Lemon Law · Toyota
Toyota lemon law attorney in California
Toyota owners have filed complaints with federal regulators describing engine stalls and fuel system failures, transmission problems that include high-pitched whining noises and shifting difficulties, airbag occupant-classification sensor defects that may prevent deployment, electrical system malfunctions affecting instrument displays and safety features, brake system failures including electronic parking brakes that will not engage, and steering assist losses. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has published recall campaigns addressing airbag sensors, power-steering oil leaks, axle separations, fuel line chafing, and software errors that disable rearview cameras. When a defect covered by Toyota's warranty is not repaired after a reasonable number of attempts, the California Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act provides remedies. The usual test is four repair visits for the same non-safety defect, or two for a problem that could cause death or serious injury, or thirty cumulative days out of service. These presumptions apply when the defect is first reported, and the vehicle is presented for warranty repair, within 18 months of delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first (Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22).
Known defects
What Toyota owners report, and why repeat repairs matter
These are the categories owners file most often with the federal safety regulator for the Toyota model years in the record below. A complaint is one owner's report, not a finding that a vehicle is defective.
Engine Failures and Stalls
Owners report engines that stall without warning, sometimes after shifting from reverse to drive. Tundra owners describe fuel-pump failures. Corolla owners report coolant-bypass-valve malfunctions. A recall addressed fuel-tube chafing near brake lines in Tundra models. When an engine concern returns after repair attempts, Song-Beverly treats the pattern as evidence the defect substantially impairs use or safety. The manufacturer's obligation is to conform the vehicle to warranty, not attempt the same repair repeatedly.
Tundra · RAV4 · Highlander · Corolla
Transmission and Power-Train Failures
Highlander owners describe transmissions that produce high-pitched whining noises, worsening as the transmission warms. Others report transmission failures. Tundra and Tacoma models have been recalled for axle-shaft separations caused by loosened fasteners. Axle separation can disable braking and cause loss of stability. A defect affecting the power train goes to the core of vehicle function. Repeat visits for the same drivability concern strengthen a claim under Song-Beverly.
Highlander · Tundra · Tacoma · RAV4
Airbag Sensor Malfunctions
Multiple recall campaigns addressed occupant-classification sensor short circuits that can prevent the front passenger airbag from deploying. RAV4 models were recalled for seat-assembly interference causing incorrect occupant detection. One owner reported a collision in which no airbags deployed. An airbag system that does not function as warranted is a safety defect. Song-Beverly allows only two repair attempts for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury before the presumption of nonconformity applies.
RAV4 · Camry · Highlander · Corolla
Electrical System Failures
Owners report instrument displays going blank, dashboard warnings for headlight and collision-system malfunctions, and multi-information displays showing only scan lines. Tundra models were recalled for software errors that prevent rearview-camera images from displaying and for instrument-cluster failures that blank the speedometer. Headlight circuits on Tundra models were recalled for overheating connectors. RAV4 owners describe losing power steering. Electrical defects that disable safety systems or driver information fall within Song-Beverly's scope.
RAV4 · Tundra · Corolla · Highlander
Brake System Defects
Tundra owners experienced electronic parking brake failures caused by a skid-control module that falsely detects an overcurrent condition, preventing the brake from engaging. A parking brake that cannot be set creates rollaway risk. Service-brake complaints span multiple models. Song-Beverly does not require a recall for a defect to qualify. The question is whether the condition substantially impairs use, value, or safety and whether the manufacturer had a reasonable opportunity to repair it.
Highlander · Tundra · RAV4 · Camry
Steering Assist Failures
A recall addressed power-steering gear assemblies in Tundra models manufactured incorrectly, leading to oil leaks and sudden loss of assist. RAV4 owners report steering loss with warning messages, shuddering, and stalling. Loss of assist at speed makes the vehicle difficult to control. The recall covered service parts, meaning replacements may carry the same defect. A repair that does not resolve the problem does not restart the reasonable-attempt count under Song-Beverly.
RAV4 · Corolla · Tundra · Tacoma
By model & year
Find your exact Toyota
Every model year the firm has read the federal record for has its own page. Pick your model year for what owners filed against it, the recall campaigns naming it, and what the statute asks.
Camry
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns | Most-reported part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Toyota Camry | 157 | 6 | Structure |
| 2024 Toyota Camry | 50 | 1 | Structure |
| 2023 Toyota Camry | 64 | 2 | Electrical system |
| 2022 Toyota Camry | 60 | 1 | Air bags |
| 2021 Toyota Camry | 156 | 1 | Air bags |
Corolla
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns | Most-reported part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Toyota Corolla | 0 | 1 | None on file |
| 2025 Toyota Corolla | 31 | 0 | Service brakes |
| 2024 Toyota Corolla | 63 | 2 | Forward collision avoidance |
| 2023 Toyota Corolla | 73 | 3 | Steering |
| 2022 Toyota Corolla | 100 | 0 | Electrical system |
| 2021 Toyota Corolla | 185 | 1 | Air bags |
Highlander
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns | Most-reported part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Toyota Highlander | 9 | 4 | Forward collision avoidance |
| 2024 Toyota Highlander | 42 | 7 | Service brakes |
| 2023 Toyota Highlander | 180 | 9 | Structure |
| 2022 Toyota Highlander | 245 | 5 | Power train |
| 2021 Toyota Highlander | 512 | 4 | Power train |
RAV4
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns | Most-reported part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Toyota RAV4 | 29 | 1 | Electrical system |
| 2025 Toyota RAV4 | 86 | 3 | Electrical system |
| 2024 Toyota RAV4 | 173 | 3 | Engine |
| 2023 Toyota RAV4 | 153 | 3 | Electrical system |
| 2022 Toyota RAV4 | 144 | 1 | Electrical system |
| 2021 Toyota RAV4 | 385 | 1 | Air bags |
Tacoma
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns | Most-reported part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Toyota Tacoma | 96 | 5 | Structure |
| 2024 Toyota Tacoma | 148 | 5 | Power train |
| 2023 Toyota Tacoma | 54 | 4 | Electrical system |
| 2022 Toyota Tacoma | 58 | 3 | Power train |
| 2021 Toyota Tacoma | 80 | 0 | Power train |
Tundra
| Model year | Complaints | Recall campaigns | Most-reported part |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Toyota Tundra | 0 | 1 | None on file |
| 2025 Toyota Tundra | 130 | 5 | Engine |
| 2024 Toyota Tundra | 334 | 10 | Engine |
| 2023 Toyota Tundra | 400 | 13 | Engine |
| 2022 Toyota Tundra | 428 | 13 | Engine |
| 2021 Toyota Tundra | 24 | 3 | Electrical system |
The statute
When a Toyota problem becomes a lemon
These are the presumptions in the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act and the Tanner Consumer Protection Act (Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22). Each applies when the defect is first reported, and the vehicle is presented for warranty repair, within 18 months of delivery or 18,000 miles, whichever comes first. They are presumptions, not predictions about any individual vehicle.
A
Two or more attempts (safety)
For a defect that could cause death or serious injury, reported within 18 months or 18,000 miles.
B
Four or more attempts
For the same non-safety warranty problem, reported within 18 months or 18,000 miles.
C
30 days out of service
Cumulative, for warranty repair, within 18 months or 18,000 miles.
Have an attorney read your Toyota repair orders.
Start My Free Case ReviewAttorney Advertising disclaimer: Prior results do not predict or indicate a similar outcome in any future matter. The information on this page is general information about California law, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. If your vehicle is unsafe to drive, stop driving it and call the firm on (619) 235-0137. Figures from the federal safety regulator's record are estimates taken from the record on the date shown.