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VinCanary

Reliability report · 2021 Toyota Camry · Updated July 2026 · ~$1,950/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

Close to the sweet spot — one airbag recall, one free coolant-valve program, and a transmission that just needs a good test drive.

By 2021 the eighth-generation Camry is most of the way to sorted: complaint volume is down to 160 and there's a single recall on the year. The eight-speed automatic is still the mechanical item to screen — the same whining-under-acceleration tell appears, some as early as the high 60,000s — but at this volume, and with mechanics noting the four-cylinder version fails far less than its V6 cousin and fluid service prevents most trouble, it's a careful test drive rather than a reason to avoid the year.

The one piece of good news to act on is that 2021 is the final model year covered by Customer Support Program 24TE04, the free fix for the coolant flow-valve leak that trips 'Engine Maintenance Required' and can weaken the A/C. Confirm that's addressed, verify the airbag-sensor recall, screen the transmission, and this is one of the better-value years in the range.

Evidence: 160 NHTSA complaints · 1 recall campaigns · 5 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Chirping

What that means: Fourth year of the generation and noticeably matured: 160 federal complaints and just one recall (the occupant-classification sensor). The eight-speed transmission is still a test-drive item — with the mechanic caveats about the four-cylinder's better record and fluid service — and 2021 is the last model year inside the free coolant flow-valve program (24TE04).

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

160

Federal complaints

1

Recall

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2021 Toyota CAMRY 4 DR FWD (NHTSA VehicleId 15820)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

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

Coolant flow shut-off valve — free under CSP 24TE04 (last year)

moderate

2021 is the final model year in Toyota's Customer Support Program 24TE04 (with TSB 01-12-24) for the coolant flow shut-off valve — a 10-year coverage window. The valve leaks a little coolant, which trips an amber 'Engine Maintenance Required' message — several owners note it appears when the A/C is switched on — and can make the A/C underperform. Because the base warranty is only 36 months/36,000 miles, this is exactly the kind of repair owners get billed for without realizing it's covered; mechanics note most 2021s are still inside the program but the window is finite. If that message shows, assume the valve and confirm 24TE04 eligibility before paying.

Under CSP 24TE04

$0

Valve repair out of program

a few hundred

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2021 Camry and Camry Hybrid · NHTSA manufacturer communications (CSP 24TE04; throttle-body TSB; UB80 transmission tech tip)

Eight-speed automatic — test-drive itemmajor

The eight-speed automatic is still the top mechanical cluster, though the 2021's lower overall volume makes it less dominant. Owners report the familiar accelerator-linked whine (one original owner noted it starting at 67,000 miles), delayed 1st-to-2nd shifts, and occasional loss of drive. Toyota has no warranty extension, but mechanics who see these daily rate the four-cylinder Camry's UB80 as far more durable than the V6 Highlander's version, note Toyota revised the transmission after the early 2018 builds, and point to 60,000-mile fluid changes as the key preventive. Screen it directly — warm the car, accelerate, listen for the whine — and weigh mileage and fluid history, since an out-of-warranty replacement is quoted at $3,000 up to $7,000–$9,000.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2021 Camry and Camry Hybrid · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (8th-gen Camry 8-speed, incl. shop teardown)

$150–$300

Fluid service (prevention, DIY-able)

$3,000–$9,000

Out-of-warranty transmission replacement

Occupant-classification sensor — airbag recall (23V865)moderate

The 2021 falls in recall 23V865: a short circuit in the occupant-classification sensor can keep the front passenger airbag from deploying. The fix is free, but parts were slow, so the complaint file for this year is largely owners reporting the recall couldn't be completed yet ('part not yet available'). Confirm the VIN status; if it's still open, budget it as a free but possibly delayed fix.

Sources: NHTSA complaint and recall databases, 2021 Camry and Camry Hybrid

$0

Recall inspection/replacement

Cold-weather throttle responseminor

A service bulletin covers 2020–2022 Camrys that can show reduced engine power or a warning light in freezing temperatures, traced to throttle-body sensor codes. It's a software/inspection fix rather than a failure, and it only matters in genuinely cold climates — worth asking about if the car lived somewhere with hard winters.

Sources: NHTSA manufacturer communications (CSP 24TE04; throttle-body TSB; UB80 transmission tech tip)

Engine maintenance required is showing on dash when AC is turned on. This seems to be common among 2019 and newer Toyotas.
5 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

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

  1. 23V865Occupant-classification sensor short circuit may prevent front passenger airbag deployment (2020–2022 Camry/Camry Hybrid). Free inspection/replacement; parts phased through Jan 2026.open

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 — 2021 Camry

Four 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 43305 (Camry LE/SE).
Other builds EPA lists: AWD, 2.5L 28 MPG · FWD, 3.5L 25 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

Crash losses

Insurers lose about 19% more on this vehicle than on the average car. Higher collision losses tend to show up in what you pay for coverage.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI collision losses, 2020–22 models, published April 2023 (report R-23). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Toyota Camry.
Other series: Toyota Camry hybrid 136 · Toyota Camry 4WD 123, where 100 = average.

119 vs 100

19% above average

Theft

Stolen at about the average rate.

Source: HLDI — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2020–22 models, published April 2023 (report WT-22). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Toyota Camry.
Other series: Toyota Camry hybrid 75 · Toyota Camry 4WD 58, where 100 = average.

95 vs 100

5% below 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.

Under CSP 24TE04$0
Valve repair out of programa few hundred
Fluid service (prevention, DIY-able)$150–$300
Out-of-warranty transmission replacement$3,000–$9,000
Recall inspection/replacement$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?

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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. 01If the dash shows 'Engine Maintenance Required' (often when the A/C is on), assume the coolant flow valve and confirm CSP 24TE04 — 2021 is the last year it's covered free.
  2. 02Run the VIN for the airbag-sensor recall 23V865; if still open, it's free but parts may be delayed.
  3. 03Screen the eight-speed: warm the car, accelerate, listen for the whine; ask whether the fluid was changed around 60k.
  4. 04Check that the A/C cools strongly — weak cooling can accompany the coolant-valve leak.
  5. 05If the car came from a cold climate, ask whether the throttle-body/cold-weather bulletin was addressed.

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