Toyota Camry years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Toyota Camry?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (196 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2018 Toyota Camry a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 27/100, computed from 741 NHTSA complaints and 8 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2018 Toyota Camry's most common problem?
196 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2018 Toyota Camry sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2018 Toyota Camry cost to run per year?
About $5,449 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $27,248 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2018 Toyota Camry have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 8 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Toyota Camry, 6 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 03/04/2018. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2018 Toyota Camry really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 741 complaints, 8 recalls on record
- 741 NHTSA complaints on record (92.6/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (24.8/yr)
- 8 recall campaigns, 6 touching safety-critical systems