I have had my 2019 Camry SE for approximately 1.5 years, and I noticed 4 months ago that it was starting to have an issue similar to what has been described in this forum as 'shiftshock' - hesitation when accelerating and braking, sometimes made worse by speed or braking hard, etc.
I tried several possible fixes at first; I had read in one forum that having the ECO indicator on (shown on the instrument panel) caused the problem, or made it worse. I shut off that setting and the ECO indicator no longer showed up, however the problem with the shiftshock continued.
Next, I tried changing the position of my foot when pressing the gas pedal. I typically have my heel placed in between the gas and brake, for better access to both pedals. Someone had said in a thread that drivers may want to try placing their foot fully on the gas pedal to have better response. I tried this and it seemed slightly better at first, however the issue came back relatively quickly, and I still had to press the pedal down further than expected to get to my desired speed (mostly keeping up with traffic, anywhere from 15-40 MPH).
Finally, I read about TSB-0152-19 and I decided to have the dealership determine if the update was needed.
When I went to the dealership, I explained the problem to them, and they asked several questions (what makes it worse, when is it noticed, does anything make it better, etc.). I mentioned the TSB to them and they were not actually aware of it. The service advisor searched for it on the computer, found it and printed it out. He had me double check his notation of the problem for accuracy, and then he said they would have to do a road test.
The car was also due to be serviced for 10K maintenance, so that was to be performed at the same time.
In the afternoon (I had brought the car in that morning) the service advisor called me to say that the technician drove the car and noticed the problem. He said the technician was going to apply the update that I brought to their attention (TSB-0152-19).
I was happy to hear that the problem was noticed, as I had seen some comments on this website that the problem was not noticed, or not able to be addressed, by other dealerships (some said they were told 'that's just the way the car drives, you'll get used to it).
A couple hours after the phone call, I was notified that the car was ready for pickup.
When I got to the dealership, it was dark and the car was outside, so I couldn't see clearly if anything physical was changed (not that I was expecting it to be). I started the car and immediately noticed that it sounded different, like the engine was quieter. I don't know if that is relevant, just writing all this information in case it helps someone in the future, with their own car.
On the drive home, which was approximately 20 minutes, I noticed right away that the car seemed to be driving better. There was barely any shiftshock or hesitation during acceleration from a dead stop, rolling stop, and during normal driving in traffic. The pickup seemed to be faster, and the braking was also improved. Previously, there had also been occasional 'shuddering' during light acceleration and braking, and that problem also seemed to have gone away.
It is worth noting here that prior to the update, and since July, there had been multiple drivers of my car. I have heard some say that the 2019 Camry 'learns' driving patterns and I wonder if having multiple drivers caused the problem.
Since getting the service, I have been the only driver and I have driven approximately 60 miles. I am planning to drive another 150-200 miles before reaching a decision as to whether the service 'fixed' the problem.
I noticed, as other people who had the update done, that there was no sticker placed under the hood of the car. This is a step of the TSB, and it is supposed to contain information about the service. Additionally, on the copy of work done that I was given when I picked up the car, it does not explicitly say that TSB-0152-19 was performed. Instead, it says 'ENGINE ECU REPROGRAMMING' and 'INSTALLED NEW ECM SOFTWARE - EG1912'
Overall, I am happy with the way the car is driving now, although I still notice a hint of the issue once in a while. It has only been 8 days since the update was done so I know I need to give it more time, to know whether it is truly fixed.
I wanted to share my experience because if I had never seen the threads on this website, I never would have known there were others with this issue and that there was a way to fix it.
I sincerely hope this post helps anyone who is going through the same issue with their car.
If you have any questions or want more information, I am more than happy to be of assistance.
I tried several possible fixes at first; I had read in one forum that having the ECO indicator on (shown on the instrument panel) caused the problem, or made it worse. I shut off that setting and the ECO indicator no longer showed up, however the problem with the shiftshock continued.
Next, I tried changing the position of my foot when pressing the gas pedal. I typically have my heel placed in between the gas and brake, for better access to both pedals. Someone had said in a thread that drivers may want to try placing their foot fully on the gas pedal to have better response. I tried this and it seemed slightly better at first, however the issue came back relatively quickly, and I still had to press the pedal down further than expected to get to my desired speed (mostly keeping up with traffic, anywhere from 15-40 MPH).
Finally, I read about TSB-0152-19 and I decided to have the dealership determine if the update was needed.
When I went to the dealership, I explained the problem to them, and they asked several questions (what makes it worse, when is it noticed, does anything make it better, etc.). I mentioned the TSB to them and they were not actually aware of it. The service advisor searched for it on the computer, found it and printed it out. He had me double check his notation of the problem for accuracy, and then he said they would have to do a road test.
The car was also due to be serviced for 10K maintenance, so that was to be performed at the same time.
In the afternoon (I had brought the car in that morning) the service advisor called me to say that the technician drove the car and noticed the problem. He said the technician was going to apply the update that I brought to their attention (TSB-0152-19).
I was happy to hear that the problem was noticed, as I had seen some comments on this website that the problem was not noticed, or not able to be addressed, by other dealerships (some said they were told 'that's just the way the car drives, you'll get used to it).
A couple hours after the phone call, I was notified that the car was ready for pickup.
When I got to the dealership, it was dark and the car was outside, so I couldn't see clearly if anything physical was changed (not that I was expecting it to be). I started the car and immediately noticed that it sounded different, like the engine was quieter. I don't know if that is relevant, just writing all this information in case it helps someone in the future, with their own car.
On the drive home, which was approximately 20 minutes, I noticed right away that the car seemed to be driving better. There was barely any shiftshock or hesitation during acceleration from a dead stop, rolling stop, and during normal driving in traffic. The pickup seemed to be faster, and the braking was also improved. Previously, there had also been occasional 'shuddering' during light acceleration and braking, and that problem also seemed to have gone away.
It is worth noting here that prior to the update, and since July, there had been multiple drivers of my car. I have heard some say that the 2019 Camry 'learns' driving patterns and I wonder if having multiple drivers caused the problem.
Since getting the service, I have been the only driver and I have driven approximately 60 miles. I am planning to drive another 150-200 miles before reaching a decision as to whether the service 'fixed' the problem.
I noticed, as other people who had the update done, that there was no sticker placed under the hood of the car. This is a step of the TSB, and it is supposed to contain information about the service. Additionally, on the copy of work done that I was given when I picked up the car, it does not explicitly say that TSB-0152-19 was performed. Instead, it says 'ENGINE ECU REPROGRAMMING' and 'INSTALLED NEW ECM SOFTWARE - EG1912'
Overall, I am happy with the way the car is driving now, although I still notice a hint of the issue once in a while. It has only been 8 days since the update was done so I know I need to give it more time, to know whether it is truly fixed.
I wanted to share my experience because if I had never seen the threads on this website, I never would have known there were others with this issue and that there was a way to fix it.
I sincerely hope this post helps anyone who is going through the same issue with their car.
If you have any questions or want more information, I am more than happy to be of assistance.
