Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I need to get as much info as i can. I do believe its a problem and an error in the design of this vehicle. Not sure what the fix could be, I haven't found anyone with the right answer. If anyone has that answer I would like to know
I would also like to know if there is anyone reading these messages who does not have an issue with the transmission? Anyone have a 08 or 09 model with over 5000 miles with no issues? We need to all be reporting this problem. As someone said earlier, apparently the Camry's had an issue with the transmission and they had to swap out the computers.
Next thing they'll say, your truck's trans. has a computer virus, and you'll need to do a virus scan on it every month or so.
Toyota called me and listened to the problem again, they said really all they can do is open a ticket with Toyota National .(Wahoo! a new ticket ) and basically said they can't do anything about it until enough people complain....
Meanwhile you can manually shift the automatic (which is stupid, but makes you feel like you are taking charge of the problem) or you can continue to complain and start searching for what you're going to trade the stupid Tacoma on (probably a Nissan...)
Which is...wel...to bad, because aside from the transmission shift pattern problems and (lack of) paint / finish , the truck is decent.
Ben
toyota_cares@toyota.com
Ben
I do have a 09 with only 900 miles or so, and having the same issues as everyone else. I did notice that when I drive in town and doing alot of stop and go, I put the auto.trans in 4th gear and it seems to work better, not shifting as much, When I'm on the highway I put the trans in D which is overdrive. Maybe its just me, but I'm going to give this a try and see how this works out. If anyone else tries this and it works better Please let me know.....maybe we can compare on how this works
thanks for the correspondences.
B
B
"this is the first time i heard about it" from Toyota is bogus, i called since 2001 about my transmission. "computer to learn my habits" is bogus too.
For everyone else, here is an update on my Tacoma. Since I took it back to the dealer and they reset the computer, it seems to be better as it has not slipped or had that hesitation to engage the gears when I slow down and turn onto another street. Still not a smooth shifting pattern though like my 2000 Nissan Frontier. My Nissan transmission is still like new and I barely feel any shifting to this day and it has 150,000 miles on it.
and the tranny drags coming out of overdrive
its a lease so its going in for a checkup
i guess ill report back on the service i get
Ben
The automatic transmission is largely electronically controlled & has a known software issue that Toyota has already issued a TSB for. Unfortunately, the TSB seems to have made the problem worse, at least in my case, & Toyota doesn't seem to have another fix in the works. For now they'll at least admit there is a
problem but are stalling on what if anything they'll do about it longer
term. I sense the dealer is frustrated as well & the service advisor said
he was sorry but until Toyota stepped up and addressed the problem, he
couldn't really offer a resolution. Toyota for the time being seems to be
holding to the line its not a safety or driveability issue at least in the
sense the vehicle can't be driven.
The problem first manifested itself at around ~400 in my case with a coarse vibration /shudder on deceleration. Evidently the torque converter locks up early and often (to increase fuel economy) but then doesn't want to let go. This is a bit like lugging a manual in a lower gear than it wants to be in. The vehicles I test drove (&
mine) are silky smooth until the this issue develops. I never would have
bought the vehicle if it had driven this way at the outset. The TSB (a
software download that reflashes the ECM) simply moved what was originally a
shudder/light vibration when coasting at around 25-30 mph to a more severe
vibration at around 20 mph, now present on light throttle as well. Another
issue (potentially a NHTSA concern) is the vehicle will maintain speed and
even slowly accelerate with your foot completely off the gas on level
ground - feels like cruise control is on but my vehicle doesn't have it
installed. The TSB also killed the tight, smooth shifting & turned the
transmission into a 'slushbox' with dead spots around 1,500 - 2,000 rpm
where the engine will start winding up but the transmission doesn't really
respond. At other times it will drop down & grab a lower gear when it didn't
need to. On other occasions it will feel like it is being manually
downshifted on deceleration as you would on a long downhill, with slight
but noticeable engine-braking, followed by the transmission completely
releasing.
If you're doing your research, you're aware that the Tacoma is
class-leader in terms of features (especially safety) & overall design.
Build & material quality is good. Mine has one clink/rattle somewhere in the
suspension or the body-frame connection which I could live with. Less
impressive is the audio which is going in next week to be replaced under
warranty - intermittently turns itself off on its own, display goes out,
controls don't work, etc. Evidently Toyota got a whole bad batch from
whoever the supplier is but at least here there is no argument on replacing it - service advisor said most of the ones from the fall 2008 build are failing this way.
So, good luck but I'd stay away. You'd think Toyota, of all manufacturers, would realize that their perceived quality & reputation is their single most important asset & that burning customers w/ a poor design and quality and then refusing to address the problem isn't going to work well for them in the long run. I can think of a couple of recent examples of what eventually happens.....
It seems to shift to first gear when I turn corners. Which makes the truck seem to jump a bit. Then it shifts to second. Is this the problem in which you are speaking?
Also, I first noticed that when I brake, I feel the vehicle would shift and it seems to make the braking a bit more difficult. A few times I had to press the peddle to near the floor to get it to stop. I spoke to the dealer about it, they claimed my rear brakes needed cleaned and they also tightened them. It has seemed to fix the problem (or i just adjusted my driving habits)
As for the transmission, If the computer does learn your driving habits, I feel the amount of shifting has decreased as I am now at 6000 miles.
I am new to the forum and hope that what I learn from my vehicle can help others.
I enjoy the truck and have found it handles better than most. Just thought the transmission was tricky.
I have not heard about a TSB for the '09 Tacoma. I would much appreciate the number if you have it. I have made multiple trips to the dealer and even met with 2 regional reps from Toyota and they made no mention of a TSB.
B
I'm looking at my service invoice & it states:
"Test drove vehicle. Verified concern. Found TSB #0096-09 pertaining to concern. Recalibrated ECU per TSB. Test drove - passed." Obviously I don't agree it passed but I can't fault the dealer, I think they are trying but Toyota is just looking away and pretending none of this is happening.
My suggestion to the group is to:
- Keep at Toyota at every opportunity - start a case #, send emails & calls as appropriate. I've read some other posts where folks report Toyota Customer Care and dealers claim they've never heard about a compliant about this - I'd take this excuse away from them.
- Keep posting here - I'd guess someone from HQ lurks here to see how restless the natives are getting.
- Post on the review pages on Edmunds, Cars.com, Yahoo, Epinions, etc. Drive their satisfaction numbers down & scare shoppers away.
- When someone at work or in a parking lot says 'Hey - sharp truck - howdya like it?', tell them. I bet I've already killed a couple sales for them.
- Answer your Consumer Reports and JD Powers surveys if you get them. My 90 day anniversary is coming up and Toyota better pray JD Powers doesn't sample me.
- File a complaint w/ NHTSA re inappropriate shifting - I don't want to run down a pedestrian in cross walk because the truck whimsically decided it wanted to drop down a gear too many. Likewise, I did a long 3-4% uphill and it would not shift down.
- See what recourse you have in your locality re lemon laws, state attorney general, consumer affairs, etc. Probably not much chance here as these are pretty uniformly stacked against the consumer, but you could at least make some noise.
I'm a realist and I've got Toyota's truck and they've got my money and not much I can do at this point. Sad thing is, I like the truck & if they'd address the transmission issue fairly, I could be retained as a customer (& send some more their way) if they'd quit this GM/Chrysler-like behavior.
A wise man once said better to make $100 from a customer ten times than $200 once. Balls in your court Toyota.
Ben
Overall, though I have tried to ignore it, it appears that I have bought a lemon. I cant find similar problems to mine on the internet, and it does appear that all my problems have been related to car assembly rather than component manufacture, which apparently occur in USA and Japan, respectively. Not finger pointing, just trying to state observations, all of which are up for challenge.
I hope that some of you have some useful opinions, and even recommendations, but my current state of mind is that i have to sell this tacoma. I had hoped to keep for a few years, and I did do my research which did show that I would spend a little more but get reliability. But I cant trust the truck, I cant trust my dealer, and I dont know when this truck is going to fail again because my conclusion is overall lack of quality during assembly.
I hope you can help me decide one way or another, either I sell it (and lose my investment money from buying new/cash), or I get dirty with Toyota, which will cost a lot of time and anguish..and probably low expectation of success..and what is success?..they solve the latest transmission problem....and then overall lack of quality yields a new problem in 6 months..?
Looking forward to your input,
Disappointed23