Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the transmission (3 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2018 model year as of Sep 19, 2026.

NHTSA investigations into the transmission and drivetrain on the Camry

None of these investigations covers the 2018 model year.

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 5,000 and 25,000 miles, from the 30 reports that gave a mileage.

What owners wrote

“The transmission on the 2018 Toyota Camrys are the worst. Ever since I got my car it has had loss of power with acceleration it jerks randomly when driving and it’s very unpredictable. It makes me nervous every day I drive it & it gives me anxiety that at any second my transmission will just completely fail. I did research and soooo many people are having the same issue. This needs to be fixed.”

Filed May 30, 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”

Filed Feb 9, 2026

“My vehicle has always been jerky, lagging to accelerate, limp, giving the shift solenoid code error.”

Filed Dec 13, 2025

“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.”

Filed Mar 13, 2025

Other problems on this car

• Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 163 reports
• Engine stalls or loses power while driving 78 reports
• Fuel pump failure 40 reports
• Check engine light or misfire 40 reports
• Transmission fails or needs replacement 35 reports