I have a nice new 2012 Camry Hybrid which I enjoy very much. I have a question about a noise it makes first thing in the morning when I open the driver's door. It is a small whirring noise sort of like a window washer pump. It goes on for about 5 - 10 seconds then shuts off on its own. There do not seem to be any problems, just a noise. Can anybody offer an explaination?

 

First the good news. It is normal and not a concern. What you hear is the electric hydraulic brake pump running. It runs to pressurize the hydraulic system which includes an accumulator to create a pressure reserve when the pump is not running. Mine runs for 5 seconds or so in summer, and a bit longer in winter.

Now for the bad news. The original TCH design seems to have a flaw in this system. When it fails you hear the pump running more and more often and for longer. It is often called an accumulator failure. However, I really don't see how the accumulator can fail, and suspect there are internal seal failures that occur. The problem is that it is replaced as an assembly and is very expensive. Do a search in this forum for accumulator, or VSC message. In fact you can find a couple of threads on this first page.

2012 was the first major redesign year since the TCH was introduced in 2007. I'm sure Toyota knows of the problem, and I would really hope an upgrade is part of the redesign. I guess time will tell...

 

Thanks. That explains the noise very well.

 

...FWIW, if you're near your car 30 seconds after you power it down, it will make those noises, too (not sure what it is, but the basic rule of thumb with hybrids is...all noises are normal...YMMY/slightly sarcastic)