According to a class action lawsuit against Toyota automatic transmissions, typical transmissions should last at least 200,000 miles, but the Aisin transmissions in these models would fail before 60,000 miles.
2017-present Toyota Highlander
2024-present Toyota Grand Highlander
2018-2024 Toyota Camry
2017-2020 Toyota Sienna
2019-2022 Toyota Avalon
2019-present Toyota RAV4
2023-present Lexus RX 350
2021-present Lexus ES 250
2019-present Lexus ES 350
2022-present Lexus NX 250
2022-present Lexus NX 350
2024-present Lexus TX 350
The class action lawsuit includes:
“All persons who have purchased or leased a Class Vehicle (as defined herein) in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and all other territories and/or possessions of the United States.”
The transmission lawsuit says Toyota owns about 25% of Aisin, and together they build transmissions that make whiny noises, activate warning lights and cause harsh shifts. The vehicles will also lose power and eventually suffer from transmission failures.
The owners who filed a lawsuit complain that the torque converters experience internal hot spots due to flawed designs that cause the automatic transmission fluid to burn and deteriorate. The transmission and torque converter share the same fluid which does not lubricate the components.
Lack of lubrication will destroy the 8-speed transmission due to excessive friction.
According to the Toyota transmission class action lawsuit:
“The transmission defect causes serious drivability and safety problems, such as very frequent shifting, failed gear engagement, slipping, snaking, shift flare, overactive torque converter engagement and disengagement, hesitation in acceleration, reduced forward drive force, and transmission noise due to aggressive component wear (e.g., whining and groaning).”
The transmission lawsuit points to technical service bulletins and technical tips provided to dealers. But even when a customer service program was issued to replace the transmission for free, the lawsuit alleges that the replacement transmissions were also defective.
According to the class action, Toyota knew the transmissions and torque converters were defective before the vehicles were first sold. But prosecutors charge that Toyota and Aisin covered up the defects and chose to sell vehicles with dangerous transmissions that would fail.
The Toyota transmission lawsuit says Toyota failed to warn customers about their defective vehicles suffering from “dangerous” transmission and torque converter defects. The class action also alleges that Toyota failed to warn customers not to drive their cars and issued a recall for 8-speed transmissions.
And as repeated in every automotive class action lawsuit:
“Had plaintiffs and the other class members known of the transmission defect, they would not have purchased or leased the class vehicles or paid significantly less for them.”
The plaintiffs want Toyota to reimburse all customers for the purchase price of the vehicles, with interest from the time it is paid, and for customers to reimburse “reasonable costs incurred by the sale and damages.”
The Toyota Aisin transmission lawsuit was filed by these customers:
Lili Natale / New York / 2021 Toyota Highlander
Laurie Charlton / Arizona / 2019 Toyota Avalon
Natalia Ybarra / California / 2019 Toyota Camry
Latoya Hankins / California / 2020 Toyota Highlander
Mark Zielinski / Illinois / Toyota Highlander 2018
Patrick Lucignani / New Jersey / Toyota Highlander 2019
Victor Gutierrez / New Mexico / 2021 Toyota Highlander
Ron Paul McKinnon / North Carolina / Toyota Camry 2018
William “Bill” J. Calvent / Pennsylvania / Toyota Highlander 2018
Kevin Murdah / Delaware / 2020 Toyota Highlander
Annmarie Peace / Tennessee / 2020 Toyota Highlander
The 350-page Toyota transmission lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York: Lili Natale, et al., v. Toyota Motor Corporation, et al.
The plaintiffs are represented by Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, PC
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