NHTSA Complaint #11436102 — 2018 TOYOTA CAMRY

After owning this vehicle for almost 4 years, the "Jerky" feeling that other individuals have faced is still there, although not as severe now after I figured workarounds. However I do not like having anyone else in my vehicle as they tend to get visibly uncomfortable once they feel that jerk while the vehicle is in motion. It is nearly impossible to have a smooth transition when the vehicle has to slow down and accelerate immediately. There is almost always a significant 2-3 second delay when you have to accelerate quickly into moving traffic. If I let my foot off the gas while in motion I can feel the gears thud while in motion to accommodate for the loss in speed. Dealerships I've went to have reset the 'software' multiple times and say that the jolts are something I have to get used to and that the car 'learns' from your driving habits. A Toyota dealership rep also told me that Lexus's have this problem too. Clearly this is something that Toyota has not paid attention to since they overhauled and completely redesigned their 2018 lineup. A vehicle is NOT a pet and should not have to be trained. I am unsatisfied with how Toyota does not seem to be addressing this common transmission issue and offering repair services. The only workarounds I have experimented with myself and found some degree of success is 1. turning off eco mode 2. NOT using the cheapest gas (if located in SoCal use #89 when financially able. COSTCO gas seems to deliver good results). 3. fully warming up the car before operating for the first time 4. accelerating gradually (DO NOT STEP ON GAS PEDAL HARD) 5. avoid braking hard (do not tailgate others and allow proper distance between yourself and other drivers) These steps only lessen the severity of the jolts felt but does not totally eliminate them. I don't feel 100% safe while driving this vehicle and am planning on selling it as soon as payments are done.