2018 Toyota Camry · symptom sheet
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard
- 91owner reports
- 16,800median miles
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Jul 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
196 of the 742 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 91 of those describe transmission shudder. Only brake wear is reported more often on this car.
Narrower sheets: Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear (58 reports) · Transmission hesitates when accelerating (37 reports)
Tick what matches of 91 reports
Transmission shudder on other Camry years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.
What this problem usually is
This is the biggest drivetrain group on the site: a transmission that shudders, slips, hesitates or bangs into gear. It's the everyday version of transmission trouble, where the car still drives but doesn't drive right, and it has three narrower sheets of its own for jerking, hesitation and slipping.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the transmission (8 reports) and the torque converter (4 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2018 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the transmission and drivetrain on the Camry
Ignition interlock failure. Closed nov 28, 1997, led to recall 97V-213.
None of these investigations covers the 2018 model year.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 7,000 and 31,000 miles, from the 44 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“the transmission has been slipping for a month . I consulted with a Toyota dealer and they said the fluid was "lifetime." then without any check engine warning the Auto brake system, other systems tied to torque converter failed and check engine light came on ..... then Toyota Tustin CA performed a diagnostic test and declared car needed a replacement transmission at just 88k miles --suburban/ highway driving”
Filed Dec 9, 2025 · 88,000 miles
“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 canât find gears while driving. Very dangerous.”
Filed Mar 13, 2025
“I have a 2018 Toyota Camry SE in which the transmission has completely failed. If I drive the car without having it completely replaced it hesitates when trying to excel. I was almost hit several times while trying to pull out into traffic where the car wouldn't shift and accelerate when it needed to move quickly.”
Filed Nov 6, 2024
“While entering the highway/merging onto on ramp. Have to yield to merge, upon slowing or reaccelerating. Vehicle hesitates and feels as if gear not catching/slipping.”
Filed Jul 29, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 91 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 164 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 78 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 41 reports
- Fuel pump failure 40 reports
- Transmission fails or needs replacement 37 reports