We bought our 2015 Camry in Summer 2016 - it had 28,000 miles on it. Purchased through a certified Toyota Dealership under their certified used car program - can't recall exactly what the program was called, but some of you will probably know. The car has a Constant Velocity Transmission. We have had no problems whatsoever with the car, with the exception of some initial misconceptions about how the car operates, sounds and drives. It's all been good.

We're now at 56,000 miles. I haven't drive the car much, as my wife uses it most of the time. Lately, we've been using it to take short day trips around our area, and I've noticed a sound that doesn't seem right. Similar to a roaring type of noise, it is reminiscent of a wheel bearing/axle bearing type roar. Most noticeable about 50 MPH with the windows closed and no other traffic around, preferably a smooth road. It has a sort of "rump-rump-rump" sound that is fairly noticeable to me. As you apply the brake and the car slows, so does the "rump-rump" sound.

We purchased an extended warranty on the car, so we took it to the dealer to have the sound checked out. I also told the dealer to change the CVT fluid, even though the owner's manual seemed to indicate that it was a sealed system that might be good for the life of the car. I left the car at the dealership for the service. A few hours later, they called and said they would like to keep the car overnight so they could spend some more time diagnosing where the noise was coming from. They suspected the CVT.

I just got off the phone with them and here is what they said: The noise was coming from the CVT - when they drained the old fluid out and replaced it, the noise was gone.

I'd appreciate some input from those of you who are knowledgeable about such things. Does this sound plausible to you? Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

Is the noise gone?

Some years of Camry hybrid (and other models that used a CVT) had transmission issues. Suggest posing your question at the Toyotantion.com website in the Camry hybrid forum. They should know.

The trans system is not sealed in the sense the fluid can't be changed. No fluid last forever as such changing it is a good idea. Worn out trans fluid is the No 1 cause of auto trans failure.

 

We picked the car up this morning. The desk jockey that took all of my info down yesterday was the same guy that called me, and, he got me hooked up with the cashier today. He went on and on about the noise the CVT was making, and how he, nor the mechanics, had ever heard of one making this much noise with only 56,000 miles on the car. As to the noise being gone, it is definitely not as loud or pronounced. As I've said, I'm not used to driving this car until lately. There is still some drivetrain noise, but it may be the normal sounds associated with driving this particular car. I hear some whirring, and I may also be hearing some noise from the tires meeting the road. The pronounced "rump-rump-rump" sound may not be completely gone, but it is much less noticeable.

It surprises me that CVT fluid with 56,000 miles could need changing that badly, but I guess I can't argue with the result.

 

I drive a 2016 Gas Rav4 and my wife drives a 2017 RAV4 Hybrid. This may give you some comfort but when I drive it for a week or two straight on occasion it takes me a bit to get use to the sounds compared to a gas vehicle.

 

Thanks for your reply - I think I will take a small measure of comfort from what you're saying about driving the hybrid vs. an ICE vehicle.

 

I'm going through the same issue with my 2015 Hybrid. I've always been sensitive to transmission failure because I lost one on my old 2001 Acura which was actually due to a engineering/design problem.

I got mine at 30,000 miles and have had problem free service with it, as I clock up 75,000 miles to date. The question is whether or not I should change the tranny oil. Common sense tells me YES!. Yet, there is no mention of it in any of the manuals that came with the car.

(LOL! I doubt anyone's home to read this post!)

 

I am indeed home, and I would certainly suggest that you change the automatic transmission fluid. Now, you may have a trusted mechanic that does all of this stuff for you. If so, that is well and good. I am going to trust mine only to the dealer from this point - the reason for this is that it is pretty tricky to get all of the fluid out of the tranny and then even more tricky to get the correct amount back in.

Good luck with your hybrid.

 

Wow! Thanks for the comeback. Yeah, that makes sense to me. The owners manual is no help at all in the sense of information on this topic. There are no warnings nor maintenance schedule regarding the transmission on the owners manual, at least so far as I can see.

My understanding is that the transmission is tied into the starting mechanism, generating system, etc. etc. This is no ordinary tranny. Thanks again.