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2020 Camry battery going dead


Amanda Terrebonne

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Has anyone had a problem with their 2020 Camry battery going dead? I had to have roadside assistance tow my car in because it wouldn't start. Toyota said my battery was dead, and that they are having a lot of the new Camry's having problems with something draining the battery in the software of the car, and that there is no fix for it right now...I was basically told, ''sorry, if it happens again, just call roadside assistance''. I am livid. I should not have to worry about being stuck on the side of the road in a brand new car....

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Had the same thing happen last night with our new Camry. It’s a 2020 and have only had it for 10 days. It has 400 miles on it and we had to call Roadside Assistance too. We are taking it to the dealer today so I will see if they say the same thing. If that’s the case and they have no fix for it I’m so disappointed. I’ve always loved Toyota’s, what a bummer.

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Went to start 2020 SXE Camry (2833 miles on car) this morning and battery was almost dead.  Checking it with my meter it read 5.2 volts.  Noticed the last few days when I went to back out of the garage the electric park brake was on.  This happened 2 days in a row.   Charging battery now. Will update in the next few days if there are more issues with battery going dead.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have a 2020 Camry SE and my car's battery has gone dead twice! It was driving me nuts trying to figure out why!! Both times my car went dead has been on a Monday morning. I think I have figured out the problem. If I leave the car UNLOCKED all weekend and not drive it,  then on Monday morning when I get in it its dead. So something was draining the battery. Here is what I THINK it is...if I leave the car unlocked the display behind the steering wheel still shows the time and mileage but if I lock the car,  the display goes off. So...I think the display being left on when the car is unlocked is what was draining the battery dead over the weekend.

I lock my car every time I get out now and its has been two months since my battery has gone dead. 

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  • 5 weeks later...

My 2020 Camry XSE with 9,000 miles had a dead battery yesterday morning. I always lock my car so I don't think that was the issue. I don't typically drive it a lot but last week I did so I don't think being idle is the problem either. So sad to hear about all of this. This is my 3rd Camry and I bought this one because I NEVER had ANYTHING go wrong with the others and wanted something reliable. VERY DISAPPOINTED!

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have driven Camrys for 20 years between my husband and myself we have probably owned ten or twelve, all purchased as new cars and never had any problems.  My daughter is currently driving the one my husband had when he passed away in 2016, no problems.  May 11, 2020 I purchased a 2020 model Camry, August 5th would not start, it did not even make a clicking noise like a dead battery normally does.  At first the display said, "SMART KEY SYSTEM MALFUNCTION" after a couple of tries it said '"CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM".   I called for Roadside Assitance, they came to my home, pushed the car out of the garage, jumped it and it started immediately.  Next day took it to dealer, after a couple of hours they could not find any problems.  

August 22, 2020, (I finally started pulling into the garage again a few days ago instead of backing in) Went to start car, dead battery again.  This time it did click a little, called for Roadside Assistance.  This time they just put a Hot Box on it to jump it, strted right away.  I had driven it approximately 75 miles the previous day.  Back to the dealer tomorrow, hope they can find the problem, I'm afraid to drive anywhere and shut off the ignition.  This is why I purchased new cars, I expected them to operate as expected.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 8/25/2020 at 10:28 PM, Betty99 said:

I have driven Camrys for 20 years between my husband and myself we have probably owned ten or twelve, all purchased as new cars and never had any problems.  My daughter is currently driving the one my husband had when he passed away in 2016, no problems.  May 11, 2020 I purchased a 2020 model Camry, August 5th would not start, it did not even make a clicking noise like a dead battery normally does.  At first the display said, "SMART KEY SYSTEM MALFUNCTION" after a couple of tries it said '"CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM".   I called for Roadside Assitance, they came to my home, pushed the car out of the garage, jumped it and it started immediately.  Next day took it to dealer, after a couple of hours they could not find any problems.  

August 22, 2020, (I finally started pulling into the garage again a few days ago instead of backing in) Went to start car, dead battery again.  This time it did click a little, called for Roadside Assistance.  This time they just put a Hot Box on it to jump it, strted right away.  I had driven it approximately 75 miles the previous day.  Back to the dealer tomorrow, hope they can find the problem, I'm afraid to drive anywhere and shut off the ignition.  This is why I purchased new cars, I expected them to operate as expected.

Hi, right now I'm going through the same thing. I know it could be fairly recent, but did you find any solution ?

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I'm having same issues. Bought my 2020 camry SE nightshade in April. Today makes the 3rd time its gone dead in my driveway. Other 2 times was 2 months or more ago. The ONLY thing I've done differently since 2 months ago was turn on the automatic high beam feature...could this be it?? Also when in my driveway my key is very close to the car so I started storing them further away in the house also. This is maddening!!!!! 

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On 9/7/2020 at 12:11 PM, Mindy said:

I'm having same issues. Bought my 2020 camry SE nightshade in April. Today makes the 3rd time its gone dead in my driveway. Other 2 times was 2 months or more ago. The ONLY thing I've done differently since 2 months ago was turn on the automatic high beam feature...could this be it?? Also when in my driveway my key is very close to the car so I started storing them further away in the house also. This is maddening!!!!! 

Same here. I took my Car to the dealer and they did some testing...everything good they said. They charged my battery and now I'm hoping it doesn't drain. 

It's ridiculous...

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On 9/7/2020 at 12:11 PM, Mindy said:

I'm having same issues. Bought my 2020 camry SE nightshade in April. Today makes the 3rd time its gone dead in my driveway. Other 2 times was 2 months or more ago. The ONLY thing I've done differently since 2 months ago was turn on the automatic high beam feature...could this be it?? Also when in my driveway my key is very close to the car so I started storing them further away in the house also. This is maddening!!!!! 

I have read all complaints at this U.S. Forum and also in the UK Toyota Owner Club in which this issue is happening Global and out of all the post yours is the one that made more sense to me because I have never had an issue with my car untill last week 9-4-20 when i decided to try out the Automatic Hi Beam feture and in 2 days sunday my car battery died I searched all possible solutions why and the only thing i can think of is the automatic high beams so i disabled this feature and used my small portable battery starter that I purchased from amazon and re-started my car again.

4 days later today 9-11-20 my battery completely dead again why?

this is a $26,000 car new why is it having issues I hope Toyota recalls this issue asap or there will be class action Lemon Law happening soon as stated by law after the 4th time taking it to the dealer and they cannot fix the issue this then falls in the Lemon Law here in California not sure in other states.

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Well our two month old Camry had to be jump started twice (Dead as a door nail battery). At the dealer ng serviced even as I write this. It seems Toyota has a problem which I will be sure to bring up when I pick up the car. Fortunately, it's a leased vehicle and if a battery every two months is what it needs, so be it.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Taking our 2020 Camry SE in to the dealership tomorrow to get the battery changed. I suggested they check for software updates which would cause the car to search for signal continually.   ( Read that somewhere). They didn't seem to receptive. Hopefully this gets fixed. As of now, my 2005 Corolla with 250000 miles is more reliable.😕

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Same here. 2020 Camry TRD with 4800 miles.

First time the battery died was at around the 1500 mile mark. Car had been sitting for the weekend and on Monday it was dead.

Jump started and took it to the dealer. They found nothing wrong with it.

Happened again this weekend even though car had only been sitting for less than 48 hours. Unbelievable.

Good thing I bought a boost pack. Going to be needing it on a regular basis apparently.

Definitely wasn't the key fob as both fobs were in a different county than the car.

I've seen the TSB that essentially admits that the battery dies at about 48 hours.   T-SB-0007-19

"A battery in a stored vehicle is subject to conditions that can reduce its performance and service life. These conditions include storage period, temperature, parasitic drain, and battery load. Because of these factors, battery inspection and maintenance are required in order to ensure proper operation and optimal battery life. As a matter of policy, Toyota does not provide battery warranty coverage for discharged and/or failed batteries due to lack of maintenance. It is the dealer’s responsibility to maintain the specified State-Of-Charge (SOC) of the vehicle’s battery while in stock and ensure proper SOC at delivery. To eliminate customer service concerns due to an undercharged battery during the first few weeks of ownership, ALL dealers should check battery SOC and recharge, if necessary, no more than 48 hours before to customer delivery. "

It's going back to the dealer again, but I'm pretty sure it's pointless to do so. Will see.

Have a funny feeling I'll be learning how to do parasitic draw testing very soon. 

I see a lot of people post that they are having this issue but so far, no solutions. A quick read of the kbb website reviews

for these cars demonstrates pretty quick how big a problem this one is. Good job Toyota.

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New  2020 Camry - 2months later battery dead, 'defective" and  replaced. Since then new battery has died twice. Dealer finds no problems and states that  this is not a general problem with this model and I need to drive it more.

 Saw some lawyer's ad that  four times of an occurrence can activate the Lemon Law. has anybody tried this?

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2020 Camry XLE purchased, Oct 2019 has had the battery drain issue 3 times. Dealership finally replaced the battery in December 2019 the third time I took it to them. 10 months after they replaced the battery Oct 2020, I go out to the car and experienced the same problem!  Smart key System malfunctioning / Battery dead. I was livid, this was the 4th time this has happen. I called 1-800 Toyota spoke to a Case Manager and Supervisor while vehicle was being towed to the dealership. I was told by the Case Manager that they had just release an update to correct this issue. I told him to call my dealership and ensure that they had the update and would perform the procedure on my car.  He did and once I got to the dealership they informed me they would replace the battery and complete the DCM Reset and Firmware Update EL1934  0.8 86741-#####.  Toyota and the Dealership says this will fix the Battery drain issue. I am hoping this works. If you are experiencing the same problem, make sure that 1-800 Toyota documents your case and make sure your dealership is aware of the update.

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Yawn..... 2020 Camry XSE here. 10 months old. Been in shop 5 times. Left me stranded 2 times had to call Roadside Assistance. Don’t buy a Toyota. If you’re already stuck with one of their POS don’t drive it anywhere over a weekend. Don’t drive it anywhere after Toyota Shop closes at 5. Apparently, just driving your Toyota causes electrical failure. 
 

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On 10/9/2020 at 10:44 PM, tdock said:

2020 Camry XLE purchased, Oct 2019 has had the battery drain issue 3 times. Dealership finally replaced the battery in December 2019 the third time I took it to them. 10 months after they replaced the battery Oct 2020, I go out to the car and experienced the same problem!  Smart key System malfunctioning / Battery dead. I was livid, this was the 4th time this has happen. I called 1-800 Toyota spoke to a Case Manager and Supervisor while vehicle was being towed to the dealership. I was told by the Case Manager that they had just release an update to correct this issue. I told him to call my dealership and ensure that they had the update and would perform the procedure on my car.  He did and once I got to the dealership they informed me they would replace the battery and complete the DCM Reset and Firmware Update EL1934  0.8 86741-#####.  Toyota and the Dealership says this will fix the Battery drain issue. I am hoping this works. If you are experiencing the same problem, make sure that 1-800 Toyota documents your case and make sure your dealership is aware of the update.

They performed the same update on our Camry TRD today. Fingers crossed !!  Dealer seemed pretty confident it will fix the problem. Thanks for the info !!

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We have the same problem here with a 2018 Camry.  Never know if the car will be dead when you need it.   Battery dead 4 times.  Went two times to the dealer.  They say that battery is ok.  They wanted to sell us a back up battery.  I just talked to Toyota Canada. They were not able to help me.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Seems like there is hope. We let the car sit for about 60 hours and the car then started with no issues. Battery voltage was at about 12.7.

The DCM firmware update seems to have helped !

Anybody else had any trouble since have the firmware updated ?

 

 

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Same issue twice in within 30 days, brand new 2020 Camry purchased in June 2020.  But... my sister read this post.  Alerted me to the fix & by the time I arrived at the dealership, car had already arrived by tow, they assured me they had called Toyota  offices, was told about the fix & they will update the firmware.  Already have my car back, same day service but it took a few hours.  Another lady there with same issue when I went to get my car.  Hoping this will be the end of this issue as like all of you, it's not fun getting into your car ready to go to work & it is dead.  Literally.  Good luck everyone!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thank you to the two members who previously posted about the DCM Reset and Firmware Update EL1934  0.8 86741-#####.  I was also having issues with my battery going dead on my 2020 Camry XSE. About a month ago, I noticed that the car sometimes had difficulty starting. The day I was supposed to take it in for service, the battery was dead and I needed to call Roadside Assistance to jumpstart the battery so that I could drive to the dealership for service. I was told that the battery was fine and just needed to be recharged and that because the car was considered a luxury car with all of the extras, that it had to be driven every other day. I returned home frustrated until I googled 2020 Camry battery issues and realized that I was not alone with this issue. Many of your stories were very similar to mine including being told to drive it every other day. I am retired and did not feel that I should need to be out joyriding in the dead of winter every other day to keep my battery charged. I came across the two posts about the DCM Reset and Firmware Update. Searching DCM Reset and Firmware Update EL1934  0.8 86741-##### on the computer, I was able to find the actual Toyota Bulletin (T-SB-0095-20) dated September 30, 2020 with the steps for the service department to repair the issue and printed it out to take with me. I returned to the service department with a copy of the Firmware update and they were able to complete the update. A claim was also made to Toyota so I suspect that if there are enough car owners with this issue, there may eventually be a recall. I was told when I first called and mentioned the Firmware update that there were no recalls for my VIN number so I recommend being persistent. I have had the car home for a week and did not drive it on Sunday or Tuesday and Wednesday. So far the car has started right up. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I got a new 2020 Toyota Camry on November 11, 2020. On November 23, 2020 - twelve days and a little over five hundred miles later, I tried to leave and the thing was dead. Thank goodness I was at home. I buy new cars to keep car issues away.

I called Toyota Care. The wrecker driver arrived and was surprised it still had the dealer tag on it but he added, "You 'd be surprised how many 2020s I tow." 

The dealership was aware it was a Verizon update problem and had been aware of it only for a month - different ones of them said repeatedly. But they can't guarantee it won't happen again. From reading here and researching further I see it does happen again and again.

On further computer research it seems it has to do with Verizon running their widely advertised 5G in the FEW places that have 5G - and the REST OF US THAT ARE STILL 4G have got the problems.

 

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