Case file · TOYOTA-CAMRY-2025-2026 · Field document

Toyota Camry 2025–present · Pre-purchase checklist

Bring this to the inspection. Every check below is specific to this generation's documented failure modes — not generic used-car advice.

1. Check 01

   Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you see the car. Four safety recalls apply to this generation — inverter bolt (25V-869), blank gauge cluster (25V-595), rearview camera freeze (25V-744), and second-row center seat belt (25V-059) — all fixed free at any Toyota dealer.

2. Check 02

   On cars built roughly August–November 2025 (late 2025 and early 2026 model years), specifically confirm the inverter recall 25V-869 shows CLOSED with a replaced inverter assembly — the defect can cause a loss of drive power or a fire, and the fix is hardware, not software.

3. Check 03

   Power the car on and watch the gauge cluster: speed, brake status, and tire-pressure info must display immediately at startup. Then shift to reverse several times and watch for a frozen or blank camera image — both are the symptoms behind the two software recalls.

4. Check 04

   Sight down both front corners where the bumper cover meets the headlights. A lifting edge or gap is the known bumper-bracket problem — press gently on the seam and see if it pops back rather than sitting flush.

5. Check 05

   Brake moderately hard from 30–40 mph and pay attention to the driver's seatback. A pop, thump, or shift in the mid-back is the front seat bolster issue Toyota addresses in TSB T-SB-0097-24.

6. Check 06

   Ask whether the 12V battery has ever died or been replaced, and watch the dash for low-battery warnings during your visit — scattered early cars have eaten 12V batteries young. It's a warranty item on a car this new.

7. Check 07

   Give the driver-assist stack a real drive: a few owners report constant false alerts from the cross-traffic and collision systems. Also expect the brake pedal to feel slightly synthetic at low speed — that's the normal regen-to-friction handoff on this hybrid, not a defect.