2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid: common problems

Owners of the 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid filed 162 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 162
involving a crash: 13

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 41% of all complaints
2 Vehicle speed control 24% of all complaints
3 Visibility 18% of all complaints
4 Structure 12% of all complaints
5 Electronic stability control 9% of all complaints
6 Engine 6% of all complaints
7 Steering 6% of all complaints
8 Suspension 4% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Service brakes: 67 complaints (41% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 39 complaints (24% of all), 6 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Visibility: 29 complaints (18% of all).
Structure: 19 complaints (12% of all).
Electronic stability control: 14 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 162 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

warning lights, check engine36 · 22%
brake failure13 · 8%
windows, sunroof6 · 4%
jerking, harsh shifts5 · 3%
knocking, grinding or other noise5 · 3%
smoke, burning smell, fire5 · 3%
oil leak or consumption4 · 2%
vibration4 · 2%
airbags did not deploy3 · 2%
infotainment or screen glitches3 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	67	3
Vehicle speed control	39	6
Visibility	29	0
Structure	19	0
Electronic stability control	14	1
Engine	10	1
Steering	9	1
Suspension	6	1
Air bags	5	4
Electrical system	2	0
Engine and cooling	2	0
Equipment	2	0
Exterior lighting	2	0
Fuel system	2	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

I need another set of tires to stop the shaking though was informed only struts will save me from buying another set in 12 months. Help recall this known issue. I will happily release all toyota records ....
Suspension · crash · 2016-10-07 · NHTSA complaint #10914475
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.
Electronic stability control · crash · 2014-11-19 · NHTSA complaint #10659494
I have really good driving record with no accident & not even 1 ticket in the past 20 years before these 2 accidents & we've had the car for 6.5 years. 1st accident happened on 4/11/14 at 9:14am. Traffic was bad during the morning rush hour so all cars were travelling slowly.
Service brakes · crash · 2014-07-08 · NHTSA complaint #10609047
The vehicle did not stall. The failure occurred twice within one week. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised to take vehicle to the dealer. The approximate failure mileage was 28,000.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2014-03-12 · NHTSA complaint #10568731
Upon impact, the air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained neck, back, breast, right shoulder and arm injuries. The police were contacted and a report was filed. The contact was transported to the hospital via ambulance. The vehicle was towed and deemed as destroyed. The manufacturer was not contacted.
Air bags · crash · 2011-10-04 · NHTSA complaint #10428656
Also, when traveling at a higher rate of speed I notice the car shaking when just applying the brakes to even gradually slow down. This morning I rearended someone because of what I feel is the delayed braking. Abs did not kick in and no airbag deployed. I was traveling under 25mph and was on a decline.
Service brakes · crash · 2011-05-09 · NHTSA complaint #10399625
It was 75 degrees I had on shorts /sandals.I called 911 emts arrived I was crying with complaints of fire feeling in my legs from the airbag and I went to er complained of fire feeling.
Air bags · crash · 2011-01-27 · NHTSA complaint #10379286
Air bags failed to deploy. The vehicle (2008 toyota camry hybrid), was involved in a front end collision which resulted in severe front end damage to the point that doors could not be opened.
Air bags · crash · 2011-01-06 · NHTSA complaint #10375039

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20094
201015
201116
201214
201313
201455
20157
20166
201715
201810
20197

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,472 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 7% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Camry Hybrid has 68 complaints (21 years in the data). This year has 162, above average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, vehicle speed control, visibility. Total complaints: 162. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (22%), brake failure (8%), windows, sunroof (4%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2008 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.