2018 Toyota Camry complaints

I was leaving a doctor's office and getting on the highway. When I pressed down on the accelerator, I experienced a sudden loss of power, the check engine light came on, as well as warnings about the front collision system being deactivated. It remained dangerous for me to stay on the highway but it was also difficult to exit the highway safely given the loss of power. When I brought it to a Toyota dealership, they did a diagnostic and it said my transmission had an "internal failure" despite the fact that it only has 85k miles on it.

Transmission, hesitant, wouldn’t shift, whining noise, jerking from stop to go

Dear Toyota Customer Experience Team, I am writing to report a serious and potentially widespread safety issue with my 2018 Toyota Camry XSE. The automatic transmission has failed. The vehicle exhibits slipping, hard or delayed shifting, intermittent loss of drive, and most critically, the car completely shut off while I was driving on the highway, creating an immediate risk of a serious accident. The transmission is available for inspection upon request. These failures pose a direct safety hazard. The unexpected shutdown on the highway, combined with gear engagement problems, could easily lead to loss of control, collisions, or injury to myself, passengers, and other road users. The transmission failure has been confirmed by a certified independent transmission specialist, who stated that the transmission requires either a complete rebuild or replacement. The vehicle has been maintained according to Toyota’s recommended schedule. The vehicle has not been inspected by Toyota representatives. It has been inspected by the independent specialist for diagnostic purposes. Hard shifting and gear slipping began approximately 11/08/2025. The transmission warning light hasn't even come on. Sudden hesitation during acceleration or gear changes became increasingly frequent. The most severe symptom occurred when the car completely shut off on the highway which is super dangerous. Based on my observations and the independent specialist’s evaluation, I believe this failure may be related t

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.

I was unaware that there was anything wrong with my vehicle. No warnings, no nothing, and as i pulled out into traffic, all of a sudden my car would not go anywhere. I was unable to go in forward or reverse. I was almost hit by multiple other vehicles. I was stuck in the middle of a busy intersection with traffic coming at me in both directions. I ended up having to get a tow truck to have my car towed. Come to find out my transmission went out. No warning no nothing leading up to this. Not only did it pose a risk to my life, but i now have vehicle that i still make payments on that no longer runs without having the transmission replaced.

While driving out of my neighborhood at a low speed, the vehicle’s brakes suddenly stopped responding. I pressed the brake pedal multiple times, but it felt soft and failed to slow or stop the car as expected. I had to rely on the parking brake to bring the vehicle to a stop safely. Fortunately, there were no injuries or collisions, but this created a serious safety risk for myself and others. There were no prior warning lights or error messages before the incident. After researching, I discovered that my vehicle model and year have been associated with a known braking issue, as described in a recall for certain 2018–2019 Toyota Camry vehicles related to a vacuum pump or braking system malfunction. I took the vehicle to an authorized Toyota dealer immediately after the incident. The dealer confirmed the brake vacuum pump had failed, matching the symptoms described in the existing recall for other vehicles of the same model and year. However, they stated that my specific VIN was not included in the recall and refused to cover the repair under warranty or recall service. As a result, I was forced to pay over $1,200 out of pocket to fix a problem that is clearly related to the same known defect.

I am reaching out regarding a serious issue with my 2018 Toyota Camry xse that recently experienced a transmission failure at approximately 112,000 miles. This was completely unexpected, as I have consistently maintained the vehicle according to Toyota’s recommended maintenance schedule. Oil changes, fluid checks and other regulatory services. Given Toyota’s reputation for quality and durability, I was very disappointed to have a major transmission failure at this mileage especially with proper care and no signs of abuse and neglect. I strongly believe this should not occur under normal driving conditions and proper maintenance. My check engine light did NOT COME ON

Vehicle cut off at a stop light twice

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy with the vehicle. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 91,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 170,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that there would be a sudden loss of power steering functionality and just as sudden, the power steering function would return. The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) and the Air Bag Malfunction warning lights were illuminated. The starter had suddenly failed due to a loss of battery power. The contact purchased a jump box to start the vehicle. The contact stated that the key fob failed to unlock the doors, causing the contact to have to manually open the doors with the keys. The windows could not be controlled from the control panel near the driver's seat. Each window could only be controlled by the window switch on the door where the window was located. The TPMS warning light as illuminated, despite the tire pressure being at the correct levels. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for an oil change, at which time the failures were stated, but the dealer only diagnosed that the battery charge was low. The dealer had not repaired the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who replaced the battery. After having the repair completed, the SRS warning light remained illuminated, with the Service Vehicle warning light. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and confirmed that the VIN was not covered under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

Transmission has not been right since purchase, complaints were left unaddressed until the complete failure of the transmission, of course out of warranty. This is a safety hazard, as well as Toyota offering no type of assistance.

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.

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)

While driving the car, the engine shut down in traffic, and the engine light came on . We took the vehicle in for a flow shut off valve issue (customer support program) and found out that the flow shut-off valve issue resulted in damage to the water pump. We were responsible for the replacement of the water pump, which the program did not cover.

Front rear camera has failed. multiple codes pop up including headlight system malfunction, LDA malfunction, Pre-collision malfunction. Codes pop up after clearing cant see digital speedometer. Confirmed by dealer camera needs replaced. Costs are over 2,000 USD.

Transmission suddenly began slipping, whining leading to a loss of power, which resulted in being stuck in a busy intersection.

When I am driving on a 4 lane hwy and I am in the left lane and a car in the right lane stops on the side of me my car stops also by itself .This is very dangerous . Someone can rear end me and cause a major accident. This is putting me and possibly someone else’s life in danger.I took it to Team Toyota in Baton Rouge. One technician drove it and it did it for him. They performed software updates. Test drove it several times and said it did not do it for them. Paid over $800. On my way home it did it again, complete stop on its own when a car next to me stopped. Took the car back to Team Toyota the next morning. They did test drive and it did it several times with them. Team Toyota still has my car waiting on a regional field tech to come look at my car. I called Toyota Brand Engagement 800-331-4331 to report this and have a case number [XXX] and spoke with Jasmin there. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Vehicle has 92,499 miles. All maintenance performed on time. Vehicle did not exhibit any issues beforehand. Vehicle judders upon acceleration and does not shift gears smoothly. The following error codes show up on the dashboard screen "Secondary collision brake system malfunction" "ICS malfunction" (Intelligent Clearance Sonar) "Pre-collision system malfunction" "Parking brake malfunction" "Check engine" Went to dealer and they recommended "replacing transmission due to multiple solenoids codes when checked is causing the lights and hard shifts when driving so recommend replacing and reprogram new transmission."

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry equipped with Nokian Tires, Tire Line: Encompass AW01, Tire Size: 235/45/R18, DOT Number: 03B431937. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, it was discovered upon inspection that all four tires had experienced tread separation. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The tires were taken to a local dealer, where it was confirmed that all four tires had failed due to tread separation and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the tires could not be immediately replaced and that replacement tires needed to be ordered. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The tires were replacement tires. The vehicle failure mileage was 100,000. The tire failure mileage was 25,000. The VIN was not available.

I have a purge valve issue when filling my tank my check engine light comes I smell gas and the engine jerks I have take. It for repair 3 times and they have replaced it but still the same issue occurs when I fill my tank.

I had to take my vehicle to Toyota bc it failed to start. There was an error code that of coolant issue error code and this was reported to the dealership they said that wasn’t the issue and my wires were chewed however I see that there actually is a history of issues with that incident and I wonder if I was given incorrect diagnosis from dealership this costed thousands of dollars from my insurance company and me to fix. Since repair my vehicle has not been the same .

A complaint was filed on 08/07/2025 with NO response from NHTSA (complaint #116789863) about the part which Toyota is still not able to provide to ensure the safety of individuals in the car if an accident were to occur. This has been an ongoing issue since March 19,2025. Toyota just sent another update stating the part will possibly be available LATE September. We need a resolution as to when or if the part will be available so our car can be safely driven.

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)

Whining noise coming from the transmission when under acceleration believed to be overly common with Camrys of this model year.

Pre-Collision system malfunction, secondary collision system malfunction along with check engine. It appears to be a trend with 2018 Toyota Camry XSE and higher model. I found that many people that own this model vehicle is experiencing the same issue even after going to a Toyota dealer and the issue still persist.

While driving my car it showed an SRS Airbag System Malfunction contact your dealership message. On March 19,2025 we took our car into the dealership, and they stated the car was drivable, but if we were in a head on collision the seatbelt would not tighten to keep us from hitting the steering wheel/dashboard/windshield. The part was not available and would be ordered to be installed within approximately two weeks. As of today, after contacting Toyota North America (reference #250616000216) the replacement part #73370-06120-AO is still not available to our dealership for repair of this seatbelt safety part.

Brought my vehicle to Costco to have the tires replaced. After the vehicle was put on the lift, the wheel broke off. Fortunately no one was underneath at the time. Costco did no further work because of this so car was then towed to dealership. They confirmed that the strut mounts were rusted so badly that it caused it to just break away from the top mount. This suspension issue also caused additional tire damage. There was absolutely no indiciation that there was an issue with the strut and I am glad that it decided to break off while on a lift getting service instead of when I was driving it. The vehicle is only 7 years old and mechanics at dealership confirmed that corrosion should not have happened that quickly and suspect a design flaw that is trapping moisture, therefore accelerating corrosion.

Toyota of Orlando is held RESPONSIBLE for tearing an piece off my car and they are failing to fix the issue after being addressed to it an day after till I noticed my car feels loose while driving and it wasn't like that and Im facing shaking issues and suspension issues after being taken after an simple inspection.

The power steering is very stiff and hard to turn. it is worse at slower speeds and while trying to turn

Low breaking power

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. There was a message displayed that the engine was off the instrument panel. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continue driving. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed that there was a low-pressure fuel pump failure. The contact stated that the battery, alternator, and drive belt were replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was returned to the mechanic, who diagnosed that the low-pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was 123,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. 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 to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,500. The VIN was unavailable.

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 .

It started to make whining noise while accelerating. The noise is coming from transmission. Also, periodic erratic gear changes have started to occur. Mechanic says it is a known problem with 2018 and 2019 Camry that transmission fails and makes noises prior to failing.

My warning panel told me to take the car to dealer for reprogram, and dealer said my wiring harness for hybrid electric system had been chewed by rodents and the harness and probably batteries should be replaced NOW or the car might catch fire. I replaced the harness and the batteries. When I asked to see the parts, they said they had boxed and shipped. Later, a friend alerted me to a problem with Soy-based coatings on wires that rodents found tasty. My friend said his KIA had same problem and his insurance covered the expense . Now, I’m $5000 poorer, and Toyota hasn’t compensated me for repairs.

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

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.

SRS Airbag lights up. Possible short.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while attempting to resell the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 72,000 and at the time of reselling the vehicle, it was discovered that the mileage was 230,000.

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.

While operating my vehicle, the multi information display between the tachometer and RPM gauges flashed bold red letters BRAKE (even though nothing was in front of us at all) then the screen went 100% black. When that happens, the majority of the safety features are obsolete because you cannot see or read what caused the beep. Also, the Odometer could not be seen as well as feul eveonomy, if cruise control was engaged, what gear your engine is in if Sports mode is activated (in which occurs if accidently hitting the gear switches on your steering wheel just turning it), unable to see maintenance messages, cannot control the sensor settings...nothing. When I finally had enough money to even get the car diagnosed (roughly $187), the Corwin Toyota dealership asked me for the mileage, and I had to tell them to tell me. They did confirm the instrument panel/cluster to be defective, however, I and my extended warranty company had to pay the bill. 53,252 miles when they serviced it. When I paid my portion, I asked Lori how long will this one last and she told me, "They are suppose to last the duration of the car's life." I replied, "Um, but...". On April 17th I called Toyota's Customer Engagement line and spoke with them about the defective part and repair. Dorian told me that with the part replaced carries a 1 year warranty. If Toyota designed essentially all the safety features, eco features, cruise control, gears to only be seen or controlled on that multi-informational display w

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the power steering malfunctioned, causing the steering wheel to become very difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering linkage was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the Manufacturer’s extended coverage for the failure. The failure mileage was 63,500.

2018 TOYOTA CAMRY SE PURCHASED BRAND NEW. AT 81K MILES, MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. BEEN BACK AND FORTH WITH THE DEALERSHIP AND ITS HAS A BACKORDERED FOR MORE THAN ALMOST 3 MONTHS, STILL WAITING. TOYOTA WILL NOT HELP WITH ME GETTING A LOANER OR THE DEALERSHIP. THERE ARE TONS OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WAITING FOR A TRANSMISSION AND TOYOTA IS NOT DOING ANYTHING! THIS IS MASSIVE IF THE WAIT TIME ITS 3 MONTHS FOR A TRANSMISSION. NEEDS TO BE RECALLED OR SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.

The vehicle will not start and is showing a warning message , " Low Braking Power Stop in a Safe Place See Owner's Manual".

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Camry. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V682000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The transmission producing whining noise. The noise starts from about 5-10MPH and continually increases in pitch as the speed increases. The noise is constant and doesn’t break throughout the hear shifts. The noise stops the moment the accelerator is let go. The noise continues with any amount of the accelerator being pressed. Similar issues reported by other drivers. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My Camry has received two professional transmission services as per the manufacturer recommendation, within suggested timeframes as it is now 176k. The transmission ( surely this is not something new to hear) Has FAILED. No prior sign or code. THIS VEHICLE DIED WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY! It stopped automatically shifting and would not accelerate. There have been other owners of this same car, year ect. THAT HAVE LOST TRANSMISSION WHILE DRIVING!!!! Want to get to the bottom? HOW MANY 18CAMRYS MAKE IT TO 300k or even 200k without a new transmission. Most die 65k !! Lemon Come on. Toyota mechanics, YouTube, Toyota nation, dealerships, it is a well known fact that the 18 Camrys being that they cheaper out on so many parts, and added this new transmission, they’re known for failure! [XXX]. This company is [XXX] people. With jobs, kids, and now you’ve got to fork out minimum 6k and wait for 3-6 months to have car back??? How many people have been homeless due to this? 👋 I had a job and a home, boss wouldn’t let me work from home! I’ve rode a bicycle to work, in Florida to the next town over. Even with a loan, I’m out a car for months, so how many loans offer a no pay for 6 months? I’m hungry. Most people trans died in the 65k This is a rip off. The car can give back its safety award. The brakes gave out on me. The oil pan The brakes The trans The fuel pump. And the NOTORIOUS front bumpers. They come un snapped in every newer body style Carolla and Camry. Wing out beside fenders.

Replaced car battery , vehicle constantly jerking pressing the accelerator. It took almost a month to stop with harsh jerking . Going on 3 months and still transmission slips or jerks when entering traffic or accelerating sporadically. Feels as car either loses power or can’t find gears while driving. Very dangerous.

Transmission gave out with no lights and prior indications that there was a problem with it. On my way to work one morning my car stopped at a light at a busy intersection and then would not accelerate any further. I got all of my regular maintenance done and never had any accidents or issues other than this. My car only has 115k miles and is a 2018. I just paid this car off last year after buying it brand new.