2008 Toyota Camry Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2008 Toyota Camry ranks 5th worst of 20 model years with a complaint index of 79 and 933 complaints, earning an Avoid verdict. Visibility & Wipers issues (31% of complaints) and Engine problems (27%), tied to unintended acceleration recalls, drive the ranking.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 79/100
- #5 of 20 Camry years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 933
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 7
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 87
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 13
- Injuries
- 60
- Top issue
- Visibility & Wipers
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 25
- 21 city / 31 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 60 / 0
Top 2008 Toyota Camry problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Visibility & Wipers289 (31%)
- Engine253 (27%)
- Structure & Body144 (15%)
- Other110 (12%)
- Brakes89 (10%)
- Electrical System53 (6%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires52 (6%)
- Airbags46 (5%)
- Transmission & Powertrain40 (4%)
- Steering32 (3%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Sudden unintended acceleration while driving uphill, parking, or merging, sometimes tied to floor mat entrapment of the accelerator pedal.
- Airbags failing to deploy during moderate-to-high speed frontal or rear-end collisions, leading to serious driver injuries.
- Brakes reportedly losing stopping power, with owners describing the pedal as feeling soft or unresponsive right before a crash.
- Engine fires occurring after loss of vehicle control, in at least one case linked to the accelerator pedal recall.
- Transmission or powertrain surges causing the car to lurch forward unexpectedly at low speed, even after recall repairs were performed.
2008 Toyota Camry recalls
7 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 16V396000Jun 2, 2016Structure & Body7,749 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.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
- NHTSA 14V743000Nov 19, 2014Structure & Body3,233 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.
Remedy: 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. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
- NHTSA 12V491000Oct 10, 2012Visibility & Wipers2,519,424 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.
Remedy: 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. Toyota owners that experience a problem with a switch should not attempt to make repairs, but should contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331. General Motors will contact the Pontiac Vibe owners affected by this recall and GM dealers will inspect and repair switches as necessary. Those owners may contact Pontiac Customer Care at 1-800-762-2737.
2008 Toyota Camry fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 21 MPG
- Highway
- 31 MPG
- Combined
- 25 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,600
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2008 compared with other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2008 Toyota Camry reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2008 Camry ranks 5th worst out of 20 Camry model years, with a complaint index of 79 and an Avoid verdict relative to other Camry years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2008 Toyota Camry?
- Visibility & Wipers complaints make up 31% of all reports (289 complaints), followed by Engine issues at 27% (253 complaints), often tied to unintended acceleration.
- Does the 2008 Toyota Camry have an unintended acceleration recall?
- Yes. NHTSA recall 09V388000 addressed accelerator pedals trapped by floor mats, and recall 10V017000 added a reinforcement bar to the accelerator pedal for smoother operation.
- How many recalls does the 2008 Toyota Camry have?
- NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2008 Camry, covering engine/accelerator pedal issues, power window switches, structure/body seat heaters, and tire labeling.
- What year Camry should I avoid instead of 2008?
- The 2007 Camry has the highest complaint index at 100 with 2,886 complaints, and the 2009 Camry follows at 95 with 1,293 complaints, both worse than the 2008 model.