Print this page

CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2009 Camry used to be adorned with our “Seal of Pretty Good” but that was before an alarming number of complaints started rolling in for excessive oil consumption.

Owners are being caught off-guard with how quickly their cars are running out of oil. No leaks, no spills, just 1 quart of vanishing oil in as little as 1,200 miles. Toyota maintains this is “normal” for the 2AZ-FE engine, even though they issued a TSB for the problem in August of 2011.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
44,346 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2009 Toyota Camry drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2009 Toyota Camry:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2009 Toyota Camry Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #27

Apr 162021

Camry

  • 196,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving, on braking, the vehicle started making a grinding/rubbing noise appearing to come from the front passenger side of the vehicle. The noise seemed as if the vehicle engine/motor was going to seize up or something would break inside. Slowly took it to a local tire kingdom repair shop who would not do anything once they started the vehicle and were alarmed by the engine noise. Advised to take it to an engine repair shop. Slowly, cautiously drove home and parked. On starting the vehicle in the garage, next day, the engine seems to run fine on parked and neutral. On shifting to drive or reverse the rubbing/grinding noise begins again. Have been restrained to sitting at home instead of doing my ride sharing and delivery work. Recently had the timing chain and cam shaft gear replaced.

- Bonita Springs, FL, USA

problem #26

Dec 062019

Camry

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Camry. After starting the engine and shifting into the drive gear, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and surged forward. After depressing the brake pedal and stopping, the vehicle would no longer drive forward or in reverse. After the incident, the check engine indicator remained illuminated. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.

- Lunenburg, MA, USA

problem #25

Jun 172015

Camry

  • 130,000 miles
Bought 09 Camry new. In 2015, @ 130,000 miles, the "low oil" warning light came on. Took it to the dealer to do the oil consumption test, (they overfilled the engine with oil). When came back in 1200 miles was told the car is burning oil but not enough for Toyota to cover the repair (since they overfilled the engine with oil) the car continued to consume more oil. Now at 170,000 miles, the car burns around 2 qrts of oil every 1000. Very disappointing.

- Severna Park, MD, USA

problem #24

Dec 032017

Camry

  • 24,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On December 3, 2017, my husband was parking our 2009 Camry on a city street when we experienced the terrifying unintended acceleration problem that has plagued this model ' and was supposed to have been fixed by the floor mat and accelerator pedal recalls. As my husband shifted into drive to move slightly forward in the parking space, there was a low roaring, racing motor-type sound from the gear box/transmission area and the car suddenly accelerated. Braking could not stop the car and it drove into the car ahead of us. Because we were moving at low speed there was no significant damage to either car. But there was permanent damage to our trust in the safety and reliability of our 2009 Camry, which we vowed never to drive again. Our occasional prior experiences with the car's racing motor problems had never caused us to lose control. For example, a few years ago we had racing engine problem when braking for a light after coming off a high speed interstate. On both December 2 and December 3, 2017, we had a racing motor experience during parking when we were in reverse but it did not cause any loss of control of the vehicle. In each of these instances we were able to use the brakes to stop the car. The tow truck driver who took the car away was able to drive the car half a block to his truck without experiencing the unintended acceleration problem.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #23

Aug 182016

Camry

  • 53,000 miles
I have a 2009 Toyota Camry SE with 53,000 miles on it. There was a noise coming from the engine during driving. Upon inspection I found out that there was no coolant in the reservoir. I also found that there was pink powder residue on the engine near the serpentine belt where the water pump is located. Did some research on the internet and found out many other people with the cars built from 2007-2009 Camry had the same issue under warranty. Some cars had 10,000 miles or less with the problem. Also found out Toyota replaced the water pumps on these Camry with a waterpump built from a different company. I filled the reservoir with coolant and took it to Toyota and they said indeed the water pump was leaking. They would not cover the costs under warranty since it had expired. There would be no coolant leaking under the car. During many of the oil changes the Toyota technicians would add coolant and top it off and never mentioned anything about the water pump leaking. I only found out because I saw the coolant reservoir was empty and started looking for a leak. I believe Toyota knew these water pumps were defective, and only changed it for people who complained about the problems under warranty with a different manufacturer of the water pump free of charge. Engines without coolant can get hot and catch fire. Please look into this issue of defective water pumps.

- League City, TX, USA

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #22

Oct 302015

Camry

  • 100,852 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Camry. While the vehicle was idling or when the gear shifter was in reverse or drive, the vehicle would vibrate violently. The failure occurred numerous times. In addition, the air compression failed to function. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where an oil pressure consumption test was performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,852.

- Live Oak, FL, USA

problem #21

Aug 152015

Camry

  • 36,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Purchased a used Camry 3 months ago and find out front axels need to be replaced. While driving and stopping here a fast ticking sound.

- Ran Go Santa Margarita, CA, USA

problem #20

Nov 192015

Camry

  • 79,800 miles
Water pump fail on 79800. Start make crank noise and then antifreeze star spill all over.

- Duluth, GA, USA

problem #19

Nov 092015

Camry

  • 64,000 miles
Transmission hesitates when accelerating from slowing down or stopping and when initially putting into reverse

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #18

Mar 282015

Camry 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 26,500 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that when the ignition was turned to the on position, the vehicle failed to shift out of the park position without warning. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,500. Updated 6/25/15 the stop light switch was replaced. Updated 01/27/16.

- Brandon, FL, USA

problem #17

Sep 052014

Camry

  • 36,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My Toyota Camry car got water pump leak issue and it overheated my engine and it needed engine replacement. I am out of warranty period.it has 36K miles on it and 5 year 6months old. Toyota dealer asking me to replace the engine, water pump, and other misc parts.I have not received any recall notice. Is my VIN number missed in recall. Am I ripped off because of Toyota issue.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #16

Apr 172014

Camry 4-cyl

  • 35,893 miles
15,000 miles after having the water pump replaced, it was leaking again and dealer replaced it under warranty. Why no recall on this part? I'm now on my third one at 36K miles!

- Elizabethtown, PA, USA

problem #15

Dec 202011

Camry

  • 21,156 miles
Engine coolant level dropped to bottom of reservoir. Dealer replaced the leaking water pump. Work was done under warranty.

- Elizabethtown, PA, USA

problem #14

Jun 172013

Camry 4-cyl

  • 83,720 miles
Last year on August 2012, my car stop running and I brought to one of the mechanic that towed and fixed my water pump. This year, I brought my car to Toyota dealer for some recalls and find out that my antifreeze is entered to my water pump again and need to replace with new one... total cost will be more than $650 dollars. I wonder if there any recall for this matter before or do I have to deal with the same problem every years!!! please investigate this problem. Thanks

- Springfield, VA, USA

problem #13

Oct 062010

Camry

  • 18,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph downhill with the cruise control activated, the transmission failed to shift as the engine rpms increased abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 18,000 and the current mileage was 28,000.

- Eugene, OR, USA

problem #12

May 162012

Camry 4-cyl

  • miles
The contact owns 2009 Toyota Camry. The contact was attempting to accelerate but the vehicle exhibited a 10-15 second delay before it would respond. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but they were unable determine a failure. The contact then took the vehicle to a second dealer who was also unable to diagnose the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The contact took the vehicle to a private mechanic and was told that the failure was with the actual accelerator. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact mentioned that the failure had not started until after the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign id number: 12V091000 (exterior lighting: Brake lights: Switch). The failure mileage was 29,800. Updated 7/18/12 the consumer stated there was a 20-30 second delay when shifting to second gear. The battery had to be replaced and the brake light remained on after the vehicle was started. Updated 07/31/12

- Gardena, CA, USA

problem #11

Feb 072012

Camry 4-cyl

  • 28,000 miles
This 2009 Camry which is still under warranty is equipped with traction control with no switch to disable it during icy conditions. The car is operated in Colorado where snow packed and icy roads are common. When these conditions exist and the car is stopped on a slight incline or at a stop sign or traffic light on an incline, the power to the front wheels is automatically shut down because the wheels are spinning on the ice and the traction control shuts the power down to them to the point they will not turn. At this point, the car will not move unless you back it up and take a run at the hill. This is dangerous for 2 reasons: 1. if there is a car behind you, you cannot back up which creates a traffic jam and requires cars go around you which can be a hazard. 2. when you get the opportunity to take a run at the hill, you cannot stop otherwise the car will stall which means you must enter into a street without stopping which is dangerous and in many cases illegal. The dealership advised that it is impossible to install a switch, and that I should express my concerns to the Toyota experience line. This situation is a catastrophe waiting to happen and needs immediate attention. Also, the 2012 Camry has a switch to disable the traction control in icy conditions. In the interest of safety the switch must be retrofitted to older models.

- Parker, CO, USA

problem #10

Dec 162011

Camry 4-cyl

  • 65,375 miles
Water pump failure at 3 years & 65,375 miles. Powertrain warranty is 5 years or 60,000 miles. Internet search indicates potential issue with the 90,000 mile coolant. Have contacted dealer and Toyota motor Corp. Usa to no avail. Spoke with [xxx]. Toyota motor Corp., usa case number [xxx]. information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Burke, VA, USA

problem #9

Sep 292011

Camry 4-cyl

  • miles
Vehicle was involved in an accident and after the initial contact operator tried to stop her vehicle but it wouldn't stop. She stated that she was pressing the brake but the vehicle was rolling backwards. She stated that she tried her brakes, tried pumping her brakes, tried putting the vehicle in neutral and tried the brakes again but none of these actions stopped her vehicle from rolling. She stated that she then put the vehicle in park and tried the brakes but the vehicle continued to roll backwards. She stated that at that point she made the decision to exit the vehicle. She was knocked to the ground and dragged by the vehicle suffering lacerations to both her legs. She stated that the vehicle then accelerated forward and finally came to rest on sidewalk and lawn of a residence. While responding medical personnel were treating the accident victim, a member of the fire department reached in vehicle to turn the vehicle off. The vehicle then started rolling forward even though vehicle was turned off and in park.

- Stoneham, MA, USA

problem #8

Jan 142011

Camry 6-cyl

  • 35,900 miles
I was driving my car down the road about 2 miles away from my house it became hard to accelerate. The skid light, vsc light and check engine light all came on at once. I pulled over to the side of the road. I turned the car off started it back up it drove fine but the lights were still on. I contacted the dealership and took the car in. This was purchased as a dealer demo and has 36,000 miles on it. They told me there is water in my engine and the oil was milky. To me this sounded like a head gasket but they assured me they ran a test for that. They replaced the throttle body and the PCV valve claiming the valve was not working properly this was the cause for the water. I don't know if the part is still around or not. I hope this fixes the problem. They told me I should warm it up for 15 to 20 minutes a day which sounds a little weird to me being a fairly new car.

- Jewett City, CT, USA

Read the next 7 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?