My transmission is experiencing slipping, which causes the engine to rev up without delivering power to the wheels when I accelerate. This delay in gear engagement creates a high-safety risk during merges and passes because my vehicle cannot match traffic speeds predictably. Also, when pulling out onto a busy road I am not able to do it normally, I have to do it very slowly because it will miss and the engine revs up. This is a huge concern for all of us Toyota owners with this type of transmission. I see the history and issues have been know for quite sometime and Toyota has done nothing about it.
2018 Toyota Camry: transmission slipping
18 of the 757 complaints about the 2018 Toyota Camry describe transmission slipping.
- owner complaints
- 18
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical mileage
- 18,000
- recalls
- 0
Transmission slipping by model year
What owners say
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.
The vehicle experienced a malfunction of the 8-speed automatic transmission(UB80E). The transmission began slipping unpredictably, jerking when accelerating from a stop, and shifting extremely harshly between first and second gear. These symptoms occurred randomly and worsened over a short period of time. The vehicle would hesitate or surge when attempting to move from a stop, creating a loss of control risk in traffic and at intersections. Warning indicators, including the check engine light, illuminated as the condition progressed. The issue was reproducible during normal driving and did not develop gradually over extended use. The vehicle became unsafe to operate and is currently undrivable. The transmission has been inspected by manufacturer-affiliated service personnel, who indicated that similar transmission behavior is commonly reported in other vehicle models equipped with the same 8-speed automatic transmission (UB80E), though fewer reports are currently associated with this specific model. This failure presents a safety concern due to unpredictable power delivery, delayed acceleration, and violent low-speed shifting. The vehicle and transmission are available for inspection upon request.
* 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.
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
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
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.
Transmission suddenly began slipping, whining leading to a loss of power, which resulted in being stuck in a busy intersection.
Replaced car battery , vehicle constantly jerking pressing the accelerator. It took almost a month to stop with harsh jerking . Going on 3 months and still transmission slips or jerks when entering traffic or accelerating sporadically. Feels as car either loses power or can’t find gears while driving. Very dangerous.
I am writing this to complain about the 8 speed automatic transmission! My car’s tranny went out at 68,500 miles 4 MONTHS AGO. To this day, it’s still drivable but I worry any day now it will give out. I have been quoted staggering prices from 5.5k to 9k! No warning lights which was also surprising. The problem first started when I heard gear grinding sound coming front underneath the front end when decelerating. I am very upset as these seems like an issue where thousands of customers are experiencing transmission issues ranging from jerks to slipping. And the worst part is Toyota won’t do anything about it! It’s clear as day that there should be a recall for the first year models for the 8 speed automatic transmission.
While entering the highway/merging onto on ramp. Have to yield to merge, upon slowing or reaccelerating. Vehicle hesitates and feels as if gear not catching/slipping.
The car hesitates while driving different speeds and kicks in almost like the transmission is slipping I have taken it in to the local dealership and they continue to tell me that everything is fine, they have done what they call a software update stating that it should fix it but it has not, there are no open recalls for the vin number but its an on going issue.
Service bulletins that may apply
- TT: Currently under investigation
- TT: Some 2018-2020 model year UA80/UB80 transmission equipped models may experience a leak from the...
- MIL ?ON? condition with Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P07407E (Torque Converter Clutch Actuator Stuck On)....
- TT: For some repairs on 2017-2018 Sienna and Highlander and 2018 Camry vehicles equipped with the 8-speed...
- Shift shock on initial start-up or reaccelertation.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2018 Toyota Camry slipping
Is transmission slipping a common problem on the 2018 Toyota Camry?
18 of 757 owner complaints about the 2018 Toyota Camry (2%) mention transmission slipping. The model year with the most reports is 2018.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2018 Toyota Camry?
There are 0 recalls and 5 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2018 Toyota Camry
Jerking 82Stalling 65Check engine light 58Hesitation 54Fuel pump 44Transmission failure 43Loss of power 27Harsh shifting 21Collision warning 20Adaptive cruise 17Whining noise 17Brake failure 14Won't shift 14No deployment 13Knocking 13Sudden acceleration 11Wipers 11Grinding brakes 9Lane assist 9Airbag light 8Engine failure 8Power steering loss 8Spongy pedal 8Headlights 7Misfire 7Overheating 6Tire blowout 6Warning lights 6ABS 5Fire or smoke 5Won't start 5
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