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2008 Toyota Tacoma

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Comments

  • bobadbobad Member Posts: 1,587
    groovyfreak,

    Didn't Toyota give you a bottle of wax? Check your glove box. The last 2 Toyota's I bought came with a bottle of their sealer/wax. It's as good as any I have ever used, and goes on very easily.

    If not, any carnuba based wax is fine. It's harder to use then the instant waxes, but lasts much longer.
  • groovyfreakgroovyfreak Member Posts: 5
    I checked and they didn't include any wax! Maybe they forgot or did not want to endorse any more?

    Thanks for the response, aloha!
  • sdtacoma2sdtacoma2 Member Posts: 1
    We bought a 2008 Tacoma in 12/07 and last week it decided to drive itself into the back wall of our garage. Front-end damage and wall damage to our house was pretty significant. My wife was driving into the garage when it took off and kept going despite her slamming on the brakes and the truck brakes chirping on the cement on it's way up the driveway, through the garage to the wall. She told me about previous surging issues on the highway after this incident. Watch out!
    I would like feedback from the other person that forced Toyota to buy the truck back. Where are you located and how far up the Toyota chain of command did you have to go?
    Thanks!
  • nedzelnedzel Member Posts: 787
    Like every other similar incident, I strongly suspect that she accidentally slammed on the gas, not the brakes.
  • ecotrklvrecotrklvr Member Posts: 519
    I was curious about this Surging issue. So I devised an experiment. It was interesting and easy. I did it in an empty WalMart parking lot. It only takes 10 seconds or so to try it.

    1) Find a spot with NOTHING ahead of you for a hundred feet.
    2) With Engine running, put left foot on brake.
    3) Shift into Drive
    4) With left foot hard on brake, press accelerator to the floor. Hold for 3 seconds. Release the accelerator.
    5) Put it back in Park and think about what happened.

    How fast did you go? In my vehicle, the answer is zero MPH. I traveled zero feet.

    My conclusion - the brakes are MUCH more powerful than the engine. This is true in almost any car.

    What's going on here? I do know this - my Highlander has the accelerator farther to the left than any car I've ever owned. Plus, the brake pedal is at least two inches further left. Stepping on the brake pedal makes my right leg contort uncomfortably. Also, the brake pedal is raised to be an inch or so closer to me than the accelerator. This forces you to lift off the accelerator, keep lifting up another inch and half, move your foot 3-4 inches to the left, and then step on the brake. The Nissan Rogue, to pick one, has both pedals father to the right; has the pedals closer together; and has both pedals closer to the same height.

    So, is this a surging issue? A brake failure issue? A design issue? Or....?
  • bobadbobad Member Posts: 1,587
    Many folks would be surprised at how many people brake with the left foot. That's asking for it.
  • desmo29desmo29 Member Posts: 1
    My 2008 Access Cab 4 cyl, 4 speed auto has a very noticeable vibration when in gear, while at idle and under way. When in neutral it is quite smooth. The truck has 4500 miles on it and has been back to the dealer twice. I am told it is a characteristic of the truck. Anyone else with this problem?
  • tomonian77tomonian77 Member Posts: 1
    I purchased an 08 Tacoma in October and just recently experienced the same surge issue. I was on my way to work when I slowed to pass a construction crew. When I hit the accelerator, after passing the crew, the truck took off on me and I ended up in a rollover crash. Fortunately no one was injured and the truck sustained minor damage. The interesting thing about the whole accident was even after I rolled over the truck was still accelerating. I had to kick the gear shift into park to get it to stop accelerating. I have since filed a claim with the NHTSA.
  • nannyknannyk Member Posts: 1
    Your message is dated March 2008 so don't know if you will see this. But I was really annoyed with the wind noise in my new Tacoma quad cab. When I took in for first oil change, drove three other of the same model and the exact problem in all, two much worse than mine. Forced myself to block it out and now don't notice it...but it's still there! Also a periodic rattle in the dash from day one. That REALLY drives me batty. Yet drove my sons new Lexus GX470 and it has the same problems, only worse. Have owned a Toyota truck since 1980 and never had a noise prob of any kind when they were brand new vehicles. Love this Tacoma quad just the same.
  • meh1526meh1526 Member Posts: 1
    I am hoping that someone on here can help me out with this question. I just bought my 2008 Toyota about a month ago...best vehicle I've had ever! I love it!

    Ok so there are these two square plastic holder things that are screwed into the back seats, what are those things called?? I have accidentally damaged them and I want to replace them but I don't know what they are called so I can look for them and I don't know where to look.....

    I have an access cab with the little flip seats. Can anyone help?
  • hackattack5hackattack5 Member Posts: 315
    I changed my oil at 3500 miles and noticed the oil filter was easy to get to but it was upside down. It took me 2 hours to change the oil because I was careful not to let too much oil out into cup and soaked it out with a paper towel. The next oil change I let the Toyota dealer do the oil change and I asked the maintenance advisor how they changed the oil in the new Tacoma's without getting oil all over the place and he said they just let it loose and then clean it of with solvent when they are done???? Now Come on Toyota you can do better than this crap. Please someone tell me that there is a trick to this.
  • cbyrd2cbyrd2 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2008 tacoma and when changing the oil filter i have found cutting a 20 oz. bottle in half and holding under the drain seems to work pretty well.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    A few important points...

    Your Tacome is RWD so it is quite easy for the front brakes, PRIMARY, most robust, braking resource, against the engine TORQUEING up the rear. Your expereince in holding the Tacoma "still" might not hold true for a FWD vehicle.

    Braking ANY car to a full stop against WOT engine HP/torque AND inertia/momentum due to 60 mph plus speeds is an entirely different matter than holding the vehicle "stopped" when you begin motionless with inerta operating in your favor.
  • lazlo2lazlo2 Member Posts: 1
    Oh yes.. I have it and the dealer changed the engine mount which was covered under a TSB then another dealer changed the propeller shaft( rear drive shaft) and it was much better but I still have vibration when I apply the brakes at idle in park/ drive /any old time. I am moving forward with asking Toyota to look at the truck and evaluate it because I believe it is sub standard/ low quality and how it ever made it to the dealer for sale is beyond me. This thing has so many issues... some of which have been addressed and partially solved like the vibration but really its a 2008... how many hours is a new truck owner expected to spend at the garage. for kickers ..here's something that will make you smile: the other morning I start it up and shift to drive then shift to reverse back to drive and put to 4x4 because of snow- the thing wouldn't move. Long story short- the shifter cable (transmission to shifter) had popped out and Toyota will not admit its a defect- paid 110$ to get it reattached-they paid the towing. Looks like its going to be a long battle but I am asking them to take back the truck and give back the money!
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Any time you apply the brakes your automatic transmission's lockup clutch will UNLOCK, ALWAYS. That puts the torque converter in the drive "loop" so that might be a good place to start looking given your symptoms.

    Putting the torque converter in the drive system is also effectively a "downshift" which might result in an engine "loping" at idle when stopped due to the "extra" engine load, loading.

    Hmmm...."apply the brakes"...."vibration"...

    Brake booster vacuum leak..?
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