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The Camry is one of the most successful mid-size sedans of all time. Like other Toyota vehicles, it’s known for unrelenting reliability. But the fully redesigned 2018 model has some very “un-Toyota-like” design flaws. According to the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA), key problem areas include the engine, transmission / powertrain, and vehicle speed control.
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2018 Toyota Camry
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Power Train | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Engine | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Steering | |
| Electrical System | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline |
Problems with the Engine
Toyota recently recalled 1,700 model year 2018 Camry cars due to pistons that are too large.
Pistons are the heart of any engine. As the crankshaft rotates, the pistons move up and down inside the cylinders. Going downward, they pull air into the engine. Traveling upward, they create compression. Both of these actions are required to create combustion – the series of small explosions needed to generate power and propel the vehicle.
A piston that is too large will have reduced clearance with the cylinder wall. As a result, the piston may make contact with the wall, causing extensive engine damage and eventual seizure.
And that’s precisely what’s happening with 2018 Toyota Camry models. Cars equipped with the 2.5L four-cylinder engine have been found to seize up and stop running while the vehicle is moving. Also, the car may emit smoke from the tailpipe and display a myriad of dashboard warning messages.
Toyota has stepped up to the plate and will replace the engine free of charge on affected models. The automaker’s number for this recall is J1M/J0M.
2018 Toyota Camry Engine Recall Information
March 28
Engine may Stall due to Incorrectly-Sized Pistons
An engine stall can increase the risk of a crash.
NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V200000
Manufacturer Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Components ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Potential Number of Units Affected 1,730
Summary
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Camry vehicles equipped with a 2.5L, four-cylinder engine. The pistons on these vehicles may be larger than specified, possibly causing the engine to stall.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the production date codes of the pistons and, if an engine contains a piston from the affected production period, the engine assembly will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin May 25, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota’s number for this recall is J1M/J0M.
Problems with the Jerky Transmission / Powertrain
For 2018, the Toyota Camry got a brand-new, 8-speed automatic transmission referred to as the Direct Shift-8AT. The NHTSA website lists numerous complaints about this unit’s performance.
One owner from Pewaukee, WI, wrote in,” Vehicle has issues with (the) transmission. There are times when the car can’t seem to decide what gear to pick and when to engage it, resulting in a second or two of dead acceleration. Once the vehicle decides what to do, it sends an excessive amount of power to the wheels with unintended acceleration rates. This has been an issue since the car was first bought in November, 2017.”
Even journalists have noted the problem. An article in Autoweek about the 2018 Camry reads:
“It’s a quiet, nicely trimmed sedan with an upscale dash design and good rear legroom…But then there’s the transmission, which needs an exorcism.”
The author then proceeds to recount his experience:
“In D, the car seems to upshift to fourth by 20 mph, and any attempt to accelerate is met with a yawn and multiple downshifts. It’s like piloting a steamship; you have to call down to the engine room for more power, then wait for the boilers to respond. S mode holds gears slightly longer and behaves more like a regular transmission, but then it seems to stop upshifting at 4th gear unless the driver uses the shift paddles (a truly laughable accessory on this car) to set the top gear. The result: Neither mode is adequate as-programmed for regular around-town driving.”
Toyota has recognized the transmission problem and issued a technical service bulletin (TSB) in response. The article (TSB #T-SB-0330-17) points to a problem with the car’s main computer, the powertrain control module (PCM). Dealers have been instructed to reprogram the PCM to remedy the concern.
Here are some actual complaints logged with the NHTSA about the 2018 Toyota Camry Transmission Problems and Acceleration Hesitation
I bought 2018 Camry LE the problem is jerky shifts from the transmission, and sometimes is dosen’t accelerate from a slow down if you are merging on the highway. This can be a big risk because it doesn’t go when it the gas after a few seconds its kicks and goes really fast and you dont even know how fast it will go also the transmission is super jurky in city traffic. Sometime if you put the acceleration it doesn’t move forward we and other times its acceleration is too fast and you can crash with the car in front of you. Also the gas pedal is really stiff and if you drive for a long time your feet and leg gets really sore from applying so much pressure to the gas pedal.
2018 Camry 8 speed automatic transmission has downshifting problems. This involves a delay in downshifting that i have found on 3 occasions could have been dangerous. Upon completing a turn and reapplying gas pedal the car appeared to be in neutral or stuck between gears. I had a dead gas pedal for 3 or 4 seconds. On 1 occasion i could have been involved in a rear end collision if the other driver hadn’t realized something was wrong and swerved to avoid my car. I currently have lemon law complaint filed with the state attorney generals office involving this car and it’s transmission.
2018 Toyota Camry has bad transmission since the 1 st week of having this car it has been giving me problems it slams into gear sometimes, it hesitates when stepping on the gas like it doesn’t know weather to go or not it jerks like it cant find which gear to go into the car is really bad and i cant seem to get any help from toyota they told me to keep driving maybe the car needs to get use to my driving. They told me its a 4 cylinder that’s how they drive. They told me i should drive it manual mode. Im just fed up
Problems with the Vehicle Speed Control
Most of the complaints listed under “vehicle speed control” on the NHTSA website aren’t anything different from what’s in the “transmission/powertrain” category. Instead, they’re just more accounts of the Camry’s widespread transmission problem. Presumably, messages end up in this catch-all “vehicle speed” category when the driver doesn’t know what’s wrong with their vehicle. They just know it doesn’t accelerate as it should.
An owner from Orono, ME, complained, “The car keeps jumping forward, it can’t decide when it wants to shift up. When starting from a stop, or driving and trying to accelerate, the car takes over five seconds to really take and realize you are pushing on the gas. All it does is rev a lot.”
Toyota’s new Direct Shift-8AT is designed to be efficient and responsive. Unfortunately, problematic computer controls prevent the transmission from reaching its full potential.
Here are some actual complaints logged with the NHTSA about the 2018 Toyota Camry Speed Control Problems
When the car in the low speed around 20 miles/hour and the engine around 2000RPM, the transmission is wired trying to find specified gear, make the car speed increased and decreased, it like jerk the car.
Another problem is when you trying to speed up catch up cars speed from lower speed on highway, press the gas pedal, the car just like thinking the life philosophy the rpm reach 4000 the car suddenly speed up.
The car has acceleration/speed problems. It takes too long to accelerate when changing lanes, passing other vehicle, or entering freeway. This issue is going on all and every time i drive it. I purchased the car one month ago. This is my 5th Camry and i never had this problem. Car is unsafe and I’m scared to drive. Toyota, do something before someone dies!!!!!!!!!!. I almost got rear-ended couple of times
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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Purchased 2018 Toyota Camry brand new off the lot. The car currently has 69,000 miles and we now need a new transmission! Fee from Atalanta Toyota $151. The fact that they would charge me a fee to just diagnosis my vehicle is insane. I purchased this car brand new from them, they could at least not charge a fee. Please keep in mind that my family has purchased THREE Camry’s from Atlanta Toyota. I would expect some type of loyal customer discount or free of charge diagnostic. Cost to repair $9,000! We paid $28,000 for the Camry in 2018 and having to pay $9k in repairs is insane. We have owned 2010, 2018, and 2019 Camry’s. The 2010 Camry was a great car, but these 2018 and 2019 are below standards. My 2019 Camry SE won’t lock my back door. The passenger front door window goes up and down, up and down whenever you try to roll it down. We have resorted to not ever lower that window because it’s a pain to deal with. The car alarm works at times and other times it just won’t secure my doors. It’s not my battery either! It’s the car!
I don’t even know where to begin. I’ve always been told and have thought Toyota was a reliable car and company, however, I’ve learned that couldn’t be further from the truth. My 2018SE has received all of the regular maintenance, no accidents, and is only at 46,000 miles. There has been a few recalls which were taken care but still annoying. I’ve gone through hell with making appointments and arriving at the agreed scheduled time just to be told they don’t have me scheduled (this has happened multiple times at two different locations). I was able to look past all of that until my water pump started to go out which created tons of electrical issues. Went to the dealership multiple times and told me they couldn’t do anything since there was no check engine light on even though there were many problems. Due to the issues, the light would randomly go on and off for any given amount of time. Therefore, multiple times I scheduled appointments trying to get in but the light would go off so they’d tell me to come back when it’s on or the appointment would be lost. So I’d try and go as a drive up when the light was on but they said they couldn’t take me. After going through this for over a month the issue got worse, my car broke down on the highway. I finally got it sorted out with the dealership since this was covered under a federal admissions warranty of some sort since this should not freakin be happening to a relatively new car and the issue was no longer ignorable. I went through so much unnecessary stress that could’ve been avoided if they would have just given me a crumb of good customer service. I waited for almost two weeks in anticipation to get my car back. I was so relieved that everything was finally taken care of and enjoyed having no issues for not even a month.. because now my f-ing alternator is failing and needs to be replaced! That’s bull-sh#t! And maybe if this was the first issue to come up I wouldn’t be as livid, but considering what I’ve gone through with this vehicle and the service I’ve received, this is the last straw. Way to many issues with this vehicle for me and obviously many other people. I wish there could be justice but realistically I’ll most likely trade it in at a different dealership never to support Toyota again and bashing there name until further notice.
***Please read***– I have a 2018 Camry SE I purchased brand new in July 2018. On October 7, 2021, I had three malfunctions that appeared on my dash: Pre-Collision System Malfunction, LDA Malfunction and Headlamp Malfunction. I took my car to the dealer and they couldn’t tell me what was wrong with my car. They did tell me it might be the camera on the windshield, but wanted hundreds of dollars more to look into this further. About 3 days later these other malfunction notifications begin to appear on my dash in addition to the other malfunctions: Secondary Collision System Brake System Malfunction, Low Braking Power, SRS Malfunction, Antilock Brake System Malfunction, Power Steering Malfunction. Now my car has very stiff steering and the speedometer goes to 0 and I have no blinkers. This car is a ticking time bomb. I called Toyota corporate twice and they don’t seem concerned at all. I also filed a complaint with the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration today to make sure someone is aware what is happening with the 2018 Camry. My car has never been in an accident and I am the original owner and the car has approximately 70,000 miles. I’m so disappointed in this Camry that I will never own another Toyota. I also feel it has delayed acceleration, which I’ve seen others concerned about this as well. There is also a loud “clunk” noise when I put the car in reverse for the first time each morning.
I swear by Toyota, but I tell everyone, I swear my car was built on a drunken Friday, a hungover Monday, or an I don’t give a *** Wed. I was hit by someone 2 weeks before Christmas in a big truck trying to get a Christmas, covid payday and when the mechanic talked to me about my car he said he list of codes was pages and pages AND PAGES LONG! I SWEAR THIS CAR HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH EVERYTHING! In the 4 years I’ve had it I’ve not been able to get the software to complete its update. I’ve not been able to use the navigation AT ALL! EVEN THE TURN SIGNAL MALFUNCTIONED TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN IT BLINKED ON THE RIGHT SIDE. IT’S NOISY AS CAN BE. A lot of times I can’t get the fuel door to open and now the truck is starting to refuse to open. The seat belts in the back seat will alert saying someone is in the back seat when NOBODY IS THERE. I told the dealership the seats were going off like that. The dealership said that can’t be there aren’t any sensors in the back seat. SO PISSED I KNOW BETTER, BUT I COULDN’T DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN STOMP MY FEET. THEY DIDN’T CARE. Now I’m getting problems with the rear collision system being unavailable and I got a message that said warning brake control module malfunction. The seals in the sunroof are peeling and you know what that means! It already has a mildewy smell. The cabin is SO NOISY! OOOOO AND MY HEATED SEATS HAVE NEVER FELT WARM, BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY ARE WORKING AS EXPECTED. I USE MY HEATED SEATS FOR MY BACK YEAR ROUND!!!! I also had a crease in my driver’s seat that turned into a rip 2 WEEKS after it went out of warranty. All of these problems except the brake module started prior to the accident. OOOO THERE’S SO MUCH MORE, BUT I HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK
2018 Camry LE. A/C stopped working. It has 50,000 miles. The dealership where I purchased it new, said it will cost $1800!!!! It’s 4 freaking years old!!! It’s a Toyota!!! I’ve had many cars in my lifetime and NEVER had a problem near what this will cost! Your crazy if you buy a Toyota!
I bought my 2018 Camry brand new in October 2017. 1month later I took it back because of the transmission jerking. Toyota of Lewisville in Texas told me,” that’s just how it is”, was some Bull-Sh#t! Seeing all these complaints, I was right. Now in March 2022 my 2018 Camry is getting bad gas mileage, it’s probably because of the fuel pump that they swapped out because of the recall. I will never buy a Toyota again! I was told Toyota make great vehicles but not my 2018 Camry.
I too, agree with the jerky motion on my 2018 Camry LE. I purchased it about 5 and a half months ago. I’ve noticed this horrible motion every time I’m at a traffic light and prepare to accelerate. Few days ago I blew my driver front tire because I became frustrated and accelerated hard on the pedal. I almost lost control and slid into the curb. (live in a snowy climate). The tire was shredded. The cabin is also very noisy, while on the freeway, I can hear the traffic and it sounds as though the vehicle behind me is about to climb on me. I then have to turn the radio way up to camouflage the noise. A very frustrated 2018 Toyota Camry LE owner…
2018 Camry XLE purchased new. Immediately noticed transmission issues, i.e. hesitation and jerking just as other commentors. I too was told the car needed to get used to my driving habits. That’s such BS! I really hate when it jerks after accelerating from a rolling stop at stop lights. I’ve just learned to live with it.
On another note…just as someone else commented…my car also has aweful chemical smell from the AC if I have fresh air on vs recirculating air. It makes me nauseous so again I’ve also learned to live with that by always having recirculate button pressed. Lastly, the OEM Bridgestone tires are aweful…24,000 mi on them and need new tires even with checking tire pressure regularly and rotation as per requirments.
2019 CAMRY SE, small 2.5 L four cylinder engine. This car is S-L-O-W. Why ? My 2010 Camry had a small 2.5 L four cylinder engine also. Very peppy. I gave it to my twin daughters, but I would like it returned since my 2019 model SE is not “peppy” at all.
It feels like perhaps a much smaller engine and accelerates slowly. Unsat !!
4 cyl exl…….best car ever. its my 113the car give owned. 8 speed trans makes this car
I have a 2018 Camry SE and it’s great. I don’t have any of these bizarre issues I’m seeing here. Guess I must be lucky.
My 2018 Carmy had a recall for the fuel pump. Shortly after the work was done. My car had problems starting. The dealership said the battery had a dead cell. I bought my car brand new off the lot July,2018. I don’t understand why the battery didn’t last over 3 years or why Toyota made me pay over $200 for a new one. I have approximately 41000 miles. This is ridiculous Toyota selling crap cars.
My 4 cylinder camery xse has had everything listed as recall and happenned immediately after purchasing the car. The stereo also stoped working two days after purchasing. They lied about everything when we got the car and tried to remedy this nicely with thurston Toyota located in ukiah ca. They admitted to letting the sales person go who sold us the car for do similar things to lots of people but were unwilling to come get the car to take a look and fix it. It was still under warranty and we only drove the car for a little over a month it’s been sitting scene and have tried multiple times but they won’t help us. It has to many problems to drive back because the distance and condition of the car. It has the staling problem the sticky transmission and all others including a faulty radio. Please help us if you can thanks and hope to hear from you
I bought my 2018 Camry LE with the 2.5 liter four cylinder engine and 8 speed transmission this past January. It had been a sales manager lease car, and I got it with 24,000 miles in basically new condition. I bought the car primarily for Uber and Lyft work, but also for personal commuting. I’m sorry to have to be that jerk who has a different opinion, but I have learned to absolutely love this car so far. I’ve put about 11,000 miles on it since buying it, (Uber and Lyft obviously stopped in March,) and I’ve learned to drive this transmission so that I’m happy with it most of the time. Now, having said that, I will say that it jerks quite badly in the “almost stop and then go” driving scenario. So, if I try to do a rolling stop at an intersection, get down to maybe two or three mph and then go again, I have to ease down on the gas very gently or it will just about give my passengers whiplash. Also, around town the transmission shifts at annoyingly low rpms, and because my Camry is an LE, there is no “sport” mode to put it in that would let it rev a little more in normal driving. The gas mileage is fantastic, but obviously I’m getting that at least partially because of a transmission that shifts too soon, at least around town. Out on the open road, though, I adore everything about this car and this transmission. At highway speeds, in the mountains near where I live, the car is a blast to drive. As a matter of fact, the harder and faster I drive it, the better the transmission seems to get. Almost like the car was designed primarily to be a sports sedan and grand touring car, and around town driving was an afterthought for the design team. I would love to have a “sport” versus “eco” button, but I bought the LE because this was going to be a rideshare car. Anyway, I love almost everything about this car, but even I can see that the 8 speed automatic wasn’t quite ready for prime time when this car was introduced. Hopefully I won’t experience any of the other problems mentioned here, and if I do, hopefully my 5 year, 60,000 mile powertrain warranty will cover the problem. Hope springs eternal.
I was wonder why my 2018 Toy. Camry hestitate acceleration when I get over 60-70 mph,Now I know it’s a issue. I have a leased and now I know I don’t want to buy 2018.
Noticed that when I go down a hill; with my foot off the gas and brake, the transmission revs up like the transmission dropped into first gear. The RPM gauge shows a remarkable rise in RPMs. Is this normal for a 2018 Toyota Camry?
Doesn’t this rise in RPM relate to loss in gas mileage?
Bought a 2018 Toyota Camry SE in April of 2018. BAD serious issues. My car was manufactured in the time frame that the bad pistons were installed. But my local dealer swears that it’s not one of them. Did not start having issues until around 16k miles. So lemon law is not an option. Hesitant to accelerate, and when it finally does it takes off like a jet. I almost rear ended a truck on the way home from work one day because of it. Transmission slips when going up al hill. Acts like it wants to cut out. Rough start shaking car. Took to local Toyota dealer and because it pulls no codes, they did an update of the computer. I asked the question how am I supposed to know when car needs update? Answer.. you will not know. So I guess once I get hit because car will not accelerate in an intersection, then we will know it needs another update! BS!! Toyota needs to recall these cars!!! Or expect a huge law suit.
I bought Toyota camry on Dec 1
2017 . I hate it jerking all the times .too many problems . Garbage for Brand New Car !!!!
Having transmission jerky problems on my 2018 TOYOTA Camry.. as well as other warning symbols. I have several repair orders open with TOYOTA and TOYOTA Corp. They insist they could not duplicate the problem.
OMG WTF this is bad and I am or should now say was close to buying the TRD Camry but alas it comes with the stock 8 speed trans which seems like a real POS after doing research on sites.
I thought it was just me, I am having some of the same issues with my transmission slipping, I can be driving and the car just seems as though it’s going to just cut off while driving, that scares me so bad when I have my children in the car and the engine revs up but the car seems to be going no where. I feel so unsafe driving my car
I am having the transmission problem with my 2019 Camry LE. The problem with my car is bad. I actually dread driving the car. There is a significant hesitation about 75% of the time on stop/go driving or when I slow down in traffic and then push on the gas pedal to resume my speed. The car lags/hesitates and then jerks. Also it’s loud. The engine revs loudly, especially in the morning when it’s driven for the first time of the day. Sounds like a hot rod at times. I have been to the local Toyota Dealership 3 times and opened a case with Toyota. All I get is, it’s normal for the new transmission. Off the record the people in the service dept have told me they are getting many complaints on this problem. When they fill out the ticket it simply says ‘Normal operation for the car’. They are getting away with a crime. I really am not sure what to do.
My Toyota Camry SE 2018 , 2.5L which starting with push button (power button) . When I push the power button to ignite the engine immediately all power off for a few seconds also the backup camera (RCD unavailable) or it is off!. Engine sound is very load compare to same models, years and same versions.
On 8/2/2019 A car hit me at full speed on my drivers side front quarter panel and the drivers door buckled, tire flatten, door and quarter panel pealed back (drivers door had to be forces open by 3 gentleman) so I could be put in the ambulance and the back frame near tire buckled; all on drivers side. I was knocked unconscious. My air bag didn’t deploy! I was driving a 2018 Toyota Camry xle.
I had the plastic piece over the radiator crack 2 months old 2000 miles in almost 50 years of driving I never heard of the shroud cracking when you lean on it to check fluid levels. I hunted down the factory and contacted EVERY high level administration person no one called back but if people leave ENOUGH messages someone will call back. TOYOTA care is terrible I bought a 2008 trailblazer from police auction best vehicle inline 6 rugged but fuel mileage isn’t good but I drive it more than Toyota email me I will give you all the phone numbers make them spend so much time on phone they will understand customer service is important (of note that part must fail so much cause rock auto sells it @ 25% of the price Toyota sells it, I was so persistant Toyota did send me money to reimburse me )
I purchased my 2019 Toyota Camry XLE , I’ve noticed on two occasions while in cruise control (70 mph) the car accelerated almost running in the back of the vehicle in front of me. Also I get a message stating meter odometer pop up on the dashboard. I took it to the dealer and of course if they can’t verify the issue, there’s no code to repair the problem. What’s frustrating is a problem with the cruise control was reported from a previous owner and the dealer said there’s no issue.
Just drove a 2019 Camry. Transmission searches and down shifts. To many selections for the computer. It is a darn shame. Car shifts constantly. I love Toyotas but this car is an engineering failure.
We also had the same problem with the Camry 2018 and 19, but we recognize the problem right after buying it then we took it to the dealer and they tried to convince us that it’s normal and that’s how they designed but we refused to take that as an answer and told them that the car is not safe for us to drive due to the acceleration and speeding problem, we replace the car with 2016 which has way better transmission and acceleration. It’s not brand new but hey it’s safe and fun to drive than the slow sluggish 2018 and 19 Camry, I hope Toyota fix the problem or lose loyal customers.
I just purchased a certified preowned 2018 Camry SE, and I sensed something was different/wrong about the way this car drives. I’ve noticed exactly the same issues with the transmission and acceleration. Reading all of these comments/complaints has me very concerned. This was a big purchase for me, and I’m afraid I’m stuck with a lemon.
I purchased my 2018 Toyota Camry SE back 2017. I drive a lot with my car to work, school ect and all my recommendations/guidelines maintenance were done throw the dealership. on 05/21/2019 I was driving and all of a sudden my car started to rev while I have the car D and my foot off the gas pedal and notice their were warning lights came on informing me to go to the dealership. I informed the service manger and they look into it and the code they received was in the transmission. They did their inspection and still can’t find no issues. Mechanics and service manger concluded that it’s a mechanical failure and need a new transmission which for a new one is $4,597.92 and labor $750
I am having the transmission problem with my 2019 Camry LE. The problem with my car is bad. I actually dread driving the car. There is a significant hesitation about 75% of the time on stop/go driving or when I slow down in traffic and then push on the gas pedal to resume my speed. The car lags/hesitates and then jerks. Also it’s loud. The engine revs loudly, especially in the morning when it’s driven for the first time of the day. Sounds like a hot rod at times. I had a 2002 Camry that was nowhere near as loud as this and drove much better. I have been to the local Toyota Dealership 3 times and opened a case with Toyota. All I get is, it’s normal for the new transmission. Off the record the people in the service dept have told me they are getting many complaints on this problem. When they fill out the ticket it simply says ‘Normal operation for the car’. They are getting away with a crime. I really am not sure what to do. Seriously considering trading it in and getting something else (certainly not a Toyota ever again) but I stand to lose money if I do that. The car only has 3500 miles on it. This is not a minor problem and to go to the dealership and have the service manager ride in the car knowing he is aware my complaint is valid and yet tells me that Toyota hasn’t come out with a fix and until they do there is nothing he can do for it and then he writes that’s it’s normal. The case manager at Toyota has been very poor and says that since the service manager at Toyota says it’s ok that’s all they can do – the case will be closed. Shame on you Toyota. I’ve purchased Camry’s since 1993 but never again.
I have the same problem with the transmission it lags and then shoots out like a Bat out of hell , it feels very unsafe .I have taken it to the dealer and all they say is that its the 8 speed transmission and thats the way they are made and also there is a coolant smell all the time after I driver it. Not Happy with the car
Yeah we have a 2018 Camry LE 4 Cyl with the 8 speed trans. Definitely not a great transmission but honestly my 2018 Ford F150 with a 10 speed auto is about as bad. Way too many gears for these sort of vehicles. Just to wring out a slightly better MPG result I guess. Not sure anything can really fix what has been poorly designed. We don’t need this many gear changes for a vehicle, 6 speed was plenty. They worked, they were reliable and they provided a great driving experience along with decent MPG’s. Cramming so many gears into a trans is going to be a mess because the computer will eventually find itself in a gear selection confusion. Software updates help, but they are not always effective. Also why are so many Toyota owners having to replace these 8 speed trans when this is just a software issue? I suspect the software TSB just helps mask the problem.
I have 2018 Camry L. when I was buying it had 38 miles. now it is being 1 year and complaint to my dealer several times and Also to the Toyota. But they are saying some stupid answers to convince me I am totally disappointed. I don’t like the way they have designed the gas paddle. every single day having uncomfortable drive, lag issue, poor performance, have to give too pressure for the gas paddle. my previous car 2003 Camry performed way better than this model. I was so happy when I was buying this car a year ago, and now I felt why did I buy this and suffer. hope everyone’s issue solved with who has problem with 2018 Camry.
Same problem on my new 2019 Camry XLE 2.5, 200 miles yet.
When someone needs better MPG, then the person can switch the car into ‘ECO’ mode. Umable to understand ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’ modes give no better acceleration when you really need it…
There is no feeling of 2.5L engine when try to accelerate from a Stop. Toyota should understand that it has done terrible mistake in Camry 2018 onward models by playing with excellent transmission found in 2017 and older models. Many customers need powerful acceleration to survive while joining highways. Last week, a Toyota technician told that the car will learn the way you drive after few hundred miles. I don’t think it will ever be aggressive like Camry 2017 and older models.
TOYOTA, you broke customers trust on CAMRY!
I bought 2018 Camry several months back. I am experiencing same transmission issues as described here. I also have issues with my stereo where the icons disappear from screen when in drive. Other issue as described here is cabin noise and air getting through door jams. I spoke with Toyota dealer I bought the car from, they admitted they have had other folks report the same issues but Toyota has not released any sort of fix for transmission problems. They advised me to check back. I really don’t think honest paying customers should have go through this. Is there a solution????
I was parking my 2019 LE in the parking structure at work, when the car suddenly accelerated and struck the cement post. Since I was almost parked, my foot was firmly on the brake. It did not slip and land on the gas pedal. The accident caused considerable damage to the front grill, bumper and fender. If it had not been for the post, the car would have continued forward to crash into the building.
My 2018 LE has similar shifting problems that developed after just a few thousand miles. The frustrating thing is it’s not consistent so demonstrating the problem to a tech is difficult. Shifting up from 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears causes the car to stutter and buck like it can’t decide to make the shift or not. Manually shifting the car eliminates the bucking but the car slides into 3rd gear from 2nd. I was told that there was a software upgrade issued to address this problem, however my car already had the upgrade applied at time of purchase. Fortunately I can solve the problem at the end of the lease by giving the car back to Toyota and moving over to a Kia or Honda. Too bad. The Camry is a nice car to drive. If only Toyota could solve the problem, I would remain a loyal customer.
I have to agree with all of you! I regret this purchase every time I drive it. The acceleration is
terrible, the engine revving up but the car going pretty much no where. Occasionally the RPM’s will go
up completely on their own but the gas was not applied. I have been looking to move on from this
frustrating car for the last 8 months ( that’s how long I’ve had it).
Toyota has known about this transmission problem since its introduction. I have a 2018 XLE purchased in November 2017 they have not been able to fix it. Random jerky shifts up and down are most dangerious in normal city driving conditions. Once on a service test drive the tech actually stopped and got out of the vehicle to see if he had been hid from behind. They delaying action and change case manangers on a regular basis.
I’ve owned a 2018 Camry LE since last year end of April. Transmission is the number one issue that is bothering me. I’m been to multiple dealers but they all say it’s normal and that hundreds of people call every day asking about this issue. Some of them don’t even know that there’s a recall out for 2018 Camry’s. I don’t like how the car’s ABS makes the most horrible scraping noise once it goes into effect, it feels like you’re dragging the car across pavement, and there’s a terrible rattling noise that is heard and felt throughout the car. I find it weird that in rainy weather the car refuses to operate the Frontal Collision System, saying that the server is unavailable. What kind of sensor needs service to operate? I’m reading NHTSA complaints about how several people have actually gotten into accidents because of this sudden acceleration issue the car has. 2 out of the 3 happened under 2,000 miles, the latter occurred at 5600. I’m approaching 5,000 miles, I dearly hope nothing happens to me. Dealership keeps telling me to wait until Toyota recognizes that it’s a problem, but when will that be? When someone dies?
Just purchased my daughter a new 2019 Camry SE last night and didn’t even make it home before it start a jerking sensation and hesitation when applying the gas pedal from a dead stop. It also has a real problem with the amount of pedal required to make this vehicle move. We took it right back to the dealer and advised the manger it was up to them to correct before I would allow my daughter to drive it.
I just purchased a 2019 Camry SE. The car was purchased on 12/23/18. Within two weeks, I was back at the dealership claiming about the jerking of the transmission. The mechanic went for a ride with me on the interstate, just to tell me there’s nothing wrong with the car. Today I got online and googled known problems with new Camry’s. After seeing all the comments, I’ve noticed that they’re all the same complaints that I have with my brand new car. Does anyone know what I should do?
I have a Toyota camery 2018 and have problems with transmission it’s jerks it does not change gears write and when am at the stop light you feel like somoene hit you from the back every time you take it to dealer they said that the computer does not show anything
I have the exact same issues, jerky on acceleration or it seems to be stuck in gear. The LDA randomly comes on for no reason when no other cars are in sight. The window noise is horrible as I also think it’s a crack in the window. Took the car to car wash and while the fan was drying the hood, I thought is was going to come off. Each time I go through the drive car wash there is water I side the doors and all the panels. Even when it rains hards. Radio and Entune is a joke! Side molding on driver’s side has come off. Bought this car in May and cannot wait to get rid of it. Dealership was no help and I’m still waiting after a mth for the moulding. My 2008 Volvo runs circles around this car. WHY WHY DID I BUY THIS CAR!!! If it was for ruining my credit, I would leave the car right in the dealership parking lot in Richardson, TX and HUBER my way a few miles down the freeway and get another Volvo.
I’ve been having the same issues with my now 7 months old 2018 Camry LE, transmission doesn’t work quite well…vehicle doesn’t accelerate…I been at Toyota dealer and they said the computer doesn’t show anything….plus the HORRIBLE customer service they have, including the General Manager.
I DON’T FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY CAR!!
2018 Camry Transmission problems : multiple issues
2) AC odor issues: chemical smell emanating from vents especially when ac is on causing me to have chronic pleurisy