2011 Toyota Camry Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
100/100
#1 most-complained of 15 Camry years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2011 Toyota Camry has 600 NHTSA complaints, 5 recalls, and a complaint index of 100 — the worst of all 15 model years covered. Top problem areas are Visibility & Wipers (20%) and Engine (19%), with median failure mileage of 49,000.
- Complaints
- 600
- Recalls
- 5
- Crashes / fires
- 106 / 7
- Injuries / deaths
- 90 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 25
- 22 city / 31 hwy
Top 2011 Toyota Camry problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Other121 (20%)
- Visibility & Wipers120 (20%)
- Engine113 (19%)
- Structure & Body73 (12%)
- Airbags71 (12%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires67 (11%)
- Brakes52 (9%)
- Transmission & Powertrain49 (8%)
- Electrical System36 (6%)
- Steering31 (5%)
What owners report
- Owners report unintended acceleration while parking or braking, leading to low-speed crashes into walls, houses, or other vehicles.
- Some drivers describe the steering wheel seizing suddenly, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and roll over.
- Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in rear-end and rollover crashes, including cases involving the Takata recall.
- Loss of control was reported while driving over bumpy roads at around 40 mph, resulting in crashes.
- Owners describe the rear end losing traction during acceleration near 40 mph, requiring corrective steering and light braking.
2011 Toyota Camry recalls
5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- 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 14V732000Nov 13, 2014Suspension, Wheels & Tires56 vehicles
Suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2011 Toyota Camry vehicles manufactured March 8, 2011, to July 20, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the rubber boot on the front suspension lower arm ball joint may have been damaged during manufacturing. The damage could cause the boot to leak lubricant grease which could then cause the ball joint to wear and loosen prematurely.
Risk: A loosened ball joint may separate from the knuckle and could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ball joint, free of charge. The recall began on December 16, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
- NHTSA 13V123000Apr 9, 2013Other7,525 vehicles
Equipment:other:labels
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
Remedy: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
2011 Toyota Camry fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 22 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.
2011 compared with other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2011 Toyota Camry a good year to buy?
- No. NHTSA data ranks it worst among all 15 Camry model years covered, with a complaint index of 100 and a verdict of Avoid.
- What are the most common problems with the 2011 Toyota Camry?
- Visibility & Wipers issues make up 20% of complaints, followed by Engine problems at 19% and Structure & Body issues at 12%, based on NHTSA data.
- Does the 2011 Toyota Camry have any recalls?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2011 Camry, covering areas including Structure & Body, Suspension, Wheels & Tires, and other components. None are do-not-drive recalls.
- At what mileage do 2011 Camry problems typically show up?
- NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage at failure of 49,000 for the 2011 Camry overall, though this varies by component, from 24,853 miles for Brakes to 65,000 miles for Visibility & Wipers.
- How does the 2011 Camry compare to other years?
- The 2011 Camry has a complaint index of 100, higher than 2010 (86), 2012 (79), and every other year in the dataset, making it the highest-complaint year for this model.