Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Toyota Camry owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving on the highway and I smelled something burning towards my left. I looked at my door panel and saw the window switch on fire. I immediately pulled over to the side of the freeway. I opened the door, got out, and attempted to put out the fire. If I did not react fast enough I could have easily have got trapped on the driver side and would have to try to rush out of the passenger side as I wouldn't have any control of opening the driver door or window. I had no success of extinguishing the fire and then called 911. I answered their questions and they were dispatched. I got lucky and a good samaritan had a fire extinguisher and extinguished the fire. Five minutes later the firefighters showed up. Eventually, the door panel melted to the ground from the heat. Firefighters went through the car to determine if the fire was out. …
The vehicle is a hybrid and so with no warning present on the dash the vehicle was being back out of garage and when the hybrid battery Failed which led to loss of power including steering and brake and hit brick gate and after impact the vehicle is unable to drive has all warning lights on and displays "check hybrid system" and low voltage park immediately, and the hybrid battery is constantly on due to overheating, had it check by mechanic and was told it was the hybrid battery. Thank God no one was around when the crash occurred or that I was not on the highway.
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the Power Steering, Service Vehicle, Traction Control, and ABS warning lights illuminated, and the speedometer failed to display the speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the sensors for the front wheels had failed. The contact purchased and replaced the sensors; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.
ABS/VSC actuator pump failure and with the abs alarm on causing constant drain to the system needing jump every time or to disconnect 12v every time parked. Dealer diagnosed wrong last year stating 12v battery needed replacement. I did the $500. It did NOT fix the problem. Now dealer states actuator pump failure - replace/fix price approx $4,000. I asked for diagnostic readouts to prove to me that they have it right this time. (I'm over 50 hours into this ABS failure) he refused and would not agree to refund my money if I would go ahead with their advised repair. My car has only 116,000 miles on it! I've checked around & it seems that my model should be part of recall/repair. I've gotten nothing written from Toyota when I have inquired in writing. Extremely dangerous, this failure!
August 10 2015 I was driving my car when the windows began to go up and down by it self then the driver window began to smoke I pulled over where I was and got out to get help by the time I got back out the driver door had flames coming out of the car all the doors locked and by the time the fire dept got there they had to pry the doors and hood open nothing electrical worked they got the fire out and my car was concidered a total loss Toyota came out to look at my car in September and I got a response in October where my case manager troy higga told me it was do to the recall that my car cought fire and they would take care of any finance that I paid out of pocket here we are 10 months later I have heard nothing im over 6000$ in dept my credit messed up and my savings gone when I got that recall in the mail I did call Toyota and they told me that they did not have the parts in yet they …
Experience involuntary acceleration of 2008 Toyota Camry. The car was traveling on a highway. I try to breaks but the car continued until it hit a medium. This was a front on collision. The airbags did not deploy. The car was totaled
I have noticed exceessive oil consumption since 2015 is 2016 and have gone through numerous repairs only to still have the same problem. The latest estimate is for an engine replacement because after all of this time one guy actually noticed that the oil was literally burning up right after he changed the oil. I have been stranded on the interstate at night with a toddler for hours, as well as not being able to start the car at times. I have also experienced my car randomly shaking and smoking in traffic, after which the check engine light would come on. My car has been stationary for weeks at a time, most recently this past week after I was unable to find out who could fix it and not keep ripping me off. …
While driving or idling, brake and ABS light get lit and speedometer is not working, odometer is jumping up and down and heat needle is intermittently going normal/cold. The mileage meter is not working and this all goes away when those lights either reset on their own or some other way not known to me how. While driving, not knowing how fast this vehicle going is very dangerous, I am a female and I drive most so the time during nights and I am very worry if something happens. I went for Toyota service and they mentioned that the root cause of this situation was that I did not bring my car for maintenance with Toyota in the first two years which is not true. I want to know if Toyota is not doing something on this regards, I do not have that quantity of money to correct the situation and they mentioned that if it is not corrected I will have an accident because the brakes will fail.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Toyota Camry. While driving various speeds, the horn would sound independently when making right and left turns. Also, the air bag warning indicator illuminated independently. The contact drove the vehicle to the local dealer (westchester Toyota sales, 2167 central park ave, yonkers, ny, 10710) where it was diagnosed that the bracket within the steering wheel failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer confirmed that the steering wheel and air bag were properly intact. The dealer stated that the failure was due to wear and tear. The vehicle was not repaired because the contact felt that he was not at fault and a crash did not occur. The manufacturer stated that they would not assist, the vehicle was not under warranty, and there was no recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.
The ABS and brake lights of my Toyota 2008 Camry come on and off intermittently. When the lights are on, the whole dashboard readers; the speedometer, RPM, engine temperature and other gauges jump and flicker, the light markers for ABS and parking go off. Went to dealer to get it checked out but there were no codes to diagnose the issue. It keeps happening at various times of the day (morning and evening), when the car is stopped or moving, and on all types of roads and driving conditions (city streets, highway, at a stop light, at a stop sign, when I am turning). I have noticed that Toyota has already issued a recall for the same issue for the 2007 Camry hybrid. Given the sheer number of complaints I have read about this issue for the regular Camry 2007, it seems ridiculous that Toyota has not issued a recall for this for the 2007 Camry.
NHTSA investigations
Power Window Master Switch Fire
ODI has identified certain Toyota vehicles experiencing a higher rate of fire and thermal event incidents among all Toyota vehicles that use the same power window master switch design.They include a total of approximately 1.4 million model year (MY) 2007 through 2009 Camry, Camry Hybrid, RAV4 and Yaris vehicles built from approximately September 2006 through August 2008, as well as all MY 2008 Highlander Hybrid…
Power Window Master Switch Fire
On October 10, 2012, Toyota initiated a safety recall of approximately 2.5 million U.S. vehicles involving the following models and model years:2007-2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Corolla and Corolla Matrix, 2008 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007-2009 RAV4, 2008-2009 Scion xB and xD, 2008-2009 Sequoia, 2007-2008 Tundra, 2007-2008 Yaris, and 2009 Pontiac Vibe.See NHTSA recall number 12V-491 for more details,…
Electrical complaints in other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2008 Toyota Camry?
NHTSA has 48 complaints about the electrical system of the 2008 Toyota Camry, 5% of the model year's 933 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Toyota Camry electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2008 Toyota Camry, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Toyota Camry electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 6 fires and 4 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.