2019 Toyota Camry

The transmission is failing after about 65,000 miles (7 years from first use). It can be inspected upon request. My safety is at risk in that the transmission is steadily getting worse and could fail at any time or any speed. The transmission failure was diagnosed and confirmed by a local Toyota dealer. There are no warning lights. A high-pitched whine is heard while driving which gets higher with faster vehicle speed.

My vehicle completely lost power and stalled on the freeway, requiring a tow. A Toyota dealership has diagnosed it with a total internal failure of the UA80 transmission and quoted me $9,000. This vehicle has been properly maintained, including a documented transmission fluid service at a Toyota facility in March of this year. A modern powertrain should not suffer a life-threatening failure at 130,000 miles. Because of this severe safety defect and my documented maintenance history, I am requesting a Corporate Goodwill Accommodation to cover or significantly cost-share this replacement.

Vehicle has 75,000 original miles. At around 73,000 miles, I began to hear a whining noise from the engine bay while accelerating at highway speeds. I took the car into the dealership where they confirmed the transmission has failed and needs to be replaced. All routine maintenance has been done on schedule and is on record with the dealership since original vehicle deployment. This vehicle has the UA80 transmission that is the center of multiple class-action lawsuits in the US due to early failure, allegedly due to design flaws.

While driving the vehicle on a street it shut off on it's own in the middle of the road. It was terrifying. Had it pulled to my house. Once I was able to get it towed it went to Stockton CA Toyota Dealership and had it inspected with results of it needs a new transmission. They had no clue was was wrong with it just that it needed a new transmission. I have not driven the vehicle since this happened because it will not drive. It's going on 4 months now. The car at first was pulling and shaking and would not go into 3rd gear. It was stuck in acceleration. It was making a loud noise and it just got worse. I haven't had the vehicle for a year. I have researched this and there are many many having the same issue with this type of vehicle.

Disgusted & deeply disappointed in my first (& last) experience owning a Toyota is an understatement. I confidently purchased a brand new Camry in 2019, based on their reputation for reliability. But, as soon as the warranty expired, the problems began. First, the electronic water pump failed, costing me $1200. The thermostat failed while I was on vacation last year, costing $300ish. Multiple battery issues. Then, a few months pass, check engine light pops up. Says it needs an O2 sensor. Replace it, light goes off, only to come back a few days later. Take to dealership where they charge me $200 to diagnose. They inform me the car will not accept after market parts & I'll need to purchase one from them instead for around $600. Yes. $600 for an O2 sensor. At only 129k miles, the transmission failed. The car stopped in the middle of an intersection & would not move forward, nearly causing me & my child to be hit. Mechanic informs me that it can be upwards of $7k to replace with a used transmission, $11k for new, & that's only WHEN they can get the part, which is on back order for MONTHS. This is because the supply can't keep up with the demand, as this model has widespread transmission issues. It was explicitly stated it is a "manufacturer defect." Yet, no recall. My online research absolutely supports that this is a large & very common problem that should warrant some responsibility from Toyota. It was on a rollback 4 times in 1 year. So, I was put in a position where I was forced to buy another car, since obviously I can't go without one for months. My 6 year old car (at time of breakdown) is now basically junk. It sits in my driveway, worthless, just 7 months after payoff.

We experienced rough shifting, engine revving and now it won't shift out of first gear. The car is not driveable. We've taken it to Town & Country Toyota in Charlotte, NC where they said it could not be repaired and it needed replacing for $12,000. The car has 121,000 miles and is not under warranty. Also took it to an independent transmission shop and they said to replace the transmission as well. We think Toyota should issue a recall or some kind of compensation for this major expense. I have lots of stories similar to this by owners with 2018-2022 Toyota Camrys. Thank you.

I am writing to formally document a serious safety incident involving my 2019 Toyota Camry XSE (VIN: [XXX]) and to express my deep dissatisfaction with the reliability of this vehicle and my experience obtaining support and repairs. On XXX while driving northbound on [XXX] to attend a wedding approximately 90 minutes from my home, my vehicle experienced a sudden and dangerous malfunction while traveling at approximately 70 mph. While operating at highway speed, I pressed the accelerator pedal in an attempt to maintain and increase speed with traffic flow. Although the engine RPMs increased, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The engine appeared to respond to throttle input, but power was not being transferred to the wheels. This unexpected loss of propulsion occurred without warning. The failure created an immediate safety hazard. As my vehicle rapidly lost the ability to keep pace with surrounding traffic, I narrowly avoided being struck by a freight truck traveling behind me. I was forced to coast the vehicle to the shoulder of the interstate while surrounded by highway traffic. This was a frightening experience that placed my safety and the safety of others at risk. After the incident, the vehicle was inspected by a Toyota dealership in Kennesaw, Georgia. I was quickly advised that the transmission was the source of the problem. While I understand that a formal diagnosis may be required to determine the exact cause of the failure, I was surprised to learn that the transmission was believed to have failed. This vehicle has had only one owner and has never exhibited any warning signs, symptoms, or performance issues that would have led me to believe there was a transmission problem. The transmission had not been slipping, hesitating, making unusual noises, or displaying any other indications of impending failure. Given these facts, I find it difficult to understand how a transmission in a Toyota vehicle could suddenly fail. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)