2025 Toyota Crown Problems: 10 Known Issues

On the 2023-2026 Toyota Crown, crowns equipped with the Panoramic View Monitor are included in Toyota's ~1 million-vehicle multi-brand recall for a Parking Assist ECU software error that can make the rearview camera image freeze (about two seconds) or show a blank screen when shifted into reverse shortly after startup, failing FMVSS No. 111. This is a software defect distinct from the 24V442000 camera water-ingress hardware recall. NHTSA recall 25V744000 lists the 2023-2026 Crown, and WardsAuto names the Crown in its coverage.

On the 2023-2025 Toyota Crown, certain 2023-2025 Crowns distributed by Gulf States Toyota and fitted with GST dealer accessories carry a load-carrying-capacity modification label whose added-weight value is inaccurate due to a programming error, failing FMVSS No. 110. A driver relying on the wrong figure could overload the vehicle, raising crash risk. Confirmed via the NHTSA Part 573 report for 24V-548.

On the 2023-2025 Toyota Crown, toyota recalled the 2023-2025 Crown as part of NHTSA campaign 25V595000, which covers 591,377 vehicles across the whole campaign (many Toyota and Lexus models, not the Crown alone). An error in the instrument panel software at vehicle startup can leave the instrument panel failing to display vehicle speed, the brake system warning light, and the tire pressure warning light. On a car like the Crown where the driver relies entirely on the digital cluster for speed, that means you may pull away with no speed readout and no way to see a brake or tire pressure warning that would normally appear there. NHTSA notes an instrument panel that does not show critical information increases the risk of a crash or injury. Toyota's internal numbers for the campaign are 25TB08 and 25TA08.

On the 2023-2025 Toyota Crown, the Crown's 12.3-inch infotainment system can exhibit lag, slow boot times, and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto disconnections. The system occasionally freezes requiring a reboot, and voice recognition can be unresponsive.

On the 2023-2025 Toyota Crown, unlike almost every other Toyota passenger car sold in the US, the Crown fastens its wheels with M14x1.5 lug bolts threaded directly into the hub rather than studs and nuts, and the factory bolt uses a 14mm radius (ball) seat rather than the 60-degree taper seat that is standard in the aftermarket. Toyota bulletin T-SB-0042-23 (July 2023), which covers the 2023-2024 Crown along with many other Toyota models, warns that installing non-compatible wheels or hub bolts/nuts increases the risk that a wheel could come off. Two failure modes follow. Tire shops unfamiliar with bolts can cross-thread or strip the hub itself, which is far more expensive than replacing a stud. And when aftermarket or winter wheels are fitted, a taper-seat bolt used against a radius-seat wheel (or the reverse when the OE wheels go back on in spring) does not seat correctly and can loosen in service. Owners also report the exposed lug bolt heads rusting in salted climates.

On the 2023-2025 Toyota Crown, platinum and other 21-inch-wheel Crowns run an unusual 225/45R21 tire size with very little sidewall. Owners report that replacement tires in this size are hard to source, with Michelin effectively the only supplier for a long period, and are expensive, and that the low-profile sidewall gives little protection so potholes and curb strikes readily damage the rim itself. Owners also report the original equipment tires wearing quickly, and there are flat-tire reports on the 21-inch fitment; the Crown carries no full-size spare, so a sidewall puncture means a tow or a long wait for an unusual size to be ordered in. Cars on the 19-inch wheel are not affected, and several owners have downsized to 19s specifically to escape the problem.

On the 2023-2025 Toyota Crown, the Crown's hybrid powertrain (2.4L turbo hybrid or 2.5L hybrid) can exhibit software-related hesitation during transitions between electric and gas power. The system occasionally surges or hesitates during low-speed maneuvers, particularly in parking lots.

On the 2023-2025 Toyota Crown, the Crown exhibits more road noise than expected for a near-luxury sedan, particularly from the rear wheel wells and A-pillar area at highway speeds. The crossover-like ride height and larger wheel/tire combination contribute to increased tire noise versus traditional sedans.

On the 2023-2025 Toyota Crown, owners of the 2023 and later Crown report the lower rocker and door molding trim pulling away from the doors and body, often within the first few thousand miles. The retaining clips and the plastic clip towers moulded into the trim break, so the strip has to be repeatedly snapped back on and eventually flaps loose. At least one owner reported the loosened trim letting water in between the molding and the front passenger door and under the door threshold, causing a rattle. The Crown's low-slung molding sits close enough to the ground that it catches on curbs and grass when a door is opened, which accelerates the damage. A dealer body shop confirmed to one owner that the failure was a manufacturing defect in the molding rather than road-debris impact.

On the 2023-2025 Toyota Crown, crown owners describe the brakes changing feel mid-stop: regenerative braking begins the deceleration, the hydraulic friction brakes then blend in, and as road speed falls the regenerative contribution drops out, producing a noticeable reduction in braking rate near the end of a stop unless the driver adds pedal pressure. Separately, owners report a metallic clang or clunk from the brakes at the moment the pedal is released, audible with the radio off and confirmed by several owners including Crown Signia drivers. Neither behaviour sets a code, but the shifting pedal response is unsettling in traffic and the transition means the friction pads see little use, which lets surface corrosion build on the rotors.