2009 Toyota Camry - Safety Review and Crash Test Ratings

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The 2009 Toyota Camry comes packed full of the safety features one would expect in a modern, family-oriented car, but other cars in the segment still include more.

Edmunds reports that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) "gave the Camry its highest rating of 'Good' for frontal-offset and side collision protection." In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the 2009 Camry Hybrid five stars, its highest rating, in both frontal and side crash safety. It scored almost as high in NHTSA's rollover avoidance test, earning four out of five stars.

Every Toyota 2009 Camry comes with "antilock brakes (with brake assist), front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and a driver knee airbag," according to Edmunds. Cars.com praises the "driver's knee airbag," which is designed "to keep the occupant from sliding down and forward (submarining) in a collision."

Traction control is standard, but stability control remains optional, even on pricier, more powerful V-6 models. Cars.com observes, "That it's available on any trim level is a plus. That the Hyundai Sonata and Volkswagen Passat include it standard is a minus for the Camry and other midsize sedans." Oddly, the Camry Hybrid is the only Camry to include stability control as standard. Also, ConsumerGuide points out that the 2009 Toyota Camry has an "emergency inside trunklid release," which is a new feature required of cars so that people aren't trapped inside them.