Power Train Problems of Toyota Camry - part 1

The 2019 model year ua80 transmission abruptly failed while driving at under 88,000 miles, just a bit beyond the warranty period. I have to sell the car as is and take a $10,000 loss because of this defect by Toyota. My mechanic has photos and will document all the details. My safety was absolutely at risk when the vehicle abruptly stopped on the road while driving during a major rain storm but luckily nothing bad happened. Thankfully I was on a local surface street and not the freeway or a busy intersection. I was towed to my mechanic that has been servicing my vehicle since 2021. My mechanic did a thorough inspection and determined the transmission had failed. He also confirmed this is a chronic problem with several make and model years for several Toyota and Lexus vehicles that use the ua80 transmission. I also learned several class action lawsuits against Toyota were recently filed. There was really no warning other than it ran a little rough in the morning 2 days prior to the car stopping abruptly on the road. This was just a week or so after being with my mechanic for regular service. There are no replacement ua80 units available from Toyota, they are on back order due to all the failures, so my only option is to walk away and take a huge loss or spend $9,000 on a used unit that will ultimately have the same issue. I am probably going to sell at a loss and get a different vehicle.

See all problems of the 2019 Toyota Camry 🔎.

Transmission shifting issues even with regular fluid changes. Struggles to find gear and occasional slip especially when its colder outside. Seems to be a widespread issue that needs to be addressed.

Transmission failure after 145k miles; confirmed by 3 independent service centers. Ics malfunction appeared two days prior to car being sent to mechanic shop.

See all problems of the 2018 Toyota Camry 🔎.

Vehicle started making a nasty whining noise. Talked to Toyota, they stated it was normal. Ive kept up on the transmission service as noted, and performed all said services before they were due, vehicle just rolled over to 108k and the whining noise got louder, and now the transmission is bad, called a friend at a different Toyota dealer and he stated that they have a lot of Camrys with bad transmissions, and that Toyota knows about it but wont acknowledge the issues.

Current mileage is approximately 82,000. Vehicles transmission slips, harsh shifting, and sudden jerking when cold (but after cold start protocol) accelerator also has this issue, where the car will struggle to accelerate, jerking instead until foot is let off the accelerator and then reapplied. All services have been done at the dealer and on time. Original transmission fluid changes reported metal shavings, and transmission fluid was changed early. Vehicle is not subject to harsh/rough driving habits. Seems to be signs of premature transmission failure.

Issue: loud whining coming from transmission during acceleration, rough shifting, transmissions slips. Rough shifting noticed shortly after 25k warranty. More details: I had purchase my vehicle new at dublin Toyota and have serviced my vehicle regularly recommended by Toyota dealer. Took into dealer for 90k service which included transmission fluid change. After the service I noticed that the bill didn’t include transmission fluid on the materials list. I called the service advisor and asked if it had been changed. The service advisor said he couldn’t prove it as it was not listed so he asked that I bring it back in and he will make sure it is changed. I brought the car back in. . The service team never mentioned any concerns with transmission. Whining started a couple weeks after. I took my car to transmission shop, who inspected a found black burnt transmission fluid with metal pieces. I informed them that I brought my car in for service which was supposed to include a transmission fluid change. They said it didn’t look like it was changed, and if it was, the the service tech would have noticed the black fluid and should have advised of transmission concerns. I was advised that the transmission is damaged beyond being rebuild and needs to be replaced. This failure is a known and acknowledged issue with Toyota ua80f/e transmissions. Technical service bulletins t-sb-0160-18, t-sb-0008-21.

Jerking shifting hard stalled in traffic.

While driving my 2018 Toyota Camry in active traffic, the vehicle suddenly stopped accelerating despite pressing the accelerator pedal. The engine remained on, but the vehicle would not move when pressing accelerator pedal. This occurred without warning and created an immediate safety hazard because surrounding traffic was moving normally and I was unable to maintain speed or clear the roadway. The loss of acceleration occurred while the vehicle was already in motion, not during startup, and placed me at risk of being rear-ended. There were no dashboard warnings prior to the failure. The condition appeared intermittent and unpredictable. This issue is extremely dangerous because a driver cannot rely on the vehicle to accelerate when needed to avoid collisions or safely merge, cross intersections, or keep up with traffic flow. What happened after the failure the vehicle required pulling over / restarting / limping to safety due to inability to accelerate normally. This defect makes the vehicle unsafe to operate in normal traffic conditions. ? additional safety concerns I have discovered numerous consumer complaints and ongoing litigation involving 2018 Toyota Camry automatic transmission failures, including reports of hesitation, loss of power, and failure to accelerate. This suggests a systemic transmission defect, not normal wear and tear. This failure presents a serious risk of crash, injury, or death, especially in intersections, highways, or congested traffic. Requested action I am requesting that NHTSA: •investigate this issue as a potential safety defect •review similar complaints involving 2018 Toyota Camry automatic transmissions •require corrective action, including recall or mandatory repair, if a defect is confirmed.

There is a transmission shudder when traveling around 30-40 mph as well as sporadically when increasing speed. Recently, there is a very hard shift/jolt when transmission is shifting from 2nd to 3rd. The issue is caused by a combination of a faulty torque converter and a software glitch in the engine control module (ecm). This is a safety hazard, and I contacted Toyota dealership in vineland who told me that they can't do anything. However, to fix the problem that Toyota issued the recall themselves, Toyota dealers need to replace to the torque converter and update the ecm software. I am reaching out to the NHTSA because this is a safety hazard, and I hope you are able to help me.

See all problems of the 2014 Toyota Camry 🔎.

Faulty transmission resulted in loss of power while driving at high speed.

I have been taking my car to Toyota from I had the car, just normal recommendations. 2 weeks a go nothing was wrong with my car when I took it to nalley stonecrest in GA, no one said anything to me about anything feeling away or nothing about a check engine light( that's when I knew something wasn't right). In less then 2 days the check engine light came on and instantly the car started to drag and loose acceleration and wouldn't go in to gear while I am on the highway and stuck in the middle of the road. I went to nalley Toyota of stone crest which I shouldn't and explained to them what happen. Not even looking at at the car they instantly said its a transmission need to replace. ( remind you they didn't even look at it yet cause I have not towed it yet. They wont check it to see if there is a problem that they might have caused or anything, just quick to sell you a transmission. Something need sto be done cause if this many cars are having the same problem something need to justified.

Around 67,000 miles I've been noticing a whining sound whenever accelerating. Sound disappears whenever foot is off the gas pedal.

See all problems of the 2020 Toyota Camry 🔎.

Toyota Camry began shifting rough and jerking when accelerating between 2nd and 3rd gear. Next there was an audible whine and rumble while the car was driving. This occured for approximately 1 week with no indicator lights. On January 1st, there was a total transmission failure and failure of automatic break system and the Camry lost power when accelerating. The vehicle only had 64,000 miles and was outside of warranty.

My 2018 Toyota Camry with 132,000 started experiencing transmission issues in the last 10,000 miles or so - with hesitation in shifting. Now at 132,000 my transmission has officially fully failed. Upon bringing it to a reputable transmission repair shop, I learned that the repair would cost me over $8000 between parts (hard to find) and labor. This is wild as I expected a Toyota to last up and over 200k miles easily. This has absolutely tarnished my views on Toyota reliability! I even called corporate and they were absolutely no help!.

While driving, the vehicle experiences unintended braking and refusal to accelerate. Abs, traction control, pre-collision system, and secondary collision brake warnings illuminate. Toyota dealer diagnostics documented abs and brake system fault codes c1201 and c1a50. The vehicle also produces a loud whining/buzzing noise from the brake actuator area while stationary. Dealers have recommended transmission replacement despite active abs/pcs fault codes and safety system involvement. The condition temporarily resets after battery disconnect but returns. This presents a safety risk due to unintended braking and loss of vehicle control. When this happened I was in the street with my daughter in the back we could have got injured.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while the local dealer was performing preventive maintenance on the vehicle, there was an abnormal winding sound detected. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had not experienced a failure prior to the service appointment. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

The transmission in my 2019 Toyota Camry went from normal, expected operation to complete transmission failure in less than 2 weeks! there was no advanced notice of the issue until the transmission issues became so pervasive that I was already taking it in to be looked at. That was when the dashboard lit up with notifications of pre-collision system malfunction, drive-start control malfunction and secondary collision brake system malfunction followed by a notification to take it to the dealer (where I was headed when this occurred). I pulled the vehicle off the highway and had it towed to the dealer as the vehicle was not drive-able and would not stay in gear. The reason for going to the dealer was the day before, I went to a mechanic and on the way the cel came on. The mechanic noted the scanner did not have any codes and suggested I take it to the dealer. . . Where I was going when the above happened. I use this car to transport my children to school and the 2 days prior to the complete malfunction of the car's transmission the failure to find a gear while accelerating resulted in multiple instances where vehicles behind me came exceptionally close to a rear end collision. On one instance, I was crossing an intersection and the transmission didn't find a gear and I narrowly avoided being struck broadside by another vehicle. The service department at the Toyota dealership advised the transmission suffered complete internal failure (providing numerous codes regarding the solenoids) with a cost of $10,599. 67 to replace it. It worked fine 2 weeks earlier with no prior warnings than an occasional hard shift and an instance of a slipping gear. Fluids were not excessively dirty, I changed the transmission fluid as required with Toyota brand ws transmission fluid. No leaks exist and no excessive indication of metal particulates in the used transmission fluid. I'm waiting on Toyota for information on what they plan to do. Must be manufacturing defect.

There is a very widely known issue with Toyota Camrys 2018 to 2024 due to the 8 speed automatic transmission. My safety reason for reporting is without warning I was accelerating to pull out at a intersection and it just started reving up to a high rpms and would not hardly move . This is gonna get some one killed this is very dangerous. Toyota already has 2 class action lawsuits due to these transmissions and just in the USA alone from speaking to Toyota dealership in California and in north carolina that they have over 100 on national backorder. This is a serious safety hazard. Time will show I am right.

While driving, the vehicle experienced an unintended side airbag deployment without any collision or impact. At the same time, the seatbelt locked, the vehicle came to a sudden stop, and a hybrid system malfunction warning appeared. The vehicle immediately became undrivable and was towed. The vehicle remains available for inspection and is currently under the manufacturer’s control. This sudden failure created a serious safety risk due to the unexpected airbag deployment and loss of vehicle control while driving. As a result of the incident, I sustained physical injuries and sought medical attention. The vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer. The manufacturer has stated they are unable to confirm whether the vehicle is safe to operate and the investigation remains ongoing. No warning lights or messages appeared prior to the failure. The event occurred suddenly and without warning. Law enforcement responded to assist with traffic safety and relocation of the disabled vehicle; no formal accident or crash report was generated.

See all problems of the 2025 Toyota Camry 🔎.

Vehicle only has 58,983 miles and already has a failing transmission. Dealership recommends full transmission replacement costing $8,000. 00. I am not even done with the monthly payments and I am currently in financial burden. Please help me.

My 2025 Toyota Camry xse (hybrid) is subject to an open safety recall issued December 16, 2025. The recall involves a serious safety risk, and I was advised by the dealership not to drive the vehicle. At the time of the recall, the vehicle was approximately two months old with about 1,500 miles and in like-new condition. Because there is currently no available remedy, I was required to leave the vehicle stored at the dealership. I have been without use of my own vehicle since January 6, 2026 and am using a loaner vehicle solely due to the safety recall, not by choice. Toyota has stated a fix may not be available until at least q1 2026, with no defined repair timeline, and customers are being told to wait without interim mitigation. I am concerned about the inability to safely operate my vehicle and the long-term impact of extended storage on a nearly new hybrid vehicle, including hybrid battery health, fuel and fluid systems, seals, tires, and interior and exterior materials. Prior to the recall, the vehicle was routinely garaged and properly maintained, and extended outdoor storage due to the recall introduces risk of premature wear unrelated to normal ownership use. While the dealership has indicated the vehicle may be started periodically, this does not replace normal driving and ownership use. In addition to loss of use, I am required to maintain a $300 monthly loaner vehicle deposit while my vehicle remains unusable due to the recall. Toyota customer service has stated they cannot escalate or provide assistance and are instructed to close cases without resolution, creating ongoing financial burden through no fault of my own. Toyota has acknowledged similar recalls on other models lasting extended periods, yet no interim remedy, mitigation plan, or customer relief is offered here. I believe this raises concerns regarding recall remedy timeliness, consumer safety, and loss of use.

My 2021 Toyota Camry se at 79,000 miles threw a po705 code, neutral safety switch. I replaced it with a new part and it worked for about 10 minutes and then proceeded to throw code again and slip in the transmission.

See all problems of the 2021 Toyota Camry 🔎.

My 2019 Toyota Camry experienced a progressive transmission failure that created a safety concern. The issue began with intermittent loss of shifting on cold starts, where the vehicle became stuck in 3rd gear. Engine rpm would increase but the vehicle would not accelerate normally. Shifting into park and back into drive would temporarily restore operation. Over time, the condition worsened and the transmission became stuck in a higher gear (5th gear) and would no longer reset, even after parking and restarting the vehicle. Manual shift mode did not function. This caused delayed acceleration and unsafe driving conditions in traffic. A Toyota dealership diagnosed the vehicle and reported internal transmission failure, including pressure control solenoid faults and metal found in the transmission fluid, and recommended full transmission replacement. There were no warning lights when the issue first occurred, and the failure progressed over time. I believe this represents a potential safety-related defect in transmission durability.

On multiple occasions, when I accelerate — even lightly — the transmission of my 2019 Toyota Camry emits a persistent whining noise. The noise appears as I press the accelerator and increases in pitch and volume as I continue accelerating. As soon as I ease off the accelerator, the whining stops immediately. This behavior happens during normal driving — not under extreme conditions or aggressive driving — and regardless of speed (both city and highway conditions). This whining noise is not a normal transmission behavior for a properly functioning vehicle. I believe this indicates a possible defect or problem with the transmission (or transmission-related components) rather than wear-and-tear due to high mileage or neglect, because: •the vehicle has been regularly maintained (oil changes, scheduled maintenance, etc. ). •I have not abused the transmission, used it for towing, nor driven in severe off-road conditions. •the noise occurs under normal acceleration and is reproducible. I am concerned for my safety and the safety of others, because a failing transmission — or a transmission with design/manufacturing defect — could lead to unexpected shifting issues, loss of power, or other mechanical failure while driving. According to a safety-watchdog summary of NHTSA data, there are 338 complaints submitted to NHTSA for 2019 Toyota Camry models.

In short: I had a whining noise coming from under my hood, my car was changing gears roughly. When I was driving on I-95 n and my car lost power/ the ability to accelerate on the highway. I had to make my way to the far-right lane and exit the highway. My safety was at risk at this point (no warning lights came on my dashboard). My car lost the ability to drive. I had my car towed to the Toyota dealership. The mechanic recorded a video of my car giving details of the issue (I have the video). My transmission needs to be replaced (internal failure noted by the mechanic), and my car has yet to reach 65,000 miles! this is ridiculous. I seen many complaints on the NHTSA site regarding this vehicle and the transmission. A class action lawsuit needs to take place, and Toyota needs to pay 100% of these repairs. I can be reached at [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My son was driving down interstate 71 at approx 65 mph in our 2018 Toyota Camry when it lost power. He was able to pull off to the side of the road and turned the car off. Once the car was restarted, he was able to drive it (at a maximum speed of 35 mph) to the closest exit where he pulled into a gas station. While trying to back it into a parking spot, the car would not go into reverse. We had the car towed back to the dealership that we purchased it new from (kings Toyota). Approximately 3 days later we received word that the transmission needed to be replaced at the cost of 8200. 00.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that during the cold season, the vehicle would need to warm up to function as intended. The contact stated that while driving while the vehicle had not warmed up, the transmission slipped and slowly shift gears. In addition, the contact noticed an abnormal sound coming from the transmission. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialist, where it was confirmed that the transmission had failed, metal shavings were found in the transmission fluid, and the transmission fluid looked burnt. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

At 130,000 the torque converter went and now I need a costly transmission repair, the days of Toyota reliability are long gone.

My transmission is going out. I bought this car brand new back in 2019. I am at 80k miles. It is available for inspection upon request. No light has came on, but there has been a loud whining noise whenever I press on the accelerator. I took it into a shop and they said my transmission is going to go out any time now. . My safety could have been put at risk because no light has came on with a warning. It's only been seen by the shop I took it to.

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.

My vehicle has always been jerky, lagging to accelerate, limp, giving the shift solenoid code error.

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was hesitating and shuddering, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle with a transmission fault and that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the transmission failure was caused by a failure with the valve body and pressure solenoid. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 67,000.

See all problems of the 2023 Toyota Camry 🔎.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while on a construction site at work, the vehicle drove over a piece of rebar which damaged the front end of the vehicle. The contact stated that after the issue the rearview camera failed to operate as needed with a blank or distorted image on the screen. The failure persisted and the traction control, check engine, and other various warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions and the dealer attempted to repair front sensors. The dealer eventually repaired the correct sensors, and the rearview camera was repaired. Recently, the contact stated while driving 65 mph in the snow, the rpm revved high while depressing accelerator pedal and the vehicle started coasting. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a defective cvt transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000. The VIN was not available.

My 2018 Toyota Camry (VIN [xxx] ) crashed and burned completely on Nov 16, 2025. While driving on the freeway the vehicle stopped suddenly without any notice on dashboard all electrical turned off steering wheel locked and lost control hit left fwy barrier which caused car to spun couple times and when it came to a complete stop was not able to turn car or even turn emergency lights on and couple seconds later was rear ended by another vehicle which caused vehicle to catch on fire and vehicle was fully in flames after reviewing history of vehicle I never received notification of Toyota recall 18v-200, which addresses defective pistons that can cause engine stalling, rough running, loss of power, or sudden failure. Based on VIN and production date, my car likely falls within the recall. Police and fire reports are available. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The transmission has been slipping for a month . I consulted with a Toyota dealer and they said the fluid was "lifetime. " then without any check engine warning the auto brake system, other systems tied to torque converter failed and check engine light came on . . . . . Then Toyota tustin CA performed a diagnostic test and declared car needed a replacement transmission at just 88k miles --suburban/ highway driving.