10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
110,474 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.

2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid brakes problems

brakes problem

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2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid Owner Comments

problem #14

Dec 122017

Camry Hybrid

  • 182,450 miles

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

Brake light came on, then sudden power braking system failure while driving on a two lane busy road at a curve, there was a ding sound, then simultaneously, a vsc warning message and multiple warning lights illuminated. Only manual braking allowed stoppage of vehicle. Extremely dangerous situation that could have had tragic results.

- Spring Hill, TN, USA

problem #13

Jul 312017

Camry Hybrid

  • 168,000 miles
For several months, the cruise control had only been working intermittently and my brakes seemed rough. The night before I brought my car in, all the lights on the instrument panel came on. On Aug 1, 2017, I got a diagnostic and it was the ABS actuator, but I was told I also needed a brake job and an alignment so I went ahead with that $1,000 job. They could not diagnose the cruise control since it was "functioning" at the time. I had already replaced the ABS system in 2013 and was told that I may apply for a reimbursement for that $3,600 job, but I am now out of the extended warranty/service campaign so I could not get reimbursed for the current ABS failure replacement. After my brake job and alignment, the roughness did not seem to improve and the cruise control continued to malfunction. Foolishly, I rationalized that the brakes needed to be worn in, but soon my car started with a high pitched noise as I got in and out of the vehicle. The brakes also seemed to "slip" sometimes when initially starting the car. (foot on brake, start car, put into drive, and car would start to roll until I took my foot off the brake then reapplied it.) I went back to Toyota hoping for a miracle and they again said you have to replace the ABS, but the service campaign had not been re-extended and I was unable to afford another $3,600. So I continued to drive my faulty vehicle out of necessity. On October 12, 2017, the car began the high pitched noise and this time it didn't stop. I began driving in the parking lot slowly (20 mph) and then the brakes failed. Was able to stop by pressing very hard on the brakes. Since that day my car has been sitting at my workplace unused. Obviously, the ABS system that was replaced in 2013 (still awaiting reimbursement) was replaced with another bad system. We need a recall!

- New Orleans, LA, USA

problem #12

Jan 122017

Camry Hybrid

  • 109,000 miles
Late evening 1/10/17, while moving at 65mph on I-95, in moderate traffic, my dash lit up and brief alert tone sounded. Indicator read: "check vsc, " brakes pulsed & got heavy. Lasted 5 minutes, then alerts cleared. Made a call to have a mechanic take a look on 1/13, however on the evening of 1/12/17 while moving at low speed in a flow of cars, my brakes began clutching up & became very heavy & unresponsive, my dash lit up & a high-pitched alert tone sounded. The brake light, maintenance light & others lit up & dash indicator said "check vsc system... maint required." When I stepped on the brake, the pedal pushed back, & as I tried to limp it into the parking lot, the brakes constantly engaged. I stopped to wait for a few minutes, & turned the car off but the high-pitched alert continued for several minutes. From inside the car I could hear a whirring noise in the front end, in the area of the tires. I let the vehicle sit for an hour or two, at which point, the alert tone had stopped but the whirring noise continued. I got inside & found the electronics were dim, most were not working. I stepped on the brake & the high-pitched alert tone resumed. Resistant force continued in the brake. I pushed the start button a few times, & eventually the dash lit back up with all of the warning indicators. The car started, but the brakes pulsed as if constantly engaged & occasionally being slammed. In gear, the problems persisted, so I got the car out of the way & turned it off. Alert tone & whir continued, along with a burning kind of smell from the area of the front tires (right front tire well felt warm). It was dark, so I didn't notice if there was smoke of any color. Because I worried that the whirring motor was going to burn up & possibly exacerbate matters, I disconnected the battery & had the car towed to a dealer. I have some videos if they are helpful.

- Mancheseter, MD, USA

problem #11

Aug 102014

Camry Hybrid

  • 125,403 miles

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

Upon starting vehicle a "check vsc system" warning message was displayed. The maintenance "!", "brake drum", "trac" and "ABS" warning lights illuminated. An obd2 code check was performed and a diagnostic code "C0210 rh rear speed sensor circuit" was returned. Authorized Toyota dealer/service replaced the right rear speed sensor and hub. Warning signals reset was attempted, but failed. Diagnostic code remained. Dealer proposed to begin replacing down-stream parts until code would be able to be reset. There was no guarantee that any of the replacements would correct the code or reset the ABS & stability systems. Aggressive conversation between the dealership and Toyota could not resolve the issue. The vehicle is without the safety of the ABS or traction control systems as long as the warning lights are on. Reviewing multiple internet sites concerning this Toyota vehicle related problem reveals numerous complaints and temporary solutions, which ultimately fail. It is surprising with the voluminous customer-logged complaints on this issue that Toyota has not deepened its investigation on how to correct the problem. It appears that they have determined that each complaint is in individual problem and therefore easily ignored.

- Bristow, VA, USA

problem #10

May 032015

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 64,950 miles
I was driving on a straight-line highway at 55mph in dry conditions when suddenly "check vsc system" warning indicator displayed. Brake light, brake icon and ABS icons also illuminated. About 10 minutes later, system returned to normal while still driving straight down the road.

- Ralston, NE, USA

problem #9

Dec 032014

Camry Hybrid

  • 165,000 miles
While driving home from work my dash brake light went on. At the next stoplight I checked to see if the E brake had been depressed, it had not. One blck later while going about 35mph my dash lit up like a christmas tree, the ABS, slippery conditions light, red warning light and check engine light all came on as well as a warning to "check vsc" also my breaks went down to the floor and I was unable to stop right away luckily I was able to quickly pull into a, parking lot and coast to a stop. Had I needed to stop soon or been going faster there is no doubt in my mind this would have resulted in a crash.

- Omaha, NE, USA

problem #8

Nov 222014

Camry Hybrid 4WD 4-cyl

  • 170,000 miles

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

As the vehicle was being driven on 11/20/2014, "check vsc system" showed up on the multi-information display, and the master warning light, ABS light, slip indicator light, and brake system warning light (yellow indicator) came on. Vehicle braking performance seemed slightly diminished but still safe to drive. On 11/22/2014 I had to make a trip to town, and not knowing the severity of the warnings, used the Camry. While driving northbound at approximately 50 miles per hour, I indicated a right hand turn, and a westbound vehicle at a stop sign started turning from the road I was turning onto to drive North on the road I was turning off of. While attempting to slow down to make my turn, the brake performance was extremely poor. I was unable to slow down to a reasonable speed to make the turn and had to make my turn at a much higher than normal rate of speed to avoid colliding with the driver that was turning out in front of me. I finished my trip to town, allowing far more braking distance than normal, and returned home and left the vehicle in the garage. I checked the brake fluid level and it was within the normal range between min and max. This morning I contacted a local Toyota dealer for a service appointment.

- Topeka, KS, USA

problem #7

Apr 012014

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 65,000 miles
Loss of control or stability due to multiple problems created by faulty and weak internal components of the electric assist rack and pinion. The faulty electric assist rack and pinion causes undetectable micro-vibrations that leads to chaffing of the front tires, it also leads to uneven tread wear to the inside of the front tires which causes loss of traction at all speeds without implication of the wear. The underlying problem does not come to your attention with any warning or implications until the inevitable happens (which could be a fatal accident). While driving on a highway or Suburban street that allows speeds in access of 45+mph is where the problem is at the highest risk causing a driver to lose control of the vehicle due to swaying of the tires because of the faulty electric assist rack and pinion, chaffing of the tires, and uneven wear of the tires. This is an extremely dangerous fault that should be addressed immediately. If you are aware of how dangerous it can be to drive a vehicle without brake pads, this is the equivalent of driving a vehicle without fingers.

- Park Ridge, IL, USA

problem #6

Nov 112014

Camry Hybrid 4WD 4-cyl

  • 145,000 miles
Check vsc system displayed and ABS, traction control, emergency brake and caution lights are on and the brakes are very slow to respond.

- Denver, CO, USA

problem #5

Jan 292014

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 96,000 miles
My brakes failed the first time on 1/29/14 on my way to work. Luckily, I wasn't going too fast, which allowed me to safely pull over onto one of the side streets. My car displayed the error message: "check vsc system." I called aaa, and one of their tow truck drivers suggested that rather than taking my car to the dealership, I use a different place (which he claimed was aaa approved; it wasn't). Nearly $500 later ($472.94 to be exact), my car seemed fine for about a month. Then on 2/26/14, this time while driving on the interstate, my brakes failed again. I got the same message as before: "check vsc system." This time, I asked to be towed to the dealership. Supposedly, nobody at the dealership was aware of a recall for this systematic problem. However, I have since found out that 59 other complaints have been reported for this very issue. That's only through January; I can imagine how many other times this happened that were not reported. I ate the cost (this time upwards of $3,800) to have the entire vehicle suspension control (vsc) unit completely replaced. This morning, 4/21/14, I turned on my car & was greeted with that old familiar message: "check vsc system." I'm afraid to try driving my car to work in this condition, and meanwhile I've sunk over $4,000 into "repairs" that do not seem to last. I always thought Toyota were such good, reliable cars. However, I'm not sure if I would buy another one at this rate. My car has less than 100K miles and I'm extremely disappointed with this headache. Does someone have to die before Toyota actually steps up & issues a recall??

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #4

Feb 282014

Camry Hybrid

  • 135,000 miles

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

Was in park in parking lot, switched to drive and immediately the brake light illuminated. Then the "check vsc" message came up on the computer. Proceeded to busy road and turn left, only to find out I had no braking power; other than the parking brake. With some luck and the parking brake I was able to bring the vehicle to a controlled stop. Fortunately it was 5am on my way to work at the hospital, if there was people or other vehicles there would be no way to stop the vehicle safely.

- Bloomfield Hills, MI, USA

problem #3

Jan 312014

Camry Hybrid

  • miles
About to leave from a parking lot at night, turned vehicle on. Released emergency brake. Put car in reverse to back out. While backing out, noticed car not operating correctly. Stopped backing out and reparked. Noticed engine dash lights were on:"check vsc system", ABS, emergency parking light nonresponsive, triangular warning light and check engine light. Looked into manual to read and said to take car in. Drove car around parking lot to see how car handled. Car braked but pumped on own after brake tapped each time. Braking ability and flexibility compromised. Being serviced now.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #2

Dec 232013

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 57,832 miles
Brake warning light came on, then warning to check vsc system, 2 other warning lights and ABS light came on, braking became difficult with resistance when applying brake, pulsing and lurching forward when foot on brake stopped at stoplight. This is happening intermittently.

- Eagan, MN, USA

problem #1

Dec 152013

Camry Hybrid 4-cyl

  • 63,000 miles
Dash board lit up like a christmas tree the brake, hazard warning, stability control and I think its a tire pressure light came on traveling at 55 mile an hour coming down a 20 degree incline off of the astoria bridge traveling North, from what I have read this is something that is happening quite frequently. My brakes seam to work fine I am taking it to the dealer tomorrow I under stand this is a $3000 fix I did buy extra warranty when I bought the car now to see if its good. Its been a very good car up to this point.

- Ocean Park, WA, USA

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