Uh oh, it might be time to lawyer up. A class action lawsuit claims that Toyota transmission problems have existed in SUVs for the past 10 years. Allegedly, the automaker knew about the faulty transmissions but kept using them in new models. 

Toyota transmission lawsuit spans over 10 years 

Have you had an issue with a Toyota transmission? You might not be alone. Allegedly, drivers have had frustrating problems related to the UA80E or eight-speed automatic transmission. 

A five-million-dollar class action lawsuit claims that Toyota has been aware of the transmission defects since 2015 but never made any corrections. According to CarComplaints, the transmission in question is built by Aisin, and Toyota owns 25% of it. 

The plaintiffs report issues related to the transmission slipping, hesitating, suddenly losing power, shifting erratically, making a loud whining noise, and failing. 

The lawsuit includes 

• 2017 –  2025 Toyota Highlander SUVs 
• 2024 – 2025 Toyota Grand Highlander SUVs 
• 2018 – 2014 Toyota Camry cars 
• 2017 – 2020 Toyota Sienna vans 
• 2019 – 2022 Toyota Avalon cars 
• 2019 – 2025 Toyota RAV4 SUVs 
• 2023 – 2025 Lexus RX 350 SUVs 
• 2021 – 2025 Lexus ES 250 cars 
• 2019 – 2025 Lexus ES 350 cars 
• 2022 – 2025 Lexus 250/350 SUVs
• 2023 – 2025 Lexus TX 350 SUVs 

Vehicle owners have been on the hook for repair costs of around $7,451.33 if their transmissions failed after the 60,000 mile warranty expires. The failures occur well before 100,000 miles, and the lawsuit claims they should reach 200,000 miles. 

Also, replacing the transmission seems like an ineffective repair because it’s replaced by the same defective unit. As a result, the vehicles face diminished quality. 

The problem could be related to the buildup of heat in the torque converter that burns transmission fluid and causes premature degradation. Toyota has released multiple technical service bulletins related to the issue, but hasn’t improved the transmission’s design.