You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.
Tundra Solutions is looking for someone in the central valley who owns a 2007x Supercharged Tundra that we can borrow to take pictures of and use in a story. If you would like to help please send a PM to TundraSoul or send us an email. We will pay you for your gas and time to meet us at our office in Clovis. Thanks.
CamryGeneral discussion forum for the Toyota Camry.
This is a discussion thread titled "2008 Transmission Problems Too!", within the Camry forum, part of the Cars & Vans Forums category.
We just got a 2008 4Cyl with the 5spd auto. Only had it two weeks.
When driving 35-45mph, the tranny will shift up into 5th gear and then basically STAY there. As we approach a slight upward grade, the tachometer is stuck at 1200 RPM and the whole car shudders and vibrates as the engine "lugs" down. We find ourselves constantly playing with the gas pedal in order to FORCE the tranny to downshift.
Took it to dealer. They experienced same thing. They said it was "Normal for this model - at this time". They quietly told me they are getting other complaints and look forward to Toyota releasing new programming for the ECU.
Three different drivers and rear passengers have quickly remarked about this "sensation" when going up any grade. We experience this constantly driving here in Maine. Interstate and inner city driving is fine. If we move the gated shifter to "4" - it resolves this problem. Dealer said this is normal. So I actually purchased a "manual" automatic transmission??? Do we just stop whining and retrain ourselves or do you folks think we can look forward to a solution?
Our 2004 Camry, 2002 Tundra and our 1999 Solara had wonderful transmissions.
I strongly suggest that you contact Toyota (as in CORPORATE in Torrance, CA) and log a complaint ticket with them. This will establish a record of your issue, external to the dealership, and will also get the attention of the corporate side people.
Strange...besides the ECM re-flash issues for the I4 transmissions, I've not heard of any issues...especially like you're describing. To the best of my (limited) knowledge, it's the SAME transmission as the 07's.
It might just be that you got a bad one or that the ECM needs to be re-flashed with factory spec's again.
Anyway, if your dealer is saying anything that sounds like "normal" you need to firmly put a stop to that and suggest that you both test drive another car, at random, sitting on the lot. It's NOT normal and you should not have to wait for somebody to say it's not normal and pay attention to you.
__________________
Scott Wallace
(A.K.A. BoloMK33) shwallace@ca.rr.com
2007 Camry LE V6
Definately not normal. To prove something is not normal, some owners are now videotaping the abnormality of their car vs. a normal car and using that irrefutable evidence to spur the dealership into taking action including vehicle buy back as a last resort.
3 American car mfgs. now have higher JD Power ratings than Toyota and Honda. I am done with Toyota build quality and their care-less dealership attitude.
Higher only in INITIAL reliability. But the 3 American car mfgs. still have a canyon to bridge when it comes to long term mechanical component reliability and durability. All the recent Toyota transmission problems are electronic programming glitches (software) and a few assembly line glitches (not assembling parts correctly), not actual component hardware failures (not failing transmission gears, clutches or torque converters).
Analogy: The INITIAL quality of the 3 American car mfgs. in the 1960's was very poor (due to slopping assembly), but their long term durability was excellent because component hardware failures were rare in those days.
Bottom line: The 3 American car mfgs. are still not building cars that have good long term reliability and durability, but Toyota still is....so Toyota will continue to rule the road for the forseeable future.
I thank all of you for your input - it is greatly appreciated.
After posting at several forums and speaking with several people and friends, I have a better idea what is going on.
It appears as expected that the 2008 Camry 4cyl models still have the same firmware as do the reprogrammed 2007's. I have been informed that the reprogramming introduced a new issue in MANY if not all Camrys. This issue is being referred to as "Torque Converter Shudder" and is primarily experienced at speeds of around 40mph.
Toyota seemed ignorant of this issue for the last several months. I found accounts of Dealership service managers taking regional Toyota reps for rides in test vehicles. Needless to say, Toyota reps did experience this sensation and are supposedly going back to HQ to report it. I hope they can get something done.
I am told that the more aggressive the vehicle is driven, the less likely you are to experience this. Some drivers rarely have this happen, many experience it constantly. Regardless, nearly everyone claims it all began with the ECM reprogram and they are looking forward to a new update!
I still have to wonder if only certain transmissions are affected. We plan to acquire another test vehicle this weekend and compare it to ours.
Toyota corporate (Torrance) did get back to me. They contacted my dealer's service manager. She was happy to tell me that he reported "the vehicle behaved as normal". She said "if you have any more questions, please contact us." Needless to say, I will be calling them back! Maybe a new telephone number and a Japanese translator?
It appears as expected that the 2008 Camry 4cyl models still have the same firmware as do the reprogrammed 2007's. I have been informed that the reprogramming introduced a new issue in MANY if not all Camrys. This issue is being referred to as "Torque Converter Shudder" and is primarily experienced at speeds of around 40mph.
Your information is worth as much as you paid for it.
NOTHING!
You may have a problem but on the much larger and active Camry forums, there has not been a mention of this by anyone else, either in an '08 or reflashed '07.
Just a rumor monger.
__________________
'07 Japanese XLE I4 (Heated Leather, VSC, Mats), Dual Exhaust, K&N Air Filter, Mudguards, Modified Front/Rear Emblems, Lip Spoiler, MTEC 4,350 K High, Low and Fogs, Painted Fogs, Chrome (GS300 Wheels, Pillars, Hybrid Grille, Lower Grille, Trunk Accent, Door Handles), Wood Steering Wheel, LED Tail lights.
While it may be very limited at this point, I've now had four others told me of a similar issue. I would not consider it a severe problem because moving the gated shifter to "4" completely resolves this.
The dealer told me they have has several other complaints in since the August ECM reprogram. Maybe the Japanese vehicles are unaffected?
I have an update. Many are having this issue although it seems to depend on driving habits and individual vehicles.
I finally took two regional Toyota tech managers for a test drive last Thursday. At 40-42mph, they both experienced the rumbling sensation in the vehicle - I made it happen three times. They had a Panasonic Toughbook diagnostic laptop attached underneath the dashboard. The manager claimed he captured three excellent "snapshots" - exactly while it was happening.
He told me that it is a "Torque Converter Flex Lockup" problem.
He says they are getting many complaints from 08 owners and 07 owners with the August TSB reprogram. They are hoping to flood Toyota engineering with enough "proof" to get them to issue a fix. I hope so - this issue drives us nuts and we have to keep shifting from "D" to "4" to prevent it.
He may be wrong about the exact cause but regardless I hope they can get Toyota to issue a fix.
Unfortunately, many aspects of Toyota have been dropping off. If they don't get a grip, they will be in the same boat as the "Big3" and lose their place on "quality pedestal" . Right now, I still rank them the best in the world, but they are slipping. My opinion.
__________________
07 Tundra DCSB, 5.7, Blue Streak Metallic, 4X4, SR5, TRD, BU, CK, DZ, FE, HM, MG, OF, Brushed Stainless steps, sill protectors, USMC lighted hitch plug and assorted stickers and license plate brackets, rollup bed cover, Rhino Liner, Mesh Grill backing, Black Wheelskin steering wheel cover, Wade in channel vent visors, under rear seat storage, PRG mini spring pack, Proforce rear exit cat-back exhaust, aFe CAI.
We traded in our 05 Camry for just that reason. Moon roof had to be replaced with 500 miles on the odo for a bad leak. Headliner rumbled, creaked, and rattled after that and was eventually replaced, but still was not right.
Transmission could never figure out which gear it should be in unless you floored it. Slow to downshift. Overboosted steering and sloppy handling on top of it all. My wife ended up hating the car.
We got a 2008 Rav4, 2wd, 6cyl last week.
It's made in Japan.
RE
__________________
Great Apes are not great......they're just big gay monkeys.
Toyota’s Quality Cracks Revealed
Considered by many to be the bible on product quality, Consumer Reports said the V6 version of the top-selling Toyota Camry and the four-wheel-drive V8 version of the Tundra pickup, both redesigned for 2007, now rate below average in Consumer Reports’ predicted reliability rating. The all-wheel-drive version of the Lexus GS sedan also received a below-average rating.
Because Consumer Reports does not recommend models with below-average reliability, these models no longer make the magazine's “Recommended” list.
__________________
It worked fine until I fixed it!
2008 Transmission Problems Too!
Re: 2008 Transmission Problems Too!
Re: 2008 Transmission Problems Too!
Linear Mode
