The Toyota Camry is the benchmark for boring reliability, but not every year is identical. The 2015-2017 Camry with the 2.5L 2AR-FE is one of the most trouble-free sedans ever sold in America. Here is the year-by-year ranking and the years to actually buy.
Buy: 2015-2017 Camry LE/SE 2.5L (2AR-FE)
Avoid: 2007-2009 oil consumption and 2018 first-year A25A
Scores 1-10 based on NHTSA complaint volume, severity of reported issues, recall history, and class-action exposure. Higher is better.
| Year | Score | Summary | Top 3 Problems | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 8/10 | New 7th gen. A few early electronics complaints. | · Brake actuator (recall) · Infotainment · Wind noise |
CAUTION |
| 2013 | 8.5/10 | Mature 2AR-FE. Reliability climbing. | · Brake actuator · Sun visor cracking · Wind noise |
BUY |
| 2014 | 9/10 | Very reliable. Few documented issues. | · Sun visor (TSB) · Paint · Brake booster |
BUY |
| 2015 | 9.5/10 | Refresh year. Top-tier reliability. K&B Best Resale. | · Paint clearcoat · Brake booster (rare) · Audio module |
BUY |
| 2016 | 9.5/10 | Identical reliability profile to 2015. | · Paint · Audio · Tire wear |
BUY |
| 2017 | 9.5/10 | Final year of 7th gen. Cheapest of the elite trio. | · Paint · Audio · Minor electrical |
BUY |
| 2020 | 8.5/10 | 8th gen mature. A25A first-year bugs resolved. | · Entune freezes · Brake recall (some VINs) · Headlight condensation |
BUY |
The 2AR-FE four-cylinder paired with the U660E 6-speed automatic is one of Toyota's most reliable powertrains. Easily goes 250,000+ miles with oil changes.
2AR-FE engine details →The earlier 2AZ-FE engine in 2007-2009 Camrys had a class action settled in 2014 over excessive oil consumption from stuck piston rings. Avoid if shopping that era.
2AZ-FE oil consumption →NHTSA recall 19V-012 covered brake booster vacuum pump failures on some 2018-2019 Camrys. Verify completion.
Run AI diagnosis →Driver-side sun visor breaks at the hinge. Toyota TSB BO079-15 extended coverage for affected VINs.
Run AI diagnosis →Entune head unit reboots and loses Bluetooth or CarPlay. Software updates help.
Run AI diagnosis →Only sold briefly in the XLE V6 era; turbo not in Camry. Most owners ignore.
Run AI diagnosis →Run a $5.99 AI diagnosis tailored to your exact vehicle. Get the most likely cause, repair estimate, and OBD2 code interpretation in under 30 seconds.
Diagnose My Camry for $5.99Year-, make-, model-specific AI · Powered by NHTSA + AI
If your Camry is throwing a check engine light, these codes are most often associated with the problems above. Click any code for diagnosis steps.
The 2015-2017 Camry with the 2.5L 2AR-FE engine is the consensus best year - very low complaint volume and a bulletproof powertrain.
A well-maintained 2015-2017 Camry routinely reaches 250,000-300,000+ miles. The 2AR-FE engine is famously durable.
Mostly yes. It was the first year of the new A25A 2.5L. A few early infotainment and brake booster bugs were addressed by recall. 2020+ is more sorted.
The 2AR-FE 2.5L four-cylinder used in 2010-2017 Camrys is regarded as the gold standard. The earlier 2AZ-FE (2002-2009) had documented oil consumption.
Avoid 2007-2009 (oil consumption), 2010 first-year of 7th gen, and the 2002-2006 V6 (sludging on 1MZ-FE).
The 2GR-FE V6 in 2007-2017 Camrys is very reliable. Older 1MZ-FE V6s (2002-2006) had sludge issues if oil changes were missed.