2025 Toyota Camry Hybrid

While driving, the vehicle experienced an unintended side airbag deployment without any collision or impact. At the same time, the seatbelt locked, the vehicle came to a sudden stop, and a hybrid system malfunction warning appeared. The vehicle immediately became undrivable and was towed. The vehicle remains available for inspection and is currently under the manufacturer’s control. This sudden failure created a serious safety risk due to the unexpected airbag deployment and loss of vehicle control while driving. As a result of the incident, I sustained physical injuries and sought medical attention. The vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer. The manufacturer has stated they are unable to confirm whether the vehicle is safe to operate and the investigation remains ongoing. No warning lights or messages appeared prior to the failure. The event occurred suddenly and without warning. Law enforcement responded to assist with traffic safety and relocation of the disabled vehicle; no formal accident or crash report was generated.

My 2025 Toyota Camry XSE (Hybrid) is subject to an open safety recall issued December 16, 2025. The recall involves a serious safety risk, and I was advised by the dealership not to drive the vehicle. At the time of the recall, the vehicle was approximately two months old with about 1,500 miles and in like-new condition. Because there is currently no available remedy, I was required to leave the vehicle stored at the dealership. I have been without use of my own vehicle since January 6, 2026 and am using a loaner vehicle solely due to the safety recall, not by choice. Toyota has stated a fix may not be available until at least Q1 2026, with no defined repair timeline, and customers are being told to wait without interim mitigation. I am concerned about the inability to safely operate my vehicle and the long-term impact of extended storage on a nearly new hybrid vehicle, including hybrid battery health, fuel and fluid systems, seals, tires, and interior and exterior materials. Prior to the recall, the vehicle was routinely garaged and properly maintained, and extended outdoor storage due to the recall introduces risk of premature wear unrelated to normal ownership use. While the dealership has indicated the vehicle may be started periodically, this does not replace normal driving and ownership use. In addition to loss of use, I am required to maintain a $300 monthly loaner vehicle deposit while my vehicle remains unusable due to the recall. Toyota Customer Service has stated they cannot escalate or provide assistance and are instructed to close cases without resolution, creating ongoing financial burden through no fault of my own. Toyota has acknowledged similar recalls on other models lasting extended periods, yet no interim remedy, mitigation plan, or customer relief is offered here. I believe this raises concerns regarding recall remedy timeliness, consumer safety, and loss of use.

There is a squeaking noise that comes from the front DRIVE SHAFT TRANSAXLE SEAL of my 2025 Toyota Camry XSE when turning the vehicle at slow speeds without applying the brakes. The vehicle was inspected by the Toyota Dealership I purchased it from and they replicated and confirmed this defect on 1-03-2026. A defective or malfunctioning axle seal can wear out over time, which can cause it to leak. If there is significant fluid loss it could lead to failure of the transmission while driving which could lead to an accident. There were no warning messages, only the symptom of the squeaking noise. The dealership states there is currently no fix to this issue and had no solution for me at this time. They stated that this issue is currently under investigation by Toyota engineers. The squeaking appears to be getting louder and more frequent.

My vehicle has about 5000 miles and twice now the transmission will not shift past reverse meaning I cannot get it into neutral drive or manual mode after starting. Last time it happened I had to restart the car about a half a dozen times and took over 15 minutes before the vehicle would shift into drive. It is not throwing a code and the dealer does not know what needs to be fixed and is unable to diagnose it, but they told me they have seen this issue on other cameras where it randomly will not go into gear. To be specific the shifter itself will not move past reverse. This represents the safety issue because if I threw it into park at a stoplight and this happened in traffic I would be stuck sitting in a lake. Until it went into gear again. My wife was trying to leave an area with a dangerous individual involved in a domestic violence dispute with another party and could not get the gear to engage or get out of the area. This is the second occurrence I am speaking of and put her in a danger situation while she tried to get the car to go into gear to be able to leave the area. Unacceptable with a new vehicle And with a dealer, not knowing what to do and no fix from the manufacturer. I am at a loss as to what I can do to get this corrected.