Diagsheet

2018 Toyota Camry · symptom sheet

Brake pedal goes hard or the booster or vacuum pump fails

  • 41owner reports
  • 118,590median miles
  • 2involved a crash

Newest report May 22, 2026 · checked Sep 29, 2026

41 of the 164 reports of brake wear on the 2018 Camry describe brake booster failure.

Part of Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (164 reports) · also: brake light on

2 recalls on this systemcovering the 2018 model year
2 crashesin 41 reports
1 person hurtin these reports

Tick what matches of 41 reports

19
12
30
6
25

Brake booster failure on other Camry years

No other Camry model year has enough reports of brake booster failure for a sheet of its own. See every Camry year.

What this problem usually is

This is the narrower sheet inside brakes for reports about a hard pedal or a failed power assist. The pedal stops feeling normal: it turns stiff, takes far more force, and the car needs a longer distance to stop.

Read the full explainer · Which cars report it most

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the vacuum pump (29 reports) and the brake booster (8 reports).

Recalls and investigations

2 recalls on the brakes cover the 2018 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

21V-890Nov 17, 2021
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum

The vane cap inside the vacuum pump may break, causing the pump to fail, which could result in a sudden loss of braking assist.

Risk, remedy and owner complaints on recall 21V-890

18V-211Apr 3, 2018
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum

During the manufacturing process, the oil galley in the rotor for the brake booster vacuum pump assembly may have been improperly machined possibly resulting in a sudden loss of brake assist.

Risk, remedy and owner complaints on recall 18V-211

All 8 recalls on the 2018 Toyota Camry, with the owner complaints on each recalled system

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 92,000 and 143,000 miles, from the 21 reports that gave a mileage.

Complaints by the year NHTSA received them: 2020: 3, 2021: 14, 2022: 10, 2024: 6, 2025: 3, 2026: 53'2014'2110'226'243'255'26

What owners wrote

“The brake vacuum pump failed while driving through the city. The part failed coming off a red light at an intersection. Lost braking power as soon as I drove off. On the notification screen, I received a "Low Braking Power" signal.”

Filed Oct 19, 2022

“The car is currently bricked and I am receiving messages on dash telling me power brakes are not functioning and parking brakes unavailable low power braking also electronic issues with my front camera is not functioning but I don’t have a front camera.”

Filed Jul 9, 2022

“I was driving in downtown and a sudden loss of braking power. My speed was 20 mile/ hr and I push down brake strongly to stop the car. I was at the highest risk even stopped the car. The Toyota dealer said that I must replace booster vacuum pump while Toyota has recall to replace this part for certain camry 2018 but my car is not included.I had a warning lump at the same time of losing the brake power.”

Filed May 26, 2021

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 2 of 41 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.

Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works

Other problems on this car