2020 Toyota Camry transmission problems

POWER TRAIN

The vehicle contains a known manufacturing defect where the engine coolant bypass valve cracks internally, leaking pressurized fluid directly into the main electrical connector (covered under Toyota CSP 24TE04). This fluid intrusion has caused active electrical short-circuits to the battery and ground networks. As a direct result of this progressive component failure, the vehicle is actively dropping into 'Limp Mode' and experiencing severe transmission shifting failures while being driven on public roads, creating an immediate safety and crash hazard. Furthermore, a franchised Toyota dealership actively turned away an attempted preventive repair under the 'Prior Sought Remedy' rule while the vehicle was under the 100,000-mile warranty threshold, stating the dashboard light had to be on first, which directly allowed this hazardous electrical degradation to progres

NHTSA complaint #11756265 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Went in to get a service done for my vehicle and all the highlighted areas were the problem. They stated models from 2019-2022 The Camrys all have had transmission issues. I still have my car and it’s working, but I don’t want to pay for a new transmission when Toyal manufacturing has been aware of these models and issues.

NHTSA complaint #11753736 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Transmission is making a whining sound when accelerating. The car only has 99,000 miles on it.

NHTSA complaint #11746558 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Torque convertor issues when driving 30-50 mph

NHTSA complaint #11745192 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Transmission began failing. Whining coming from transmission when accelerating and shifting becoming more rough. Dealership said transmission is failing and needs to be replaced. Mileage is at 89,000 miles. Rough shifter made it dangerous to drive on the highways. Was inspected by warranty adjuster. No warning lamps or lights ever appeared.

NHTSA complaint #11740255 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

This 2020 Camry's transmission will be fine and then when you let off the throttle it will begin to slow as it should. However, when you reapply the throttle the transmission slams very forefully into gear and jolts the car forward violently. Idl'd heard about this on numsrous Camry's before, but until I owned one I had no idea how bad this is... it is not safe. Toyota needs to correct this problem for all their vehicles.

NHTSA complaint #11739363 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The check engine light illuminated on my 2020 Toyota Camry XSE 2.5L with approximately 132,798 miles. An OBD2 scan revealed fault code P26AE — Engine Coolant Bypass Valve 'B' Control Circuit High. This is a known widespread defect affecting 2018-2022 Toyota Camry, RAV4, and Corolla vehicles equipped with the 2.5L Dynamic Force engine. The plastic valve casing is prone to cracking, allowing coolant to seep into the electrical connector and corrode the pins, triggering the fault. Toyota has acknowledged this issue through a Customer Support Program offering free replacement on qualifying vehicles, however many owners are still being quoted $900-$1,300 at dealerships. The faulty valve affects the engine coolant flow control system and transmission cooling circuit. Warning light appeared suddenly after a routine fuel fill. Vehicle has not yet been inspected by dealer. Component is available for inspection upon request."

NHTSA complaint #11737879 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I purchased my vehicle from a certified used car dealership in Connecticut in 2020 with a little over 1800 miles. Since purchasing the vehicle, it has been very reluctant to down shift and had slight transmission whine. I was notified of a recall for I believe the TCM a few months after purchasing it, which i had remedied by the dealership. Over the years, my car has been maintained completely to Toyotas manufacturer standard. Around 50,000 miles i started experiencing shuddering during shifts and slipping during shifts and a louder whine Around 89,000 miles my transmission symptoms worsened. Sporadic shifting, obvious whine, grinding and clunking during shifts and shifting between gears, and clicking from a stop. At 97k i serviced the transmission fluid which seemed to help a little bit but did not get rid of the symptoms fully. The fluid was dark brown, which was serviced 3,000 miles before Toyotas recommended interval. I then replaced the driver side cv axle shaft which also did not remedy any symptoms and i was notified by my shop that it was premature transmission failure. Now at 100,998 miles, my transmission grinds and clunks during all lower gear shifts, will shift through gears while maintaining steady speed, and whines audibly from the exterior and interior. My car is still running and driving for now, but after research this is a very common issue with the UA80E transmission and Toyota has knowingly sold these cars with these production errors putting people at risk of injury and financial nightmares.

NHTSA complaint #11724323 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Around 67,000 miles I've been noticing a whining sound whenever accelerating. Sound disappears whenever foot is off the gas pedal.

NHTSA complaint #11716022 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

My 2020 Toyota Camry is experiencing a premature and progressive transmission failure that creates serious safety risks. Symptoms include hesitation and loss of power during acceleration, harsh and delayed shifting, RPMs increasing without vehicle movement, failure to properly engage gears (including reverse), and loud whining/grinding noises. These issues make the vehicle unsafe to drive, especially when merging, crossing intersections, or accelerating from a stop. Toyota and the dealership have confirmed the transmission is failing, yet Toyota has stated that no new or used replacement transmission is available and no repair timeline exists. The vehicle was returned to me despite being unsafe. Toyota has provided no transportation assistance, no repair ETA, and no remedy, leaving me with an undrivable vehicle and ongoing financial obligations. I am aware of numerous similar consumer complaints and ongoing litigation involving Toyota’s 8-speed automatic transmissions exhibiting the same symptoms. This appears to be a systemic defect that poses a safety risk to drivers and the public. I am requesting NHTSA review and investigation.

NHTSA complaint #11709566 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while the local dealer was performing preventive maintenance on the vehicle, there was an abnormal winding sound detected. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had not experienced a failure prior to the service appointment. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

NHTSA complaint #11708017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Have whining from transmission. When trying to accelerate the car does not shift into gears correctly and there is hesitance and delay. Have issues merging on highway and regular traffic due to hesitance and delay. Car can jerk when accelerating. Had dealership inspect twice at different dates. The dealership said nothing was wrong and that the hesitance and delay was just how the car operates. Discovered that other Toyota Camry's had same issue under T-SB-0008-21. Would like for our model year Toyota Camry be added for repairs.

NHTSA complaint #11703783 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

My 2020 Toyota Camry SE suffered a sudden and premature transmission failure at only 114,000 miles. I am a college student and I cannot afford a major repair like this on top of my monthly car payment. The car began showing hesitation and sluggish acceleration on cold starts for a few months, but then suddenly went into limp mode with the Check Engine and Traction Control lights on. The screen displayed a warning saying ‘Malfunction in the electronic control of the engine/throttle/transmission.’ The vehicle became unsafe to drive because it would barely accelerate. If this had happened while I was merging onto a highway, it could have caused an accident. Lakeland Toyota told me the transmission has ‘internal failure’ and quoted me over $8,000 for a replacement. They did not provide detailed diagnostic codes or open the transmission to confirm the mechanical failure — they just saw a code and declared it dead. As a student with limited income, this puts me in a terrible financial situation. I still owe monthly payments on this car and now cannot even drive it. After researching online, I learned that MANY 2018–2020 Camry owners are experiencing similar transmission problems (UA80/UA80E), including hesitation, shuddering, harsh shifting, and early failure. Some owners have reported full transmission failure under 100k miles. There is even a public petition documenting these issues. This appears to be a PATTERN, not an isolated case. A transmission should NOT fail this early on a Toyota, and this sudden loss of power poses a serious safety risk. The vehicle is currently at a transmission specialist for a second opinion, but this may become a widespread issue affecting thousands of Camry owners. I am asking NHTSA to investigate the 2018–2020 Camry transmission problems before more drivers experience unexpected failures in traffic

NHTSA complaint #11703172 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

transmission just stopped shifting yes its available for inspection. car suddenly wouldnt accelaerate on the highway. independant service center. has not been inspected by them. no warning lights prior to the incident also the junkyards want double the amount of money for these transmissions cause they say theyre in high demand because they tend to fail

NHTSA complaint #11702556 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

2020 Toyota Camry 8 speed transmission hesitant and jerking This has led to me being unable to avoid accidents. It is unsafe to accelerate to avoid bad situations. Car has been back to Toyota and they can’t find the cause of the issue but have been able to reproduce it.

NHTSA complaint #11691676 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Transmission failed on a major parkway. A loud noise was heard and engine over-revved. Car started to vibrate and no forward gears worked. I had to drift across two lanes of a coming high speed traffic with no drive power. I eventually got to the side of the road. I put my hazards in as soon as it happened. The vehicle was towed to the location from which it was purchased new in 2020, and serviced at all intervals. The dealership has changed ownership and is now Ourisman Toyota of Richmond. They ran a diagnostic and confirmed that the transmission has failed. There were no warning lamps, however the day prior I noticed the transmission shifting seemed off. I made an appointment to take the car in for checking at the earliest available date. However the failure occurred two days before this date.the car’s mileage is just under 85k. We purchased a 6yr 75k VSP warranty however it has expired by mileage. Car is still financed by Toyota financing. Problem has been reported to Toyota Brand engagement center and has been escalated. We have not received a resolution yet and the case is still in queue after 3 business days:

NHTSA complaint #11690891 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Started vehicle and went to back up. Car slammed into reverse and disply showed Drive start control malfunction. The service engine light came on. I removed the battery to reset the error message and the following dayi took it to the dealership. They checked it out and told me that they didnt find anything wrong with it since it wasnt displaying a service engine light. So i went home with it. The next day it did it again so i took it back to them while the condition was happening. Which insisted of the error message, serv eng light, gearshift indicator displaying drive and park at the same time. Also the door locks were continually locking and unlocking. They put a new water valve plus a neut switch assy and a new xmission lever in it and told me it was fixed. I picked it up and the next day it did it again. Returned it to them and they said that the new part was possibly bad from Toyota, ordered a new one, put it in and said it was all good now. I picked car up and 9 months later its happening again. Not sure what to do. Please help

NHTSA complaint #11644555 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that upon approaching the vehicle, the contact became aware of an excessive fluid leak underneath the transmission. The contact decided not to drive the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission oil pump seal. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The contact filed a claim with the manufacturer; however, the claim was declined. The failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA complaint #11643953 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle shuddered and stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the failure cause was unidentifiable. The dealer informed the contact that the engine might need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the parts would not be available until March 2025. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

NHTSA complaint #11637632 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Driving normal about 60mph. Car seems to go into limp mode with no acceleration response. Toyota confirms the clutch actuator is failing causing the vehicle to not have acceleration pressure and that the transmission needs to be replaced. There are no indications or lights showing a malfunction and acceleration from a stop can be unresponsive. Turning the vehicle off and on will temporarily reset the car without issue. This problem is intermittent but increasing in frequency.

NHTSA complaint #11637486 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH on the highway, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

NHTSA complaint #11636118 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

There is a progressing whine sound when accelerating, it's a common sign of a transmission failing, others online have described the same issue and they had to replace their transmission, I'd be worried about my transmission failing mid drive and not being able to control the car.

NHTSA complaint #11635716 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

took my 2020 Camry to Toyota they told me the catalytic converter had issues and the engine cooling bypass valve as well. They also stated that they have a ton of Camrys and rav 4 coming in with the same issue

NHTSA complaint #11593590 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

While driving my car lost all power and my check engine light came on saying it needed to go to Toyota for inspection!

NHTSA complaint #11591461 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Tracking #[XXX] Reference to carbon monoxide leak in cabin of the car. 227PPM and greater. No warning signals went off. My personal carbon monoxide detector alarmed me after repairs of engine seal for leak. [XXX] Hunter at Doggett called repairs are done. This car is not safe to drive. Toyota Brand Experience caller Lily called me Thursday March 14 and said someone from the team would call me by Tuesday, March 19. As of March 31 6:45Pm --I have not heard from anyone. Car unsafe to drive Carbon monoxide in cabin, other 2020 recalled for leaks and engine block damage .. No warning, No testing, ---Dangerous to ride with passenger air bag may deploy in a crash Recall No remedy -Vehicle Health Report not available [XXX] " There was an error communicating the remote server. - Techstream Diagnostic Report for [XXX] Dealer Code 42182 not available. Service work prior to purchase of the this car was not and still is not available... [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11578787 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I had a feeling sick while driving my car. I placed a smoke and carbon monoxide detector in the cabin. The detector went off. I tried different things windows up windows down, recuperate open and close and detector alarmed. I brought my car to Doggett Toyota they found a leak in engine that was running to exhaust. I paid for $117 for estimate and $337 for part. The service department is pressing me to let them use my carbon monoxide detector. I refuse. When I went pick up the car fumes plus soap smell is still in the car. Detector still alarm 229ppm.They only offer to rent a ccar which I cannot drive because of health reasons. Other 2020 are carmys are recalled because oil leak and possibly damage to engine block. I requested my car be examined for the same problems as recall. The service department says I need ask corporate to send there own mechanic and I pay for it. Hours of run around miscommunication. That car is not safe to drive. Dealership doesn't have carbon monoxide detector or means to detect the smoke in the cabin. Service members all over the place, texting on cell phone, walking away while on phone with corporate etc.

NHTSA complaint #11577489 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was hesitating while accelerating. The contact stated that the transmission was skipping gear with the gear selector erroneously indicating that the transmission was in neutral while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission wiring harness was faulty. The wiring harness was replaced but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,780. The consumer stated she no longer has possession of the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11524893 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was vibrating. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialist, who diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where the transmission mounts were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.

NHTSA complaint #11501419 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

WHILE GOING UP A HILL WITH A RIGHT HAND CURVE AT ABOUT 50 MPH I HEARD A LOUD NOISE THAT SOUNDED LIKE TWO PIECES OF METAL COMING TOGETHER. AT THE TIME I HAD NO IDEA WHAT CAUSED THE NOISE BUT THOUGHT MAYBE I RAN OVER A PIECE OF METAL THAT THE THE WHEEL THREW UP. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY CHECKED THE UNDER SIDE AND TOLD THERE WAS NO SIGN OF ANY DAMAGE THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DONE. I HAVE ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND THE NOISE WAS SO MECHANICAL I NOW THINK THE DRIVE WHEEL WAS CHANGING AND AND IT HAD AN OUT OF SYNC CONNECTION WHICH RESULTED IN THE LOUD NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, ON A PAVED HIGHWAY, GOING UP A HILL THAT HAD A RIGHT HAND CURVE, I WAS STEERING THROUGH THE CURVE AT ABOUT 50 MPH. I DO NOT KNOW THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE LOUD NOISE BUT BELIEVE IT INVOLVED THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE FEATURE.5/9/2021

NHTSA complaint #11416078 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

TRY TO START THE CAR BUT WON'T START IT CHECK THE BATTERY BUT NOT BATTERY ISSUE AFTER I THAT TRY START AGAIN STILL CAN'T SOME CRANKY NOISES START THAN CAR SHUTDOWN,BUT EVEN 90 DAY A LOT OF TROUBLE N WEIRD NOISES WHEN PUSH THE BRAKE PADDLES

NHTSA complaint #11361441 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.