Transmission complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Was reversing out of a parking space in my 2008 Solara and when I went to shift into drive, the car lurched several times and then accelerated. When the car took off, I was unable to stop it accelerating using the brakes. A passenger pulled up on the parking brake, launching us into a series of tight spins and colliding with concrete bumpers in the lot. We were about to head out into a major roadway when they did so. Once out of the spins, the car had come to enough of a halt that I could shift into park and turn the car off. It was only when the car was turned off that the front wheels (FWD) stopped trying to turn. When we examined the car, the accelerator was stuck in a depressed position. The weather has been fine and dry for several days previously, so the pavement was not wet. …
Purchased a new 2008 Toyota Solara from coleman Toyota in bethesda, md. On 1/19/08. From day 1, transmission is jerky, hesitates, has not power when needed. Car stalls when waiting to turn and floods. Took it back to the dealer 2x.
My Toyota solera is going thru excessive amounts of oil! I'm continuously adding oil...and it's not leaking anywhere. ...where the hell is it going! My engine is going to burn up! I want answers! 2.4 l 4-cylimder (2az-fe).
I recently bought a brand new Toyota Solara 2007 in April 2007. Since then I have brought my car to the Toyota dealer for more then 5 times in 3 months for the same defect. But they cannot repair it. I realized that the vehicle hesitate on acceleration on all occasion. Whenever I make a turn (let or right turn) the car will "pause" and lost in power, lost of transmission for seconds. The car simply "retarded" and simply roll on the road without transmission control...whenever I need to step on gas to escape from a situation on the freeway, the car again will "pause" and hesitate, I regard that the car is "retarded". It simply lost in transmission during that short pause, I felt so dangerous on the road with such defaulted vehicle. I read on the compliant from NHTSA and surprise to find that there are so many of the Camry owner are facing the same problem. …
Within the past 6 months, I've noticed a lag between the time I depress the accelerator and the transmission engaging. This mainly occurs at low speeds, however, it does occur when decelerating (when approaching a traffic light for example) and I have to accelerate if the light changes. I contacted the local dealership and talked to a service representative. The representative indicated that the "shift points" were faulty and that Toyota was aware of the problem. He also indicated that avalon's have the problem too. He advised me to wait a few months for direction from Toyota. I contacted Toyota to confirm what the dealership had conveyed. Toyota indicated that there were no service bulletins regarding this problem or that a problem of this nature existed.
While entering a parking space the vehicle surged forward without provocation, crashing into a concrete barrier which thankfully stopped the forward motion. I don't know if related, but the vehicle has a history of hesitation and rough sequencing through gears of the automatic transmission. Advised by manufacturer this is a wireless transmission, and that there was a software update, installed 1/27/06. Condition continued thereafter though never anything approaching this. Speed at incident difficult to know and component failure best guess.
The second generation Toyota Solara uses "drive by wire" technology instead of a throttle cable. My car experiences a lag between the time when I press the gas pedal and when the car actually starts to move. This happens in a specific scenario where the car is decelerating, but then the driver resumes accelerating. The lag can last up to 2 seconds and presents a critical safety issue which has LED to three near miss accidents in intersections for me. This feels like it would if your car stalled in the middle of the intersection and then the light changed. A technical service bulletin was issued for certain VIN solaras which reflashed the ECU to a new program in an effort to reduce the lag. This was not an effective corrective action. Toyota has no solution at this time and this puts my safety at risk.,
Tl* - the contact stated that was in reverse on the morning of 12/22/06 at 5 MPH when the vehicle continued to go in reverse and wouldn't stop. While the vehicle was going in reverse there was a screeching noise coming from the vehicle. It hit a curb and to put the vehicle in park while it was still going in reverse to stop it. There were witnesses, and they told the contact that the vehicle was making a sound that the gears were stuck. The mechanic stated that the floor mat was pushed under the brakes. The contact insisted that couldn't be true because of the noise that was coming from the vehicle at the time it was going in reverse and could not be stopped.
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota Camry Solara years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2005 (16), 2004 (13), 2006 (7), 2007 (7) and 2000 (6) model years. Transmission complaints make up 17% of all complaints for the 2005.
Is there a recall for Toyota Camry Solara transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for any Toyota Camry Solara model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Toyota Camry Solara transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 28,000 miles; 74% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (36 mentions), followed by the automatic transmission › control module (tcm/pcm/tecm) (3).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.