2020 Toyota Camry Airbag Problems

49 owners have reported air bags problems with the 2020 Toyota Camry to NHTSA — 18% of all 275 complaints for this model year. The typical failure happened around 35,000 miles. That ranks #15 of 30 Camry model years for airbag complaints (a typical year has 49). One related recall has been issued.

49complaints
35ktypical miles
1related recalls
9crashes
0fires
18injuries

Which parts fail

  • Sensor › Occupant classification
    1

Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).

Mileage when the problem started

  • Under 25k
    350%
  • 25k–50k
    117%
  • 50k–75k
    00%
  • 75k–100k
    117%
  • 100k–150k
    117%
  • 150k+
    00%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2020 Toyota Camry owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry XLE. The contact stated while driving approximately 26 MPH, an 18-wheeler vehicle crashed into the rear of his vehicle twice. The air bags failed to deploy and the seat belts failed to engage. The message "Air Bag System Malfunction" was displayed. The contact sustained whiplash and hit his head against the steering wheel. The contact sought medical assistance the next day and was diagnosed with a herniated disk and torn muscles in the back. As a result, the contact had undergone left shoulder surgery. The contact's sister sustain whiplash, hit her head and face against the passenger's side door and sustained soreness and bruises on the right side of her face. The emergency units transported the contact's sister to the hospital where she received medical assistance. A police report was filed. …

17,000 miles · Feb 2022 · crash · 2 injuries

The contact owned a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that his wife was driving at 60 MPH, when another vehicle struck the rear driver's side, causing the vehicle to spin and crash into a semi-truck's trailer. The contact stated that the tires had caved in as a result of the collision. The air bags did not deploy. The contact's wife's head struck the steering wheel and the front driver's side window. The contact's wife suffered cuts, bruises, and bumps on her forehead, hands, and arms. The contact's parents were also present in the vehicle. The contact's father suffered head, hand, and wrist injuries, while the contact's mother suffered six broken ribs and two broken hands. The contact's wife and parents were transported to the hospital via ambulance. The vehicle was towed to the tow yard and was deemed totaled by the insurance company. …

35,000 miles · Mar 2025 · crash · 3 injuries

The contact owned a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, he crashed into another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact suffered injuries to both shoulders and his back but did not seek medical treatment. The other driver was injured and transported to the hospital for an injury to his back. A police report was filed. The vehicle was initially towed to an independent tow yard and then towed to a collision center. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and a claim was filed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss and was destroyed. The failure mileage was 8,446

8,000 miles · Feb 2021 · crash · 2 injuries

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the "Failure - Ignition Control" message was displayed. The contact stated that occasionally the seat belt warning chime failed to turn off while the seat belt was secured. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle occasionally failed to start, and all four door latches failed to unlock while using the key fob. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

76,000 miles · Feb 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor was defective and failed to recognize when the seat was empty. The contact stated that the failure initially occurred with the front passenger's seat; however, the rear seats also experienced the failure. The contact had to restart the vehicle or fasten all seat belts to prevent the seat belt chime from activating. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); and linked the failure to the recall. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

100,000 miles · Aug 2025

A car turned in front of my daughter and her boyfriend. They were going 40 MPH and there is severe damage to the front of the vehicle. The car will be totaled. Not one air bag deployed. All first responders were very surprised and cautious that even them exiting the damaged vehicle could set them off. They were told "not to move" until they could investigate a safe way for them to leave the car.

Oct 2023 · crash · 2 injuries

I was in an accident, going about 40mph (about 30mph at time of impact), and no airbags were deployed. Police officer reported that he also did not see that the tension of the seat belt remained tense after the crash. Seems that there was a problem with both systems. The other vehicle had all their airbags deploy.

Jun 2025 · crash · 2 injuries

I rear ended a stopped tractor pulling a hay baler at 50 mph. my braking system sent no alerts nor did it brake for me. May airbags did not deploy. I sufferered a broken hand as a result of the impact.

Jul 2025 · crash · 1 injury

There is a current recall on my 2020 camry. I was notified by email in December 2023. It is for the passenger side air bag. I do not feel safe driving the car since being made aware of the recall. The Toyota dealership I go to has said there is nothing they can do as there is no remedy for this recall. I also have had multiple issues over the years with the sensors and battery. I bought the car brand new, with 2 miles I rolled off the lot. A few days after purchasing it my battery died. My battery died multiple times within the first few months, sensors did not work, screen display was off, Toyota said they had to reset the computer software. There was an issue draining the battery. Fast forward to November 2023, I had to buy a new battery. Even though I have had issues with the battery since purchasing the brand new car, I had to pay for the battery out of pocket. …

Dec 2023

My car has been brought into the shop over two times due to a recall that has no yet been resolved and has no time frame as to when there will be available parts created to fix this issue. The passenger air bag is in for a recall as in case of anything, the air bag will not deploy correctly or at all. This is a major safety issue as it can cause the death of the person rising in the passenger seat. I do not feel safe driving in this car especially since my car is always a full house and it is used as a family vehicle where all 5 seats are being used at once. This is a recall that was later found on this car meaning that the car was built like that. Again, I do not feel safe as I have had family members die in a car accident before. I have asked the dealership multiple times to resolve this issue. On June 23rd 20024, I was almost in a car accident. …

Dec 2023

Related recalls

Air bags › Sensor › Occupant classification

NHTSA recall 23V-865 · Dec 20, 2023 · 999,901 vehicles

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024.

Airbag complaints in other Camry years

’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’2441475550745838897379655913846664972753642213124222449781056
Airbag complaints per model year, Toyota Camry.

Frequently asked questions

How common are airbag problems on the 2020 Toyota Camry?

NHTSA has 49 complaints about the air bags of the 2020 Toyota Camry, 18% of the model year's 275 complaints. The component named most often is sensor › occupant classification (1 mentions).

Is there a recall for 2020 Toyota Camry airbag problems?

Yes — NHTSA recall 23V-865 (occupant classification, Dec 20, 2023). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

At what mileage do 2020 Toyota Camry airbag problems start?

Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 35,000 miles, and 50% before 25,000 miles.

Is it dangerous?

Owners linked 9 crashes, 0 fires and 18 injuries to air bags 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.