If you were thrilled at the prospect of getting a brand new 2018 Camry and gloating about Toyota's vaunted reliability for the next ten years, well, the perfect record is already broken with three strikes, this third one a recall for a vacuum pump assembly that provides assistance to the braking system. The 2018 Camry is not the only Toyota affected, with 2018 Highlanders, 2017 Siennas and Tacomas and the 2017 Lexus RX350 included in this recall.

About 6,000 total units were equipped with a faulty vacuum pump assembly, namely a component that appears to have been manufactured incorrectly. If the part malfunctions, it can set off the warning light and message and lead to "sudden loss" of brake assist. I don't know about you, but suddenly having less braking than expected is not ideal. In NHTSA's typically cheerful tone, they warn that "a sudden loss of braking assist while driving could increase the risk of a crash." Toyota is in the process of preparing to reach out to owners of the Toyota and Lexus vehicles affected by the recall, with a mailing going out in late May to come in for free replacement of the vacuum pump assembly.

Although the Camry remains a darling of the reliability surveys like Consumer Reports' Top Picks and JD Power's Vehicle Dependability Study, this is the third recall already for the 2018 Camry, and probably the least frightening. The first was issued on Valentine's Day, with over 11,000 Camrys potentially affected by incorrectly connected fuel lines that could leak, and, if exposed to spark or flame, ignite the vehicle in a fiery death ball (those were not NHTSA's exact words in this case). Then just last week in late March, NHTSA issued a recall for 1,730 Camrys that had a risk of stalling due to incorrectly sized pistons – how those ever made it off dealer lots is a miracle. As usual, NHTSA reminds you that you can check your car's VIN at its website.