2018 Toyota Camry Engine Problems

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

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

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

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

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

I am reporting a severe safety and vehicle integrity issue involving a Toyota vehicle purchased from Wolfchase Toyota. After a technical inspection (Invoice #XXX), it was confirmed that the Engine VIN does not match the Chassis VIN. This indicates an undocumented engine replacement of unknown origin and mileage. As a result, the vehicle's safety systems, engine performance, and structural integrity are unverified and potentially compromised. The dealership and Toyota North America have been notified of this 'Frankenstein' engine configuration but have not removed the vehicle from the road, forcing me to operate an unsafe vehicle for my 110-mile daily commute. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11732365

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

In February of 2025 the brake vacuum pump failed and lost braking power. It was promptly towed to Toyota and the recall was performed. Roughly 3 weeks later an internal engine part that was removed during the recall repair came loose and damaged something internally. Since then the vehicle has yet to be adequately repaired. It produces no power, struggles to accelerate and has constant safety system malfunctions. Toyota had the vehicle from April to October and failed to adequately repair the vehicle after dozens of attempts. The vehicle was forcefully returned and will no longer pass smog from the engine malfunction they introduced during repairs. Currently in litigation and Toyota is ignoring all complaints.

NHTSA ID

11731730

Incident

Feb 15, 2025

On March 19, 2026, I was driving to work when traffic began to slow, and I reduced my speed accordingly. As traffic started to return to normal speed, I pressed the accelerator; however, although the engine revved, the vehicle did not accelerate beyond approximately 15 mph. I safely moved to the side of the road and turned the car off. After restarting the vehicle, shifting into drive, and pressing the accelerator, the same issue occurred. I subsequently took the car to two separate mechanics, both of whom reported that the transmission needs to be replaced. This is unexpected, as the vehicle has fewer than 100,000 miles and has received regular maintenance.

NHTSA ID

11726515

Incident

Mar 19, 2026

ICS malfunction error light and check engine light came on. I received a recall notice that this was being looked into but now the water pump has went out. The car is overheating.

NHTSA ID

11723778

Incident

Mar 12, 2026

Poor acceleration and lose of transmission control ….complete safety hazard and the car has a failure to lose power while driving…..a humming noise and the car jerks while shifting gears

NHTSA ID

11716628

Incident

Oct 31, 2025

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK , ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON MY DASHBOARD AND MY CAR WOULD NOT ACCELARATE. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE CAR OFF, TURNED IT BACK ON AND THE CAR WAS AGAIN DRIVABLE, HOWEVER ALL THE LIGHTS WERE ON. I WENT DIRECTLY TO MY MECHANIC AND DROPPED THE CAR OFF, FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE NEXT DAY I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ERROR CODE CAME UP AS SLIPPAGE AND HE RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR ONLY HAS AROUND 130,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE READ THAT THERE ARE CLASS ACTION SUITS AGAINST TOYOTA, AND MY CAR MAKE AND MODEL ARE IN THE GROUP. HOWEVER I CAN NOT FIND AN ACTIVE CLASS ACTION SUIT TO JOIN, AS I JUST WANT MY CAR FIXED AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR IT, ESPECIALLY IF TOYOTA KNEW THIS TRANSMISSION WAS FAULTY.

NHTSA ID

11711087

Incident

Jan 7, 2026

Vehicle has a safety issue involving the vehicles electric water pump. The water pump failed causing the vehicle to be unusuable until the electric motor is replaced. No warning when it failed, left consumer in the road blocking traffic.

NHTSA ID

11710070

Incident

Mar 7, 2025

Car stalled while driving and needed to be towed to dealership. Dealership confirmed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine that clogged the fuel injector causing the car to stall while driving. Dealership informed us that car will need a new engine and transmission because of the coolant intrusion. The car stalled while driving and could have led to an accident or loss of life depending on where the car stalled and when. This coolant intrusion has been confirmed by the dealership and shown to us via video they took. The vehicle has only been inspected by the dealership and we called Toyota corp to have then review this as a safety issue. They informed us the call stalling was not a safety issue. UNKNOWN on confirmed symptoms prior.

NHTSA ID

11705840

Incident

Dec 5, 2025

The vehicle illuminated the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) and stored DTC P26CB71 – Electric Water Pump Speed Stuck. The dealer confirmed the electric coolant pump actuator is mechanically stuck and requires replacement at a quoted cost of $1,257.81. Toyota official TSB-0323-17 (published December 8, 2017) explicitly states that this exact repair for DTC P26CB71 is covered under the Toyota Federal Emission Warranty for 96 months or 80,000 miles from the vehicle’s in-service date. Despite the vehicle being well within both time and mileage limits, the dealer and EPA both refuse to honor Toyota’s own published 8-year Federal Emissions Warranty, violating 40 CFR §85.2107(a) which mandates that the manufacturer “shall repair or replace” any covered failed emission-related part at no cost to the owner. The failed electric water pump is an emission-related component because its malfunction triggers an OBD-II emissions DTC and can cause elevated emissions due to improper engine temperature control. The part remains installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection. No warning symptoms appeared prior to the MIL illumination.

NHTSA ID

11703097

Incident

Dec 2, 2025

I paid off my var in June. By the ed of august my cars engine started going bad out of no where. started with oil and coolant mixing into the engine and then transmission started whining. Long story short I had to get both replaced. Oh yea my car only has 56k miles. Can you guys explain or give me any ideas on how this happened?

NHTSA ID

11702580

Incident

Aug 1, 2025

2018 TOYOTA CAMRY at times vehicle engine will run under engine Temperature, and other times, Vehicle will overheat. This is intermittent issue and is Not all the time. When vehicle is shut down. For 5, 10 minutes, It seems to work fine again for a week or two, and then starts to act up again. Toyota is aware of this issue with a defective Electronic water valve part that control the flow of water into the engine. Toyota did send notice out should this issue happen they will do a free Voluntary repair to replace that defective Electronic water valve even after the original initial warranty expires. Bringing to dealer to check and I will update after the fix was made that is suppose to fix this over heating issue with engine code reading P26cb. If you have same issue with vehicle years in question with code P26cb you might want to contact Toyota. This is a safety issue should engine start to overheat while driving.

NHTSA ID

11698468

Incident

Nov 5, 2025

Vehicle cut off at a stop light twice

NHTSA ID

11692368

Incident

Sep 14, 2025

I gave yesterday a complaint (9/24/25 complaint #11689593). Today at the same location, exit ramp of the AZ 101, going west, the same thing happened. Today, 9/25/25, as I was approaching the car that was waiting to enter 56th street my engine increased from about 5 MPH to about 35 MPH. Instead of hitting the car in front of me I turned into the lane on my left. A car hit my car on the left side. MY CAR ISN'T SAFE TO DRIVE!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11689813

Incident

Sep 25, 2025

As I was exiting a highway, and my foot was on the brake, the engine increased from about 15 MPH to about 30 MPH. I had to put the car in park. I almost hit the car in front of me. The engine increasing like this happens when I slow down for A red light or stop sign.

NHTSA ID

11689593

Incident

Sep 24, 2025

2018 Camry with very low mileage (appx 38,000) and had all its required services done, suddenly had a check engine light. Less than a minute after that, "Coolant Temp High - Stop where it's safe" message popped up. Service center indicated it was a failed water pump (diagnostic codes P26CB71, U0073, U016387, U0163, P26CB). Coolant was gone. Multiple users for 2018/2019 have reported this water pump failure on r/Camry [XXX] Does not seem safe to have a car go from no problem to near catastrophic engine failure with virtually no warning INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11681883

Incident

Aug 19, 2025

I keep getting error code P0304 which says its cylinder 4 misfire the engine starts shaking a bit and most of the warning lights in my dashboard turn on and it disables the parking brake , I took it to a shop and they took out the fuel injectors to visualy inspect them and moved injector 4 to a different cylinder but the same error keeps coming back cylinder 4 misfire , I keep having to spend money and still have the same issue. It only does it on a cold start .

NHTSA ID

11665224

Incident

Feb 2, 2025

I am reporting a brake failure issue that matches the symptoms described in NHTSA Campaign Number 19V-544 (Toyota recall for brake booster vacuum pump failure). My 2018 Camry has experienced loss of brake assist, making it difficult to stop safely and requiring excessive pedal pressure. Despite these symptoms and the known recall for this issue, my VIN is not currently included. This raises concerns that the recall scope was too limited and that my vehicle should be included. I have contacted both the dealer and Toyota corporate, and I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this defect further and consider expanding the recall. This is a serious safety issue.

NHTSA ID

11660182

Incident

May 10, 2025

LOW BRAKING POWER MESSAGE IS ON AND BRAKE TO FLOOR AND VEHICLE DOES NOT BRAKE PROPERLY CAUSE: DIAGNOSED CONCERN, FOUND VACCUM PUMP NOT PRODUCING VACCUM CAUSING CONCERN, INSPECTED AND FOUND VACCUM PUMP BROKEN AND CAMSHAFT BROKEN, PIECES BROKEN OFF INSIDE ENGINE. STATES LOW BRAKING POWER MESSAGE IS ON AND BRAKE PEDAL DROPS TO FLOOR AND VEHICLE DOES NOT BRAKE PROPERLY

NHTSA ID

11660180

Incident

May 10, 2025

Intermittently, when leaving from a stop the car will have just enough power to pull forward about a car length before losing all drive power. The engine revs, but behaves as if it were in neutral. This happened a couple times when making a left turn from a stop sign leaving the car in cross traffic, powerless, with cars coming from the drivers side for a second or two before it had power again. It seems to happen in hot weather. It is intermittent. The dealership could not reproduce the problem. There were no warning lamps. I could make the vehicle available for inspection upon request. The first appearance was last summer. It did not do it over the winter. It happened again yesterday. When it happens it tends to happen for a few minutes before driving normally again. It may happen at start up or after the car has been driven for some time.

NHTSA ID

11655585

Incident

Apr 18, 2025

Only when it rains the forward collision warning light comes on. The last time it came on the engine light also came on with code P01280. Diagnostic at Toyota said the Thermostat needs to be replaced. I decided to look into this as the thermostat should not be bad at 54500 miles. Weeks later and the neither light has come on again.

NHTSA ID

11654430

Incident

Mar 16, 2025