2012 Toyota Camry: jerking or lurching

Filed Jun 21, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · NJ

When I either: i) start the car and drive more than 20 ft OR ii) am at a stop light then accelerate..the car begins to jerk backward. Have changed the gasket and the throttle body and this issue still keeps happening. It started around the 90k Mile mark.

Filed Feb 23, 2023 · Acceleration, Transmission · 80,000 miles · MA

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH and making a lane change, the vehicle started vibrating while depressing the accelerator pedal, but failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the hesitation lasted for approximately 10 to 15 seconds, before the vehicle jerked forward and accelerated as needed. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer however, the mechanic could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure became a recurring failure. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Filed Oct 4, 2022 · Transmission · MN

The transmission slips while accelerating through the gears. I understand it is a torque converter issue. The car jerks through each gear, feels like the engine is falling out. It has not been fixed yet as I understand it is about half the value of the vehicle to get it fixed, and I hear the fix can cause other problems with the transmission parts that are not replaced. No warning lights. As this is my only vehicle I'm worried about being in an accident before I can get it fixed. I'm not made of money, and I have to save up first.

Filed May 19, 2022 · Transmission · 63,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle jerked. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed with torque converter failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.

Filed Feb 26, 2022 · Electrical · CA

My car has a problem shifting into first gear and is jerking so bad I was driving and it actually was going super slow and going and secure and I almost got hit from behind it is stuttering and hesitating going into the lower gears it also keeps showing the traction light off and on and when it's on it causes It 2 sway a lot

Filed Apr 8, 2019 · Transmission · SC

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 toyota camry. While driving 25 MPH, the vehicle violently jerked while switching gears. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The VIN and failure mileage were unknown.

Filed Oct 5, 2015 · Electrical, Steering · 70,000 miles · MN

First, the transmission is really jerk when accelerate at stop light. It also jerk really hard when down shift. It feels like the transmission is delay. Second, the electric steering wheel. The radio just shut off by itself and the steering wheel light came on at the same time, and then the light came off and the radio restarted by itself again. I feel like the electric has some problem.

Filed Nov 15, 2014 · Transmission · MI

I got a 2012 toyota camry from a dealership. I have had the car for six months now and is having problems with it. While I am driving and pressing on the gas when I get between 10-20mph the car hesitates/jerks. I talked to the dealership and they recommend that I take to this place that they have work on there cars. And that is all they could do. I should not be having these type of problems with a car that I just got and is making monthly payments on it.

Filed Aug 11, 2014 · Acceleration, Engine · 16,000 miles · NY

This happens while driving at any speeds. I was driving at 20mph and needed to pick up speed to make a pass and the car just kept on revving and the speed did not increase at all and when it finally picked up speed, it was a hard jerk. It has been happening more often. Another incident at a yield sign heading into the highway. As I was entering the highway, I hit brake to slow down and had to gas up to get into the lane and the car just didn't move. I stepped on the gas pedal and the car didn't move. I already changed the torque converter within the warranty but the problem still exist. As of right now, the car is out of warranty.

Filed Jan 14, 2013 · Acceleration, Steering · 1,000 miles · WI · 1 injury

I have a toyota camry se 2012 (4-cyl) which I bought on 08/29/2012. On 12/31/2012 (the road was clear and dry, it was a cloudy day, no rain, snow, ice on the road) while starting to accelerate from a stop light, turning into a lane, after I stopped pressing the gas pedal, the car kept getting faster and faster (the gas pedal didn't get stuck and my foot wasn't on it), when I started to turn into a lane, the driver's side wheel locked up and to avoid a crash I had to turn the wheel to the other side, I ended up doing a diagonal skid into the other lane, I was able to get the car to stop and straighten it out and keep going. Since the driver's side wheel locked up the car jerked me pretty hard and my neck and arm started to hurt since then and I am scheduled to take physical therapy. I took it to the dealer I bought it from for service (from 1/2/2013 - 1/10/2013) and after I picked it up I've been having the RPM sticking at 1.3 all the time so now it's worse than when I had it last. The car doesn't feel safe to drive and I don't want to put my life or other people's lives at risk. After calling toyota and explaining all of this they told me to go to the dealer and the dealer says that toyota is the one that can do whatever they want, the dealer's only resolution is to accept the car as a trade in and roll over the residual value into a loan for another car, but it isn't my fault so I shouldn't have to pay more in payments for a car and I shouldn't have to be paying for a car that's not safe for me or my family to drive. Before the incident on 12/31/2012 I had taken it in to the dealer for the same reason, but I thought it was that the tires weren't gripping on dry asphalt, the dealer topped off the air and said it was fine, but the car kept doing the same thing and I didn't realize it was accelerating on it's own until what happened on 12/31/2012.

Filed Nov 25, 2012 · Acceleration, Engine · 1,354 miles · MD

I was driving at 60 MPH on highway but suddenly the engine revved all the way to 7000 RPM and the car jerked violently. I put my foot off the accelerator but the engine still stays at 5000 RPM and doesn't go back down to normal. Had to pull over to the shoulder with emergency light on. Tried to get back on the highway but at 35 to 40 MPH, the engine made loud revving noise and the RPM jumped to 7000 again. Had to pull over again and call for a tow truck.

Filed Oct 18, 2012 · Transmission · 300 miles · FL

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 toyota camry. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25-40 MPH, the vehicle began jerking abnormally and would not shift into gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer informed her that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and covered the costs of the transmission replacement. The failure mileage was approximately 300. The current mileage was approximately 600. The VIN was unavailable.