Could very well be just that. My truck was built in California.
I think the underlying issue is that most (if not all) of the transmissions were/are made in Mexico, and some service techs have hinted of problems with the transmissions that are built in Mexico.
How can owner's tell where their auto tranny was made?
I have a 2005 Tacoma and the 5-speed auto shifts smooth on mine ... not real complaints on it's performance except once and a while it will bang hard into 5th if I'm getting on it hard and chop the throttle.
I think a tranny computer reflash to change the way it shifts would probably fix issues most of the owner's who have complaints on how it shifts.
Seems to me that the date of your initial notice to dealer of the problem determines if a TSB fix is under warranty or not? Or are TSBs fixes always warranty?
TSBs are covered under warranty only if your truck is still under warranty. The dealer/Toyota determines if a TSB fix is required by diagnosing the vehicle for the symptoms of the problem. Not all vehicles will experience problems that a TSB identifies.
Safety recalls are covered anytime on a vehicle, even if it's years past the warranty period.
Sorry....still in a holding pattern waiting on Toyota....allegedly.
The vibration has gotten to a point on my truck, that I now have multiple rattles in the dash and console. My truck is falling apart.
.....and the hits just keep on coming.
But do advise of what they find out with your truck.
Your truck sounds like it has a definite problem that is most likely not common. Your dealer needs to determine what's going on and fix it, even if it requires a whole new tranny and torque converter.
TSBs are covered under warranty only if your truck is still under warranty
Thanks SuperBusa for clarifying. OK, even with that said..if a TSB came out specifically about the problem he reported after his warranty period.. then m9431 should still be able to make a case to have the fix covered by warranty since it would now be an acknowledged manufacturers defect/issue he duly reported during the original warranty period.
PROVIDED.........you have PROOF that you reported the problem prior to the expiration of the warranty. All the dealer has to say is...."We have no record of a complaint being made during the warranty period."
Now...is that forthright?.....No. Does it happen in the real world?....yes.
That's why you need to demand something on paper when you take your truck in, or it's your word against Toyota, and believe me, you won't like the outcome.
It's sad that we now live in this kind of world, but you just hafta cover your own A$$.
At this point, we're all in a holding pattern, waiting for Toyota to review and address this issue. I just returned from vacation travel with my Taco, driving about 500 miles. Most all of the travel (to the shore) was on relatively flat roads at highway speeds. The transmission performed very well, and I enjoyed the truck overall very much. The transmission issues show up when driving on hills--a past trip to the mountains convinced me that re-programming should solve most of these issues. I did the same (mountain) route in my Silverado and was very pleased with its shift patterns. My other vehicles have manual transmissions; the Silverado shifted as I would have. (It's 4.9L V8 got about the same MPG as my Taco, to my amazement and was happy with regular gas.)
On another note, the weak rear suspension on my Taco annoyed me about a dozen times on my vacation trip, bottoming out and banging. The second dealer wants me back to install a 'silencer kit' on the rear springs. Yes, I do get a "clatter," but this is something else. I believe that the TRD version's stiffer shocks may solve this on my SR5. If Toyota can help me with these two issues, I'll be a happy camper...
When driving on the highway with cruise control, if I come up to a hill and the speed starts to drop, my 06 Tacoma will frequently downshift one or even two gears and open the throttle wide until it gets up (and over!) the cruising speed. It catches me by surprise and I'm waiting for the day it happens on a slippery patch.
I use cruise control with my 06 Tacoma and like to cruise at about 110Km/hr on the highway. Sometimes you have to cancel your cruise because of slow traffic, and once I get passed and resume my cruise the it accelerates to about 100km/hr, then downshifts one or two gears, speeds up to about 120Km/hr, and then lays off and settles in at its cruise speed of 110Km/hr again.
This gets really annoying so now I just drive the truck up to 110Km/hr myself and then hit resume on the cruise and the tranny doesnt go all shifty on me.
Yes--these are all similar symptoms that demonstrate the need for better programming of the electronic auto trans. I had the same things happen when driving up hills: dumb shifts. Sometimes it up-shifts on a hill and then immediately downshifts. I also don't like the sudden downshifts when touching the brake going down a hill. Sometimes it is so annoying that I select the gear myself to correct it. But too much shifting can make for more wear on the engine, transmission and drive components. These dumb shifts are annoying and can hurt gas mileage... Hey, write a letter to Toyota at the Torrance CA address in your Owners Manual. Hopefully writing will help speed up new software from Toyota that can be 'flashed' into the computer controlling the auto trans. My dealer mentioned that they had done this with other models to correct such problems but no software is available for the Tacoma--yet. If you're not good at writing letters, email me and I'll be happy to send you a copy of the one I wrote. Basically, we have a good truck that needs some bugs worked out.
I use cruise control with my 06 Tacoma and like to cruise at about 110Km/hr on the highway. Sometimes you have to cancel your cruise because of slow traffic, and once I get passed and resume my cruise the it accelerates to about 100km/hr, then downshifts one or two gears, speeds up to about 120Km/hr, and then lays off and settles in at its cruise speed of 110Km/hr again.
This gets really annoying so now I just drive the truck up to 110Km/hr myself and then hit resume on the cruise and the tranny doesnt go all shifty on me.
This kind of behavior you describe can be pretty typical on any automatic tranny vehicle depending on at what speed the vehicle is at when "resume" is hit. If the set speed is much higher, then the system will downshift just because the setpoint is so much higher than the actual speed. I've experience similar on other auto tranny vehicles.
I'm sure some tweaked tranny software could definately make the 5-speed autos shift better. I bet Toyota will give us something soon.
Just got finished running up to Payson, AZ from Phoenix. The transmission shifted smoothly when pulling the hills. It also worked fine on the trip back going down hill from the rim. I like some of the engine braking that occurs. Saves from hitting the brakes all of the time.
As far as the cruise control. I've had better on other vehicles, but this one is adequate. I generally disengage the cruise when driving up long grades or mountain driving. While it will downshift a gear when hitting a grade, I have not had the 2 gear downshift or sudden acceleration some have experience.
The more I drive the truck, the more I have gotten use to some of its quirks. Its still fun to drive.
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2006 TRD Sport 4x4 Access Cab, Silver, auto
Yep, not a bad truck at all, fun to drive. It's a new model with a few bugs/quirks but I remain hopeful that Toyota will help us out. This will make it even more fun to drive, maybe even improve gas mileage and reliability. New software will help. (I still also need help with my rear suspension that bottoms out.)
I see that some here like the automatic downshifting for braking. Frankly, I don't because I can easily move the shift lever if/when I need it. My Silverado provided this option with a small button on the shift lever. Pressing it caused a different shift pattern, actually intended for trailoring. While my preference is for manual transmissions, the auto trans. in the Silverado was the best I ever drove. (Did I say that before?) Yeah, I'm a Toyota Truck guy but this is one area where Toyota can learn from GM.
I'm having the same problems described in this and other threads, the most prominent being the shift shudder. According to Toyota Customer Experience, {paraphrased} "this is part of the design -- all Tacomas have this shudder and there are no plans to fix it. If you don't like the shudder, buy another brand. If you don't like our answer, take us to arbitration."
Based on what I've read here and a number of other places, I believe they are reeling from their recent recall issues and focusing on getting upcoming product releases right. Combine that with Ford and GM woes, and they no longer have to address customer complaints as they have in the past -- why spend money to keep customers away from your competition if your competition is 3-5 years away from recovery?
Bottom line is that I wouldn't hold my breath hoping Toyota decides on their own to come up with a fix. As long as we let them get away with calling these conditions 'normal', they will not address them. I agree with m9431 -- write them, call them, and let them know that you will share your experience with Toyota with everyone you can (include forums, magazines, websites and other media forums). Also remind them that if you convince only 10 people to buy someone else's product that it takes the equivalent cost of one vehicle out of their profit.
Aside from the shuddering shifts, driveline clunk when I stop, and a tailgate not designed to support a loaf of bread, it's not a bad small truck. Despite the gas mileage I'll lose, I am looking forward to trading it in on something else. Neither my 02 Chevy nor my 03 Ford had any problems like this (had I not moved to snow country, I never would have given my 2WD F-150).
Did I just get a Wed-Thu truck? My Tacoma has no problems other than a vibrating a/c blower motor. I've had my truck for a year now, and I sit on the tailgate with my two dogs all the time (300lbs total) - feels every bit as solid as my 02 Chevy 2500HD did.
I will admit, I never had any problems with the Chevy other than the 11 mpg, so if anyone is thinking they need a "real truck" I would recommmend Chevy. I traded an 02 Tundra in for that truck becuase the Tundra had 5 different rattles inside, and the tires were all cupped at 13,000 miles and the dealer was of no help whatsoever. In retrospect, I should have made them fix the problems, but they were a complete turn off, and I just wanted out.
Re: Toyota addresses Tacoma transmission
Re: Toyota addresses Tacoma transmission
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