Cruise Control on the 2016 TRD

I have noticed when I am on the highway using cruise control going 80mph, any slight change in elevation will make the Yota high rev from 2.2K to 3.5 and stay in 4th gear (auto tranny). If I pedal drive I don't have this issue and get better gas mileage. 18-19 pedal, 13-14 cruise. Anyone else notice this issue? My 09 didn't have this problem.

 

Common problem with the 16's..

 

Mine seems fine. It did this when I first got it though.

 

Mine did this at the beginning. Now that I've got some miles on it, it no longer does that. Once I hit 3,000 it drove noticeably different. I'm now over 7,000 and it drives like I would expect. It doesn't shift near as much and doesn't hold the low gears nearly like it used to with the cruise on.

 

Good to know..

 

Thanks for giving me hope. I'm at 2,300ish now and hope it'll change soon. I've owned many vehicles and have never experienced a cruise control as garbage as this one.

 

I was thinking maybe the computer is still figuring out the driving patterns.

 

My '11 did this the whole time I owned it. One of my biggest complaints about the Taco. Cruising at 75 MPH with the cruise on and any incline the truck would basically peg itself an additional 7-10 MPH to make the hill.

 

OP, I think you have just rocked my world. My Taco is doing the SAME thing. It did the shaking pony for the first 1200 miles; like riding a crazy horse shifting gears all the time. Then it went away and gas mileage came up from 15 mpg to 16.5 mph and sometimes 17 mpg. Then around 8000 miles it got the shaking pony back again.

At posted 75 mph and some sections 80 mph, I have the cruise set at 78 mph. If the wind comes up and blows 6 leaves and 4 blades of grass it will stay in 4th gear at 78 mph, even using the "sport" shifting it won't move up. Everything around here in Texas where I live is mostly interstate and FLAT.

A 278 hp vehicle with one occupant empty without a trailer should do better than that.

Window sticker boasted 18 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, 20 mpg combined.

I know the argument ... slow down ... well I am driving posted speed limit and EVERY other vehicle I have had never had a problem. My 2002 4x4 Ford Explorer with a V8 gets 19 - 20 mpg at posted 80 mph. Outlander all wheel drive ... 26 mpg.

Anyways, I think you hit the nail on the head .... the CRUISE. Every vehicle I have had the cruise helped get great gas mileage.

I will drive with it off tomorrow and test it out. I will get the dealership tomorrow to connect the diagnostic tool and check things.

I love my Taco ... will love it more once shifting and fuel mileage comes up. Currently I am getting about 15.4 mpg.

 

Please keep us posted on what the dealership says Sam. This whole thing of "it should at some point in time possibly maybe get better" solution is a bit vague for me.

 

Mine was doing this the other day and conditions were basically as you described here in Phoenix (flat roads and all) ... Seemed to get better once I got down the highway 10 minutes or so. Thought maybe it has to do with transmission not being warmed up. Fuel Mileage around town is a joke, I think I'm at mid 14's right now, I even ran a couple tanks of 91 Shell Fuel through it just to see if it would improve -- not at all. I did manage to squeeze out 21mpg on a 300 mile road trip the other day, but I was driving like Miss Daisy.

 

Dang 14 mpg..the worst i got was 17ish with a lead foot using the S mode to shift around 4-5k rpms.... I consistently get around 20 mpgs backroads driving to work going easy.. The best of I've had was maybe 23 mostly highway driving.. I've only use the cruise control briefly to see if it works..not enough to test the shifting issues uphill.

 

Yea well I work 2 miles from home and the truck doesn't even get luke warm on my "commute", there a quite a few stop signs and lights, and the speed limits vary quite a bit for short distances so I think that really kills it.

 

14 mpg is awful! I was sad I was only getting 17 in the winter. When I first got the truck I was getting 20+ with 60% of my driving city. I also have a lead foot and bigger tires and drive with ect power always on!

 

Have noticed this a couple times as well, as for the people getting 20+ you have to consider too is it 4x4 is it a DBLCB, terrain etc. I live in the mtns of the Shenandoah valley area and our elev varies greatly up and down hills anywhere you go. I am averaging about 14-16mpg no matter where I go and I am nursing it, definitely not impressed with mpg but I also wasn't expecting much with my Taco. I am going to address this issue, along with the tripometer randomly resetting as well when I bring her in for her 5k service, also gonna give Toyota corp a call to see if these are known issues, I know the tripometer is being addressed now.

 

This was driving me crazy last night. Did a little trip to the city next to me and back (50mi round trip) where the speed limit is 70 and 75 MPH. I'm in Kansas, it's flat. I was going 71 MPH and the stupid thing kept going into 4th at about 3,100 RPM if kept in cruise and even worse at 75. Got where I was going and the computer had me at 16MPG. That was entirely highway driving, no stoplights or anything. Pretty bad. My big honking Crewmax Tundra would get 16MPG highway with a 5.7L V8, a lift, and a big air catching grill gaurd on it. But, it would stay in 6th no problem.

It's been like this since the day I got it, and it has 5,850 on her. Luckily my daily commute is a 65, so if I go 65-68 it'll stay at least in 5th. But if I go 70 or up or hit a tiny hill down she goes to 4th.

I really hope Toyota does something to correct this and the erratic shifting. My only real complaints. Well, that and the occasional howling when my radio isn't up.

Edit: Heck, I'll throw in a photo of my own. Took this on my way to lunch.

 

I definitely would have preferred the same motor as the 2016 4Runner my lady has... 4.0L dual vvt-i? I much prefer the power band of that motor/trans combo and she averages about 19mpg.

 

I guess OT but have you guys noticed a bit of a "clunk" downshifting when rolling up to a stop light or stop sign for instance as if it is kind of a harsh downshift into second or first and I feel maybe a bit of a surge in RPMs as it does this, like it isn't a clean shift. I think I may need to get the trans fluid checked. I haven't really noticed it the first 3k miles but it seemed prevalent this morning. It was a bit cooler out than it's been here (in high 30s) and the truck was not really warmed up. Just seemed annoying.

 

If you have the tow package then you're trans fluid is low.

 

Yeah I was going to wait for the 5k service to bring it in for that but I've heard a lot of guys saying their service reps refuse to check the AT Fluid Level because it is hard to do. There is a dealer on the other side of town supposedly who have worked willingly with 3rd gen owners from here...so I will be taking to them when time comes