2018 Toyota Camry

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

The vehicle has developed a high-pitched whine that is most noticeable around 30 to 55 mph. The pitch increases directly with vehicle speed, not engine RPM. The sound occurs whenever positive throttle is applied and disappears immediately when the accelerator is released, before vehicle speed noticeably decreases. Gear changes do not appear to affect the pitch. I am concerned this may indicate a transmission/transaxle or final-drive problem. No warning lights are currently present.

I own a 2018 Toyota Camry SE with approximately 120,000 miles. The vehicle is equipped with the 2.5L engine and 8-speed automatic transmission. I have recently developed a noticeable whining noise from the vehicle's drivetrain during acceleration. The noise is most noticeable at lower speeds, approximately 10–60 mph, particularly when accelerating from a stop or at lower speeds. The noise becomes less noticeable or disappears when cruising at higher speeds. The noise is load-dependent. When I release the accelerator while traveling at approximately 30–40 mph and allow the vehicle to coast, the whining noise stops immediately. The noise does not occur when the vehicle is stationary and the engine is revved. I am concerned that this may indicate premature wear or a developing problem with the transmission or related drivetrain components. I am particularly concerned about the potential for progressive transmission failure while driving, which could result in loss of motive power and create a safety hazard. At this time, the vehicle remains drivable, but the noise appears to be abnormal and has raised concerns about the reliability and safety of the drivetrain. I am requesting that NHTSA document this complaint and investigate whether similar complaints involving 2017–2024 Toyota Camry vehicles with 8-speed automatic transmissions indicate a broader safety-related defect. I have not yet had the transmission replaced. I can provide additional information, service records, diagnostic results, photographs, or recordings of the noise if requested.

The transmission has begun failing, with less than 60,000 miles and a perfect maintenance record. While driving I noticed a "whine" while accelerating and it would go away when not pressing the accelerator. It also did not make the noise when in neutral. This is a known issue with the 2018 Toyota Camry and the manufacturer did not send out a notice, any type of additional support or maintenance recommendations to make customers aware.

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.

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.

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

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.