An unhappy Toyota owner in Nevada is looking to take the automaker to court for transmission woes. A class action suit has been filed in the state alleging problems with the Japanese automaker's eight-speed automatic transmission as found in vehicles like the 2017-2024 Camry and more. According to the complaint, that transmission is prone to early failures, limiting long-term durability and resale values.
Suit Says Two Big Problems Mean Failed Transmissions
The claim was filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. Plaintiff James LeBoutheller claims there were two defects with the UA80 eight-speed automatic used in multiple Toyota vehicles.
First, the suit claims there is a design flaw that causes excess heat inside the transmission. It claims that causes it to "burn transmission fluid," resulting in premature transmission failure as well as stalling and "other dangerous situations."
The second alleged defect is with the shift programming. The suit claims that the transmission is programmed for "premature upshifts and torque converter clutch engagements." Those, it alleges, cause the transmission to "deteriorate faster than expected."
It all stems from LeBoutheller's own 2020 Toyota Camry XSE, which he purchased new from a Toyota dealer in Carson City, Nevada. LeBoutheller says that at around 80,000 miles on the odometer he started to "notice significant noise from his vehicle’s transmission assembly." The dealer told him it was functioning normally.
At 125,000 miles, he brought the car to the same dealer once again, complaining of the same noises. This time, the dealer held it for 30 days and, allegedly, said it was functioning properly.
LeBoutheller took his car to a different Toyota dealer, where technicians found aluminum particles in the fluid and indicated the transmission would need to be replaced. Toyota agreed to pay for the new gearbox, but LeBoutheller would have to pay for installation.
Nearly 10 Years Of Vehicles Involved
The list of vehicles involved in the Class Action, should it go forward, is substantial. Most of the larger models from Toyota and Lexus are on there, dating back to 2017 in some cases. This would represent millions of vehicles. LeBoutheller's suit cites multiple other owner complaints about the transmissions filed with the NHTSA.
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This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.
