2018 Toyota Camry Powertrain & Transmission Problems

The vehicle experienced a complete transmission failure following a period of abnormal operation. The component that failed is the automatic transmission (8-speed). Prior to total failure, the vehicle began exhibiting multiple symptoms, including delayed engagement when shifting into drive and reverse, hesitation during acceleration, and inconsistent power delivery at low speeds. At times, the engine RPM would increase without corresponding acceleration, followed by sudden jerking or surging once the transmission engaged. These issues created unsafe driving conditions, particularly when attempting to merge into traffic or accelerate from a stop, as the vehicle did not respond predictably or immediately to driver input. This posed a safety risk to both the driver and surrounding vehicles. The symptoms progressed over time and ultimately resulted in a complete transmission failure, rendering the vehicle undrivable. The problem has been confirmed by a dealership, which diagnosed the vehicle as requiring a full transmission replacement. The transmission is available for inspection upon request. There were no prior warning lights or dashboard indicators before the onset of symptoms. The initial symptoms appeared suddenly and worsened over a short period of time. The vehicle has been regularly maintained according to recommended service schedules, with no known gaps in maintenance. Based on the nature of the failure and similar reports of transmission issues in comparable vehicles, this appears to be a premature component failure rather than normal wear and tear. This issue appears consistent with broader reports of transmission malfunction in similar model vehicles, raising concerns about reliability and safety.

On March 19, 2026, I was driving to work when traffic began to slow, and I reduced my speed accordingly. As traffic started to return to normal speed, I pressed the accelerator; however, although the engine revved, the vehicle did not accelerate beyond approximately 15 mph. I safely moved to the side of the road and turned the car off. After restarting the vehicle, shifting into drive, and pressing the accelerator, the same issue occurred. I subsequently took the car to two separate mechanics, both of whom reported that the transmission needs to be replaced. This is unexpected, as the vehicle has fewer than 100,000 miles and has received regular maintenance.

My transmission is slipping / hesitating / delay shifting. I have always had it serviced on time and taken very good care of it. I even went and had the fluid flushed & refreshed and it is still happening. It makes driving unpredictable and makes me feel extremely unsafe in my car. There aren’t any lights on, on my dashboard. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance.

I began noticing louder noises coming from my Camry over the last couple months. The car started jerking forward more, stalling and hesitating to pick up speed, and I became increasingly concerned about my ability to control the car. Took the car in on Tuesday February 24th for a routine oil change at suburban Toyota of Troy and I informed them of the issue. Completed oil changed and They informed me that transmission fluid looked good, we just flushed it last year, and there was nothing they could notice right away wrong. They said they initially could not detect a problem but eventually noticed hesitation and jerking of the car when testing it. The dealer informed that a software update might help the jerking. I was told there was no guarantee that the update would help. There were also no warning lights on the dash at any time. I was not told that I should do the update right away and so I planned to bring the car back. Two days later, on 2/27/26, upon driving my car for five mins, it began jerking, making very loud sounds, and failed to accelerate. I had never experienced this issue to this degree and It was very scary and dangerous to experience this during rush hour traffic. The car then completely gave out, stopped driving altogether and the car began smelling like something was burning. I had it towed back to the dealer. the dealer told me that the transmission is a complete failure. The car is in otherwise good condition. This is extremely disappointing because I just paid this vehicle off and now I have to pay Toyota 8900 for a new transmission or get a new car.

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

My vehicles transmission suddenly failed on the highway and caused me to almost crash; I lost control of the vehicle but no damage was sustained to the car. the transmission failed without any incident or reason; further research indicates multiple class action lawsuits against toyota for knowingly selling malfunctioning UA80 Transmissions in many of there 2018-2024 models, including my 2018 Camry XSE. 7grand for a repair on a vehicle that I purchased for 30k and the vehicle was certified by toyota.

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

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.

Automatic transmission. Whining noise from transmission only while accelerator is pressed, goes away when let off the accelerator pedal.Transmission can quit working unexpectedly. 8 speed transmission that there are a lot of complaints on internet about this problem.

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!

harsh/delayed shifting, acceleration hesitation, and, total transmission failure

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.

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

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, while attempting to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 118,000.

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

I was leaving a doctor's office and getting on the highway. When I pressed down on the accelerator, I experienced a sudden loss of power, the check engine light came on, as well as warnings about the front collision system being deactivated. It remained dangerous for me to stay on the highway but it was also difficult to exit the highway safely given the loss of power. When I brought it to a Toyota dealership, they did a diagnostic and it said my transmission had an "internal failure" despite the fact that it only has 85k miles on it.

* My transmission failed. * The transmission started to slip when on the highway. * I called Toyota and told them about it. I had it serviced at the Toyota Dealership and was told that the transmission had internal problems and needed to be replaced. * No, I actually just got it service a week prior and everything was fine.