What does the Toyota UA80 transmission lawsuit allege?

The complaints allege the UA80 eight-speed automatic transmission is defective because control software commands early upshifts to improve fuel economy, which the plaintiffs say causes the transmission fluid to overheat and lose its ability to lubricate. According to the suits, that allegedly leads to harsh or erratic shifting, hesitation, shuddering, abnormal noise, torque-converter problems, and premature transmission failure. These are unproven allegations.

How much do UA80 transmission repairs allegedly cost?

Owners quoted in the litigation and related reporting describe transmission repair or replacement bills reaching several thousand dollars, in some cases around $7,000 to $9,000, with failures allegedly occurring well before the vehicle reached high mileage. Actual repair costs vary by vehicle, dealer, and warranty status.

Do I need to file a claim in the Toyota transmission class action?

No. Because these are lawsuits and not settlements, there is nothing to claim and no deadline. If your vehicle has transmission symptoms, you can document the problem and any repair costs and check with a Toyota or Lexus dealer about warranty coverage or technical service bulletins. If a class is later certified or a settlement is reached, a separate claims process with its own deadlines would be announced.

Toyota UA80 8-Speed Transmission Defect Class Action

Q: Is there a Toyota UA80 transmission settlement yet?

No. The UA80 transmission cases, including LeBoutheller v. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. in the Eastern District of Texas, are proposed class action lawsuits, not settlements. There is no settlement fund, no claim form, and no deadline to act. Toyota has not been found liable, and owners do not need to do anything at this stage.

Q: Which Toyota and Lexus models are covered by the UA80 lawsuit?

The complaints identify Toyota and Lexus vehicles equipped with the UA80 eight-speed automatic, including the Toyota RAV4, Camry, Highlander, Grand Highlander, Sienna and Avalon, and the Lexus ES, NX, RX and TX. No class has been certified, so the exact list of covered model years is not final and could change as the cases proceed.

Published July 6, 2026

If your RAV4, Camry, Highlander or Lexus shifts harshly, hesitates or has needed a costly transmission repair, you are the kind of owner these UA80 lawsuits are about — though there is nothing to claim yet.

Proposed class actions allege the UA80 8-speed automatic transmission overheats and fails prematurely in several Toyota and Lexus models.

By Steve Levine

Editor-in-Chief

▼ Allegations Only · No Settlement Yet

This article describes class action complaints. The statements below are unproven allegations. Toyota has not been found liable, there is no certified class, and nothing to claim at this time. This page is informational and is not legal advice.

What Is This About?

Toyota is facing a cluster of proposed class action lawsuits alleging that the UA80 eight-speed automatic transmission — used across many of its most popular Toyota and Lexus models — is defective and can overheat, shift erratically, and fail long before an owner would expect a transmission to wear out.

One of the lead cases is captioned LeBoutheller v. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., et al., Case No. 4:25-cv-01389, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas in December 2025 against Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., Toyota Motor North America, Inc., and Toyota Motor Corporation. Reporting on the litigation describes parallel UA80 class actions filed in California and New Jersey federal courts as well, meaning several suits over the same transmission are now proceeding in different states. Toyota has not been found liable, and the claims remain unproven.

Status Complaint Filed Proposed class actions · LeBoutheller v. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. · E.D. Tex. · plus parallel suits in California and New Jersey

Allegation UA80 8-speed transmission overheats and fails early Suits say software forces early upshifts that overheat the fluid, causing harsh shifting, shuddering, hesitation and premature failure

Can I Claim? No — nothing to claim yet No settlement, no fund, no claim form at this stage

What the Lawsuits Allege

The UA80 is an eight-speed automatic transmission that Toyota introduced across much of its front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive lineup in recent years. According to the complaints, Toyota tuned the transmission's control software to shift into higher gears earlier than a driver would — a strategy meant to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.

The plaintiffs allege that those early upshifts force the transmission to work under load at lower engine speeds, which they say generates excess heat and causes the transmission fluid to overheat. Once the fluid degrades, the suits allege, it can no longer lubricate and cool the internal components properly, leading to accelerated wear. Owners describe symptoms that the complaints tie to the alleged defect: harsh or jerky shifting, hesitation, shuddering, whining or other abnormal noise, and torque-converter problems. In some cases, the litigation alleges, the transmission fails outright and needs to be rebuilt or replaced — sometimes at relatively low mileage and at a cost that owners put in the thousands of dollars.

The New Jersey action goes further, alleging that Toyota has been aware of the transmission problems since around 2016 and issued a series of technical service bulletins to dealers over the years without offering owners a permanent fix. As with any complaint, these are allegations only — no court has found that the UA80 is defective or that Toyota concealed anything.

Which Vehicles Are Named?

The complaints identify a broad set of Toyota and Lexus vehicles equipped with the UA80 eight-speed automatic transmission. Based on the model lists cited in the litigation, the covered vehicles include:

• Toyota RAV4
• Toyota Camry
• Toyota Highlander and Grand Highlander
• Toyota Sienna
• Toyota Avalon
• Lexus ES (including ES 250 and ES 350)
• Lexus NX (including NX 250 and NX 350)
• Lexus RX 350
• Lexus TX 350

The exact model years vary by nameplate, and because no class has been certified, the final list of covered vehicles and model years is not settled and could change as the cases move forward. If you own one of these vehicles, the fact that it is named does not mean your specific car has a problem — it means the model is within the group the plaintiffs are seeking to represent.

Is There a Toyota Transmission Settlement Yet?

No. These are lawsuits, not settlements.

That means:

• There is no settlement fund.
• There is no claim form.
• There is no payout, and no deadline to act.
• Owners do not need to do anything in the lawsuits at this stage.

The filing of a complaint is the start of a case, not the end. Toyota has not been found liable simply because these lawsuits were filed. If any of the cases are resolved through a settlement, or a class is certified, a formal claims process with its own eligibility rules and deadlines would be announced separately, and OpenClassActions.com would cover it.

Who Could Be Affected?

The proposed classes cover current and former owners and lessees of the Toyota and Lexus vehicles built with the UA80 transmission. Because the cases are at the complaint stage, the class definitions are not final.

If you own or lease one of the named models and have experienced transmission symptoms — harsh shifting, shuddering, hesitation, warning lights, or a failure — it may be worth keeping records of what happened: repair orders, diagnostic codes, dealer visits, any technical service bulletins applied, and your out-of-pocket costs. That is the kind of documentation a claims process typically asks about if a class is later certified or a case settles. There is nothing to file right now.

Why This Case Matters

The UA80 powers some of the best-selling vehicles in the United States, so the litigation potentially touches a very large number of owners. It also fits a broader pattern of complaint-stage auto-defect cases moving through the courts — from the GM 6.2L V8 L87 engine failure class action and the Dodge and Chrysler seat-height adjuster class action to the Honda Odyssey airbag class action and the Volkswagen ID.4 battery fire class action. Several of these disputes turn on the same core question: whether an automaker knew about an alleged defect and what, if anything, it owes owners for repairs and lost value.

What Happens Next?

From here, each case moves through the early stages of litigation. Toyota may answer the complaints or move to dismiss, the parties may exchange information in discovery, and the plaintiffs would eventually ask the courts to certify their proposed classes. Multiple related suits can also be coordinated or consolidated. Any of these steps can take months to years, and the cases could be amended, narrowed, or resolved along the way.

OpenClassActions.com will continue watching the dockets for major updates, including motions to dismiss, any consolidation, class certification activity, and any future settlement or claim form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a Toyota UA80 transmission settlement yet?

No. The UA80 cases, including LeBoutheller v. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. in the Eastern District of Texas, are proposed class action lawsuits, not settlements. There is no fund, no claim form, and no deadline. Toyota has not been found liable.

What does the lawsuit allege?

The complaints allege the UA80 eight-speed automatic transmission is defective because control software commands early upshifts that cause the fluid to overheat and lose lubrication, allegedly leading to harsh shifting, hesitation, shuddering, abnormal noise, torque-converter problems, and premature failure. The allegations are unproven.

Which models are covered?

The suits name Toyota and Lexus vehicles with the UA80 transmission, including the Toyota RAV4, Camry, Highlander, Grand Highlander, Sienna and Avalon, and the Lexus ES, NX, RX and TX. No class has been certified, so the covered model years could change.

Do I need to file a claim?

No. Because these are lawsuits and not settlements, there is nothing to claim and no deadline. Keep records of any transmission symptoms and repair costs. If a class is later certified or a settlement is reached, a claims process and deadlines would be announced separately.

Sources

• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas — docket for LeBoutheller v. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., et al., Case No. 4:25-cv-01389, via CourtListener: CourtListener Docket Search
• Autoblog — "Toyota Hit With Another Lawsuit Over Failing 8-Speed Transmission": Autoblog
• CarComplaints.com — "Toyota UA80 Transmission Problems Cause Lawsuit": CarComplaints
• CarBuzz — "Toyota Facing Class Action Lawsuit For Alleged Defective Transmissions": CarBuzz

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Status Complaint Filed — Proposed Class Action

Lead Case LeBoutheller v. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., et al.

Case Number 4:25-cv-01389

Court U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas

Related Cases Parallel UA80 class actions in California and New Jersey

Date Filed December 2025

Official Court Page CourtListener Docket

Toyota & Lexus UA80 8-Speed Transmission Defect Class Action Lawsuits