New Tacoma Bad Fuel Gauge

Hi. Just got a new 2012 Extended Cab TRD sport a week ago.

Went for my first fill-up yesterday and drove about 50 miles today. During the day, I noticed the fuel gauge didn't move much and thought I was getting good mileage.

After 50 miles, the fuel gauge is reading full. Even when I shut off the engine, the meter is pegged at full. Obviously something is wrong and am going to have to take the truck back to the dealer, which sucsk, as the dealer is 75 miles away(only one that had the model I wanted).

Anyone else ever have this issue? I am quite surprised it would happen on a brand new vehicle. Never heard that happen before on any new vehicle from any brand.

 

My 2012 AC stays on Full for 60 km (36 mi).

 

its fine....they tend to do that...ive driven around 80 miles and the needle is still on the "F" mark then it rapidly drops... lol

 

Most manufacturers do this when they are working on the needle positions. Its a psychological thing so you think you are getting your money's worth for the gas you just put in by staying full for a bit. Same thing happens at the bottom too...you will hit "E" several gallons before you are actually empty. This is because the manufacturer knows that driver's like to "push it", and will run it to empty without a thought.

Your gauge is just fine. You should get about 100 miles in the first quarter, 150ish to the half mark, and 230 by 3/4.

 

That doesn't sound right...
If you turn the key to the OFF or ACC position the gauge should drop to zero. On RUN (with or without engine running) it should show actual level.

 

Thanks for the feedback and info. I will drive it for 3 days and see what happens. I have a total 20 mile commute combined everyday so if the needle doesn't move then, I know I have an issue.

I must admit that my first tank of gas was dissapointing. I had an 04 Taco I put about 170,000 miles on it before I sold it in 09 and got a Subaru Forester XT. I missed the truck enough I decided to trade in the Forester and get another Tacoma. I don't tow a lot but do use the hauling capacity for leisure and general stuff.

As delivered to me by the dealer, it had a full tank of gas. I put 300 miles on it before the Low Fuel light came on. This gives me about 15 MPG, which is dissapointing. But it was my first tank and the truck is still being broken in and needed to seel. So, hopefully, the MPG gets a bit better. Most of my time is spent on the highway commuting or driving outdoors. I do some city driving in my commute but the majority is highway.

It's odd because I was actually close to pulling the trigger on a Tundra as in my area they are having very serious rebates right now. I was offered a new Tundra 5.7 double cab with upgrade package for $30,200, $7,000 off MSRP. I opted for the Tacoma as I wanted to save a bit on gas and I do have to park this thing in the tight confines of a city garage and navigate through narrow streets during rush hour. The Tundra would be my choice if I did not work downtown but the MPG rating was the final factor.

With the package options and the fact that rebates on Tacomas are not easy to come by due to popularity, I actually paid more for the Tacoma than I would have the Tundra. But the MPG is a bit dissapointing on the 6 cylinder 4x4 TRD Tacoma I got. It's probably not going to be the major difference in MPG than I thought it would be.

 

Ya, around what I get...if its a great tank I get 380 but I baby the throttle and 80% highway

 

Yeah. I was talking to folks at the Tundra forum before my purchase. Everyone was saying if MPG is a concern, it really won't matter which one you get as the differences are negligibile. They were speechless when they found out I got the Tacoma for more than the well-equipped Tundra 5.7. Obviously it's a Tundra forum so there is bias but there is some truth to the claim that there really isn't a lot of difference between MPG on the V6 tacoma and 5.7 Tundra when it comes to the real-world reports I have read.

From what I read, it seems like most people get between 14-18 MPG on the V6 Tacoma models in real-world driving--these are non-towing numbers. It seems like the MPG for towing is worse for the Tacoma, which is understandeable, given the V8 on the Tundra and better cruise MPG stats.

Most people on the net report around 15MPG real-world combined on the Tundra 5.7, non-towing.

But my decision was based on more than this. Actually, I like the look of the Tundra better than the current 2012 Taco. But something kept telling me get the Tacoma. The Tundra is just too big for what I need and would be overkill. I would also look like a toolbag driving that rig around the city garage during rush hour and the parkin spaces are small and I barely fit my Taco in there.It's not a matter of parking farther out. There is no farther out. You take whatever space you can find before it fills up.

There is this poser accountant guy who drives this Ram 1500 Outdoorsman and it takes him forever to park. During the stampede to get to work, a line forms behind him, everyone honking while he takes five minutes to wedge his rig between two $100,000 mercedes. He needs a can opener to get himself out and climb along the tube steps to get out, while everyone has to navigate around his bed sticking out 4 feet in the drivethru.

So, in reality, I think the Tundra probably gets similar MPG and to me it had a smoother ride. but it does handle like a school bus and is about the same size. It just wouldn't work for me given my current situation. If I worked somewhere else, I would have got the Tundra, no question. I lvoed my former Taco and am happy with it. If situations or needs change, however, I can always trade in and get the Tundra. The resale on the tacoma is about as good as it gets.

 

I'm still pretty sure the needle should drop to the bottom with the key off...