2018 Toyota Camry Owner Complaints

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.

NHTSA ID

11776755

Incident

Nov 5, 2026

The vehicle transmission became inoperable while driving and the car stalled. After towing to a local Toyota dealership, the service department noted that it failed the stall test. Code P0745F identified. Vehicle required entire transmission assembly replacement at 88K miles.

NHTSA ID

11776399

Incident

Oct 18, 2026

The steering wheel has become extremely stiff and difficult to turn, making it very difficult to steer the vehicle in either direction (left or right). This occurs while the engine is running and the vehicle is in operation. The steering issue makes it extremely difficult to control the vehicle, especially when making turns. This creates a serious safety hazard and significantly increases the risk of an accident. I believe this is a potentially dangerous steering system defect that needs immediate investigation.

NHTSA ID

11775818

Incident

Oct 1, 2026

Vehicle Safety Complaint – 2018 Toyota Camry On October 26, 2026, the driver was operating a 2018 Toyota Camry on a public roadway at approximately 45 mph when the vehicle unexpectedly activated its automatic emergency braking system. The dashboard displayed a “BRAKE!” warning, immediately followed by extremely forceful braking, comparable to someone suddenly slamming their foot on the brake pedal. The vehicle rapidly decelerated from approximately 45 mph to a complete stop, despite there being no vehicles, pedestrians, or visible obstacles in front of or near the vehicle. The sudden braking caused the driver’s body to lurch forward. According to the driver, the seat belt did not noticeably tighten during the incident. After the vehicle came to a complete stop, the brakes released, and the car slowly began rolling forward without the driver pressing the accelerator. The driver did not intentionally initiate the emergency braking. This unexpected activation created a serious safety hazard and could have resulted in a rear-end collision, loss of vehicle control, or serious injury. The incident raises concerns about a possible malfunction of the vehicle’s Pre-Collision System (PCS), including its radar sensor, forward-facing camera, calibration, or associated software. A VIN search through the NHTSA database indicated zero outstanding safety recalls for this vehicle. I am requesting that NHTSA document and investigate this incident as a potential safety defect involving unintended automatic emergency braking in the 2018 Toyota Camry.

NHTSA ID

11773862

Incident

Oct 26, 2026

Not sure if i'm reporting this correctly. my camry started making noise and it was a transmission issue. i went online and it seems to be a common complaint for 2018 and 2019 toyota camry's, when they reach approx 125k to 135 k. don't know if anything can be done but it would be nice to find out if this is more common then expected and corrections are being made. I even had a routine service i believe last month and all they indicated was it needed a transmission service. thanks

NHTSA ID

11773735

Incident

Sep 15, 2026

transmission failure and power loss while driving

NHTSA ID

11773732

Incident

Apr 11, 2025

This vehicle is experiencing the same problems since 2022 despite multiple attempts to have the vehicle repaired. The fuel pump was part of the recall and it was replaced in 2020. When these problems started in 2022, I was told they need the codes to figure out what’s going on but yet they still couldn’t give me an answer. There was only one code that they addressed which was to replace an engine coil but the car continues breaking down. This most recent time, I fueled the vehicle and it would not start when I was finished. This had happened at least 3 times, all after fueling the vehicle. The car will also shut down while driving, and it is extremely dangerous when power steering fails and there is no acceleration even with the pedal pushed down all the way to the floor in the middle of traffic. I am terrified that I will not only hurt myself but others when this failure causes an accident. One time, the vehicle broke down on a major highway during rush hour, but I was able to get to safety. Other times I had to call a tow because the car was inoperable. The dash lights up with “check engine” and “ics malfunction visit your dealer” each time. I have called corporate and made 15+ trips to get the vehicle diagnosed/fixed but still do not have any answers.

NHTSA ID

11773119

Incident

Oct 22, 2026

Unknown

NHTSA ID

11771693

Incident

Oct 14, 2026

Transmission defective.

NHTSA ID

11771646

Incident

Oct 16, 2026

Total transmission failure at about 107,770 miles.

NHTSA ID

11770133

Incident

Sep 29, 2026

My 2018 Toyota Camry LE went into Limp mode while drive on the highway causing jerking while driving and tons of error codes on the dash, and issues with safety systems shutting off and accelration. After towing to a dealership, dealership gave me the following description of the defect: Coolant is coming through the cylinder walls due to a hairline fracture in the cylinder causing 2 of the 4 cylinders to misfire and coolant to mix with usual contents. We aren't able to identify where the cause of this problem is but it makes the most economical sense to replace the engine with a lower mileage engine and replace the neighboring parts to support the less old engine. I was quoted $8300 approximately. the same vehicle just a few years older are recalled already for the exact same thing - NHTSA Recall 20V064000. The NHTSA Recall states: "The subject vehicles are equipped with a 2.5L 4 Cylinder engine (A25A) and may have been produced with engine blocks containing higher porosity levels. Higher levels of porosity could create cracks in the cooling passages, resulting in coolant leaking internally and/or externally. This may lead to engine noise, engine smoke, warning lights/malfunction indicator illumination, an audible chime sounding, and/or, in some cases, engine overheating and possible internal mechanical engine damage (e.g. seizing of internal engine components). If engine overheating or internal mechanical engine damage were to occur on involved conventional gasoline vehicles, a vehicle stall while driving at higher speeds could occur without prior warning to the driver, increasing the risk of crash."

NHTSA ID

11769969

Incident

Oct 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle was jerking and hesitating. The failure was a recurring failure. The dealer was contacted and was able to reproduce the failure. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

NHTSA ID

11769124

Incident

Oct 3, 2026

Mileage

69,000 mi

I am filing a formal complaint regarding a severe safety recall compliance violation and predatory conditional repair tactic committed by an authorized Toyota dealership. My vehicle exhibited severe engine sputtering and stalling symptoms. This vehicle had an active, federally mandated safety recall for a defective low-pressure Denso fuel pump known to cause engine stalling. Upon presenting the vehicle for the safety recall, the dealership's service advisor explicitly and verbally stated that they would not touch, service, or perform the open fuel pump safety recall until I first authorized and paid for an out-of-pocket throttle body replacement. The vehicle was throwing diagnostic trouble codes P2117, P2190, and P2197. While P2117 relates to throttle performance, codes P2190 and P2197 indicate severe fuel delivery, fuel starvation, and air-fuel ratio calculation failures. Low fuel pressure from the recalled, defective fuel pump causes the engine to sputter and die, which forces the electronic throttle body to scramble to catch the dropping RPMs—subsequently tripping the secondary P2117 code. The dealership used this secondary symptom code to withhold a federal safety recall and force a highly inflated $1,351.00 customer-pay repair under duress. To get my vehicle repaired and safe for the road, I was forced to pay for the throttle body. Both the $1,351 throttle body repair and the free fuel pump safety recall were completed on the exact same visit on the exact same day, creating an undeniable paper trail of a forced conditional repair. Holding a critical safety recall hostage behind a costly commercial repair violates federal recall regulations under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. I am demanding a full corporate goodwill reimbursement of $1,351.00 from Toyota Motor North America and a formal compliance investigation into this dealership's service department practices.

NHTSA ID

11768868

Incident

Oct 2, 2026

2018 Toyota Camry approx 126,000 miles. Transmission had always been rough-- previously jerking and was told by dealer technician that shocks needed to be replaced soon. While out of state and traveling in remote area, the car gave out. Was advised by out of state Toyota dealership technician that the transmission had blown and the inside of the mechanism had imploded and the car could not be moved at all. According to review of other consumer complaints Toyota was aware of the mechanical defect with transmission and related defective software but failed to disclose to the consumer. Toyota has failed to issue a recall.

NHTSA ID

11768335

Incident

Sep 29, 2026

TSB-0028-22 - CAR DIAGNOSED AT DEALERSHIP WITH ISSUE STATED WITHIN THE SERVICE BULLETIN AND AS NOTED IN THE CIVIL ACTION SUIT. HOWEVER, SPECIFIC VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE COVERED LIST BY MANUFACTURER. CUSTOMER WILL ESCALATE UNTIL RESOLUTION *INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT ASSY

NHTSA ID

11767971

Incident

Sep 28, 2026

On September 6, my 2018 toryota camry just stoopped all of the suddden in the middle of a 6 lane road. No warning lights or such until that exact moment. The car went into safe moode as I was driving. The water pump and associated parts failed. The electrical part of the water pump went and took the pump, thermostat, gaskets, etc. to be repaired after just dying on the road. The car had only 32465 miles at the time of the breakage. The car is out of warranty, but with such low milage this is and unusual repair to be made on a car only8 years old with low milage. It was a $1700 dollar repair. The company has not made any assitance availble, i have called and spoke with someone, have written a letter and now I felt that it was important enough to come here. There are Facebook pages with "broken camry water pumps" up so this is to my way of thinking an ongoing problem. I was lucky I was not hit when the car "stopped" on the road with no warning. The car has been well maintained at an authorized Toyota dealer the whole time I have had it. I am concerned that this is an ongoing problem with the camry.

NHTSA ID

11766991

Incident

Sep 6, 2026

I brought my 2018 Camry in because of check engine light and was told it was due to the vsv purge valve ($372) and the coolant bypass valve ($1100)- *note I later found out due to my own research that Toyota has an National Warranty Extensions on this part due to failure on 2018-2023 models! After agreeing to replace the costly bypass valve I was called and told the light was still on so they ran ANOTHER diagnostic test that now shows a "new" code that I need a new computer ($1400). The faulty part causes computer damage and I was advised online to speak to the service manager and ask for "consequential damage review" as well as have them cover the part since the warranty covers 10 years or 100k miles. Well of course I was denied because my car is over 100k (what 2018 wouldnt be) and told to reach out to Corporate who also said the same thing. What is interesting is this faulty part extension was just established December 2024 which would not help those of us who were already at the 100k mark when they found this error out. I just paid over $1000 today (not to mention all the times I brought it in before for diagnostic test) and my car runs EXACTLY THE SAME- BAD! AND THE ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON!!!!!! I will not give them another $1500 for a new computer. I am now looking for a specialized automotive electronics repair company to repair my computer for likely less than $200! Toyota's service department is a SCAM and I would not recommend buying their cars to anyone going further. My family has 3 Toyotas in our driveway now! I am very disappointed and need someone at Toyota to make this error better!

NHTSA ID

11766206

Incident

Sep 22, 2026

The transmission quit moving the car forward in traffic which could have caused a collision. When the transmission started shifting weird and not accelerating normally, the ABS Sensor malfunction light came on. I towed the car to a toyota dealership in [XXX] and they said I needed the transmission replaced for $10000(new), which I could not afford. I was expecting it to be a sensor since that was the light that came on. I had the transmission rebuilt by an independent mechanic and during the first test drive, the car applied brakes and came to a complete stop. We took the car to the toyota dealership for a program update that the information we had said was needed. The dealership stated there was no update available. They also told me I could drive the car home. After going about three miles from the dealership the transmission stopped moving the car again in traffic which again could have caused a collision. There were codes being thrown that would not be there when the transmission was rebuilt and subsequent reevaluations. The car has been unusable since XXX INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11766000

Incident

Mar 19, 2026

My regularly serviced 2018 Toyota Camry is now in need of a $10,000 transmission replacement. Based on research, it is not normal for a modern Toyota Camry to need a new transmission at 125k miles. Toyota has DOCUMENTED complaints that the 2018 Camry's 8-speed automatic transmission has a known history of premature failures and is the subject of thousands of owner complaints. A recall needs to be enforced as Toyota has sold DEFECTED 2018 vehicles! I purchased this vehicle in 2018. Anyone who bought the 2018 Camry in 2018 should be a part of a recall & not charged for Toyota’s defect with this being a WELL KNOWN issue.

NHTSA ID

11765476

Incident

Jul 24, 2026

My panoramic sunroof has a defect , my sunroof stopped working only a few months after having my car , I’ve Spoke with many other people with the same car and it’s common. I had a warranty on my car but they wouldn’t cover the cables for the setup to the roof , and it’s $10,000 at Toyota to get it fixed and I’m having transmission problems . I keep my maintenance up to date on my car , I’ve also done my research and transmission failure is also common on this vehicle ! My car is barely over 100,000 miles . I’m very disappointed in Toyota and I won’t be purchasing another ! Can honestly say this is the worse car I’ve had !

NHTSA ID

11764439

Incident

Jul 14, 2025

After taking the car on a short drive: Pre-collision malfunction; parking brake malf; ICS malf; chk eng reduced power; secondary collision brake malf; rough idle and driving; sometimes won't accelerate (revs only); cruise control won't work; battery drained when off (12.5 v to 10.5 in one day; battery just under 3 years old); after replacing battery: OBD 2:P0302

NHTSA ID

11762531

Incident

Jul 8, 2026

The vehicle has developed a high-pitched whine that is most noticeable around 30 to 55 mph. The pitch increases directly with vehicle speed, not engine RPM. The sound occurs whenever positive throttle is applied and disappears immediately when the accelerator is released, before vehicle speed noticeably decreases. Gear changes do not appear to affect the pitch. I am concerned this may indicate a transmission/transaxle or final-drive problem. No warning lights are currently present.

NHTSA ID

11760528

Incident

Aug 26, 2026

I own a 2018 Toyota Camry SE with approximately 120,000 miles. The vehicle is equipped with the 2.5L engine and 8-speed automatic transmission. I have recently developed a noticeable whining noise from the vehicle's drivetrain during acceleration. The noise is most noticeable at lower speeds, approximately 10–60 mph, particularly when accelerating from a stop or at lower speeds. The noise becomes less noticeable or disappears when cruising at higher speeds. The noise is load-dependent. When I release the accelerator while traveling at approximately 30–40 mph and allow the vehicle to coast, the whining noise stops immediately. The noise does not occur when the vehicle is stationary and the engine is revved. I am concerned that this may indicate premature wear or a developing problem with the transmission or related drivetrain components. I am particularly concerned about the potential for progressive transmission failure while driving, which could result in loss of motive power and create a safety hazard. At this time, the vehicle remains drivable, but the noise appears to be abnormal and has raised concerns about the reliability and safety of the drivetrain. I am requesting that NHTSA document this complaint and investigate whether similar complaints involving 2017–2024 Toyota Camry vehicles with 8-speed automatic transmissions indicate a broader safety-related defect. I have not yet had the transmission replaced. I can provide additional information, service records, diagnostic results, photographs, or recordings of the noise if requested.

NHTSA ID

11759057

Incident

Apr 20, 2026

Reduce power and break power malfunction

NHTSA ID

11758653

Incident

Aug 21, 2026

The transmission has begun failing, with less than 60,000 miles and a perfect maintenance record. While driving I noticed a "whine" while accelerating and it would go away when not pressing the accelerator. It also did not make the noise when in neutral. This is a known issue with the 2018 Toyota Camry and the manufacturer did not send out a notice, any type of additional support or maintenance recommendations to make customers aware.

NHTSA ID

11758575

Incident

Aug 21, 2026