2013 Toyota Camry Hybrid: common problems

Owners of the 2013 Toyota Camry Hybrid filed 27 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and steering. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 27
involving a crash: 4

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 26% of all complaints
2 Steering 22% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 11% of all complaints
4 Structure 11% of all complaints
5 Vehicle speed control 11% of all complaints
6 Equipment 7% of all complaints
7 Seat belts 7% of all complaints
8 Visibility 7% 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: 7 complaints (26% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Steering: 6 complaints (22% of all).
Electrical system: 3 complaints (11% of all).
Structure: 3 complaints (11% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 27 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

windows, sunroof3 · 11%
seat belts2 · 7%
unintended acceleration2 · 7%
warning lights, check engine2 · 7%
driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping1 · 4%
airbags did not deploy1 · 4%
brake failure1 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	7	4
Steering	6	0
Electrical system	3	0
Structure	3	0
Vehicle speed control	3	1
Equipment	2	0
Seat belts	2	0
Visibility	2	0
Air bags	1	1
Engine	1	0
Fuel/propulsion system	1	0
Suspension	1	0
Wheels	1	0
Other	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.

The brake pedal went to the floor and my car did not stop nor even slowed down. I pumped the brake pedal two more times, again, and the car did not stop nor slowed down until I hit the black vehicle in front of me.
Service brakes · crash · 2017-04-10 · NHTSA complaint #10971542
The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy and the brake did not function. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 16,700.
Service brakes · crash · 2014-01-27 · NHTSA complaint #10561713
Driver side backseat passenger window seat the seatbelt is loose and doesn't retract back into place. Hybrid battery and transmission system stutters after system flush at dealer causing the hybrid synergy system check, check engine light and eslamation light in orange to stay on dash.
Electrical system · 2019-06-14 · NHTSA complaint #11219950
I have had several "close calls" where this unintended acceleration nearly lead to my hitting the car in front of me or not stopping at an intersection, potentially causing an accident or striking a pedestrian..
Service brakes · 2019-04-11 · NHTSA complaint #11195565
The gear shift compactment not properly covered. Gear shift will not move. Liquid placed in cup holder box splashed into gear shift box as car moving causing liquid to enter in the shift box that is not properly case.
Electrical system · 2016-09-28 · NHTSA complaint #10910236
Lane assist leds continued to work but the mirror, hanging loose from its shroud, was useless. I hadn't adjusted the mirror in months.. Car was 1 month out of warranty - parts and labor to replace ~$400. Googling I discovered I'm not the first person to have this problem.
Electrical system · 2016-05-26 · NHTSA complaint #10871098
When I started the vehicle, the "check engine light" came on. This has happened once before a year or more ago. I brought it to a dealer and he asked whether I had gotten gas recently. Yes, about 200 miles and 2 weeks ago. He checked the gas cap and it was laying in the gas filling area, not screwed in at all.
Fuel/propulsion system · 2015-09-22 · NHTSA complaint #10767491
Steering needs to be corrected continuously.have 40000 miles and allways been the same.wouldnt have bought car if I had known as it can be scary sometimes. Guy at dealer said others have said same thing but they don't find a problem.seems to be the way this system works.
Steering · 2015-02-07 · NHTSA complaint #10681901

When owners complained

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

20138
201410
20154
20162
20171
20192

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 7,189 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 20% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Camry Hybrid has 68 complaints (21 years in the data). This year has 27, below average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
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 2013 Toyota Camry Hybrid?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, steering, electrical system. Total complaints: 27. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: windows, sunroof (11%), seat belts (7%), unintended acceleration (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 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 2013 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 2013 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.