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VinCanary

Reliability report · 2019 Toyota Camry · Updated July 2026 · ~$1,950/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

The redesign settling down — screen the eight-speed and verify the free recalls, and it's a strong used buy.

The 2019 is the 2018 with a year of running changes: fewer complaints overall, same shape. The eight-speed automatic is again the largest cluster — the accelerator-linked whine, hesitation, and out-of-warranty failures carry over, and Toyota still offers no warranty program to catch them.

But the mechanic view keeps this a Chirping year rather than a Squawking one: a shop that sees these transmissions constantly puts Camry failures at roughly a tenth the rate of the V6 Highlander that shares the design, notes that most of the low-speed jerkiness owners report is normal, and says 60,000-mile fluid changes largely prevent trouble. So screen it — warm the car, accelerate, listen for the whine, confirm the fluid was serviced — and handle the rest with free recalls for the fuel pump, the brake vacuum pump, and (on the hybrid) a fuel-filler pipe that can leak. A clean 2019 is a lot of car for the money.

Evidence: 395 NHTSA complaints · 6 recall campaigns · 5 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Chirping

What that means: Second year of the eighth generation: complaints fall to roughly half the 2018 (395 total). The eight-speed automatic is still the top cluster and worth a deliberate test drive, but mechanics who see these daily report the four-cylinder Camry's transmission failing far less than the volume alone suggests. The recalls — fuel pump, brake vacuum pump, and a hybrid fuel-filler fire risk — are free fixes.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

395

Federal complaints

6

Recalls

$3,000–$9,000

Out-of-warranty transmission replacement

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2019 Toyota Camry 4 DR FWD (NHTSA VehicleId 13200)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

Eight-speed automatic — screen it, but keep it in perspective

major

The eight-speed automatic is again the top complaint cluster on the 2019, in the same two forms as 2018: normal-but-annoying jerky low-speed shifting (first gear's high ratio makes it lurch off the line), and the failure tell — a whining noise that rises with the accelerator and fades off-throttle, appearing around 60,000 miles. Toyota has no warranty extension, and a class-action alleges premature fluid burning. The reassuring context from mechanics: the four-cylinder Camry's UB80 fails far less than the V6 Highlander's UA80; the worst of the acceleration whine was concentrated in early 2018 builds that Toyota later revised; and much of the odd shifting is an adaptive trait a dealer resets with a scan tool, not a fault. Fluid service is the main preventive (though not a guarantee). Screen it — warm the car fully, accelerate, listen for the whine, feel for hesitation — and weigh mileage and fluid history, because a replacement is quoted at $3,000 up to $7,000–$9,000.

Fluid service (prevention, DIY-able)

$150–$300

Dealer transmission-memory reset (adaptive relearn)

$0–150

Out-of-warranty transmission replacement

$3,000–$9,000

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2019 Camry and Camry Hybrid · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (8th-gen Camry 8-speed, incl. shop teardown)

Low-pressure fuel pump — stall recall (20V682)moderate

The 2019 is squarely inside the Denso low-pressure fuel-pump recall: the in-tank pump can fail and stall the engine while driving. Toyota replaces it with an improved pump free, and a December 2022 federal settlement created a support program for 2014–2020 cars tied to the campaign. Confirm the remedy was performed by VIN.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2019 Camry and Camry Hybrid · NHTSA manufacturer communications (fuel-pump settlement; UB80 transmission tech tip)

$0

Recall pump replacement

Brake vacuum pump — loss of assist recall (21V890)moderate

As on the 2018, the 2019's brake booster vacuum pump can lose assist if the vane cap breaks. Toyota's remedy is a free repair or replacement. It's an easy VIN check and a free fix — just make sure it shows closed.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2019 Camry and Camry Hybrid

$0

Recall pump repair/replacement

Hybrid fuel-filler pipe — fire-risk recall (19V097)moderate

On the 2019 Camry Hybrid (and Avalon Hybrid), the fuel filler pipe may not have been properly reconnected to the tank during a post-assembly inspection, which can leak fuel near an ignition source. Toyota inspects and replaces the pipe as needed, free. It's specific to the hybrid — verify 19V097 is closed on any 2019 hybrid.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2019 Camry and Camry Hybrid

$0

Recall inspection/replacement

Occupant-classification airbag (recall 19V567)moderate

Some 2019 Camrys had the occupant-classification system miscalibrated, which can keep the front passenger and knee airbags from deploying as designed. Free recalibration, no warning light — so this is a VIN-only check. Confirm it was performed.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2019 Camry and Camry Hybrid

$0

Recall recalibration

For every 10 2020–2022 Highlanders with a whining transmission, we maybe will see one Camry from 2018 and up with a transmission issue.
From mechanic testimony (5 sources).

Open recalls

Free fixes at any Toyota dealer. Run the VIN — “completed” isn’t always completed.

  1. 20V682Low-pressure (Denso) fuel pump may fail and stall the engine (2018–2020). Free pump replacement; related federal settlement added a support program.VERIFY BY VIN
  2. 21V890Vacuum pump vane cap may break, causing loss of brake assist (2018–2019). Free repair/replacement.VERIFY BY VIN
  3. 19V567Occupant-classification system may be miscalibrated; passenger/knee airbags may not deploy as intended. Free recalibration.VERIFY BY VIN
  4. 19V097Hybrid only: fuel filler pipe may not be properly reconnected to the tank and can leak fuel — fire risk. Free inspection/replacement.VERIFY BY VIN
  5. 19V244Gulf States Toyota load-capacity label text may become illegible. Free corrected labels.VERIFY BY VIN
  6. 19V503Southeast Toyota factory floor-mat load-capacity label may be incorrect (2017–2019). Free corrected label.VERIFY BY VIN

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2019 Camry

Three sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

32 MPG combined (28 city / 39 highway) for the FWD, 2.5L on the EPA federal fuel-economy test.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA) — EPA’s federal fuel-economy test, recomputed with current gas prices. EPA record 40605 (Camry LE/SE).
Other builds EPA lists: FWD, 3.5L 26 MPG · Hybrid FWD, 2.5L 46 MPG.

$1,950/yr

at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026

Theft

Stolen at about the average rate.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2019–21 models, published April 2022 (report WT-21). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Toyota Camry.
Other series: Toyota Camry hybrid 77, where 100 = average.

108 vs 100

8% above average

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

Fluid service (prevention, DIY-able)$150–$300
Dealer transmission-memory reset (adaptive relearn)$0–150
Out-of-warranty transmission replacement$3,000–$9,000
Recall pump replacement$0
Recall pump repair/replacement$0
Recall inspection/replacement$0
Recall recalibration$0
Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

Shopping this year?

Get the printable pre-purchase checklist and an alert if this year’s recall sheet changes.

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Have a specific one in your sights?

The VIN is on the listing. We’ll check this exact car — build, open recalls, and whether the “completed” repairs stayed fixed.

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01Screen the transmission: warm the car, accelerate, and listen for an accelerator-linked whine — that's the failure tell. Jerky low-speed shifting by itself is normal.
  2. 02Ask whether the transmission fluid was changed around 60k; it's the main preventive against the whine-to-failure path.
  3. 03Run the VIN for the free recalls: 20V682 (fuel pump), 21V890 (brake vacuum pump), 19V567 (airbag calibration), and on a hybrid 19V097 (fuel-filler pipe).
  4. 04Confirm the airbag calibration recall specifically — it gives no warning light.
  5. 05On a hybrid, verify the fuel-filler recall is closed and check for any fuel odor at the filler.

Own one already?

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