Head-to-head reliability
Buick PARK Avenue vs Toyota Camry
How the Buick PARK Avenue and Toyota Camry compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Buick PARK Avenue vs Toyota Camry: The Park Avenue averages 41.2 complaints per year versus 214.3 for the Camry, with 7 recalls versus 31. Park Avenue owners report window regulator and engine mount issues, while Camry owners face transmission and brake problems. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Buick PARK Avenue or Toyota Camry more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Buick PARK Avenue
The Buick Park Avenue is a large, cushy sedan that in ownership terms means low complaint volume but a handful of recurring electrical and engine gremlins. Owners report window regulators that drop the glass into the door, engine mounts that knock, and steering that can wander, so it's a car that needs attentive maintenance rather than constant crisis management.
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is a high-volume midsize sedan with a much larger complaint pool, reflecting its popularity and longer production run. Owners report transmission grinding, sudden acceleration incidents, brake failures, and HVAC odors, so while many Camrys are trouble-free, the ones that do fail can have serious safety implications.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Buick PARK Avenue | Toyota Camry |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 247 Better | 2,143 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 7 Better | 31 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 10 Better | 181 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 41.2 Better | 214.3 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 13 Better | 163 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 1 | 1 |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
Buick PARK Avenue
- 01ELECTRICAL SYSTEM43
- 02ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING35
- 03VISIBILITY25
- 04STEERING21
- 05ENGINE20
Owners report front door window regulators failing, causing the glass to fall inside the door, sometimes while driving on the highway. This is a common, annoying failure that can leave you unable to roll up a window.
Complaints include violent shaking and loss of acceleration with a burning odor, and worn engine motor mounts that cause knocking noises at idle or speed. These point to potential engine or mount issues that can be costly.
The steering wheel can move side-to-side on its own, leading to a crash into a ditch, and front wheel bearings may need replacement, causing noise. This is a safety-critical area that should be inspected.
“BOTH OF THE REGULATORS IN THE FRONT DOORS OF MY VEHICLE HAVE FAILED. THIS HAS CAUSE THE PANE IN THE WINDOW TO SLIDE INSIDE OF THE DOOR. THE FIRST ONE DID IT WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WHILE VACATIONING IN OHIO IN MAY OF THIS YEAR. THE SECOND WHEN I ARRIV…”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BUICK PARK AVENUE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A CHIME TWICE AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION AND A BURNING ODOR WAS PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC…”
Toyota Camry
- 01POWER TRAIN395
- 02UNKNOWN OR OTHER342
- 03ENGINE315
- 04SERVICE BRAKES290
- 05ELECTRICAL SYSTEM246
Owners report grinding noises from the front end on acceleration, with dealers recommending transmission replacement. Some Camrys have had transmission failures that are under recall, but not all VINs are covered.
There are reports of uncontrollable sudden acceleration, leading to crashes, and engine codes related to a coolant valve bypass that may not be covered by recall for all vehicles. These are serious safety concerns.
Brake pedal can have no response when pressed, especially on hills, and there are reports of brakes not engaging properly in parking lots. This is a critical safety issue that needs immediate attention.
“I turned into a restaurant’s parking lot, found a spot and slowly drove into the lot, I eased off the gas pedal and gently applying the brake as the lot has a slight downward slope. When I reach the chunk (the parking block), I added more force to the brake,…”
“Grinding noise coming from front end upon acceleration. Brought to dealership who confirmed noises coming from transmission. Transmission needs to be replaced per dealer recommendation. Recalls on 2021 Toyota Camry for same issue. Transmissions on backorder a…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
Buick PARK Avenue — 7 recalls
The defect: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE MAY BE INSTALLED OR FORCED OUT OF THE PROPER POSITION.
The risk: IF THE CABLE IS OUT OF THE PROPER POSITION, IT COULD INCREASE THE FORCE REQUIRED TO ACTIVATE THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE AND A PERSON TRAPPED IN THE TRUNK MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RELEASE THE TRUNK LATCH USING THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE…
The fix: DEALERS WILL SECURE THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE CABLE TO ENSURE THAT THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE OPERATES PROPERLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 19, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON…
The defect: ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE MAY BE INSTALLED OR FORCED OUT OF THE PROPER POSITION.
The risk: IF THE CABLE IS OUT OF THE PROPER POSITION, IT COULD INCREASE THE FORCE REQUIRED TO ACTIVATE THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE AND A PERSON TRAPPED IN THE TRUNK MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RELEASE THE TRUNK LATCH USING THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE…
The fix: DEALERS WILL SECURE THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE CABLE TO ENSURE THAT THE EMERGENCY TRUNK RELEASE HANDLE OPERATES PROPERLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 19, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON…
The defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 104, "WINDSHIELD WIPING AND WASHING SYSTEMS." THESE VEHICLES HAVE A WIPER SYSTEM MICROPROCESSOR THAT IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO VOLTAGE TRANSIENTS, WHICH CAN CAUSE A "LATCH-UP" CONDITION IN THE SYST…
The risk: IF MICROPROCESSOR "LATCH-UP" OCCURS, THE CUSTOMER WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OPERATE THE SYSTEM IN BOTH THE LOWER AND HIGH-SPEED MODES REQUIRED BY THE STANDARD.
The fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR COVER WHICH CONTAINS THE MICROPROCESSOR.
The defect: VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE INTERNAL FLUID LEAKS IN THE BRAKE HYDRAULIC CONTROL UNIT.
The risk: WHEN THE REAR BRAKE PROPORTIONING, ANTILOCK BRAKE, TRACTION CONTROL, OR STABILITY CONTROL FEATURE IS ACTIVATED IN SOME DRIVING SITUATIONS, THE FEATURE MAY NOT PERFORM AS DESIGNED.
The fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE ABS HYDRAULIC MODULATOR UNIT AND IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE HYDRAULIC MODULATOR.
Toyota Camry — 31 recalls
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short cir…
The risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Camry and Camry Hybrid vehicles. The second-row center and right-side seats may have insufficiently welded head restraint brackets. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle…
The risk: A head restraint bracket that is insufficiently welded may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the 60% rear seat-back frame sub-assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 19, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 24TB0…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Camry and Camry Hybrid vehicles. The lug nuts that attach the wheels to the vehicle may be loose, which can result in wheel detachment.
The risk: A wheel that detaches from a moving vehicle can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Dealers will inspect and tighten the lug nuts, and replace any damaged components, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Camry and Camry Hybrid vehicles. The second-row center and right-side seats may have insufficiently welded head restraint brackets. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle…
The risk: A head restraint bracket that is insufficiently welded may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the 60% rear seat-back frame sub-assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 19, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 24TB0…
Buyer analysis
Buick PARK Avenue or Toyota Camry: which should you buy?
The Buick Park Avenue has far fewer complaints per year (41.2 vs 214.3) and fewer recalls (7 vs 31), indicating a lower likelihood of encountering a problem. However, the Camry's issues are more likely to be safety-critical, so the Park Avenue may be less risky in terms of frequency, but both need careful inspection.
Key differences
- The Park Avenue has a much lower complaint rate (41.2/yr) than the Camry (214.3/yr), meaning fewer reported problems per year.
- Park Avenue owners report window regulators, engine mounts, and steering wander, while Camry owners report transmission grinding, sudden acceleration, and brake failures.
- The Camry has more recalls (31) than the Park Avenue (7), indicating more factory-acknowledged defects.
- Both have one reported death, but the Camry has more crash-related complaints (181 vs 10), suggesting more severe incidents.
- Test all power windows and listen for unusual noises or slow operation, as regulators are a known failure.
- Check for engine knocking or excessive vibration at idle and during acceleration, which could indicate worn motor mounts.
- During a test drive, accelerate gently and listen for grinding from the front, which could signal transmission trouble.
- Test the brakes on a slight incline to ensure they respond firmly, as some owners report brake failure.
Before you buy
- Have a mechanic inspect the engine mounts and steering components on the Park Avenue.
- On the Camry, check for any open recalls and verify the transmission fluid condition and service history.
- For both, test all windows and door locks, and check for any warning lights.
- Ask for maintenance records, especially for the Camry's transmission and brakes.
- Consider a pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic for either vehicle.
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Buick PARK Avenue or Toyota Camry in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Buick PARK Avenue vs Toyota Camry
- Buick PARK Avenue total complaints
- 247
- Toyota Camry total complaints
- 2,143
- Buick PARK Avenue total recalls
- 7
- Toyota Camry total recalls
- 31
- Buick PARK Avenue avg complaints/year
- 41.2
- Toyota Camry avg complaints/year
- 214.3
- More reliable overall
- Buick PARK Avenue
- Buick PARK Avenue top complaint area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Toyota Camry top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN