My car is a 99 Camry LE. I sent it in to get a transmission fluid flush, and now they say there's a problem with the transmission in that it doesn't shift gears correctly. The fluid they use was the proper ATF, and now it needs to be sent to a transmission shop to be taken apart and fixed.

I'm just wondering, if I'm getting screwed. When I brought the car in, there was nothing indicating a transmission problem. There was some weird sound with the brake, and that was it. I've heard that after a flush all the build-up might get dissipated and clog the pumps whatever, but how would it make gears not shifting right?

So I'm just wondering if it's even possible to have a transmission problem with a Japanese car only after 10 years. My biggest concern is that before sending it in, there was no signs indicating a problem.

Yes, there is a risk associated with flushing transmissions especially on older cars that haven't had regular fluid/filter changes. Sedement can get dislodged and traped in gear shift solenoid valves or valve body's or several other key components creating the headache you're seeing.

I'm sure from the dealer's point of view this is a case of their word against yours meaning was it really working fine before they flushed it as you're stating. Not sure what you can do about it besides the usual stomping on desks, correspondence with state consumer agencies, and the BBB. Persistance does sometimes pay off. Maybe as a compromise you could talk them into trying another flush on their dime. The chances of that helping are probably less than 50/50 but, something to concider.

EDIT - This link will explain how a transmission shifts. Hope it will give a little insight and not just muddy things up. You'll see a picture of a valve body. This could be where the clog is. I believe to gain access to it all they have to do is remove the fluid pan and filter, not the whole transmission.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/automatic-transmission12.htm

Just curious. Did they suggest the flush or did you ask for it? Either way they should have told you about the risks. May be a point to argue. Flush related problems are an industry wide topic they better know about.

They suggested the flush as part of maintenance for 105,000 miles. We've agreed to send it to a third party transmission shop, and let them run a diagnostic, and from the diagnostic they have determined that it was supposedly normal wear and tear. However, the diagnostic was not that they took it apart, but rather just test drove it and checked the fluid, checked the pressure. What I don't udnerstand is how can they determine that it was normal wear and tear from such a superficial procedure?

Now I understand that to take apart the transmission would require several hours of labor, which would make it not worth it.

I guess I'm just wondering what I should do in this case.

I may be crazy here, but your reason for agreeing to the flush was simply to help the car be better. Unfortunately, as stated, flushes done on high-mileage trannys are notorious for causing problems and is well-known in the industry. If the dealer did not warn you of those issues, then it is likely he was betting it WOULD cause a problem and lasso you in for a higher-dollar repair that could have been avoided.

On the flip side, if the tranny had not been regularly serviced (which is a common precondition), then the case could be made by the dealer that neglect was the root cause of the problem. Thus, the flush is kind of a sucker bet...you realize you haven't maintained it so you try to make up for it by doing the flush.

So where do you go? Compromise I think is the best route here. The diagnostic should include a scan of any trouble codes stored in the PCM. That along with the road test should be telling of the problem. You should be able to pinpoint which valve or solenoid is failing here if that is where the root cause lies. Refer to the repair manuals for your gen Camry stickied at the top of this forum for the tests used to diagnose tranny problems.

Removal of the tranny's valve body can be done without removing the entire tranny, so labor costs won't be as bad as a full rebuild, but cleaning it out will take time. An alternative might be to install a rebuilt valve body or a used one from a junked car. Hope this helps!

Did the transmission shift normally prior to the flush? How about now? Are you the original owner? What transmission services were performed prior to this?