2018 Toyota Camry: harsh or hard shifting

Filed Nov 9, 2026 · Acceleration, Transmission · VA

While driving my 2018 Toyota Camry through Bowers Hill interstate interchange, where multiple major highways merge, my vehicle completely lost the ability to accelerate or maintain speed despite pressing the accelerator pedal. The engine continued to rev and RPMs increased, but the vehicle would not respond with forward acceleration. At the time of the failure I was traveling in an area with heavy, fast moving interstate traffic. I was forced to maneuver across four lanes of moving traffic to reach the far right shoulder while my vehicle was rapidly losing speed and unable to accelerate. This created an extremely dangerous situation because I could not maintain the speed of surrounding traffic or accelerate to safely change lanes. I was at significant risk of being struck by another vehicle. The failure occurred very suddenly with very little time to react. There was no check engine light on and otherwise my car seemed to be operating normally prior to this incident with the exception of a few hard shifts between first and second gear. After the incident, the vehicle was taken to a repair facility. The mechanic informed me that the transmission was not functioning and that a replacement transmission may be necessary. I was also informed that Toyota transmissions were on national backorder and that a service bulletin existed concerning the transmission. The exact cause of the failure has not yet been confirmed. I am reporting this incident because the sudden and complete loss of acceleration at interstate speeds presents a serious safety hazard. Had I been unable to reach the shoulder, or had surrounding traffic been less accommodating, this failure could have resulted in a serious or potentially fatal collision. Me vehicle was purchased from a Toyota dealership used with 42,000 miles and has only 114,000 miles currently. It is available for inspection upon request.

Filed Jun 13, 2026 · Transmission · CT

The 8-speed automatic transmission (Aisin UB80, the 4-cylinder variant of the UA80 family) failed at approximately 53,000 miles. Symptoms prior to failure: harsh shifting, RPM flare to 4,000 between gears before hard engagement ("thud"), loss of power in Reverse, and a metal-on-metal noise from inside the transmission when power was applied. No dashboard warning lights illuminated at any point. Safety risk: the vehicle would not shift normally and lost power in Reverse, with the engine revving to high RPM before abrupt gear engagement. This created a real risk of sudden loss of forward propulsion in traffic, abrupt unintended acceleration on engagement, and inability to safely reverse. The failure occurred without prior warning indicators. The problem was confirmed by both an independent service center and an authorized Toyota dealer. The Toyota dealer performed a road test and a transmission fluid sample analysis. The dealer documented, verbatim: "vehicle will rev up to 4k before shifting and will only shift if you let off the gas... took a transmission fluid sample and found fluid was burnt with clutch pack material suspended in fluid. Transmission will need to be replaced." Quoted repair: approximately $10,747. The failure mechanism — burnt fluid with suspended clutch pack material from heat-driven internal wear — matches the defect alleged in three active federal class-action lawsuits naming this transmission family (filed in U.S. District Courts in Texas, California, and New Jersey, late 2025 through early 2026). It also matches multiple Toyota Technical Service Bulletins (T-SB-0330-17, T-SB-0010-18, T-SB-0152-19) and the defect Toyota has acknowledged on the 2017-2018 Sienna and Highlander under Customer Support Program ZJC by extending warranty to 10 years/unlimited miles on the same transmission family. The failed transmission is no longer in my possession; the vehicle has been sold. Diagnostic documentation is available upon request.

Filed May 28, 2026 · Transmission · FL

I own a 2018 Toyota Camry equipped with the UA80 8-speed automatic transmission. I have experienced the following symptoms: burning smell coming from the transmission, hesitation and jerking during acceleration, and previously noticed a knocking/clunking noise that eventually stopped on its own. These symptoms are consistent with the known UA80 transmission defect involving excessive heat buildup, premature fluid degradation, and torque converter failure. I am aware that Toyota has known about this defect since at least 2016 and has issued multiple Technical Service Bulletins without offering a permanent fix or recall. The transmission has not yet been inspected by a dealer. I am filing this complaint to add to the public record and support a formal the federal safety agency investigation.

Filed May 28, 2026 · Acceleration, Engine · FL

When driving, the car would go into limp mode and wouldn’t get out of 2nd gear. it was super jerky as well. when taken to a mechanic, it was diagnosed with malfunctioning transmission among some other things such as brakes and tires. we take fairly great care of our vehicles and get them seen for regular maintenance. once the car started acting up, the check engine light came on. it is now unsafe to drive and two mechanics have confirmed an issue with the transmission, which is now also in a class action lawsuit for transmission failures. it’s had hiccups before over the past two years (started around 85000 miles) but never to that extreme and every time we took it into a mechanic they never saw the issue before until now. the hiccups we just delayed shifting and simultaneous RPM increase but stoped after a few seconds and letting off the gas, and then would correct itself. mechanics chocked it up to just needing a tune up and never saw the issue themselves, it happened randomly and just every once in a while.

Filed Apr 8, 2026 · Transmission · CA

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

Filed Feb 8, 2026 · Transmission · MI

I am reporting a complete" transmission failure on my 2018 Toyota Camry (2.5L Gas, UB80E 8-speed). The vehicle suddenly failed to engage 'Drive' or 'Reverse' properly. Even after a professional fluid service at a transmission is stuck in a 'limp mode' or high gear, requiring high RPMs just to move slowly. This is a well-documented issue among 2018 Camry owners involving harsh shifting and premature internal failure. Toyota refuses to provide a reasonable repair option, only offering a full replacement at an exorbitant cost ($5,000+), despite this being a known manufacturing defect in the UB80E units. This failure poses a significant safety risk, especially when the vehicle fails ".to accelerate in traffic

Filed Dec 19, 2025 · Transmission · WI

The automatic transmission has failed. The vehicle exhibits slipping, hard or delayed shifting, intermittent loss of drive, and most critically, the car completely shut off while I was driving on the highway, creating an immediate risk of a serious accident. Hard shifting and gear slipping began approximately 11/04/2025. The transmission warning light hasn't even come on. Sudden hesitation during acceleration or gear changes became increasingly frequent. The most severe symptom occurred when the car completely shut off on the highway which is very dangerous. Toyota Dealer verified the issue and informed me that the has DTCs for Torque Converter failure. Replaced Transmission at a cost of $10,150. . I respectfully request that Toyota consider offering a goodwill reimbursement for the repair of the transmission for my vehicle. Provide guidance to owners of similar vehicles to prevent accidents or injuries. I am very disappointed to have a major transmission failure at this mileage especially with proper care and no signs of abuse and neglect. I strongly believe this should not occur under normal driving conditions and proper maintenance. My check engine light did NOT COME ON

Filed Nov 10, 2025 · Transmission · TX

Dear Toyota Customer Experience Team, I am writing to report a serious and potentially widespread safety issue with my 2018 Toyota Camry XSE. The automatic transmission has failed. The vehicle exhibits slipping, hard or delayed shifting, intermittent loss of drive, and most critically, the car completely shut off while I was driving on the highway, creating an immediate risk of a serious accident. The transmission is available for inspection upon request. These failures pose a direct safety hazard. The unexpected shutdown on the highway, combined with gear engagement problems, could easily lead to loss of control, collisions, or injury to myself, passengers, and other road users. The transmission failure has been confirmed by a certified independent transmission specialist, who stated that the transmission requires either a complete rebuild or replacement. The vehicle has been maintained according to Toyota’s recommended schedule. The vehicle has not been inspected by Toyota representatives. It has been inspected by the independent specialist for diagnostic purposes. Hard shifting and gear slipping began approximately 11/08/2025. The transmission warning light hasn't even come on. Sudden hesitation during acceleration or gear changes became increasingly frequent. The most severe symptom occurred when the car completely shut off on the highway which is super dangerous. Based on my observations and the independent specialist’s evaluation, I believe this failure may be related to known issues affecting 2018 Toyota Camry XSE transmissions, potentially involving internal clutches or valve body components. I respectfully request that Toyota consider offering a goodwill repair or replacement of the transmission for my vehicle. Provide guidance to owners of similar vehicles to prevent accidents or injuries.

Filed Sep 6, 2025 · Transmission · TX

Vehicle has 92,499 miles. All maintenance performed on time. Vehicle did not exhibit any issues beforehand. Vehicle judders upon acceleration and does not shift gears smoothly. The following error codes show up on the dashboard screen "Secondary collision brake system malfunction" "ICS malfunction" (Intelligent Clearance Sonar) "Pre-collision system malfunction" "Parking brake malfunction" "Check engine" Went to dealer and they recommended "replacing transmission due to multiple solenoids codes when checked is causing the lights and hard shifts when driving so recommend replacing and reprogram new transmission."

Filed Sep 25, 2022 · Transmission · NY

Purchased this 2018 Toyota Camry SE from DCH Wappingers Falls Toyota as a "Certified Pre-owned Vehicle". During early periods of ownership, the transmission noticeably experienced hard, jerking shifts during acceleration and de-acceleration between the first several gears of this 8-speed automatic transmission. The vehicle was brought back to the selling Toyota dealer where they said the transmission's performance was within spec and this was "normal" for this transmission. The most recent return for the transmission problem was April 2022 where the service advisor at the selling Toyota dealership stated their mechanic confirmed both that the vehicle received the software update issued by one of Toyota's TSB's (Technical Service Bulletin) which addressed owners/complainants' reports of hard shifting, and they confirmed the transmission had the proper level of fluid. It was noted there is no dipstick to check transmission fluid and I was informed this has to be done by a mechanic with the car on a lift from underneath the Camry. On Friday evening 09/24/2002, while driving Camry, the transmission began to stutter andsoon failed to engage ANY of it's gears and when pressing on the accelerator, the engine would Rev with increased RPM's, but the vehicle would not move. It had to be towed back to the DCH Wappingers Falls Toyota Dealership where it is currently parked with an inoperable transmission awaiting a diagnosis for either repair -o- replacement.

Filed Oct 30, 2021 · Transmission · TX

Transmission shifts absolutely terrible hunts for gears constantly. It’ll clunk going from drive to park. The vehicle hesitates for more than a couple seconds sometimes when merging on the freeway making it dangerous when trying to get on. Toyota needs to recall these transmission and put the ones they fixed in

Filed Oct 20, 2021 · Transmission · TX

The transmission shutters very badly which makes it difficult to merge onto the freeway. It will clunk into drive at times. It also makes a whining noise when speeding up before shifting. I have a 2021 Camry as well and it is much much smoother and has none of the same problems like my 18