2020 Toyota Camry — Known Issues & Recalls

Your 2020 Camry's transmission is failing prematurely, causing hesitation during acceleration, delayed or harsh shifting, engine RPMs rising without the car moving, difficulty engaging gears (including reverse), and loud whining or grinding sounds. These problems make driving unsafe, especially when merging or crossing intersections. Toyota has confirmed the transmission is failing but says no replacement parts are available and won't provide a repair timeline, leaving you with a car you can't safely drive. A transmission rebuild or replacement will likely be needed.

Your transmission has been showing signs of trouble since you bought the car—it was reluctant to downshift and made a whining noise from the start. After about 50,000 miles, you noticed shuddering and slipping during shifts, and by 89,000 miles the problem got much worse with grinding, clunking, and clicking sounds. Even after servicing the transmission fluid and replacing the CV axle shaft, the symptoms persist—your transmission still grinds during gear changes, whines loudly, and occasionally shifts gears on its own while driving. A transmission rebuild or replacement will likely be necessary to fully resolve these issues.

During routine maintenance at the dealer, an unusual whining noise was discovered in your transmission, even though no warning lights appeared and you hadn't noticed any problems before. The dealer determined your transmission needs to be replaced at 82,000 miles. The replacement will involve removing and installing a new or rebuilt transmission unit.

Your car is making a whining sound when you accelerate, but the noise stops when you release the gas pedal. This started happening around 67,000 miles. The issue is likely related to your engine's accessory components or transmission fluid.

Your 2020 Camry's Data Communication Module (DCM) is failing, which disables all Toyota Remote Connect features like remote start and lock/unlock that you're paying for, and also disables the Safety Connect emergency service feature. Toyota has acknowledged this is a known software defect and published a technical service bulletin for it, but hasn't issued a free recall to cover all affected vehicles. The fix would involve a DCM reset and firmware update performed by a Toyota dealer.

Transmission

The owner reported no problems with their vehicle.

No issues reported with this vehicle.

Your car is hesitating and feeling sluggish when you accelerate, and the check engine light has come on. The diagnostic code indicates the fuel pressure in your system is running too low, which has put your car into limp mode (reduced power). Even though your vehicle isn't part of the official fuel pump recall, you're experiencing this problem and may face a costly repair.

Your car is losing power and stalling while you're driving, and this has happened multiple times. A dealer diagnosed this as a faulty fuel pump, but your vehicle isn't on the recall list even though other 2020 Camrys with the same issue aren't either. The repair will likely involve replacing the fuel pump to restore normal engine power and prevent stalling.

Your sunroof unexpectedly opened by itself while you were driving at 60 mph. The dealer determined the sunroof assembly needs to be replaced. This is a safety concern since an open sunroof at highway speed can affect visibility and vehicle control. The fix will require replacing the entire sunroof unit.

Your rear windshield has developed air bubbles or spaces, some as large as a dime, forming where the tinted section meets the clear glass. These bubbles are blocking your view when you use the rear-view mirror. The dealership that sold your vehicle is no longer in business, so you weren't able to get it repaired. The fix would likely involve replacing the rear windshield.

Your car suddenly shut off while driving and wouldn't stay running when you tried to restart it — the engine would rev briefly then die. The dashboard showed warnings for "precollision system malfunction" and "secondary brake collision malfunction," along with the check engine light and brake warning light. This is a serious safety issue because losing engine power and brake system warnings on a highway could be dangerous. The dealer is currently investigating and testing the vehicle to identify the root cause.

Your seat belt latch has broken and the belt is not retracting properly, leaving it too loose to securely hold the driver in place. This is a safety concern since the seat belt won't keep you properly restrained while driving. The seat belt assembly will likely need to be replaced entirely.

Your car unexpectedly accelerated in reverse while you were parked in a drive-thru, even though you had your foot on the brake. When you shifted into drive, it accelerated again on its own, causing you to hit the vehicle in front of you. No warning lights appeared, and the dealer diagnosed the issue but didn't repair it or confirm what was wrong.

Your 2020 Toyota Camry is subject to a safety recall (Campaign 23V865000) involving the airbag system. Your dealer has confirmed that the replacement parts needed for this recall repair are not yet available from Toyota. You're concerned that Toyota has taken too long to make these parts available for the recall.

Your engine's coolant bypass valve may not be functioning properly. This valve helps regulate coolant flow through your engine to maintain proper temperature. If it fails, your engine could overheat or run too cold, affecting performance and fuel efficiency. The repair will likely involve replacing the bypass valve.

Your car is displaying multiple warning lights including LDA (Lane Departure Alert), secondary collision brake malfunction, pre-collision brake malfunction, and a check engine light. You're also experiencing engine misfiring that could cause the engine to stall while driving. Your dealer diagnosed a cracked head gasket as the underlying cause. Fixing this will require replacing the head gasket, which is a major engine repair.

After Toyota replaced your air flow valve under a safety campaign, your check engine light came on and won't turn off. Your car shuts down shortly after refueling and won't restart for about 20 minutes, your coolant is leaking, and the engine is idling roughly as if the replacement valve may be faulty. The repair likely involves diagnosing the check engine code, inspecting the replaced air flow valve for proper installation, and addressing the coolant leak.

Your car's doors aren't unlocking when you use the key fob. Specifically, the passenger door, rear driver side door, and rear passenger side door won't respond to the remote unlock button. You can likely still unlock these doors manually using the interior lock buttons or the physical key.