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2021 Toyota Camry problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
27%
21 of 78 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2021 Toyota Camry. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 27% of relevant complaints.

Better than 76% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 79 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 13%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2021 Toyota Camry have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 21 of 78 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Toyota Camry concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (27%). For comparison, the 2020 scores 51% and the 2022 scores 26%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
21
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
157
this model year
Fires reported
2
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
1
21 crashes · 16 injuries

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS78 · 50%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER21 · 13%
SERVICE BRAKES16 · 10%
POWER TRAIN12 · 8%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE10 · 6%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM8 · 5%

The years either side

2010
19%
107 of 613
2011
17%
95 of 623
2012
39%
213 of 644
2013
37%
95 of 301
2014
44%
189 of 480
2015
27%
66 of 271
2016
26%
39 of 189
2017
18%
22 of 148
2018
48%
338 of 744
2019
58%
213 of 395
2020
51%
113 of 274
2021
27%
21 of 157
2022
26%
12 of 61
2023
26%
15 of 64

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2021 Toyota Camry

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM04/18/2022CRASH1 INJURED
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while attempting to park her vehicle in her apartment complex parking lot, her vehicle continued to lurch forward without warning despite multiple attempts to stop. Due to the failure, the contact hit a gate as the vehicle continued to independently accelera…

One of 21 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2021 Toyota Camry?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2021 Toyota Camry, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

1 other recall on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: sensor: occupant classification23V865000 · Dec 2023
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2021 Toyota Camry? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2021 Toyota Camry

Does the 2021 Toyota Camry have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 21 of 78 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Toyota Camry concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (27%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2021 Toyota Camry?

No. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2021 Toyota Camry, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Toyota Camry years are better?

Among the Toyota Camry years we track, the 2011 (17%), the 2017 (18%) and the 2010 (19%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2021 (27%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2021 Toyota Camry?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2021 Toyota Camry shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.