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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 3, 2026

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

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

How the 2021 compares with other Toyota Camry years

Of the 14 Toyota Camry years with enough complaints to score, the 2021 is the 7th-best on engine and transmission share (27%). The worst is the 2019 (58%), the best the 2011 (17%). By volume, the 2021 drew 157 complaints (21 drivetrain), against 274 for the 2020 and 61 for the 2022.

Toyota Camry years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2021 Toyota Camry

  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

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 up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2021 Toyota Camry engine and transmission recalls

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 3, 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.

What is the most common problem with the 2021 Toyota Camry?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2021 Toyota Camry is air bags: 78 of 157 complaints (50%) name it, followed by service brakes (16) and power train (12). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap. Engine, transmission and fuel-system complaints together make up 27% of the relevant total.

Is the 2021 Toyota Camry reliable?

On the engine and transmission, nothing stands out: 27% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain, below the 33% line where we call a signal elevated. That is better than 76% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 14 Toyota Camry years we score, it ranks 7th-best. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

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. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/toyota-camry

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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.