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Toyota Tacoma: Problems & Solutions

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Comments

  • mikel6mikel6 Member Posts: 2
    I bought a new 2006 4 door in Dec. 05. I noticed within the first week a vibration, at about 60 k/hr. I brought it in to the dealer. They took it for a test drive and said they could'nt feel anything. Brought it back 2 wks later, same thing "can't feel anything". Third time in, 1 month later, they tried balancing the tires, still vibrating. Now I'm getting pissed. Fourth time in, I'm asking the service guy (in a rather loud voice) what is the proper proceedure to diagnose a vibration. He says "well, we'll take it for a test drive" I stop him and scream "this is the fourth time you take it for a test drive! So finally they try a vibration test comparing my truck with another new one off the lot. Results: the same "frequency and amplitude". So now they say that that's the way they're made and nothing can be done. One more thing! The gas mileage they advertise 28 mpg is not even close! I've averaged 18 mpg.
  • msibillemsibille Member Posts: 275
    28 mpg? Where did you see that Toy claimed 28mpg for the Double Cab?

    I'm looking at the specs on Edmunds, and it lists 18 city, 22 hiway. That's pretty close to what I get w/ my 2005 DC (17+ city, 22 - 24 hiway). If you're an aggressive driver, or if you just luck up and have most of your driving that's way out of the "sweet spot" of the speeds for the tranny and rear end, you'll do a bit worse. I did find that my in-town mileage went up 1mpg after about 5k-7k miles. Same was the case for the 2004 w/ 2.7L that I had before it.

    Sorry you're having other issues, but I think you've made a mistake regardint the mpg claims.
  • geedeegeedee Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 2006 Tacoma and have only 410 miles in it at 1 1/2 months. I already have a 6 inch crack on my right lower hand side of the windshield. The odd thing is that it has occurred in all my Toyotas. All 6 of them. I live in California but that shouldn't matter. I've experienced from a 2 inch crack to a crack straight across the entire windshield! This is the only problem I ever had with my Toyotas. Why is it so delicate. Does anybody out there experience the same problem? :mad: :cry: :confuse: :sick:
  • whooiewhooie Member Posts: 5
    I am sending a reply agian because I think mine got
    lost in space.Your vibration and dealer experience sounds
    like you have the same inherent "just live with it vibration"and toyota just wants us to go away.The truth be known is that they need to see a pattern of complaints to
    launch a investigation so if you could call and complain that would be helpfull. it seems to be the 2006 v6 .
  • corpsvet2000corpsvet2000 Member Posts: 3
    I have the exact same problem with my 2006 v6 tacoma. Dealer informed me that it is the exhaust and that it was normal for 2006 model. It is extremely anoying and only seems to be getting worse as I now have 3000 miles on my truck. If you find anything else out let us know.
  • corpsvet2000corpsvet2000 Member Posts: 3
    I have the same problem with the noise just as you explain. The dealer told me the same thing, "Its the exhaust and it's normal for the 2006." I'm sorry, but that is not normal. I will be returning for a third time though as the problem is getting worse.
    Also, has anyone had any problems with the driver or passenger side mirrors in the 2005-2006 v6 tacoma? My driver side mirror has vibrated and rattled from the start. My dealer said it was loose so they replaced it completely. Now, two months later it is worse that it was in the beginning. I plan to have this issue resolved along with the questionable "exhaust" noise that toyota claims is normal upon my next visit to the dealer.
    If anyone else is experiencing any of these problems, speak out. It eases my mind a little to know that I'm not the only one to have difficulties.
    Thanks,
    Jason
  • tokyojoetokyojoe Member Posts: 13
    My brand new '06 Taco AC with 2.7L/4cyl/4AT has the same noise described as "clicking" by others at the start ups and it becomes more like a "knocking" as the engine warms up and it stops only when I remove my right foot from the gas pedal or when going down hill. It is so annoying that I'm even afraid of accelerating on a long uphill road. When it's fully warm up it seems slightly quieter but it's still there. It may be something to do with the timing chain and/or the engine cooling fan which seems to be always revolving even at start-ups no matter how cold it is(I live in Chicago area)which prevents the engine from reaching the normal operating temperature quickly. It just reached 1000 miles yesterday and my daughter who just came home for spring break and rode in my truck for the first time said "sounds like an old car". She drives a '96 Taurus which developed the knocking noise last year as it reached 90000 miles but runs good now with premium gas. I fed my Taco with some premium but it did not help to quiet the noise.
    The dealer said(of course)it was a normal sounding engine and I hear a lot of noises during the break-in period but I know this is not normal. After compalaining to both Toyota in US & Japan, I received a phone call from the executive office in CA. Now my break-in period is over and I'm supposed to call them so that they can arrange a test drive with a tech at a local dealer. I will post any outcome after test driving with a tech.
  • mikel6mikel6 Member Posts: 2
    Hey whooie,
    I agree we should be complaining, but to who? Like I said before, the dealer doesn't seem to give a damn and just wants me to go away. Yes, mine is the 2006 double cab v6 4X4.
  • whooiewhooie Member Posts: 5
    Hey mike16
    We should call the toyota customer help line in california
    1 800 331 4331 this will help all of us and get your vibration on record with the factory. When toyota said this was normal I asked if I could get a abnormal truck without a vibration. It looks as though I must go thru
    arbitration the factory has left me with no other choice
    keep you all posted.
  • bcwildcatbcwildcat Member Posts: 1
    I have noticed other people have had a chirping noice from underneath my new-to-me 2001 Tacoma Xcab Prerunner. Does anyone have a fix on this??? My truck is only a week old and it is driving me crazy. One guy I work with said it sounded like it was coming from where the driveshaft meets the transmission. Please if you have had this issue and know of a resolution, fill me in.
  • ryan14ryan14 Member Posts: 15
    I recently bought a used tacoma 2004 from dealer with 66k on it. The problem is when I stop at traffic light the whole car lightly shake once. Does any one have same problem?
  • ryan14ryan14 Member Posts: 15
    I have the same problem (Mgs # 1919). Please update what your solution. Thanks
  • ustazzafustazzaf Member Posts: 311
    It is obviously something you are doing. This is not something that is a trend for Toyota. Are all the Toys you had trucks? Did all have overhead racks? Something has to be unique. Do you have an uneven dip in your driveway that causes unusual body twist? For all 6 you have owned to have the same problem, there has to be a link. Do you have a heavy person on one side and a light person on the other side? Maybe a heavyduty bumper that does not allow body twist?
  • barjo4barjo4 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2006 Tacoma with the standard CD player and after an hour and a half or so, my CDRs have a tendency to skip. Not all the time, but sometimes. Toyota tells me not to play them at all, but I don't accept that. I have bought higher grade CDR media to see if this will help. I noticed the discs are really warm when i remove them after the problem starts. Toyota told me that I would void the warranty if I changed to an aftermarket player.

    I don't know if that is correct and assuming it is not, what are recommended players I could look for?
    Thanks, John
  • castcast Member Posts: 6
    Any body out there with axle wrap thump, I finally fix it after people telling me it was my drive shaft,trans,rear end,all kinds of thing, when I could see my pinon moving up and down way to much. I talk to the dealer they said there was no fix for the problem, well Im here to tell there is. A military wrap on the leaf spring which I did or ladder bars which are far more money. This thump sound and feeling was driving me nuts and I wasn't going to give up when the dealer told me there was no fix, thats bull [non-permissible content removed], they just don't want to fix thousands of trucks. It's just the way they are I looked at a 2005 and the have changed the slip yoke position,and the spring angle,and spring it self. Any way I hope my efforts help some body out there.
  • castcast Member Posts: 6
    There is 2 ways to fix it that I know, A military leaf wrap , or a good set of laddders bars. both of these will get rid of that "thump".
  • ironsidesironsides Member Posts: 1
    Thanks Woody.
    This is very interesting because my '04 V6 Tacoma displays those exact symptoms, a little vibration at idle, esp. in drive; and missing on start ups. Could valves be out of adjustment from the factory?
    Your response is appreciated.
    thanks
  • tokyojoetokyojoe Member Posts: 13
    I saw many reporting and complaining about the engine noise described as clicking, dieseling and knocking on '06 Tacoma and mine(AC/2.7L/4AT)does too. Many were told by the dealers that it is a typical '06 exhaust noise and some even suggested to adjust the valves. After several e-mails and callings to Toyota, I finally heard that Toyota is aware of this problem. The noise is caused by the fuel line bracket, and a newly designed fuel line bracket will be available shortly and the owners will be notified. Hopefully this info helps the Tacoma owners out there.
  • obeanineobeanine Member Posts: 1
    Your story is so like mine, I mean to a 'T'. Dealership diagnosed a cylinder misfire, #3 and told me that it would cost $800-1000 to tear it down and find the problem and not do anything, and most likely will result in needing a new engine or a rebuilt, running about $5000. I said, "Your sh-----g me, right?" No mister O'Brien, that is what it needs. I paid $87 for the diagnostic and left very confused. I was scheduled to depart for Alaska on Dec. 1, 2005. Luckily I have a brother-in-law that is a toyota cert. mech. that use to work for the lousy dealership I just left.
    For $125, including parts, he did a valve adjustment and changed the spark plugs, but not with denso k16r-u. Engine light off and no problems driving up in 30 below temps. Got to AK and a few weeks later the engine light came back on. Problem got steadily worse then disappeared. Reappeared a couple weeks later and this time got real bad, hesitation with clunking noise that softened as you reached the high end of the gear before shifting. Thought it was going to seize. So, Changed oil, oil filter, air filter, checked pcv, checked EGR, checked all hoses, transfer case, and transmission. A little improvement. Got online and read about similar problems and mistakes made, so next I went and got Denso K16R-U spark plugs and changed those out, added injector cleaner, and oil treatment. Runs like it just had a valve adjustment, idles fine... but from what I've learned the problem will return. 132,500 miles and 4th set of spark plugs, 1st- denso, 2nd-autolite, 3rd-autolite, 4th-denso, lets see what happens. Good luck.
  • castcast Member Posts: 6
    does it shake or is it like some body lighty bumped you from behind.
  • woody72woody72 Member Posts: 73
    Has your check engine light come on? Since it is still under warranty I would request Toyota to check valve clearance.
  • ryan14ryan14 Member Posts: 15
    It is like some body lighty bumped from behind
  • vincewood30vincewood30 Member Posts: 48
    My dealer told me that Toyota is aware of this problem and believe it or not it's just the gas moving around in the tank. Unfortunately with my '06 with the V6 it's a clunk in the driveline on start up thats my problem.
  • morgan5morgan5 Member Posts: 13
    Does installing either solution affect the ride? Does it create a harder ride? With regards to ride, is one better than the other?
  • castcast Member Posts: 6
    Did not make a differance on my truck. And I did the leaf wrap. Not sure about ladder bars.
  • castcast Member Posts: 6
    It's probably axle wrap. Do a leaf wrap or ladder bars.
  • scellfishscellfish Member Posts: 1
    I own a 95 toyota tacoma and had the same problem with the clutch,squeak. Yes the dealership will go good for the problem,just keep going back until the rectifiy the squeak. I had parts and bushings replaced. But every time it comes back I take it back and they fix it. scellfish
  • librarian3librarian3 Member Posts: 2
    To fill based on the dipstick reading is very good advice.
  • whooiewhooie Member Posts: 5
    Does this clunk feel like a ritating mass out of round? and the go away at 1500rpms. mine does that 06 v6 auto. whats all this talk about axle wrap and ladder bars.
  • jeradajerada Member Posts: 1
    i have the same problem on my 2004 double cab. does anybody know how much either the ladder bars or the leaf wrap solution cost?
  • kegskegs Member Posts: 1
    2006 tacoma trd having shuddering problems in first gear and reverse. dealer said it has a low first gear and a lot of torque so the axel is wrapping. No one else has complained about this problem to any dealer within 150 mile radius. I just cant buy that excuse, it is a 28,000 truck and should be able to handle the torque. The problem is not as severe when in 4x4. Does this happen to all tacomas or just a select few. I am bringing it in for the second time tomorrow. Do i have a problem or do i have to deal with it the way it is? Who makes military leaf wraps for this truck? please reply, desperate for an answer. thank you GPR
  • spikey171spikey171 Member Posts: 2
    Just started experiencing this problem this winter with my 2000 Tacoma 4x4 auto tranmission, 133,000 miles. When it was freezing or below everytime I came to a stop the drive wheel on the passengers side would lock up. If I was on snow or ice the truck would go into a skid I could not get out of. If I take my foot off gas with truck in drive it would not roll forward. When I stepped on the gas there was a loud thump/bang sound and the wheel would release and the truck would go forward. If I shifted into reverse for a split second and quickly put it back in drive without stepping on the brake, there as no thump/bang sound and the truck would roll forward as normal. Kind of tricky with a car behind you at a stop light. In the warmer weather when I stopped, the wheel would not fully lock up, but it would feel like the brake was slightly engaged or sticking; and if I took my foot off the gas sometimes the truck would roll forward and other times it would just sit there. The problem is worse if you depress the brake harder or quickly. If you softly press on the brake and come to a slow stop it doesnot occur or occurs lightly. My mechanic is stumped as they have taken apart the rear brake assemble and gone over the whole thing twice and have found no problems with the brakes. One of them is figuring on a transfer case problem. They have researched the repair archives thru Toyota concerning a problem like this and have found nothing. Anybody have any experience with this? Thanks.
  • castcast Member Posts: 6
    How did they do the leaf wrap. And is your truck lifted. The leaf wrap worked great for me. That clunk or bump feeling was driving me nuts, and when the dealer told me it was all right and normal and there was no fix I wasn't going to buy into that crap.
  • jimmyspeakazjimmyspeakaz Member Posts: 1
    I don't know if you still have the tacoma but mine is doing the same exact thing. Have you tried the leaf spring? if so did it work? thanks
  • sugarman1sugarman1 Member Posts: 92
    This sounds like a case of the front caliper piston either hanging up or frozen did your mechanic check to see if the pistons in the caliper are moving in and out freely? One time I was gonig to change my brake pads and could not press the pistons back to install new ones and had to replace both calipers on front this was after 200,000miles service they were both frozen and would not retrack. Sometimes also in very cold weather do not leave your parking brake engaged overnight because moisture freezes rear pads to the drum and will not release,parking brake light will remain on if you drive they will heat up and release eventually this happened on all my Toyota trucks with weather below freezing with slushy snow or freezing rain.
  • spikey171spikey171 Member Posts: 2
    My mechanic appears to have found the problem this time with the rear right brake lock. About 5 months back they changed a leaking rear seal for me. At that time they did not replace the brake pad cause it was half worn. They sanded it down. However, last week they noticed a sticky gooey substance on the inside of the drum, and on closer inspection noticed the shoe appeared soaked in oil and grease. They cleaned up the drum, put new shoes on, and it has been fine since then.
  • lljoneslljones Member Posts: 1
    I began smelling exhaust fumes in my 2005 Tacoma recently after its 30K service. The truck now has 34k and I have had it back to the dealer 3 times. They claim not to smell it ... I drive 60 miles each way to work and they only take it on small runs and/or leave it running for periods. Is there any history of this problem? The truck burns or leaks a bit of oil but dealer again says not a problem ... they searched for leaks (exhaust and or oil) and claim to have found none. Any thoughts?
  • smokey888smokey888 Member Posts: 16
    Is this the same thingie:

    soundman34, "Toyota Tacoma 2005+" #6853, 8 Apr 2006 5:33 am

    I have a friend that is a Toyota/Lexus certified mechanic. He actually works more on the Lexus side but a lot of the platforms and applications are the same. I have been having this clunk in the driveline since last summer or at about the 5000 mile mark. Last year my dealer gave me the "it's normal for these trucks" speach and sent me on my way. The one thing I could not swallow is the fact I paid for toyota quality and service and then I get this kind of response. Anyway, back to the clunk. After talking to my friend, he confirmed everything I have been researing and discussing with fellow tacoma owners. The problem is the splined slip yoke assembly sticking and hanging up when coming to a stop and starting from a stop. Lexus is having the same trouble with their SUV line. The lexus SUV line shares the 4 Runner platform with Toyota. Unfortunatly Lexus is doing more about the problem than Toyota is. As you all can probably relate, the spline slip yoke is not being lubed probably at the factory. They are basically putting as little grease in them as possible. On top of that, the machining process of this part is not the greatest. The splined slip yoke is not smooth enough. These are the two reasons we are having this problem. After about 5000 miles or so (in my case) this starts to wear and stick. The only condition is that it only sticks at temperatures above 55 degrees outside ambient temperature which supports the lubrication issue. Above those temperatures with what little grease that is in there is not doing it's job properly. You probably can get the dealer to replace the whole driveline unit (from the carrige bearing back to the rear diff.) which will fix the problem for now but once those parts start to wear in you will have the same problem again. How soon? Who knows. The main problem is in the machining process. Until Toyota takes a serious look at that the problem is always going to be there. Lubing the spline Yoke will also fix it, but in some cases it may be only temporary. I am going to his house later today and he is going to take the system apart and show me what he has said. He is also going to lube the spline yoke with Jewlers grease which is what Lexus is trying to do to reduce or eliminate the clunk unitl the machining process is looked at and solved. I am not familiar with jewlers grease so I am not sure how the application works, but I will know later today when we take things apart. Sorry to be so long winded, but this is how is was explained to me and it's makes a lot of sense. I will post what I found out when we tackle this later today.
  • smokey888smokey888 Member Posts: 16
    Found this post from a couple of years back:

    "The problem sounds similar to my truck and others where when stopping there is a thud in the rear like it was bumped. I think this is called "axle wrap" and is supposedly normal."
  • kensrujrkensrujr Member Posts: 1
    I just got a '98 toyota tacoma and the dome light is out. The door lights work, and the dome bulb worked when I tested it on another battery source. I tested the dome switch when the bulb was out and their was a 12V difference, but thier doesen't seem to be any Amps coming out, hence no light. The rest of the lights and circuitry seem to be working. Does anyone know what is going on with the dome light circuit?
    Thanks
  • msibillemsibille Member Posts: 275
    If I understood you correctly, the bulb lights when removed and connected to 12VDC supply separately.
    With the doors open, and the bulb removed, your meter shows 12V across the two terminals of the bulb socket.

    If that's the case, then the only possibilities I see are a bad connection btwn bulb and socket or you have a bad connection elsewhere that is causing a high resistance.

    Bad connection elsewhere-
    The resistance is "transparent" when there is no or little current flow. If the meter has a high impedance (which all decent instruments do), then it doesn't draw much current. The voltage drop across a high resistance (loose or corroded) connection is proportional to current flow, so low current, low voltage drop, resulting in you seeing the voltage at the terminals of the socket. However, when the bulb is in place, the current across the bad connection causes a voltage drop so large that the total current flow is too low to illuminate the bulb.

    Check the ground connection at the doorswitches. Do you have the same problem regardless of which door you open, or if you open all of them at the same time? If only one door fails to illuminate the bulb, that switch may be bad or have a bad connection to ground. (My old Suzuki had issues w/ the door switches.) If all the doors have the problem, but the bulb glows some when all doors are open at the same time, it could be that all the switches are corroded or have bad grounds. Remove the bulb from the lamp, remove a door switch. Reinstall the bulb. Now ground the wire from the door switch to a good metal ground on your truck. If the bulb lights, the switch or its ground is the trouble. If not, then it's either the wiring from the switch to the socket, or from the socket to the 12V supply that has a loose or corroded connection.

    Good hunting-
  • sugarman1sugarman1 Member Posts: 92
    I think that the axle wrap thunk problem is one that not going away and there will have to be alot of screaming from owners in order for Toyota to do a recall or TSB the problem,if what your saying is correct that its a machining problem then they will have redesign and remanufactor new drivelines for thousands of vehicles and I personally dont see that happening it would cost millions. I have a 2004 Tacoma and have experienced the Thunk or axle wrap problem If Toyota has a remedy to fix the problem for me that would be fantastic but if not its something I can live with thats not going drive me over the edge with frustration. I wonder what would happen if you grease the rear driveline with a superior fully synthetic grease such as Amsoil product,they have superior wear and heat properties as opposed to conventional greases, I use Valvoline semi-synthetic and my Thunk isnt as pronounced as some peoples that have posted here. :D
  • corpsvet2000corpsvet2000 Member Posts: 3
    Went to the dealer again today as my "exhaust noise" has significantly increased over the last month. The normal exhaust noise is no longer considered normal as the dealership has now informed me that Toyota has posted a bulliten and they will replace the manifolds to fix the problem. Anyone experiencing the same "normal exhaust noise" check with your dealer asap. From what understand, there are alot of us out there.
  • tokyojoetokyojoe Member Posts: 13
    Mine is a 2006 4cyl with a terrible exhaust noise. I've been told by the Toyota executive office that the fuel line bracket is causing the noise and newly redesinged one will be available shortly.
  • ilovemytoyotailovemytoyota Member Posts: 1
    My tacoma has high mileage around 95,000. I have a TRD super charger installed. If I am driving on the freeway at 65 mph and go into an incline with out the truck down shifting the motor will ping like crazy. :( Now I run high octane fuel and have flushed the injectors out with the injector cleaner stuff that you poor into the gas. I have checked the spark plugs and they are fine. I'm thinking it could be caused from the electrical part of the computer, or the co2 sensor. If any one can respond at all it would be appreciated.
  • clayyclayy Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2006 Tacoma, 4 door, 4wd, V6, auto. ... It has 5700 miles on it and is at the dealer for the 3rd time for the same tap in the motor as described in previous messages ... under acceleration, worse at 1200-1500 rpm, or when under load ... they first told me nothing was wrong (at 500 miles) and to bring it back if it got worse. It got worse and virtually unbearable progressively to 5700 miles. They replaced both exhaust manifolds under a Technical Service Bulletin and the problem persists. The dealer I bought it from has had it for about 10 days now and is waiting for the "technical guy from Toyota" to come look at it. I thought it was an isolated incident until now ...
  • tacomajunktacomajunk Member Posts: 1
    Yes, I too have a same annoying rattle by the glove box. Took it to the dealer 10 times. Most of the time they returned it to me claiming they didn't hear anything wrong. I have made several rides with techs in the vehicle to reproduce noise. Are these people deaf or something? They act like I'm making this up!!! Some techs do admit hearing it but have done little to fix it. After two years and 30K miles, I don't know what to do - except buy a different brand of truck. Sigh...
  • jasonhjasonh Member Posts: 1
    I have a 97 Tacoma 2.7L. When driving typically at highway speeds for no reason the truck sometimes cuts out or feels like a miss. It seems to happen in most gears but is most noticeable in 3rd, 4th, 5th. What could this be?
  • koko2koko2 Member Posts: 1
    Thanks for the info on the exhaust noise.
    I have a 2006 with engine tap (another posting said Toyo is coming out with fix for fuel bracket??) and it is also bottoming out on the rear (leaf springs crashing hard on the axle when going over a dip in a road) usually more noticable with 2 or more persons. Does not need any additional weight in the truck. Gives you a hard jolt in your back and is very uncomfortable. I've been to the dealer 3 times for this. Mechanic & Customer service mgr both felt the jolt and now calling regional manager to the store to meet with me & discuss issue.
    What happened to Toyota quality?
    I read about same problem someone else had in a 2001 Tacoma.
  • ustazzafustazzaf Member Posts: 311
    I don't think the quality has changed for the worse in the last 40 years. What has changed is that we have an internet where we can go see someone that has a possible problem with their vehicle, and pretty soon everyone that has second thoughts about spending 20K+ on a vehicle also has that problem. It used to be that if you wanted to know about a vehicle, you would ask someone that was driving one. Now, many go to sites like this to read comments from people that have never even sat in the vehicle they are bad-mouthing. I guess I would talk smack about Toyota if I found out I could get a better Nissan for considerably less or if I bought a Nissan and found that the Toy is much better. I think both are worth what you pay myself. Maybe not worth the cost, but worth more than a comparable domestic.
This discussion has been closed.