Toyota Camry Transmission Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Some. 958 of the 7,792 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008–2025 Toyota Camry (12.3%) name the transmission, 1.0× the median share across the 139 models we track. Across the 2015–2022 cohorts with published sales, the Toyota Camry rate is 0.15 per 1,000 sold, below the 0.28 median. The worst years are 2018, 2012 and 2014.
Transmission complaints
958
Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2025 models
Per 1,000 sold
0.15
2015–2022 cohorts
Share of all complaints
12.3%
of 7,792 complaints for this model
Transmission recalls
0
NHTSA campaigns, all years
Toyota Camry transmission complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Power Train (transmission, transfer case and driveline), and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Transmission complaints | Per 1,000 sold | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Transmission recalls | Transmission TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 46 | — | 3.9% | 7 | — | 23 |
| 2009 | 53 | — | 3.8% | 7 | — | 22 |
| 2010 | 46 | — | 7.5% | 4 | — | 24 |
| 2011 | 50 | — | 8% | 2 | — | 22 |
| 2012WORST | 145 | — | 22.6% | 1 | — | 63 |
| 2013 | 67 | — | 22.3% | 4 | — | 63 |
| 2014WORST | 128 | — | 26.8% | 1 | — | 62 |
| 2015 | 36 | 0.08 | 12.7% | 2 | — | 13 |
| 2016 | 18 | 0.05 | 9.9% | 3 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | 6 | 0.02 | 3.9% | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2018WORST | 190 | 0.55 | 25.2% | 3 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | 110 | 0.33 | 27.8% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | 30 | 0.1 | 11% | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | 11 | 0.04 | 6.8% | 2 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | 5 | 0.02 | 8.5% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | 6 | — | 10.2% | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 | — | 6.7% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | — | 4.5% | 1 | — | 0 |
- Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
- Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
- Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
- *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the transmission.
Common Toyota Camry transmission problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 958 transmission complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.
Toyota Camry years to avoid for the transmission
2018 Toyota Camry
190 transmission complaints (25.2% of the year's 754), 0.55 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: jerking, lurching or harsh shifts.
2012 Toyota Camry
145 transmission complaints (22.6% of the year's 642). Most often described: shudder or vibration.
2014 Toyota Camry
128 transmission complaints (26.8% of the year's 477). Most often described: shudder or vibration.
Worst years are those with at least 10 transmission complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Toyota Camry years to avoid.
Related research
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2018 Toyota Camry have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 190 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2018 Toyota Camry, 25.2% of all 754 complaints for that year, or 0.55 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "jerking, lurching or harsh shifts" (67 complaints). 3 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2012 Toyota Camry have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 145 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2012 Toyota Camry, 22.6% of all 642 complaints for that year. The most common description is "shudder or vibration" (65 complaints). 1 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2014 Toyota Camry have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 128 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2014 Toyota Camry, 26.8% of all 477 complaints for that year. The most common description is "shudder or vibration" (62 complaints). 1 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Which Toyota Camry years have the most transmission complaints?
2018 (190), 2012 (145) and 2014 (128), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the transmission. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.
What are the most common Toyota Camry transmission problems?
In the 958 transmission complaints, owners most often describe hesitation or delayed engagement (21.3%), shudder or vibration (20.6%) and jerking, lurching or harsh shifts (17.4%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a transmission failure rate?
No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.
How we count
Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Toyota Camry model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a transmission complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Power Train (transmission, transfer case and driveline).
Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 transmission complaints that clears those floors.
These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration