Auto Transmission Stuck in 4th Gear

The control light is in the center next to the temp. He did not have CC on in the video.

 

I noticed the same thing. There is about a 3/4 mile uphill climbing lane that I travel every day. Its kicks down to 4th at 2500-3000 rpm then as I crest the top and it starts going down hill its still in 4th. I does finally upshift but after a good distance of cresting the hill.

 

Do you have a scanner or the ability to get one ?

 

Have you tried using D>S4>S5 to upshift? At least then you would know what gear it's in.

Have you tried using S6 instead of D?

 

Anyone can make this happen on flat level road anytime they want. Set your cruise @75 and switch from D to S. Put the transmission in 4th if it's not already there by default (I believe it is). Switch back to D and the truck will stay in 4th until you release the cruise control. Not exactly sure why the truck is programmed that way but it is.

 

I have techstream on my laptop at work, doesnt really bother me too much. I measured today and after cresting the hill and starting to go downhill it stays in 4th for 10 seconds or so at 2500 RPM. I may take techstream home some day and graph it. After working all day I usually dont remember it.

 

Mine does this also. I have put larger tires and a small lift on it but it was doing it before the additions and, in my opinion, shouldn't be this common. Mine will stay in 4th after I've accelerated to pass, even on flat or a decline, and not shift up for an extended period of time. I can be completely off the gas and it still doesn't shift. It doesn't seem normal to me, maybe it is, I'm basing my opinion on previous autos I've driven. Dealer checked and found no error codes but transmission was around 3/4 quart low on fluid but that hasn't seemed to fix it. They said it is in the programming and it is a known issue/complaint but there is no fix currently. Hoping the more miles I put on it the better it will get.

 

SOLUTION

I had this happen to me 3 times. I found a solution by pushing the stick into S4 and then back into Drive. It resets the shifting pattern for uphill and it will downshift back into 5th or 6th.

 

Try what I wrote above. The truck is designed to lock into a lower gear when acceleration is applied and when the nose is up

The computer is recognizing the nose up angle of the truck and has also recognized the user's need for acceleration and has locked the truck into 4th gear to keep RPM up. Just reset this by pushing into S4 and then back into Drive

 

Maybe it's because the incline and accelerating at the same time???

BTW, I think your "fog" lights are on too...

 

Awesome! thanks for the reply. I will try this. Other than this issue (even though its not really an "issue") the truck has been awesome! I'm at 5k miles and the trans shifts smooth.

 

Mine did it on flat ground when I went to pass someone, after I passed them I let off and it was in 4th, I went into S mode and manually shifted to 5th and it shifted up.... Then back into D and was fine..

 

I got stuck in 4th this morning when some dingle slowed down to 40mph on a freeway interchange... I sped up after I changed lanes going up hill and it stuck in fourth. I went to S4 and back to drive and it upshifted.

Confirmed

 

Good God. Why did Toyota drop the ball so hard on this engine/transmission? I thought Toyota was supposed to be all about QDR?

 

I don't see what wrong with the transmission being stuck in fourth gear. It's supposed to do it. It's not a flaw or bad coding.

 

Man I am having the same problem getting about 16 mpg in town and 14.5 on the highway. Very frustrating. Will have to try the S trick. I did a test the other night did a drive of about 100 miles with the cruise on and 80% of the trip it was in 4th gear. I am high altitude and the road is hilly but you would think the truck could handle it.

 

Hi I just bought a 2017 Tacoma and this exact issue has been driving me crazy! I have a few Toyotas (two tundras, a rav4, 05 Taco, and briefly a 4runner) and I have never seen this.

I am really interested to know If this changed with anybody with time and/or milage. I know I'm brining up an old thread but I can't believe that a 2017 6 speed transmission would be so poorly designed or coded.

 

I got an 18 Trd Pro and it started happening on mine at 2k miles. I can shift it into 5th with the tiptronic, but it’s just annoying me. The truck drones at 3-3.5k rpm and I’ll be staying in 4th for up to a minute when the truck has no reason not to be upshifting. Any update on this, OP? Anyone?

 

Thats the way Toyota does things .
They want the truck to upshift as soon as possible saving you fuel and loading the bearings in the engine as much as they can handle .
Only thing you can do as an owner is remove battery terminals for 30 minutes and try a fresh relearn keeping your foot heavy on the go-go pedal . A fresh relearn should help or drive in "S " mode

 

Wait what? Can’t tell if you’re joking or not. My Tacoma stays in 4th too long, I want it to upshift as quick as possible, and it will not. 4th gear is the only gear with this problem. It’s an issue for me because I usually cruise around 75-80mph and the truck downshifts to 4th too often and stays in that gear too long. I’m not going to drive tiptronic lol I just came from having a manual vehicle and like to relax. I have techstream. There’s no fix?