Throughout the decades, Toyota vehicles have gained a well-earned reputation for quality and reliability. But these vehicles aren’t completely immune to certain issues, especially those involving Toyota’s 8-speed automatic transmission. If you own or are looking to buy a vehicle equipped with one, here’s your head’s-up.
Did any of the Toyota 8-Speed transmission problems lead to a recall?
There haven’t been any recalls as of September 2020. Customer complaints, on the other hand, have been plentiful and often involved the following issues:
- Slow shifting behavior when coming to a stop
- Transmission shifting hesitation under partial and full throttle
- Jerky and/or harsh shifting behavior
In this piece, we’ll explore the problems involving the Toyota 8-speed transmission and how you can effectively address these issues. We’ll also take a brief dive into the transmission’s development and production history.
More About the Direct Shift-8AT Transmission
Growing expectations in performance and fuel economy led Toyota to develop a transmission that was more efficient and innovative than previous versions.
The end result was the Direct Shift-8AT, an 8-speed automatic transmission intended for front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles equipped with transverse-mounted engines.
The Direct Shift-8AT made its debut in the 2017 Toyota Highlander and Sienna, before being expanded to the 2018 Camry and RAV4, 2019 Avalon and 2019 Lexus ES 350. Like its predecessors, the 8-speed transmission is a non-user-serviceable unit that uses “lifetime” Toyota World Standard (WS) fluid.
While the Toyota 8-speed transmission has its positive merits, some consumers and quite a few reviewers have come away surprised and less than satisfied with its performance. In a review of the 2018 Toyota Camry, Autoweek’s Andy Stoy remarked that the transmission “needs an exorcism” due to its poor behavior.
Common Issues with Toyota Models Equipped with the 8-Speed Transmission
Hesitation When Shifting Under Partial and/or Full Throttle
NHTSA Complaint ID: 11328117
In a brief complaint, the owner of a 2019 Toyota Camry noted problems with their 8-speed transmission. Specifically, the transmission hesitates when shifting under partial throttle as well as full throttle. The owner also stated the transmission upshifts too high when placed in Economy mode.
It’s currently unknown if the vehicle was ever taken to a dealer for service or if the problem simply went away on its own.
Harsh and/or Jerky Transmission Shifting Behavior
Several VehicleHistory.com reviews have highlighted harsh or jerky shifting behavior from the Toyota 8-speed transmission. One review from David specifically mentions harsh shifts from his 2017 Toyota Camry SE while downshifting.
Multiple reviews from Ottawa mention shuddering and shaking on acceleration, which the owner attributes to a torque converter issue.
Transmission Jerks When Accelerating
NHTSA Complaint ID: 11316237
According to this complaint from a 2018 Toyota Camry owner, the transmission makes the vehicle jerk when accelerating from a rolling stop. The transmission also jerks when downshifting from second to first gear as the vehicle comes to a stop.
The owner also complained about lag between gear changes under acceleration – a problem the owner claims mimics throttle lag. Unfortunately, it’s not known whether these issues were investigated or fixed by a qualified service expert.
Slow Shifting Behavior
NHTSA Complaint ID: 11318764
Another 2019 Toyota Camry owner noted that the 8-speed transmission was very slow to shift into the appropriate gear. Specifically, the transmission holds its current gear for longer than necessary as the vehicle slows down. According to the owner, this behavior unsettles the vehicle in turns and under acceleration.
There’s currently no information on whether the owner had the problem diagnosed and/or successfully fixed.
Intermittent Transmission Failure
NHTSA Complaint ID: 11076633
Upon releasing the accelerator while at a stop, the owner of a 2017 Toyota Sienna felt a hard jerk, accompanied by an increase in RPM. The owner noted there were no warning lights present. Nevertheless, a local dealer diagnosed the issue as a transmission failure.
However, the transmission failure came and went, especially after driving the vehicle for long periods. The owner continued driving the vehicle until his wife heard a loud whining noise, which went away minutes after restarting the vehicle.
Upon discovering a technical service bulletin for the transmission failure, the owner brought the vehicle in for an ECU software update. However, the problem persisted even after the update.
