Toyota recalls 655,000 Camrys over dangerous dashboard error
If your Camry's dashboard decides to enter a sort of "do not disturb" era, you could have a much bigger problem than not knowing what song is playing. Toyota is recalling roughly 655,000 Camrys worldwide because a software problem can cause the 7-inch dashboard display to remain blank when the vehicle starts. And this isn't just an annoying screen glitch. The failure can also knock out important safety indicators, including turn signals, hazard lights and seat belt warnings.
The dashboard can basically forget its job
According to documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the affected Camrys use a 7-inch combination meter that can fail to display information during startup. When that happens, drivers may not see their turn-signal indicators or hazard-light indicators. Some warning functions can also stop working, including the seat belt reminder and the warning that alerts drivers when the key has been left in the ignition.
You might still physically activate your turn signal or hazard lights, but if the dashboard doesn't show the corresponding indicators, you could have less information about what's happening with the vehicle. More importantly, other drivers may have a harder time recognizing your intentions if a vehicle hazard isn't properly indicated.
More than half a million U.S. Camrys are affected
The recall covers approximately 655,000 vehicles globally, with the majority sold in the United States. The affected vehicles are model-year 2025 and 2026 Camrys, including more than 508,000 Camry Hybrids in the U.S.
Toyota says the recalled vehicles were manufactured between December 2023 and July 2026 at plants in the United States, Japan and Thailand. The recall also affects vehicles in other markets, including North America, the Middle East, Asia and some other countries.
It's a simple fix
The good news here is that owners aren't being asked to replace the entire dashboard. Toyota says dealers will provide a software update free of charge to fix the problem. According to the company, it will start mailing recall notices to affected U.S. owners on September 21, with notifications expected to be completed by early October.
But owners don’t necessarily have to wait for a letter to find out whether their car is affected. They can check their vehicle using the NHTSA's recall lookup or Toyota's recall lookup tool.
If you drive an affected Camry, don't treat the recall notice like another piece of junk mail. Your dashboard is not supposed to be running Windows Update when you're trying to tell the car behind you that you are about to turn.
