2009 Toyota Camry problems & reliability
1,293 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Toyota Camry, alongside 10 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 23, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
67 complaints report injuries (86 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 Toyota Camry vehicles were involved in 232 fatal crashes with 138 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 266 | 21% |
| Structure → | 224 | 17% |
| Engine → | 208 | 16% |
| Unknown / Other | 174 | 13% |
| Visibility/wiper → | 92 | 7% |
| Electrical System → | 82 | 6% |
| Suspension → | 70 | 5% |
| Air Bags → | 66 | 5% |
| Service Brakes → | 55 | 4% |
| Power Train → | 51 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 32 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 910 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 50,000 miles (middle 50% between 22,089 and 90,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I'm not even sure this is the right form for this complaint, but it has to do with non-compliance from Toyota. It's the master window switch recall 12V491. I had to schedule 2 separate appointments for this vehicle at Florence Toyota (Florence, SC), only to have them tell me the first time that they didn't have the…”
Electrical System · filed Aug 22, 2026
“The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked while accelerating from a complete stop. Additionally, the vehicle intermittently failed to start, with the ABS warning light displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for repairs, but the failure…”
Engine · filed Aug 14, 2026
“The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, there was a glare coming from the dashboard, making it difficult to see out the windshield while driving. The contact stated that the dashboard was sticky to the touch and sunglasses were needed while…”
Structure · filed Aug 10, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Power Window Master Switch Fire
Engineering Analysis EA12006 · opened Jun 14, 2012 · closed Feb 12, 2013 · led to recall 12V491000
- Power Window Master Switch Fire
Preliminary Evaluation PE12002 · opened Feb 6, 2012 · closed Jun 14, 2012
Technical service bulletins
425 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Toyota Camry. The 10 most recent:
Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 7, 2026
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal…
T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow…
T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 5, 2024
Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can…
T-SB-0062-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 3, 2024
Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2024
Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2024
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
T-SB-0039-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
T-SB-0038-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2009 Toyota Camry has 10 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2009 Toyota Camry?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 50,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.