Toyota Camry transmission problems

WITH THE MEDIA COVERAGE OF TOYOTA PROBLEMS, I SAW A WOMAN INTERVIEWED WHO COMPLAINED OF "SUDDEN ACCELERATION" WITH HER TOYOTA WHILE BRAKING. I RECOGNIZED THAT IT IS SOMETHING I HAVE EXPERIENCED FREQUENTLY WITH OUR 2009 CAMRY XLE V6 W. 6 SPEED AUTO TRANS. IT IS NOT A "SUDDEN ACCELERATION" PROBLEM, BUT A SUDDEN FREE-WHEELING PROBLEM, MOST NOTICEABLE WHEN DRIVING ON LEVEL OR DOWNHILL ROADS. AS YOU BRAKE TO COME TO A STOP, THE AUTO TRANS. DOWNSHIFTS INTO A LOWER GEAR, BUT IT DOESN'T DO IT FAST ENOUGH, SO IT MOMENTARILY GOES THROUGH NEUTRAL CREATING A MOMENTARY FREE-WHEELING SITUATION THAT DOES ACCELERATE THE CAR JUST AS YOU ARE WANTING TO COME TO A STOP. IT IS PARTICULARLY DISCONCERTING WHEN BRAKING INTO AN INTERSECTION WHILE GOING DOWN HILL. I CALLED THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE NUMBER ON 5/21/09 TO REPORT IT, HOPING THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A SOFTWARE UPGRADE. THEY SAID IT WAS NOT NORMAL AND CREATED CASE # 0905126552 AND TOLD ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO MY DEALER, WHICH I DID ON 06/01/09. THE DEALER RESET THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COMPUTER, BUT THAT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I LATER REPORTED IT AGAIN TO TOYOTA ON A 07/22/09 CUSTOMER SURVEY. WE HAVE BEEN LIVING WITH IT, BUT ARE CAREFUL WHEN BRAKING INTO AN INTERSECTION. *TR

I'M CONCERNED THE TOYOTA BRAKING ISSUES GO DEEPER THAN LATE MODEL PRIUS. MY 2005 CAMRY LE V6 EXHIBITS SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS AS BEING DESCRIBED TODAY - BRAKE FAILURE WHEN DRIVING OVER UNEVEN, IRREGULAR OR ROUGH PAVEMENT. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THE BRAKE PEDAL STIFFENS AND BRAKING ACTION CEASES. I'VE LEARNED TO PRESS DOWN V-E-R-Y HARD ON THE PEDAL DURING THIS INTERMITTENT BEHAVIOR. HAD TAKEN TO THE DEALER MORE THAN ONCE. THE COMPLAINT ALONG WITH HARSH SHIFTING OF THE TRANSMISSION WHICH MANIFESTS IN THE ENGINE OVER-REVVING WHILE NOT ACTUALLY ENGAGING INTO ANY GEAR, THEN THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY ENGAGES MAKING THE VEHICLE GO FURTHER/FASTER THAN DESIRED/ANTICIPATED. TOYOTA INDICATED THE ISSUES WERE "AN OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE", BEING DISMISSIVE IN THEIR RESPONSE DEMONSTRATING A CORPORATE CULTURE OF ARROGANCE. HAVE SPOKEN WITH TOYOTA SERVICE MANAGERS IN HENDERSON, NV, SANTA MONICA AND THOUSAND OAKS, CA RE: THE TRANSMISSION AND THEY ALL HAVE SIMILAR RESPONSES... ROLLING THEIR EYES TOWARD THE SKY AND LAMENTING, "OHHH, THAT V6 CAMRY TRANSMISSION" AS IF SOME SORT OF FACTORY 'INSIDE JOKE'. THESE ARE CLEARLY KNOWN ISSUES THE FACTORY HAS CHOSEN TO DO NOTHING ABOUT, THUS THE SERVICE MANAGER'S HANDS ARE TIED. (HAD BEEN EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH MY FORMER '95 CAMRY TO THE TUNE OF 300,000 MILES.) IT'S DISAPPOINTING TOYOTA HAS CEASED TO BE THE HONORABLE COMPANY THEY ONCE WERE. *CN

2006 CAMRY XLE I-4 TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGED AT 30K MILES CAME OUT BLACK!! THIS MEANS THE FLUID IS BEING BURNED. CAR NOT ABUSED. DRIVEN IN 3RD & 2ND ON TWO DAYS 25 DAYS APART DOWN ROAD TO YOSEMITE BRAKE USED TO KEEP SPEED DOWN. ONLY TIME I CAN THINK OF THAT ADDED STRESS TO TRANSMISSION. ANOTHER TIME I HAD TO STEP/FLOOR ACCELERATOR ON FREEWAY ON-RAMP UP GRADE TO KEEP FAST MOVING SEMI-TRUCK FROM RUNNING ME OVER. THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION. TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT THESE TIME COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. *TW

I HAVE A 2007 4CYL TOYOTA CAMRY AND ON OCCASION IT WILL HESITATE WHEN ACCELERATING. GENERALLY OCCURS ONLY WHEN MOVING AT VERY SLOW RATE OF SPEED AND ACCELERATE TO PULL QUICKLY INTO TRAFFIC. HAVE RETURNED TO DEALER AT LEAST 3 TIMES. THEY SAY IT IS "NORMAL" AND CAN NOT GET IT TO HAPPEN SO CANNOT FIX. THEY HAVE APPLIED TSB BUT DID NOT SEEM TO CORRECT. QUIT ASKING FOR REPAIR BUT NOW SEE ISSUES WITH STICKING ACCELERATOR AND WONDER IF THIS IS ANOTHER TOYOTA COVER UP!! *TW

I BOUGHT A 2010 TOYOTA CAMRY THAT HAS THE NEW SIX SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WHEN I WAS COASTING TO SLOW DOWN THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO DISENGAGE AND DID NOT HOLD BACK ANYMORE. I CAME WITHIN A FOOT OF RUNNING INTO THE REAR OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHICH WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THIS HAD HAPPENED MANY TIMES BEFORE BUT NEVER THIS CLOSE TO AN ACCIDENT. WHEN THE CAR REACHES AROUND 20MPH THE TRANSMISSION DOESN'T HOLD BACK ANY LONGER AND YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE HARD. IT IS NOT A GOOD FEELING. ON MAY 22, 2009 I CALLED THE SALESMAN AND HE TOLD ME TO COME IN AND DRIVE ANOTHER 2010 CAMRY TO SEE IF THAT TRANSMISSION ACTED THE SAME SINCE THIS WAS THE FIRST YEAR FOR THE NEW SIX SPEED AUTOMATIC. I TOOK IT IN ON THE 22ND AND THE SALESMAN AND I TOOK A NEW 2010 CAMRY OUT FOR A DRIVE AND IT ACTED THE SAME WAY. SO THE CONCLUSION WAS THAT ALL THE 2010 CAMRYS WERE THE SAME AND I WOULD HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT. MY WIFE IS VERY LEARY ABOUT DRIVING THIS CAR AND AFRAID SHE WILL RUN INTO SOMEONE. WE HAVEN'T HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE ACCELERATOR, BUT THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM.WE ARE VERY CONCERNED NOW THAT THE OTHER PROBLEMS HAVE ARISEN ABOUT THE CAMRY. *TR

I OWN A 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY SE V6. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SINCE THE DAY I BOUGHT IT WHERE I CAN BE DRIVING ALONG AND WHEN I SLOW DOWN, THE ENGINE WILL REV AND THE TACHOMETER WILL GO UP TO AROUND 4,000 RPM AND THEN WHAT SEEMS LIKE 30 SECONDS OR MORE, THE GEARS WILL FINALLY CATCH AND THE CAR WILL GO AND ALL THIS RESULTS IN A JERK LIKE REACTION GIVING ME A WHIPLASH FEELING. IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED AND THE LATEST EXPERIENCE HAPPENED WHEN I WAS GOING AROUND 55 MPH, ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH WAS VERY FULL WITH TRAFFIC. IT WAS VERY FRIGHTENING NOT TO MENTION A MAIN CONCERN AS TO IF THE CAR WERE TO LOSE POWER, I WOULD HAVE TO SOMEHOW COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND WHERE I WAS THERE WASN'T MUCH ROOM TO PULL OVER. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UP AN INCLINE AT A LOW SPEED OF 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND THE ENGINE WAS NON- RESPONSIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 28900. UPDATED 3/17/10 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER A FULL STOP ON S STEEP INCLINE. WHEN SHE REMOVED HER FOOT FROM THE BRAKE, AND THE APPLY THE GAS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE IN NEUTRAL AND THEN RETURNED TO DRIVE. UPDATED 07/01/10.*JB