YearToAvoid

2018 Toyota Camry Brakes Problems

Brakes account for 171 of 741 complaints (23%) on the 2018 Toyota Camry, the highest share of any model year in this dataset. Two related recalls cover a defective brake booster vacuum pump. Median mileage at failure is 49,500.

Brakes complaints
171
23% of 741
Crashes reported
21
Fires reported
1
Injuries reported
22
Median mileage
49,500 mi
Related recalls
2

Typical brake symptoms owners report

  • Brake pedal reportedly goes soft or fails to slow the car despite being pressed hard, sometimes leading to a rear-end collision.
  • Automatic emergency braking activates unexpectedly with no vehicle nearby, or fails to stop the car when needed, resulting in crashes.
  • Owners describe a low-brake warning light appearing right before losing the ability to stop the vehicle.
  • Some drivers say the vacuum pump was already replaced under recall but the same braking problem returned afterward.
  • A few reports describe the car unexpectedly moving forward while stopped with the brake pedal depressed, with no response from repeated pedal pumping.

When 2018 Toyota Camry brake complaints were filed

First complaint Oct 29, 2017, latest Sep 21, 2026.

2018 Toyota Camry brakes complaints: complaints filed per quarter262017 Q42019 Q12020 Q22021 Q32022 Q42024 Q12025 Q22026 Q3
171 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2017 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2022 Q1 (26).

Brakes recalls for the 2018 Toyota Camry

  1. NHTSA 21V890000Nov 17, 2021Brakes227,490 vehicles

    Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Camry vehicles. The vane cap inside the vacuum pump may break, causing the pump to fail, which could result in a sudden loss of braking assist.

    Risk: A sudden loss of braking assist can increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will repair or replace the vacuum pump, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 16, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

  2. NHTSA 18V211000Apr 3, 2018Brakes6,046 vehicles

    Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Camry and Highlander vehicles, 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles and 2017 Lexus RX350 vehicles. During the manufacturing process, the oil galley in the rotor for the brake booster vacuum pump assembly may have been improperly machined possibly resulting in a sudden loss of brake assist.

    Risk: A sudden loss of braking assist can increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake booster vacuum pump, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371, or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0K/JLD.

Brakes complaints by Camry model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201057 (10%)
  2. 201152 (9%)
  3. 201260 (10%)
  4. 201326 (9%)
  5. 201442 (9%)
  6. 201542 (15%)
  7. 201621 (11%)
  8. 201725 (17%)
  9. 2018171 (23%)
  10. 201944 (11%)
  11. 202014 (5%)
  12. 202116 (10%)
  13. 20227 (12%)
  14. 20236 (9%)
  15. 20242 (4%)

Frequently asked questions

How many brake complaints does the 2018 Toyota Camry have?
NHTSA lists 171 brake-related complaints for the 2018 Camry, which is 23% of all 741 complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a brake recall for the 2018 Toyota Camry?
Yes. Recall 18V211000 covers a defective brake booster vacuum pump manufacturing issue, and recall 21V890000 covers a vane cap inside the vacuum pump that can break and cause sudden loss of braking assistance.
At what mileage do brake problems occur on the 2018 Camry?
NHTSA data shows a median mileage of 49,500 at the time of failure for brake-related complaints.
Have the brake issues caused crashes or injuries?
NHTSA complaint data for this brake category on the 2018 Camry lists 21 crashes, 1 fire, and 22 injuries.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.