2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid Brakes Problems

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, there was an abnormal beeping sound coming from the vehicle. The message "Low Braking Power - See dealer" was displayed. The contact stated that the beeping sound continued, and several messages were displayed. The contact stated that the messages were displayed while the vehicle was being driven or when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V890000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 286,000.

NHTSA ID

11667139

Incident

Jun 13, 2025

Mileage

286,000 mi

FOR FIRST MINUTE OR TWO AFTER STARTING VEHICLE, THE BRAKES PREVENT SMOOTH OPERATION CAUSING "LURCHING" ESPECIALLY DURING SLOW SPEED BACKING. TOYOTA DECLARES "NORMAL" BEHAVIOR OF THE BRAKES.

NHTSA ID

11256223

Incident

Sep 17, 2019

Mileage

30,000 mi

BRAKES PERIODICALLY GRAB SEVERELY WHEN FIRST DRIVING THE CAR. USUAL OCCURRENCE IS WHEN FIRST BACKING FROM GARAGE OR PARKING SPACE AND TRYING TO EASE THE BRAKE PEDAL. BRAKES GRAB AND PREVENT SLOWING THE CAR SMOOTHLY. AFTER DRIVING FOR A DOZEN OR SO YARDS, PROBLEM DOESN'T REOCCUR--UNTIL IS AGAIN PARKED FOR SOME TIME. THIS PROBLEM DOESN'T SEEM TO BE RELATED TO OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE/HUMIDITY BUT HAS EXISTED OVER THE PAST YEAR SINCE CAR WAS NEW. NOW HAS 5000 MILES. RETURNED TO DEALER TWICE BUT ALL TESTS REPORTED OK AND "COULD NOT DUPLICATE" PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11165230

Incident

Feb 20, 2018

Mileage

500 mi

SINCE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW,THERE IS SEVERE BREAK GRAB AT LOW SPEED'S ESPECIALLY IN BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC HAVE BROUGHT INTO THE DEALERSHIP MORE THAN ONE IT'S STILL NOT FIGURED OUT.

NHTSA ID

11128290

Incident

Nov 25, 2017

Mileage

250 mi

THE BRAKES ARE VERY GRABBY AT LOW SPEED (SUCH AS MANEUVERING IN A PARKING SPACE ON A SLIGHT INCLINE). THE BRAKES SUDDENLY BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE (WITH THE SAME PEDAL PRESSURE) AT CITY-STREET SPEEDS AS WELL AS HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS HAS OCCASIONALLY CAUSED THE ABS TO ENGAGE, WITH THE CAR LOSING TRACTION BRIEFLY IN A STRAIGHT LINE ON A DRY ROAD WHEN THE BRAKES SUDDENLY BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE. THIS IS A CONTINUING PROBLEM SINCE HE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN OCTOBER 2017, WHICH THE DEALER HAS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE TWICE, SAYING THIS IS A NEW REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM (SPECIFICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE PRIUS, WHICH I CITED AS NOT HAVING THIS PROBLEM).

NHTSA ID

11118282

Incident

Sep 23, 2017

VEHICLE BRAKES ARE BEST DESCRIBED AS GRABBY AT LOW SPEEDS, E.G., COMING TO STOP SIGN OR PULLING INTO GARAGE. THE PROBLEM LEADS TO JERKY STOP/GO/STOP/GO/STOP SITUATIONS. VEHICLE ALSO HAS A TENDENCY TO BOLT FORWARD OR BACKWARD WHEN RELEASING BRAKES WHICH HAS LED TO RUNNING INTO GARAGE WHILE BACKING UP.

NHTSA ID

11114312

Incident

Mar 20, 2018

Mileage

6,000 mi

SINCE THE CAR WAS DELIVERED FROM THE DEALER, THE BRAKES HAVE CONTINUED TO SEVERELY GRAB AT LOW SPEEDS AS IF A CHILD IS JAMMING DOWN ON THE BRAKE PEDDLE. IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO EASE THE CAR INTO A PARKING SPACE WITHOUT THE BRAKES BUCKING SEVERAL TIMES. BACKING UP CAUSES THE SAME BUCKING PROBLEM. THE BUCKING IS SOMEWHAT INTERMITTENT AND THE SLOWER ONE IS MOVING THE WORSE IT SEEMS TO BE. THE CAR HAS 8500 MILES AND THE PROBLEM CONTINUES.

NHTSA ID

11112240

Incident

Dec 1, 2017

BRAKES ARE VERY 'GRABBY'. AT SLOW SPEEDS IN TRAFFIC (<5MPH) WHEN YOU APPLY YOUR FOOT TO THE BREAK YOU COME TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP (SIMILAR TO SLAMMING ON THE BRAKE). AT HIGH SPEEDS ON THE HIGHWAY (>60MPH) WHEN YOU APPLY THE BREAK THE CAR WILL ALSO SLOW DOWN AS IF YOU ARE PUSHING DOWN HARD ON THE BREAK PEDAL. DRIVING IN THE SNOW / ICE THIS WINTER WAS DANGEROUS AS THE BREAKS LOCKED UP ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS RESULTING IN SKIDDING/SLIDING. THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND, LIGHTLY APPLYING THE BREAKS, OR 'SLOW BREAKING'. YOU LIGHTLY APPLY THE BREAK AND THE CAR IS SLOWING DOWN IMMEDIATELY AS IF YOUR TRYING TO AVOID A COLLISION.

NHTSA ID

11110862

Incident

Jan 1, 2018

VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING IN TRAFFIC ON I-526 IN CHARLESTON COUNTY, SC. THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME PUT ON BREAKS DUE TO A TRUCK MERGING IN FRONT OF HIS VEHICLE. THE BRAKING SYSTEM IN MY CAR, BRAKED, THEN THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD AS BRAKES WERE APPLIED. IN ADDITION A VERY LOUD NOISE OCCURRED INSIDE THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS VERY STARTLING. MY VEHICLE ENDED UP UNDER THE TRUCK IN FRONT OF ME. THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AFTER THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM CAME ON AND THE LOUD ALARM IN THE INTERIOR WAS NOT WHAT HAD HAPPENED WITH THE SYSTEM BEFORE. ONE TIME BEFORE THE BRAKING SYSTEM APPLIED ITSELF AND THE DASHBOARD LIGHT CAME ON AND I SEEM TO RECALL THERE WAS A BEEP OR SOME SOUND THAT WAS VERY BRIEF.

NHTSA ID

11098813

Incident

May 11, 2018

Mileage

10,000 mi

BRAKES ON TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID 2018 MODELS GRAB ABRUPTLY WHEN GENTLE PRESSURE IS APPLIED ON BRAKE PEDAL. THE BRAKES CANNOT BE SMOOTHLY CONTROLLED LIKE ON NON-HYBRID MODELS OF THE SAME YEAR.

NHTSA ID

11092595

Incident

May 5, 2018

Mileage

11 mi

WHILE BRAKING AT VERY LOW SPEEDS, THE BRAKES ON THE CAR 'LOCK UP' AT THE SLIGHTEST APPLICATION OF PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO MANEUVER IN TIGHT SPACES (LIKE GARAGE OR PARKING SPACE) WITHOUT NECK-JERKING SUDDEN STOP AND GO DRIVING. THE PROBLEM OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY, AND MOST OFTEN AFTER CAR HAS BEEN PARKED FOR SEVERAL HOURS. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED IN WARM, HUMID FLORIDA, COLD, WINTRY MISSOURI, AND ON VIRTUALLY EVERY TYPE OF ROAD SURFACE AND EVERY TYPE OF WEATHER.

NHTSA ID

11092503

Incident

Jan 30, 2018

Mileage

500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING AT LOWER SPEEDS IN BOTH DRIVE AND REVERSE, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE AND JERK. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS MORE SEVERE WHILE DRIVING IN VERY COLD WEATHER TEMPERATURES AND WHEN THE ENGINE WAS NOT WARMED UP. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKING DISTANCE WAS EXTENDED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (CRESTMONT TOYOTA, 730 NJ-23, POMPTON PLAINS, NEW JERSEY) WHERE THE FAILURE WAS ABLE TO BE DUPLICATED, BUT INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED BACK TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000.

NHTSA ID

11091603

Incident

Jan 2, 2018

Mileage

1,000 mi