general problems of the 2020 Toyota Camry - part 1

My 2020 Toyota Camry se suffered a sudden and premature transmission failure at only 114,000 miles. I am a college student and I cannot afford a major repair like this on top of my monthly car payment. The car began showing hesitation and sluggish acceleration on cold starts for a few months, but then suddenly went into limp mode with the check engine and traction control lights on. The screen displayed a warning saying ‘malfunction in the electronic control of the engine/throttle/transmission. ’ the vehicle became unsafe to drive because it would barely accelerate. If this had happened while I was merging onto a highway, it could have caused an accident. Lakeland Toyota told me the transmission has ‘internal failure’ and quoted me over $8,000 for a replacement. They did not provide detailed diagnostic codes or open the transmission to confirm the mechanical failure — they just saw a code and declared it dead. As a student with limited income, this puts me in a terrible financial situation. I still owe monthly payments on this car and now cannot even drive it. After researching online, I learned that many 2018–2020 Camry owners are experiencing similar transmission problems (ua80/ua80e), including hesitation, shuddering, harsh shifting, and early failure. Some owners have reported full transmission failure under 100k miles. There is even a public petition documenting these issues. This appears to be a pattern, not an isolated case. A transmission should not fail this early on a Toyota, and this sudden loss of power poses a serious safety risk. The vehicle is currently at a transmission specialist for a second opinion, but this may become a widespread issue affecting thousands of Camry owners. I am asking NHTSA to investigate the 2018–2020 Camry transmission problems before more drivers experience unexpected failures in traffic.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine oil was changed, and the oil warning light was reset. The mechanic informed the contact that the wiring harness had been damaged due to rodent activity and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact reported an issue with the battery draining. The vehicle was diagnosed with a battery failure, and the battery was replaced several times; however, the check engine warning light was occasionally illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 18,000. The VIN was not available.

On multiple occasions the doors have locked or unlocked automatically while driving. This puts my children at risk not knowing if doors will stay locked while driving. The problem has not been looked at a dealer. I doubt they could reproduce it being so random and infrequent. There were not any warning lamps or messages.

My 2020 Camry has been nothing but a problem and Toyota is noncompliant with helping me. The service recall for the fuel pump was fixed at vaughn Toyota in bastrop la . . A week later I still had the same issues. They refused to put another fuel pump on my car even thought the fuel pump had a one year warranty. I then took it to landers in little rock and since I had “codes” I had to pay $180 diagnostic fee. Fast forward to now, still have the same crappy fuel pump. I took it to ryburn Toyota and was told to replace the charcoal canister and vent valve . That was $1000. Problem not fixed. All my lights stay on, I often get a charging system error notification. It goes into reduced power mode. And has left me stranded numerous times on the side of the road. I want whatever is wrong with my car fixed. I have never owned a vehicle with this many problems. I thought Toyota’s were good vehicles but I promise if I ever get rid of this one, I will not purchase another Toyota vehicle again.

Just bought this car in may 2024 and a few months after owning it my check engine light came on. They said the issue is with a coolant bypass valve and the issue is common with Toyota’s like mine. There is currently no recall, warranty is fighting me to fix it and the repairs will cost me over $700! Toyota needs to recall for this issue.

Battery was replaced 6 months ago due to being old, however, on sept 19,2024 the car was completely dead after 4 days of no driving. Jumped by aaa and taken to dealer. Dealer reported on sept 20 no issue with battery and no idea what could be draining th battery. Told me I don’t drive it enough even though I just came back from a high mileage vacation and drove it for over 1 hour each way four days prior and two days before that. Told me I need to run for 30 min every other day even if it is just keep it idle in garage. Prior to this battery change I had no such issue letting it sit for days and not start. There seems to be an issue with this year of Camry that is going unaddressed by Toyota and needs a remedy other than drive your car more often as well as being told to buy a maintainer/charger to keep battery charged as told by the tech. This is a widespread problem that needs to be fixed or made right by the company especially when car is under warranty.

Coolant bypass valve.

Consistent issues regarding battery draining when car sits over 24 hours. Dealer can not find or resolve the problem.

While driving my car lost all power and my check engine light came on saying it needed to go to Toyota for inspection!.

Car battery is dead . Battery is drained without cause, especially if car is park for 3 days or more. I have battery replaced before but still dies if not driven.

Coolant bypass valve not functioning and needs to be repaired. Car can overheat or cause other electrical issues. Dealer stated this is a frequent issue for a lot of models. Not covered under warranty.

The 12-volt battery has gone totally dead twice. Replaced the battery 2 times. Both batteries were fairly new. I believe there is some sort of drain on the battery that the test doesn't show. At a Toyota dealership, they said I didn't drive the car enough. When the battery failed the last time, I had driven the car over 1000 miles in the previous days before letting the car sit for 2 days. No way should the battery die this quickly.

Started vehicle and went to back up. Car slammed into reverse and disply showed drive start control malfunction. The service engine light came on. I removed the battery to reset the error message and the following dayi took it to the dealership. They checked it out and told me that they didnt find anything wrong with it since it wasnt displaying a service engine light. So I went home with it. The next day it did it again so I took it back to them while the condition was happening. Which insisted of the error message, serv eng light, gearshift indicator displaying drive and park at the same time. Also the door locks were continually locking and unlocking. They put a new water valve plus a neut switch assy and a new xmission lever in it and told me it was fixed. I picked it up and the next day it did it again. Returned it to them and they said that the new part was possibly bad from Toyota, ordered a new one, put it in and said it was all good now. I picked car up and 9 months later its happening again. Not sure what to do. Please help.

After not driving for a couple days I was unable to start my Toyota Camry. The battery had drained for the 3rd time since buying this car in 2020. Safety - n/a dealer confirmed issue. Yes the dealership no warning lamps.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v865000 (air bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the "failure - ignition control" message was displayed. The contact stated that occasionally the seat belt warning chime failed to turn off while the seat belt was secured. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle occasionally failed to start, and all four door latches failed to unlock while using the key fob. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The vehicle has a parasitic electrical drain that has lead to my wife being stranded twice.

I purchased my Toyota Camry 2020 in 2021. I am at 56k miles and my car hasn’t started up without a jump for three weeks now. Car battery and alternator checked in excellent condition but somehow battery always drained. Found out that there was a bulletin back in 2020 on this issue that I was never made aware of so now I’m past 36 and Toyota states I have to pay for the update needed to keep my car running which is ridiculous because had I received this update upon purchase in 2021 this wouldnt have happened. This car is brand new and for them to say I have to pay for this issue they have neglected to take care of is unfair. There should be a class action suit against Toyota for this.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the front end of the vehicle made abnormal exploding sounds and there was smoke coming from under the hood. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the battery had exploded, and the battery was replaced. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "pre-collision warning malfunction” was intermittently displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving on another occasion, the message "maintenance required" and messages indicating the pre-collision, anti-lock and abs malfunction, and to contact the nearest dealer were displayed. The contact also stated that an alarm persistently sounded. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the failure was due to rodents damaging electrical wires. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a second opinion, and the mechanic determined that the failure was caused by the acidic residues that remained in the hood after the battery explosion. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer to be repaired. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 74,480.

Only the driver side door unlocks. Started with rear driver side door. Now only driver side door unlocks with key fob. Replaced battery and had fob program still same issue.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that all four doors on her vehicle would fail to either lock or unlock as needed. She stated that the failure initially started with the rear passenger door after the door failed to unlock with the key fob; she then attempted to unlock the door with the button on the driver side door but to no avail. The failure then began to occur all four door as an abnormal, squeaking sound would emit from the doors upon an attempt to unlock them. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed her that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Two instances of parking the 2020 Toyota Camry and electrical system going "dead" within 24-36 hours. Battery drained/unable to enter via fob/unable to start vehicle. Car maintenance and inspection occurred in November 2, 2022. Testing of battery by Toyota service center confirmed battery was not issue and worked as normal. Battery less than two years old. Overall safety was not at risk, as car was parked in garage during both instances (March 2022/November 2022). Problem was not able to be reproduced. No warnings were given prior to either event by warning lamps/messages.

Battery runs down if vehicle is not driven every few days. I did not drive the car for three days and battery was totally dead when I tried to start car. Some unknown current draw runs the battery down. Depending where a person is this could be a safety matter.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, unknown warning lights started flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle started losing motive power and became difficult to control and pulled to the center lane unintendedly. The contact stated that moments later the failures ceased, and the vehicle started to operate as intended. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. Recently the failure reoccurred, and the dealer determined that the failure was caused by a faulty battery. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 32,000.

Dead battery at 21000 miles. Car is less than 2 years old and didn't drive it for 36 hours and the battery completely drained. Even after jump start electronic dash wouldn't function properly.

Battery keeps draining with no warning. Has left me stranded multiple times. I have had the battery checked & it is fine. Nothing was left on in the vehicle.

First time went to get in my vehicle and the car would not even open, not even the trunk. Had been parked over night. The car was deader than a door nail. The Toyota dealer had a tow truck dispatched to me with a charge box. The charge box would not even crank the vehicle. Had to use his tow truck to jump the car took to Toyota they said it needed a software update. Did it seemed fine now fast forward several months later now when it cranks doesn’t want to crank, dies then have to try again finally it crank. Took in today at dealer they tested battery said it’s showing 100% testing so not the battery then they say the update didn’t take back months ago so needs to be updated again ??. So now I’ve been shuttled home as it will take 2 plus hours. I’ve googled and seen so many complaints that are identical to mine and wondering why my vehicle has no recall when my vehicle has same issues apparently or I’m being lied to by the dealer cause I’ve got a complete lemon. I’ve owned many Toyota’s and never once had issues like this.

As I was driving Monday morning August 16 2021, check engine light and chip failure light showed up. When shifting the vehicle in reverse, but it showed in drive. Took the car to Toyota dealer, and diagnosis reveals "vehicle has green death in connections to shift indicator. This problem costing $4,585. 25 to fix the problem.

Tl the contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact stated the battery became inoperable. The vehicle was towed to Toyota of nashua (10 marmon dr, nashua, nh 03060, (603) 689-1500) to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not driven enough which caused the battery drainage. The contact was informed to use a trickle charger between use of the vehicle to keep the battery fully charged always. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 2,000.

Car battery won't hold a charge keeps going dead. Dealer claim they can't find nothing wrong. Car sit parked, like something is drawn power while car is off.

Twice recently 2020 Toyota Camry with less than 8,000 miles on it would not start after being parked in a garage. In both cases, we charged the battery and car started right away. No doors were left open, no lights on, etc. What is causing the battery to drain after a day or two not being driven? my older Toyota with 150,000 is more reliable, sadly. Have read about a battery drain issue with this car, but Toyota customer service says my VIN number is not part of the recall. Seems like I am not the only one with this problem. Taking to dealership this week to see if problem can be identified.

Problems with the dead battery � draining. I bought the car in July 2020. It has been 2 times I've had to call roadside assistance because my car was completely dead. First time, they said it was because the car was parked at the dealership with no use. Second time, they said it was because my car has low miles since I've bought it. I wanted to buy a new car to not go through "issues" and I should not be forced to drive my car more than what I need to, nor I should have to buy a trickle charger the tech service guy recommended me to buy and follow his instructions on having to drive at least 30 minutes twice a week, when I already drive it to work everyday. Now I am affraid to drive my car, worried that it won't work at any given moment. What should you expect when they tell you "I cannot garantee this won't happend again in 6 or 7 months"?. Very disappointed. I then, started doing resaerch on my own online and found out that there are a lot of people experiencing the same problem.

Purchased my 2020 Toyota Camry in October 2020. In November 23, 2020, I left my car in the driveway. On November 25, 2020, I attempted to turn on my car, but only received the flickering of lights inside the car. The car would never start. Upon getting out of the car, the car beeped 6 times. When I went back to check the car for any changes, nothing would come on at all. Will be calling dealership and road ship assistance after thanksgiving.

I bought this car 10/03/2020 with 76 miles on the odometer it was manufacturered 05/20/2020 today is 11/20/2020 went out to start my car it started clicking and won't start has lights flickering randomly had it towed to Toyota it has 1,700 miles on it . Had drove the car the day before and it seemed fine. The gas mileage for the first 2 tanks was 48 mpg the last tank was 41 mpg. The cars battery drained over night about 12 hours and no lights were left on or doors open.

Went to get in my car to leave and it had no power. Called Toyota care to get a jump they came out and gave me a jump and it started right up. Drove it around a bit and parked it. Went out to start it again 4 hours later and the battery was completely dead again.

Within 2 weeks of purchasing the car I had the following issues: the keyless key not working, engine immobilizer system light was on, electric power steering system warning light was on and the car battery was completely drained. Car was stopped.