Toyota is recalling tens of thousands of its newest hybrids after reports that some cars can suddenly lose drive power, turning a routine trip into a serious safety risk. The campaign centers on more than 50,000 Camry Hybrid sedans, along with related hybrid models, that may suffer a critical fault in their electrified powertrains. If you drive one of these vehicles, you are being urged to act quickly so a preventable defect does not turn into a dangerous roadside emergency.
The recall focuses on specific 2025 and 2026 model years, and it is tied to a hardware problem that can shut down propulsion without warning. While Toyota says it is working on a permanent fix, you are being asked to check your vehicle, follow any stop driving instructions, and schedule repairs as soon as they become available.
What Toyota is recalling and why it matters for you
The core of the problem is a safety recall involving certain model year 2025 and 2026 Toyota Camr hybrids, formally described by Toyota as affecting Toyota Camry Hybrid and Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid vehicles. In a notice from PLANO, Texas, Toyota explained that the affected hybrids can experience a failure in the hybrid powertrain that leads to a sudden loss of drive power, which in turn raises the risk of a crash if it happens in traffic. The company has framed this as a safety campaign to address a defect that could leave your car unable to accelerate or maintain speed, even though other systems like steering and braking may still function.
One detailed report on the campaign notes that the recall covers certain 2025–2026 Toyota Camry Hybrid and 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid vehicles produced within a specific manufacturing window, with a total population of roughly 55,000 vehicles. That same reporting explains that the issue is linked to components in the hybrid system that can fail under load, cutting power to the wheels and leaving you coasting or stopped in a live lane of traffic, which is why regulators treat it as a serious safety defect. Toyota has formally described the campaign in its own announcement on Toyota Recalls Certain Toyota Camry and Corolla Cross Hybrid Vehicles, where it warns that the defect can increase the likelihood of a crash or an injury if it is not corrected.
How the defect shows up: loss of drive power and fire risk
For you as a driver, the most alarming symptom is the possibility that the car can abruptly lose propulsion while you are moving. Coverage of the recall explains that a bolt issue in the hybrid system can lead to a failure that cuts drive power, which is why Toyota is recalling some 2025–2026 Camry Hybrid and 2026 Corolla Hybrid model vehicles. In practical terms, that means you might feel the car suddenly stop responding to the accelerator, with the engine and electric motors no longer delivering power to the wheels, even though the dashboard remains lit and other systems appear normal.
Separate reporting has highlighted that the same family of hybrid powertrain problems can also create a serious fire risk in tens of thousands of top selling Toyota vehicles, including Camry and Corolla Cross Hybrid models. In that coverage, Toyota is described as confronting an inverter and hybrid powertrain issue that can overheat and, in rare cases, ignite, which is why some owners have been told not just to schedule a repair, but to stop driving immediately until a remedy is in place. The company has indicated that it expects to have a repair solution for this hybrid powertrain issue by mid February 2026, a timeline that underscores how complex the fix is and why you should pay close attention to any warning signs from your car. One detailed summary of the defect notes that the recall involves Camry Hybrid and Corolla Hybrid vehicles and that the repair, once available, will be performed free of charge, a point Toyota has echoed in The Brief on the hybrid recall.
Who is affected: the 51,644 Hybrid Camry models and related vehicles
While the overall recall universe is often described as “over 50,000” hybrids, one breakdown specifies that Toyota Recalls 51,644 Hybrid Camry Models That Could Lose Power. That figure, 51,644, refers specifically to Camrys with the hybrid powertrain that share the defect, and it sits within a broader group of about 55,000 vehicles when you include the 2026 Corolla Cross Hybrid. The same reporting explains that these Camrys are part of the latest generation of the sedan, and that the recall also covers the 2026 Corolla Cross, which uses a related hybrid system that can suffer the same failure.
Other coverage notes that Toyota has gone so far as to issue an immediate stop driving notice to owners of 55,000 new vehicles, urging them to park their cars and wait for further instructions. That stop driving language reflects how seriously the company and regulators view the risk of sudden power loss or fire in these hybrids, especially given that many of the affected cars are only months old and may still be in break in use. If you own a Camry Hybrid or Corolla Cross Hybrid from these model years, you are squarely in the group Toyota is trying to reach, and you should expect to receive a formal notice by mail in addition to any alerts you see online. The urgency of that stop driving notice is captured in a detailed explanation of how Toyota is currently developing a repair solution for the affected hybrids, which you can see in the company’s statement referenced in the immediate stop driving notice.
How to check your car and what to do next
Your first step is to confirm whether your specific vehicle is part of the recall, since not every Camry Hybrid on the road is affected. Toyota has set up a dedicated recall lookup where you can enter your Vehicle Identification Number and see if your car is included in the campaign, along with any open safety actions. You can access that tool directly on the official Toyota recall site, which is updated as new recalls are launched or expanded. In parallel, federal regulators maintain their own searchable database of safety campaigns, and you can cross check your car by entering your VIN on the main NHTSA recalls page, which lists active and completed actions for every major automaker.
If you are not sure where to find your VIN, federal safety guidance explains that you can Find your 17 character Vehicle Identification Number on the lower left of your car’s windshield or on the label inside your driver’s side door jamb, then use that number to search for vehicle recalls. That same guidance, available through the Find Vehicle Identification Number resource, walks you through how to plug the VIN into federal and manufacturer tools. Once you confirm that your car is affected, you should contact your local dealer to schedule the repair as soon as parts and procedures are ready, and follow any interim instructions, including parking the vehicle if you are told to stop driving.
Warning signs, your rights, and why quick action matters
Even before you receive a formal recall notice, your car may be trying to tell you something is wrong. Toyota’s own hybrid guidance notes that the clearest warning is a hybrid system battery warning light on the dashboard, but it also lists other warning signs such as unusual noises, reduced performance, or the car struggling to start. If you notice these symptoms in a Camry Hybrid or Corolla Cross Hybrid that might be covered by the recall, you should treat them as a prompt to contact a dealer rather than waiting for the problem to get worse. The company advises you to reach out to your local Toyota Store if you notice these signs, a recommendation laid out in its Hybrid Batteries Explained guidance.
At the same time, you have legal protections if a safety defect keeps your car in the shop or out of service for an extended period. Our California Lemon Law Firm, which focuses on Toyota Motor and other brands, points out that repeated repair attempts or long stretches where your car is unavailable can trigger buyback or replacement rights under state lemon laws. The firm encourages owners to Check whether their vehicle is or was subject to a recall and to document every visit to the dealer, especially when the issue involves a safety defect like sudden power loss. You can read more about those protections and how they apply to Toyota in the firm’s overview of Toyota auto recalls and defects, which explains how recall history can support a lemon law claim if your car spends too much time off the road.
As Toyota continues to refine its remedy, it has indicated that the timing of owner notifications and repairs is subject to change, a caveat it includes in its official statement that Toyota Recalls Certain Toyota Camry is subject to change thereafter. That reminder, which appears in the company’s recall timing notice, is a signal that you should keep checking for updates rather than assuming the first letter you receive is the final word. For a broader view of how this campaign fits into Toyota’s recent safety record, you can also look at independent summaries of Toyota recalls 55,000 Camry hybrids, coverage of how CINCINNATI WKRC Toyota described the fire risk, and additional reporting on Camry Hybrid and Corolla Hybrid power loss. Together with the detailed breakdown in Toyota Recalls Hybrid Camry Models That Could Lose Power, these reports all point to the same takeaway for you as an owner: treat the recall as urgent, verify your VIN, and get your hybrid inspected and repaired before a hidden defect has the chance to put you and your passengers at risk.
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