Manual Transmission Getting Stuck in Gear

This is how I was able to resolve my issue and have the tsb repair performed. Once you file the claim and obtain a case number the general manager of that dealership will call you within 48 hours.

I had to be very persistent with my local dealership to get things done. But if you bother them frequently and waste enough of their time they will give in.

I know this because they wrote on paper a tech had replicated the issue while driving. However, I reset my trip odometer to see how far they drove it and it only read .3 miles when I got the truck back. You cant even get into 6th gear in that short of a distance.

 

If you are in the United States, tell the dealer to look at T-SB-0088-16. The bulletin states, "Some 2016 model year Tacoma vehicles equipped with the 2GR engine and 6 speed manual transmission may exhibit difficulty when shifting out of 5th or 6th gear after driving for an extended period of time. Follow the Repair Procedure in the bulletin to address this condition."

I, too, am having trouble with 3rd and 4th. I asked how they were going to address those gears and got a definite, "don't know". I paid my $15 and looked at the on-line service manual. It turns out that there is only one lock ball pin (part to be replaced) in the transmission and it involves all the gears in the transmission by interacting with the shift and select lever shaft. So, you can mention 3rd and 4th, but they will deny that there is a problem. However, the repair for 5th and 6th should fix the issue with the other gears as well.

I've had to get fairly nasty with the dealership to get them to listen. I had to point our that I have a master's degree in mechanical engineering for them to stop treating me like an idiot. If you have trouble getting them to listen to you, take a friend who has good, shall we say, negotiating skills.

Good luck and enjoy the rest of the truck. It is nice. Also, please post if you are successful.

 

For what it's worth mine was just happening in 5th and 6th but the DAY before I went in for the service to be done it did happen in 4th as well.

 

If you don't mind me asking, what dealership are you dealing with? I am in Wpg myself and am looking to buy a Tacoma from a dealer that will fix any problems that come up.

 

Frontier Toyota, mostly just picked as was closest to my home and work but the service department seems pretty good to work with.

 

Just bought my tacoma TRD OR 2 weeks ago. Having this issue as well. Thanks OP for starting this thread. Heading to the local stealership tomorrow and will keep y'all up to date.

-Rhiz

 

BTW can someone explain the legitimateness of Toyota Headquarters putting out these posts? Are "TSB's" something that only the dealers can see because I see no PDF. I see just some guy on a forum.

 

It's just a technical service bulletin for dealers and techs. Basically tells them how to go about fixing a problem. It's not like a recall where it's a public thing or action they must take. You just have to trust that there is one since we are telling you we had this issue and got it fixed

 

Glad I found this thread. I posted this in the 3rd gen MT thread, but to sum up:

2016 Sport MT DCSB. Purchased in June 2016, has 4500 miles. Difficulty getting in/out of gearbox on "long" (1 hour plus) drives through mountains. 3x to date at 1000 mi, 3000 mi, and 4500 mi. After engine braking in 5th downhill on I70, after climbing Berthoud pass and engine braking in 3rd down the other side, and after ~50 minutes of driving up to I70 to Blackhawk (not stuck on this one, just rough shifting).

Please share results with TSB and fixing. My issue is not as frequent as some of the others mentioned here, but very similar. Dealer certainly won't be able to recreate, but I will follow advice and try to get case number.

 

I suppose, although it sucks, you can either buy the $10 worth of parts and do it your self, or tell the dealer you will pay out of pocket for the 1hr repair. My truck only did it about 3x really before I yelled at my dealer to just do it. Most of the time, like you said, it was just sticky feeling after a long drive. So I do believe yours has this problem. I know it would suck to pay yourself, but might be better than getting stuck unable to downshift on a blind mountain curve. I say tell your dealer and explain this isn't a little annoying quirk, but could be life threatening. Best of luck

 

Yeah, I would suspect they should do it for free since it is under warranty and I've already taken it in once to have it looked at (although the tech notes mention only "clutch smell" and not the stuck gears). And "sticky feeling" is an understatement, it is nearly impossible to get in and out of gear when this happens. Stopping at a light and starting in 1st seems to reset the issue until I get up a few gears again.

 

Mine only did it when I was on the road for 4 or more hours so they were never able to replicate the issue at the dealership. Once the TSB came out, I just walked into the service manager's office without an appointment, told them that I'd been there once already and they weren't able to duplicate it because they weren't willing to dedicate enough man-hours to the diagnosis, and I asked him to authorize the repair. He did... immediately. The service writers will probably tell you that they can't do the TSB work without duplicating the issue, but you can escalate it to the service manager and it'll likely get done. Just be stubborn but polite and tell everybody that you won't take your truck back unless they put somebody in the driver's seat for at least a few hours and pay for the gas. It's cheaper for them to just do the work.

Filing a case with Toyota Corporate before you go to the dealership will probably help.

 

So I haven't noticed this at all in my 2017 you all think it was fixed across the board after a certain production number?

 

You most likely do not have the issue... I have a 2017 and have this issue. To answer your question, no. I noticed this issue increasing at about 500 miles on my truck.

Any who, here is my update. I have gone to the dealer in my town and had them look up the TSB. Without any question, they ordered the part. The part is on back order and could take months according to the service department.

With that being said, good thing I had filed a case number prior with Toyota cooperate and they must have fasted tracked it for me because now it will have only taken two weeks to get the part. Not sure if it was a matter of being misinformed or what, but come Tuesday they should have the part. "so it is said"

BTW, trying to make toyota cooperate pay me something for my troubles and so far all I got is a $200 credit. But here is the kicker, it is reimbursed after you pay and to top it all off restrictions apply. Like you need to fax it in to cooperate... Who uses that shit anymore? And it doesn't count towards like ripped seat type incidents... Or something... Kinda cheesy if you ask me, but I am going to be speaking to a manager about that and seeing if they can do something better and I will keep you all up to date. I hope you all get something more than the problem fixed.

-Rhizz

 

When I brought my 2016 TRD Sport truck in to Spitzer Toyota in Monroeville Pa. and explained to "Dave" the service manager about the sticking trans problem he immediately pulled out "Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0088-16" and gave me a copy. (The Bulletin is dated 7/28/16) They received the parts within a week. I drove the truck "hard" today and could not get the trans to hang up. My thoughts on the fix, shifting feels like a transmission that has 20k on it. (The truck has only 4500 miles). You can feel it shift more smoothly, with a little less resistance. Lets see in couple thousand miles if the problem shows up?

Thanks to Dave for taking care of this as soon as he could. He did not question or second guess the problem! Anybody in the Pittsburgh area I highly recommend Spitzer Toyota to fix this potential safety issue.

 

UPDATE and FUNNY story!!!

So I just got the new part installed for the transmission, but have yet to take her for a spin. Happy they finally got the part after about 5 weeks of battling the stick shift. Good news is, I got mad right arm muscle now. However and here is the kicker, as the technician went to just pull the truck in for repair; he broke the driver side handle. It still is functional, but it is jacked. Looks like it is ganna fall off at high speeds and especially if I am four wheeling (can't do that until it is fixed now).

 

i guess at this point nobody can argue with QC issues in the 3rd gen, eh?

 

you just weakened it with that mad right arm muscle

 

^
LOL! No doubt. Damn you Toyota!

 

Well crap...I have a 2017 trd 4x4 manual which has had no problems yet but I'm only about 350 miles in. I was going to put a urd short shifter in tonight but now I'm afraid to until I know this won't be an issue. I'd hate to develop a problem and have them not cover it because I replaced the shifter. They would likely just blame the shifter and not the actual issue. Thoughts?