2018 Toyota Camry Engine Problems

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

Transmission defective.

NHTSA ID

11771646

Incident

Oct 16, 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

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

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

Reduce power and break power malfunction

NHTSA ID

11758653

Incident

Aug 21, 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

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