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NHTSA DATA · 2000–2024 MODEL YEARS
Toyota Camry engine noise: what owners report
6,224 complaints to NHTSA, sorted: where the trouble is, which sounds owners describe, at what mileage, and what the manufacturer told its dealers. Then check your own Camry by sound, free.
The Toyota Camry has 6,224 owner complaints on file with NHTSA for the 2000–2024 model years. In 20% of them (1,229) the engine or the transmission is named. The system named most often is engine (715 complaints). Owners most often describe shuddering (181), knocking (65) and whining (51). The median mileage on an engine or transmission complaint is 92,000 miles. NHTSA lists 202 manufacturer service bulletins that touch the engine or the transmission and 3 engine or transmission recall campaigns (of 36 in total). These are counts of unverified consumer reports, not failure rates.
NHTSA data through October 2026. Counted by PulsCar, updated 2026-11-09.
20%
of complaints name the engine or the transmission (1,229)
6,224
owner complaints to NHTSA, 2000–2024
92,000
median miles when an engine or transmission complaint is filed
202
service bulletins on engine or transmission
3
engine or transmission recalls (of 36)
Where owners say the problem is
Systems named in the complaints. One complaint can name several.
Engine
715
Transmission and drivetrain
495
Brakes
315
Steering
219
Electrical system
196
Speed control
188
The sounds they describe
How often each word appears in the written complaints. The bigger the bubble, the more owners used it.
Shuddering181
Knocking65
Whining51
Rattling44
Grinding38
Humming35
Clunking27
Ticking19
Also written about: stalling (223) and misfiring (18).
What each sound points to
Among the complaints that use a word, how many name each system. This is how owners connect a sound to a part, not a diagnosis.
enginetransmissionbrakessteeringsuspensionelectrical system
“shudder” 181
18%
80%
1%
2%
1%
3%
“knock” 65
52%
15%
5%
14%
5%
6%
“whine” 51
6%
86%
2%
10%
0%
2%
“rattle” 44
43%
11%
5%
20%
2%
14%
“grind” 38
13%
32%
34%
18%
5%
11%
“hum” 35
14%
20%
11%
14%
0%
11%
Hover a cell. Each row: the complaints that use that word, and the systems the same owners name.
Complaints by model year
Last 15 model years. Older cars had more time to collect complaints: read it as a map, not a ranking.
’10
’11
’12
’13
’14
’15
’16
’17
’18
’19
’20
’21
’22
’23
’24
2018 model year: 745 complaints (the most)
At what mileage
Engine and transmission complaints, by the mileage on the car when it was filed.
25%
30%
30%
15%
Under 50,000 miles · 25%50,000 to 100,000 miles · 30%100,000 to 150,000 miles · 30%Over 150,000 miles · 15%
705 engine and transmission complaints state a mileage. Median: 92,000 miles.
Official records
Manufacturer service bulletins and recall campaigns on file with NHTSA. Tap a line to read it.
SERVICE BULLETINS · WHAT TOYOTA TOLD DEALERS
202of 1,009 on engine or transmission, 2015–2026
Engine · 94Engine and cooling · 40Automatic transmission · 27Powertrain · 19Cooling system · 15
In some cases, even an ?AWD System Message? with or without a DTC may be present with or without other conditions present.
Bulletin T-TT-0659-21 Rev · 2021-09-13
The noise may be caused by the intake air as it flows through the intake manifold The intake manifold has been modified to improve this condition.
Bulletin T-SB-0034-08 Rev · 2018-04-02
The torque converter and Engine Control Module/ECM (SAE term: Powertrain Control Module/PCM) logic have been modified to reduce the possibility of this condition occurring Please follow the Repair…
Bulletin T-SB-0045-15 · 2017-08-14
Customers may also notice the light will illuminate as the vehicle is being started, and some customers may notice a noise or feeling similar to the ABS activating during normal braking The brake…
Bulletin T-SB-0156-14 Rev · 2017-08-14
A service bulletin is a manufacturer’s instruction to dealers. It is not a recall and not a finding about any particular car.
RECALLS ON THE ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION
3of 36 recall campaigns
Porosity in the engine castings may result in cracks than can allow coolant to leak internally and/or externally.
Campaign 20V064000
The pistons on these vehicles may be larger than specified, possibly causing the engine to stall.
Campaign 18V200000
The amount of adhesive agent applied between the outer ring and the torsional rubber damper (inner ring) in the crankshaft pulley may be inadequate if the adhesive is insufficient, there is a possibility that the outer ring may…
Campaign 11V539000
Check any VIN for open recalls free at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
In NHTSA complaints about the Toyota Camry, owners most often describe shuddering (181 complaints), knocking (65 complaints) and whining (51 complaints). These are word counts in written complaints, not confirmed faults, and one complaint can use several words.
When a Toyota Camry makes a shudder noise, what do owners say it is?
Among the 181 Toyota Camry complaints that use the word “shudder”, 80% also name the transmission and 18% also name the engine. It shows how owners connect the sound to a part of the car; it is not a diagnosis.
At what mileage do Toyota Camry engine and transmission complaints appear?
Of 705 Toyota Camry engine and transmission complaints that state a mileage, 30% were filed between 50,000 and 100,000 miles, and the median is 92,000 miles.
Has Toyota issued service bulletins or recalls for the Camry engine or transmission?
According to NHTSA, 202 service bulletins touch the engine or the transmission (2015–2026) and 3 of its 36 recall campaigns concern the engine or the transmission. A service bulletin is an instruction from the manufacturer to its dealers; it is not a recall and not a finding about any particular car. Check any VIN for open recalls free at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Can a sound check diagnose my Camry?
No. A sound check is not a diagnosis, because nobody has opened your engine. PulsCar’s free check analyses 30 seconds of audio and tells you what to ask a mechanic.
Check your Camry by sound
Film the engine for 30 seconds, idling, hood open. Two independent AI engines analyse the sound and you see the result on screen: a health score, the systems the sound can speak about and what to ask a mechanic.
What this data can and cannot tell you. NHTSA complaints are unverified consumer reports. These are counts, not rates: we do not know how many Toyota Camry cars were sold or driven, so a higher count does not mean a worse car. A sound check is not a diagnosis, nobody has opened your engine. Data: NHTSA public database (nhtsa.gov), counted by PulsCar.
Safety first. If the engine overheats, the oil light is on or the car loses power while driving, stop and call a mechanic.