2020 Toyota Camry: harsh or hard shifting

Filed May 26, 2026 · Transmission · GA

Transmission began failing. Whining coming from transmission when accelerating and shifting becoming more rough. Dealership said transmission is failing and needs to be replaced. Mileage is at 89,000 miles. Rough shifter made it dangerous to drive on the highways. Was inspected by warranty adjuster. No warning lamps or lights ever appeared.

Filed Mar 14, 2026 · Transmission · NY

I purchased my vehicle from a certified used car dealership in Connecticut in 2020 with a little over 1800 miles. Since purchasing the vehicle, it has been very reluctant to down shift and had slight transmission whine. I was notified of a recall for I believe the TCM a few months after purchasing it, which i had remedied by the dealership. Over the years, my car has been maintained completely to Toyotas manufacturer standard. Around 50,000 miles i started experiencing shuddering during shifts and slipping during shifts and a louder whine Around 89,000 miles my transmission symptoms worsened. Sporadic shifting, obvious whine, grinding and clunking during shifts and shifting between gears, and clicking from a stop. At 97k i serviced the transmission fluid which seemed to help a little bit but did not get rid of the symptoms fully. The fluid was dark brown, which was serviced 3,000 miles before Toyotas recommended interval. I then replaced the driver side cv axle shaft which also did not remedy any symptoms and i was notified by my shop that it was premature transmission failure. Now at 100,998 miles, my transmission grinds and clunks during all lower gear shifts, will shift through gears while maintaining steady speed, and whines audibly from the exterior and interior. My car is still running and driving for now, but after research this is a very common issue with the UA80E transmission and Toyota has knowingly sold these cars with these production errors putting people at risk of injury and financial nightmares.

Filed Jan 8, 2026 · Transmission · MA

My 2020 Toyota Camry is experiencing a premature and progressive transmission failure that creates serious safety risks. Symptoms include hesitation and loss of power during acceleration, harsh and delayed shifting, RPMs increasing without vehicle movement, failure to properly engage gears (including reverse), and loud whining/grinding noises. These issues make the vehicle unsafe to drive, especially when merging, crossing intersections, or accelerating from a stop. Toyota and the dealership have confirmed the transmission is failing, yet Toyota has stated that no new or used replacement transmission is available and no repair timeline exists. The vehicle was returned to me despite being unsafe. Toyota has provided no transportation assistance, no repair ETA, and no remedy, leaving me with an undrivable vehicle and ongoing financial obligations. I am aware of numerous similar consumer complaints and ongoing litigation involving Toyota’s 8-speed automatic transmissions exhibiting the same symptoms. This appears to be a systemic defect that poses a safety risk to drivers and the public. I am requesting the federal safety agency review and investigation.

Filed Dec 5, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · FL

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 the federal safety agency to investigate the 2018–2020 Camry transmission problems before more drivers experience unexpected failures in traffic

Filed Feb 24, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · MO

Started vehicle and went to back up. Car slammed into reverse and disply showed Drive start control malfunction. The service engine light came on. I removed the battery to reset the error message and the following dayi took it to the dealership. They checked it out and told me that they didnt find anything wrong with it since it wasnt displaying a service engine light. So i went home with it. The next day it did it again so i took it back to them while the condition was happening. Which insisted of the error message, serv eng light, gearshift indicator displaying drive and park at the same time. Also the door locks were continually locking and unlocking. They put a new water valve plus a neut switch assy and a new xmission lever in it and told me it was fixed. I picked it up and the next day it did it again. Returned it to them and they said that the new part was possibly bad from Toyota, ordered a new one, put it in and said it was all good now. I picked car up and 9 months later its happening again. Not sure what to do. Please help

Filed Jan 3, 2021 · Electrical, Engine · 5,000 miles · MD

I purchased my camry in october. When starting it up in the morning for the past few weeks there was a slight hesitation. I attributed the issue to the cold temperatures and allowed the car to warm up before driving. Yesterday afternoon my car wouldn't start at all. It makes a clicking and rattling noise similar to an old clunker. I was parked in the parking lot of my apartment complex. I called the brown's toyota dealership where I purchased the vehicle and was told to contact roadside assistance to have the car towed there. They were closing at 4p and would not be able to check out the car until monday. They also informed me that I would have to pay for a loaner car upfront and be reimbursed if it was determined that I didn't cause the car not to start. So ridiculous. I shouldn't have this issue with a brand new car. From the looks of it reading through these other reports there's a serious issue with the 2020 toyota camry.