2021 Toyota Camry: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
157 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 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. 2021 specifically: a year the record favours — 157 complaints, score 75/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
How to read NHTSA complaint data before you buy a used car, including 2021 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 157 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 31.4
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
I took it to a repair shop for a transmission issue, the technician noted the transmission fluid degraded or burnt fluid or And it is causing the torque converter shudder and transmission rpm to slip
Power loss, had to pull off road. multiple fault codes on this event. 2 broken plastic parts in intake duct, one stuck in throttle body butterfly. cleared plastic parts from intake to get home. Later determined 2 of 4 intake resonator tube internal catch bevels broke off. The remaining 2 were very weak and easily broke off as well. Serious FOD hazard to engine!
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, a second vehicle T-boned the vehicle while driving approximately 60 MPH and crashed into the driver’s side of the vehicle. During the crash, no air bags had deployed inside the vehicle, including the side curtain air bags. Police and Emergency Services were called to the scene. The contact had to be extracted from the ve…
Recalls: 1 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 23V865000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS)… |
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 26 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,500
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.
- Air Bags78 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Unknown Or Other21 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Service Brakes16 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Power Train12 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Forward Collision Avoidance10 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Electrical System8 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
Other Toyota Camry years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Toyota Camry?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (78 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Toyota Camry a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 75/100, computed from 157 NHTSA complaints and 1 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Toyota Camry's most common problem?
78 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Toyota Camry sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $600–$1,700 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 2021 Toyota Camry cost to run per year?
About $4,466 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $22,330 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 2021 Toyota Camry have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Toyota Camry, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 20/12/2023. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2021 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 — 157 complaints, 1 recalls on record
- 157 NHTSA complaints on record (31.4/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (24.8/yr)
- 1 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems