2018 Toyota Camry Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "SRS Airbag System Malfunction - Visit Your Dealer" was displayed on the instrument panel. Additionally, the passenger’s seat belt sensor light remained illuminated while the seat was unoccupied. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was contacted and provided an estimate for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 128,000.

NHTSA ID

11754717

Incident

Aug 3, 2026

Mileage

128,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11753527

Incident

Jun 12, 2026

The transmission in my 2018 Toyota Camry XSE with 124k miles went out even after getting regular maintenance. There is currently a class action law suit for this issue and a recall needs to be initiated.

NHTSA ID

11752699

Incident

Jul 24, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the message “See Dealer” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle with water pump failure. The dealer was notified of the diagnosis but advised the contact to disregard the warning. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle back to the residence, the vehicle started to lose power and went into LIMP Mode. The vehicle was returned to the independent mechanic to have the water pump replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 42,572.

NHTSA ID

11752686

Incident

Jul 11, 2026

Mileage

42,572 mi

I am writing to report two serious safety incidents involving my Tesla Model 3 Full Self-Driving (FSD). First Incident: On XXX at approximately 8:00 a.m., I was traveling on [XXX], with Full Self-Driving engaged. Without any warning, the vehicle suddenly steered to the right, struck a mailbox, broke the right-side mirror, continued traveling for approximately 10 yards, and then came to a complete stop. At the time of the incident, there were no vehicles ahead of or behind my vehicle. I was holding the steering wheel, but I did not make any steering input or take any action that would have caused the vehicle to turn. Following the incident, I promptly reported it to the police, my insurance company, and NHTSA. I also scheduled an inspection with the Tesla Service Center in Princeton and contacted Tesla’s Vehicle Safety team. I was informed that Tesla would conduct an investigation and provide results within approximately 30 days. Second Incident: On XXX, at approximately 8:25 a.m., while driving on [XXX] with FSD engaged, the vehicle again veered sharply to the right without warning, nearly causing a collision with an adjacent vehicle before abruptly correcting itself. This recurrence demonstrates that a significant safety problem remains unresolved. Tesla previously inspected the vehicle and reported no issues with the FSD system, yet the defect persists. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11749920

Incident

Jul 8, 2026

Transmission began jerking and sputtering which caused the vehicle to lose acceleration ability while traveling at highway speeds. Transmission was confirmed to have failed by an independent shop and required a complete rebuild. No warning lamps or notifications prior to failure

NHTSA ID

11747211

Incident

Feb 5, 2026

The steering has become hard. There are no lights showing on my dashboard. The steering is hitching, catching, and hard to return to the center during slow and fast speeds. I feel it is very unsafe to drive. I have called the toyota service and they said there is an active warranty/recall for this specific issue (customer service program 22TE02) with other cars, but not my vin number.

NHTSA ID

11746655

Incident

Apr 15, 2026

2018 XSE Camry 4Cyl, 114k Miles, 2026. Transmission is failing, and I bought the car used in Oct of 2025, 86k Miles. As of 2026 the car has started to make a noise that sounds like a jet engine when accelerating, and the transmission fluid is black. Went to a local transmission shop, and they told me the transmission is on its way out. I'm disappointed in Toyota's engineering this time around. I have a 2008 Tacoma with 320k miles, and I know a family member with an 2006 Matrix 310k miles with 0 Reported drive train issues. I will not be buying newer Toyotas moving forward until this issue is resolved. I also would like to note that Desert Toyota in Arizona told me the transmission was okay. I'm for sure they blew me off, because they didn't want to deal with my extended warranty at the time. They told me black transmission fluid was normal, and the metallic flakes were normal. I've been told by two independent shops this is not normal, and the transmission fluid should be pink or red and not metallic/sparkly. I wish I had pictures of the fluid, but we tossed it after the dealer said it was ok initially. I had a transmission fluid drain and refill from Desert Toyota and I'm positive that made my issues worse and now the jet engine noise is present. Right now I'm not driving the car because I'm nervous the tranny is going to completely fail before figuring out what to do with the car. I also would like to note, there are many online forums with other consumers stating the same issues and concerns. There are YouTube videos of "jet engine" like noises coming for the 8th gen Camry and Reddit Forums sharing similar experiences. I really wish Toyota would put out a recall to fix the issue! I see there is a class action law suit for the concern but with older vehicles like mine reaching higher mileage it looks like we will be the ones with no luck or answers from the manufacture.

NHTSA ID

11746311

Incident

Apr 15, 2026

The Transmission has developed a leak around the torque converter. The front pump seal has failed, a worn pump bushing and or the torque converter hub is damaged. The risk of the transmission failing and leaving me stranded on the highway puts me at risk and also the oil leaking causing a slip hazard and ruining my driveway! Independent Service (Rhode island state inspection station (#901fea) Independent Service (Rhode island state inspection station (#901fea) NO

NHTSA ID

11746119

Incident

Jun 19, 2026

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.

NHTSA ID

11743918

Incident

May 16, 2026

Transmission has been having intermitten issues with slow or sluggish acceleration. The RPM dial would oscoliate before it would shift or you would it feel the car jerk while driving like its attempting to shift. Ive had this vehicle in and out of multiple toyota dealerships and they always said they could not find any issues with it this was starting back when the car had like 30k miles on it maybe 2 years of ownership now that its out of warranty they find issues with it now and tried to give me a repair for a complete new transmission for 6,000 They did a software update however did not fix the issue now the transmission is noisy and making a loud whinning noise

NHTSA ID

11743602

Incident

Jun 11, 2026

Who’s driving in the transmission went out I looked up online and Toyota has had a problem with the transmissions on the 2018 to 2024 Toyota cameras

NHTSA ID

11742927

Incident

May 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH on the highway, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated to 100 MPH, and the vehicle started to slow down independently. The contact removed the foot off the accelerator pedal for a second, depressed the accelerator pedal again, and the vehicle worked as intended. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer and an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified on the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000.

NHTSA ID

11742176

Incident

May 29, 2026

Mileage

102,000 mi

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle chugged, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact drove to her destination, where an acquaintance used a vehicle diagnostic scanner to retrieve DTC: P26CB, indicating a malfunction with the electric engine coolant pump. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with water pump failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied goodwill assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11741848

Incident

May 28, 2026

Mileage

70,000 mi

Transmission is broken at 110,000 miles. It's happening to everyone that owns Toyota's.

NHTSA ID

11741449

Incident

Jan 7, 2026

The transmission on the 2018 Toyota Camrys are the worst. Ever since I got my car it has had loss of power with acceleration it jerks randomly when driving and it’s very unpredictable. It makes me nervous every day I drive it & it gives me anxiety that at any second my transmission will just completely fail. I did research and soooo many people are having the same issue. This needs to be fixed.

NHTSA ID

11741074

Incident

Mar 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving, especially at slower speeds, the steering when is difficult to returned back to the center. The vehicle was taken to an independent, mechanic where it was not diagnosed or repaired; however, the steering shaft was sprayed with WD-40. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

NHTSA ID

11740720

Incident

May 16, 2023

Mileage

95,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11740557

Incident

Feb 2, 2026

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 NHTSA investigation.

NHTSA ID

11740517

Incident

May 28, 2026

On [XXX], I was involved in an accident in my Toyota Camry while the vehicle was stopped on the freeway [XXX]. The car suffered an impact at approximately 20 MPH or less. My friend [XXX] was driving with my permission while I was a passenger, and our two dogs were also in the vehicle. We were rear-ended by another driver, which pushed us into the vehicle in front of us, causing both rear and front impacts. The vehicle was totaled. During the collision, the airbags did not deploy. Immediately after the accident, the vehicle displayed an “SRS Airbag Malfunction – Visit Your Dealer” warning message. I suffered whiplash and nerve-related injuries. I am concerned the airbag/SRS system did not operate properly and may have failed during the accident, potentially increasing the severity of injuries. I am requesting an investigation into the failure of the SRS/airbag system. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11740438

Incident

May 22, 2026

I brought my 2018 Toyota Camry in for servicing a few days before 12/09/2024. They gave me no bad reports. However DAYS AFTER I received my car back, it just stopped on [XXX] with me and my [XXX] grandson in the car. I got no warning lights, I had no symptoms that it was failing. When I towed it to Toyota, it was closing time, so the next day I was told it was my TRANSMISSION, for the price of $10k!! I was livid!! Then I started looking into the Camrys issues and found that ALL THESE CARS WERE HAVING THE Ame issues after they changed transmission parts. When I confronted the service manager he knocked the price down to $5,500 but I’m on [XXX] and that was an astronomical price especially after I had paid the car off a week prior. Toyota had my car for TEN MONTHS, it was backed up due to so many cars having issues, and tariffs. I could’ve had a baby by the time I got it back, then my hood strut broke when they had it but they didn’t know how that happened🤬 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11739924

Incident

Dec 9, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while drivng at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The vehicle was towed to the dealer ted after several attempts, the vehicle eventually started. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, howver the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The RPM's increased. In addition, the contact stated that the failure occurred while traveling over 800 miles away from home. The vehicle was driven to the contact's cousins's residence. The contact's husband inspected the vehicle, and noticed metal shavings on the dip stick. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was ade aware of the failure and a case was filed. where it was diagnosed with a failed brake vacuum pump assembly. The vehicle was repaired. The contact received a recall notification, NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V890000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated when retrieving the vehicle from the dealer, the contact noticed an unusal sound. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The contact stated that the dealer confirmed that some was wrong. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to O'Riley where a potable diagnostic tester was connted P050. The co

NHTSA ID

11739592

Incident

Mar 12, 2026

Mileage

154,000 mi

Check engine light came on getting to highway speeds about 50 mph. Transmission went into limp mode at around 75k miles. Dealership told me my transmission was low on fluid. I had a transmission issue due to that same week. They told me to hold off on the flush because it was odd that a Toyota transmission is going in limp mode and with a check engine light at this mileage.

NHTSA ID

11739437

Incident

Mar 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle's speed slowly reached 20 MHP. In addition, the contact stated that while driving, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle lost motive power and seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure.

NHTSA ID

11737571

Incident

May 6, 2026

Mileage

130,000 mi

2018 Camry XSE, Vacuum pump went on my car less then a year ago. I had my car towed to the dealership for the recall to be fixed. Since that incident my car hasn’t been the same. While stopped at a light my dash board lite up with every issue the car could possibly have. Lane departure assist, secondary breaking system failure, engine coolant too hot, emergency brake failure and then the check engine light came on. I was able to get my cat to the side of the road and eventually make it home. I brought my car back to Toyota and a day later I was informed I might need a new engine, 8,000 dollars. I am very diligent about oil changes, tune ups etc. My car has 140,000 highway miles. I travel a lot for work. This car has never had a major issue until the recalled vacuum pump was repaired. All these complaints from other people with primarily the same issue cannot be wrong. It is definitely a manufacturing issue and I shouldn’t have to pay out-of-pocket for an issue that the dealership caused. Now I either have to buy a new car or pay 8000 to repair my current vehicle. I will never buy another Toyota again

NHTSA ID

11737096

Incident

May 7, 2026