The 2021 Toyota Camry Le remains a popular choice for drivers seeking a reliable and safe sedan. Understanding its safety features and how it performs in crash tests is crucial for informed car buying decisions. This article delves into the safety ratings of the 2021 Toyota Camry LE, providing a comprehensive overview of its performance in various crash evaluations, ensuring you have all the necessary information.
Small Overlap Front: Driver-Side Assessment
The Toyota Camry, redesigned in 2018, underwent rigorous driver-side small overlap frontal testing. Conducted by Toyota and assessed by the Institute, the 2021 Toyota Camry LE achieved a Good rating in this challenging evaluation. This “Good” rating extends to crucial aspects such as structure and safety cage integrity, as well as driver injury measures for head/neck, chest, hip/thigh, and lower leg/foot. Restraints and dummy kinematics also received a “Good” score, indicating effective occupant protection in this type of collision.
Technical measurements from the test (Test ID: VTN1710) reveal minimal occupant compartment intrusion. For instance, the lower hinge pillar max intrusion was just 2 cm, and the steering column showed 0 cm of intrusion. Driver injury measures were also reassuringly low, with a Head Injury Criterion (HIC-15) of 157 and negligible neck tension and bending moment. Chest compression was minimal at 22mm, and femur and tibia forces were also very low, indicating a low risk of significant injuries in a driver-side small overlap front crash for the 2021 Toyota Camry LE.
Small Overlap Front: Passenger-Side Evaluation
Expanding on the frontal crash safety, the passenger-side small overlap test is equally important. The 2021 Toyota Camry LE continues to demonstrate robust safety performance, achieving an overall Good rating in this assessment. Similar to the driver-side, the structure and safety cage held up well, earning a “Good” rating. Passenger injury measures for head/neck, chest, hip/thigh, and lower leg/foot were also rated as “Good”.
However, the passenger restraints and dummy kinematics received an “Acceptable” rating. While the dummy’s face remained in contact with the frontal airbag, there was some head movement towards the gap between the frontal and side curtain airbags. Despite this, the side curtain airbag deployed effectively, offering sufficient forward coverage. Technical data (Test ID: CEP1711) shows slightly higher occupant compartment intrusion on the passenger side compared to the driver side, but still within acceptable limits, ensuring passenger survival space is well maintained.
Driver injury measures during the passenger-side test remained “Good” across all categories, mirroring the strong performance seen in the driver-side small overlap test for the 2021 Toyota Camry LE.
Moderate Overlap Front: Original Test Results
In the traditional moderate overlap front test, the 2021 Toyota Camry LE again secured an overall Good rating. This test, a long-standing benchmark for frontal crash safety, evaluates the vehicle’s performance when a significant portion of the front end absorbs the impact. The structure and safety cage of the 2021 Toyota Camry LE performed admirably, earning a “Good” rating. All driver injury measures, including head/neck, chest, and leg/foot (both left and right), were also rated “Good”. Driver restraints and dummy kinematics were also deemed effective (“Good”).
Technical measurements (Test ID: VTF1714) indicate minimal footwell intrusion and controlled steering column movement. Driver injury measures were low, with a HIC-15 of 204 and manageable chest compression of 26mm. Femur and tibia forces were also within safe parameters, further confirming the 2021 Toyota Camry LE’s robust performance in a moderate overlap frontal crash scenario.
Side Impact: Original Test Assessment
The side impact test evaluates the protection offered to occupants in a T-bone style collision. The 2021 Toyota Camry LE achieved an overall Good rating in the original side test. Structure and safety cage performance was “Good”, and driver injury measures for head/neck, torso, and pelvis/leg were all rated “Good”. Driver head protection also received a “Good” rating, along with rear passenger injury measures and head protection, highlighting comprehensive side-impact safety for the 2021 Toyota Camry LE.
Technical measurements (Test ID: VTS1712) show controlled B-pillar intrusion and acceptable injury measures for both driver and passenger dummies. This “Good” rating in the original side test underscores the 2021 Toyota Camry LE’s ability to protect occupants in side-impact collisions.
Side Impact: Updated Test – Areas for Improvement
It’s important to note that an updated, more stringent side impact test was introduced. In this updated evaluation, the 2021 Toyota Camry LE received an overall Poor rating. While the structure and safety cage achieved an “Acceptable” rating, driver injury measures for torso and pelvis were “Marginal”. Critically, driver head protection was also rated “Marginal” because the dummy’s head moved past the side curtain airbag and struck the window sill. Rear passenger pelvis protection was rated “Poor”.
Technical measurements (Test ID: CES2215) reveal higher injury measures in the updated side test compared to the original, particularly for the driver. This “Poor” rating in the updated side test indicates an area where the 2021 Toyota Camry LE’s side-impact protection could be improved, especially in newer, more demanding crash scenarios. This rating applies to models built before February 2023.
Roof Strength Evaluation
The roof strength test assesses the vehicle’s ability to withstand rollover crashes. The 2021 Toyota Camry LE earned a Good rating in this evaluation. With a strength-to-weight ratio of 5.67, the roof demonstrated significant resistance, exceeding safety standards and indicating good protection in rollover situations for the 2021 Toyota Camry LE.
Head Restraints & Seats Performance
Whiplash protection is crucial in rear-end collisions. The 2021 Toyota Camry LE, equipped with power cloth seats, received an overall Good rating for head restraints & seats. Both dynamic rating and seat/head restraint geometry were rated “Good”, indicating effective design for whiplash prevention. Technical measurements confirm favorable seat design parameters and low neck forces during testing, contributing to the “Good” rating for the 2021 Toyota Camry LE.
Headlight System Ratings
Headlight performance is a critical safety factor, especially for nighttime driving. The 2021 Toyota Camry LE has multiple headlight variations, and ratings vary by trim level.
For the LE trim and similar trims (SE, Nightshade, TRD, Hybrid LE, Hybrid SE), equipped with LED projector headlights and high-beam assist, the overall rating is Acceptable. Low beam visibility was good on straightaways and gradual right curves, but inadequate on gradual left curves. High beam assist compensates for some low beam limitations.
For XSE and Hybrid XSE trims, also with LED projector headlights and high-beam assist (but non-curve-adaptive), the overall headlight rating is again Acceptable. Performance is similar to the LE trim headlights, with good straightaway visibility but limitations on curves.
Hybrid XLE trim with Adaptive Headlights package achieves a Good overall headlight rating. These adaptive LED projector headlights with high-beam assist provide good visibility on both straightaways and curves, representing the best headlight performance for the 2021 Toyota Camry LE.
XLE and Hybrid XLE trims (non-adaptive headlights) receive an Acceptable headlight rating. Low beam visibility is fair to inadequate on curves, and high beams are inadequate in all curve tests. High-beam assist provides some compensation.
Front Crash Prevention: Vehicle-to-Vehicle & Pedestrian
The 2021 Toyota Camry LE comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+ Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, a significant safety feature. In vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention tests, the system earned a Superior rating. It successfully avoided collisions in both 12 mph and 25 mph tests, demonstrating effective automatic emergency braking.
For pedestrian front crash prevention (daytime), the system also achieved a Superior rating. It avoided collisions with both crossing child and adult dummies in 12 mph and 25 mph tests. In the parallel adult scenario, the system significantly reduced impact speed, demonstrating robust pedestrian detection and collision mitigation capabilities in the 2021 Toyota Camry LE.
Child Seat Anchors (LATCH)
For families, child seat anchor accessibility is important. The 2021 Toyota Camry LE received a Good + extra LATCH positions rating for child seat anchors (LATCH). It has two rear seating positions with complete LATCH hardware and an additional position with a tether anchor and the ability to borrow lower anchors. This provides flexibility for installing child seats securely in the 2021 Toyota Camry LE. Ease of use and anchor accessibility are well-designed, contributing to the “Good” rating.
Conclusion: 2021 Toyota Camry LE Safety Performance
The 2021 Toyota Camry LE demonstrates strong safety performance in most crash tests, earning “Good” ratings in small overlap front (driver and passenger side), moderate overlap front, original side impact, roof strength, and head restraints & seats. Front crash prevention systems for both vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian scenarios are rated “Superior”. Headlight ratings are “Acceptable” or “Good” depending on trim and headlight configuration. The updated side impact test revealed an area for potential improvement, with a “Poor” rating. Overall, the 2021 Toyota Camry LE offers a solid level of safety, particularly in frontal and side (original test) crash scenarios, and excels in front crash prevention technology. Understanding these safety ratings provides valuable insights for anyone considering the 2021 Toyota Camry LE as their next vehicle.
