UsedScore

2008 Toyota Camry: Use caution

Owners filed 438 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Toyota Camry in its first five years on the road, about 98 for every 100,000 sold: 1.3× the rate of a typical Camry year. That's above average, so use caution.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is speed control (25% of complaints, median 20,000 miles).

Complaint index
1.3×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Camry year
Rank
9th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
438
first five years; 98 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
7
campaigns
6th generation, 2007–2011 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2007–2008 Toyota Camry XLE

Photo: 2007–2008 Toyota Camry XLE · IFCAR, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Speed control25% · 111 complaints · median 20,000 miles
  2. Visibility46% · 200 complaints · median 48,000 miles
  3. Air bags5% · 21 complaints · median 65,000 miles
  4. Brakes7% · 30 complaints · median 22,000 miles
  5. Powertrain7% · 30 complaints · median 10,000 miles
  6. Steering3% · 15 complaints · median 15,000 miles
  7. Electrical3% · 14 complaints · median 35,000 miles
  8. Body and structure3% · 11 complaints · median 41,000 miles
  9. Engine3% · 14 complaints · median 53,000 miles
  10. Suspension4% · 17 complaints · median 42,000 miles

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Air bags

Owners describe crashes, sometimes severe, in which the air bags did not deploy, leading to injuries and totaled vehicles. Others report the air bag warning light coming on for no clear reason, with dealers sometimes unable to resolve the issue or citing lack of warranty coverage.

Warning signs:
Many report the air bag warning light turning on by itself, and some note passenger-seat sensor lights or a horn sounding on turns before or instead of deployment.
What shops did:
Some dealers found no fault, said parts were out of warranty, diagnosed a bad clock-spring or steering wheel bracket, or referred owners to NHTSA without repair.
Mileage:
most between 55,000 and 95,000 miles, among 38 complaints that give it

“Airbag warning light came on. Error code was b1801 - open in d squib circuit.”

“Air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle (2008 toyota camry hybrid), was involved in a front end collision which resulted in severe front end damage”

Speed control

Owners describe their 2008 Camry suddenly accelerating or surging unexpectedly, sometimes leading to crashes into objects, vehicles, or structures. Many had recall-related repairs done, but several say the surging or hesitation continued afterward.

Warning signs:
Many report the engine revving loudly, RPMs jumping, a lunge or jerk when placed in gear, or the car not slowing when the foot is lifted off the gas.
What shops did:
Dealers often performed floor mat and accelerator pedal recall repairs, replaced or reshaped pedals, updated software, or in many cases could not duplicate or resolve the surging.
Mileage:
most between 15,000 and 70,000 miles, among 129 complaints that give it

“While driving 60 MPH to pass another vehicle, the contact's vehicle surged to 80 MPH”

“Whenever the contact puts the vehicle into any gear the vehicle will suddenly surge forward without warning”

Visibility

Many owners of this model year report the sun visor breaking or falling and blocking their view of the road, sometimes while driving at highway speed. Repair costs and warranty coverage varied widely, with some visors replaced for free and others left unrepaired or removed by the owner.

Warning signs:
Owners describe the visor hanging limply, making a cracking noise, slowly drooping, or suddenly flopping down and swinging into their line of sight while driving.
What shops did:
Some dealers replaced the visor under warranty or as goodwill, but many owners report being told it was out of warranty and had to pay out of pocket, could not get parts due to back orders, or removed the visor themselves.
Mileage:
most between 40,000 and 70,000 miles, among 256 complaints that give it

“Both sun visors suddenly broke within a few days of each other and now hang straight down. It blocks the drivers vision”

“The driver side visor failed on me while driving on the freeway which created a dangerous situation as it hung loose and blocked my visibility”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (7)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 16V396000June 20167,749 vehicles

    Seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.

    Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

    Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory.

  • NHTSA 14V743000November 20143,233 vehicles

    Seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.

    Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.

    Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 12V491000October 20122,519,424 vehicles

    Visibility: power window devices and controls

    Toyota is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Camry, Camry Hybrid, RAV4, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Tundra, Sequoia, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Yaris, Scion xB, Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. The power window master switch assemblies in some of these vehicles were built using a less precise process for lubricating the internal components of the switch assemblies. Irregularities in this lubrication process may cause the power window master switch assemblies to malfunction and overheat.

    Risk: If the switch overheats, it may melt, possibly resulting in a fire.

    Fix: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will inspect the switch and apply a special grease that inhibits heat build up or replace any switch damaged by the defect, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 10V035000February 2010271,417 vehicles

    Equipment: other: labels

    Gulf states toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between september 1, 2005 and june 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

    Risk: This does not meet the standard requirements.

    Fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge.

  • NHTSA 10V036000February 2010153,418 vehicles

    Equipment: other: labels

    Southeast toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

    Risk: A driver may overload a vehicle which may increase the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge.

  • NHTSA 10V017000January 20102,230,661 vehicles

    Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal

    Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 avalon, model year 2007-2010 camry, model year 2009-2010 corolla, corolla matrix, rav4, model year 2010 highlander, model year 2008-2010 sequoia, and model year 2007-2010 tundra vehicles. Due to the manner in which the friction lever interacts with the sliding surface of the accelerator pedal inside the pedal sensor assembly, the sliding surface of the lever may become smooth during vehicle operation. In this condition, if condensation occurs on the surface, as may occur from heater operation (without a/c) when the pedal assembly is cold, the friction when the accelerator pedal is operated may increase, which may result in the accelerator pedal becoming harder to depress, slower to return, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position.

    Risk: The accelerator pedal may become hard to depress, slow to return to idle, or, in the worst case, mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will install a reinforcement bar in the accelerator pedal which will allow the pedal to operate smoothly.

  • NHTSA 09V388000October 20094,445,056 vehicles

    Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal

    Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2010 passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.

    Risk: A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.

    Fix: Toyota filed an amended defect report on november 25, 2009, stating that dealers will modify the accelerator pedal and, on certain vehicles, alter the shape of the floor surface under the pedal.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Toyota sent NHTSA 430 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2008 Camry. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • TSB003220 · August 2023TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ?
  • T-SB-0094-21 Rev · November 2022TSB: Some 2005 ?
  • Toyota Safety Re · March 2021Toyota Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements
  • T-SB-0218-17_Rev · July 2017TSB: REVISION NOTICE July 20, 2017 Rev1: Applicability has been updated to exclude 2007 ?
  • HR1_Region Lette · March 2017Region Letter: Toyota will be sending Safety Recall Follow-Up Notices to remind owners whose vehicles have not yet had campaign repairs completed.
  • HR1_Dealer Lette · March 2017Dealer Letter: Toyota will be sending Safety Recall Follow-Up Notices to remind owners whose vehicles have not yet had campaign repairs completed.
  • T-TT-0213-13 · January 2014Toyota vehicles are equipped with Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS), including various airbags and in some models, seat belt pre-tensioners, to help reduce the risk of injury in a collision.
  • T-SB-0185-13 · December 2013The following procedures are recommended during routine maintenance or in the event of a customer concern for wiper performance.

All 2008 Camry bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2008 Toyota Camry reliable?
Owners filed 438 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Toyota Camry in its first five years on the road, about 98 for every 100,000 sold: 1.3× the rate of a typical Camry year. That's above average, so use caution. Ratings compare Camry years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2008 Camry problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve speed control (25%), visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) (46%) and the air bags (5%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2008 Toyota Camry been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2008 Toyota Camry, the most recent in June 2016 (seats). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Toyota. The 2008 Toyota Camry on NHTSA.gov · How we rate