So, are the bugs out of the 17 models? Or are they (as some say) a Turdgen

That's a good question. There is no doubt that there are growing pains with this generation, but Toyota had 10 years to refine the second gen.

 

I really like my truck but the transmission does suck balls. If I had it to do over, I may have tried the manual. I had a manual Jeep and was kind of tired of shifting. This auto trans has cured me of that.

 

So Buy a 6 speed manual trans Sport and you should be golden.

Thats my point, 10 years and some folks say some of the issues are a carry over even. That being said no issues with my 09, and so far my 17 is great.

 

ya, just wait till the 6 speed is a thing of the past, and folks are dealing with 10 speeds shifting.

 

It's not just the shifting. Its like it hunts for reverse sometimes. Goes into gear hard at times. Must enable ECT to get any power. Another six software updates and maybe they fix it.

 

Automatic transmissions are trouble in almost any truck, i have the 6-speed manual 2017 trd sport. Smoothest manual i have ever driven, i own 350z which i had for long thought was the nicest shifting vehicle. I have around 4000km on my truck so far, haven't had any problems with it. So far its a great truck, no rattles or issues. I would recommend one to anyone.

 

3rd gen is more a 2.5 gen. Motor and trans might actually be a step backwards from the 2nd gen imo. The gadgets are nice but I don't buy a truck for gadgets, period.

 

I read this and for one minute I thought I inadvertently logged into a GM, Ford or Ram forum.....

 

Haven't noticed any of these problems in my 2017 TRD Sport AC 4x4. I did several road tests on 2017s and didn't notice any problems with them either. Maybe I'm just lucky or they're fixing the issues at the factory?

 

Unfortunately there are many threads in the 3rd gen forums that highlight carry over problems from the second gen - for example the kazoo noise from the windshield which has been a problem since 2005 and the noisy "barn door" clutch when you push it down are two that come to mind. There are others.

I really have to questions Toyota's QA/QC on relatively minor issues like this. Not being able to fix ongoing problems after over a decade seems bizarre and you think fixing them (where probably a cheap fix is all that's needed) would be cheaper than TSB's and associated dealership costs after the fact.

 

It seems most of the problems were with the 16s. Less complaints on the 17s. I have no issues but I'm sure others will. Like others have said some of the complaints are petty and easily fixable under warranty.

 

Again, my point. It's not a TURD gen. I guess if one must call it that, then what is the 2nd, the intestine filler Gen.

Someone one said wait till 2018 and it will be better, well my point was some of these issues have been around for a dozen years or so. The trucks still sell like wildfire and folks keep on driving them.

 

I think there's also an aspect of what folks are used to when coming to this truck.

Prior truck was a third gen V6 4Runner with a 4 speed auto. Wife drives a third gen V6 Rav4 with a 5 speed auto. My funcar is a 6 speed auto on a 3 liter turbo straight six.

I don't notice my Tacoma excessively shifting. Sure it shifts. "Excessive" depends on expectations I guess.

The motor wants to spin, its power band is a bit higher than others I've seen, actually its a bit like my 4Runner. I haven't had the transmission TSB done, and don't know if the first one was applied before I bought it in mid September. I'll probably have them do it when I go in for my 5k service, but I'm not bothered enough to make a special trip. My only annoyance with the powertrain is that it is over-aggressive on the upshift at one spot in my commute where I've come down a hill, crossed a bridge, and turn sharply to go uphill out of the gully.

The only other thing I can think of that annoys me is Pandora on Entune. I have to restart the app on my phone way too often to get the head unit Pandora app working.

Is it perfect? Nope. I've never seen a vehicle that was.
Do I really like my Tacoma and still enjoy driving it after four months? Yep.

So that's my take. Others will have their own equally valid opinions.

Best advice is go rent one for a weekend or get an overnight test drive and drive the heck out of it in the places you go. See if it works for you or not.

 

I love mine just under 5k miles no problems

 

the renting of one seems like a good idea before purchasing to see if the truck will fit your needs, but some of the most negative of the complainers will state that the howling noises in the rear and lack of power only appear magically after they clock a few thousands miles on the truck, so they are saying that the issues that they are complaining and railing on about occurs after the test drives and the purchase has been made. it sounds like they are using this as the excuse for themselves not doing the research or not paying attention to how the truck performs prior to the purchase. their smoking gun is its Toyota quality sucks I paid over 40k for a Lemon and the Chevy Sliverado doesn't have any issues like the Tacoma, then you say trade it in if you are unhappy they say they will get soaked on the trade in, clearly they have an agenda to discredit the 2016 but to what end? The complainers call this griping-Feedback

 

I highly doubt anything of any significance is going to change from 2017 to 2018 (or 2019). Most of the "issues" people complain about are inherent to the way Toyota specifically designed the truck - engine, shifting, etc. Sure, the complains might be prevalent on TacomaWorld, but they are from a relatively small group of owners. The fact remains that Toyota could do absolutely nothing for the next 3 model years and they'd still sell a boatload of trucks. Nothing is going to change because people whine about shifting or rattling. From Toyota's standpoint it's gotta be far more lucrative to just address the concerns of the relatively few butthurt buyers on a case by case basis then redesign a truck over insignificant things. Let's be honest, take the "howling diff" or "rattling dash" problem that some people have complained about. For every 1 person who brings their truck back to the dealer and makes them try to warranty fix it, there's 100 who just turn the radio up and go on about their day not giving a second thought. No vehicle is, or ever will be, 100% perfect. Drive it for an extended period, determine if you like it as is, and then buy/dont buy it.

 

It's the same truck.

 

No bugs in my turd; while knocking on wood.

 

I notice everyone keeps bringing up that you have a Warranty, but that really does not help when the Dealer says they cannot replicate the issue or Oh that's just normal which frustrates the hell out of the owners.

 

I have a '17. I read about the problems of others and wait until it happens to me. I am not sure if I am ignorant or if I have a perfect truck.

This truck is well..... I am not so sure anymore. Based on everything before coming to this forum and all my experiences with the truck well I love it. Did the transmission take a bit of learning? Well yes but isn't it supposed to? Is my fuel economy perfect? Well with only 1700km it isn't but it is getting better as it breaks in.

This is my first Toyota / Tacoma. I didn't expect it to be gold plated or be quirk free. Because I came from other trucks I see the positives much more than I see the negatives that some complain about. I came from a Ram with a Cummins so this thing is quiet, doesn't hunt for gears, doesn't need to be warm to find top gear and get revs under 3/4 of rev limit. I like the stainless exhaust. I like the little things that no one else even notices. Heck when I hear the complaints of some I think wow what if they owned domestic? I bet there would be a huge increase in suicides as they had their heads implode with all of the issues. How would they react as we did when our GM had the key lock in the on position while running? (GM ignition recall). The GM reaction was leave the car running in our driveway, lock the doors and in the morning call when the local dealer opens and have them tow it in. No kidding they asked us to leave our car running ALL NIGHT and just lock the doors. I won't go into all the Ram issues because one they ignored for over a decade and then obsoleted the affected part and upgraded you to the new one. The issue is the new part is incompatible with the adjoining parts. So my $70 repair now costs $600 as I now have to replace the whole assembly because they never warantied the issue.

So I now look to my new truck which is my first ever new vehicle. Do I love it or do I let the naysayers ruin my love in with my new truck? Personally I can see some people's complaints and I feel their pain as they negotiate the warranty process. I really hope I don't become a warranty case myself but if I do there is a process. Some of the complains are so ridiculous I wonder what would happen if we went back before the internet and no one could share their issues. Would the same uproar exist? If anything the internet has allowed things so minor to be reported and those insignificant issues to be rectified. This has allowed some to believe that if if your truck makes a noise on tar and chip roads with the sun in the east on thursdays with ac at fan level 3 and your left foot has an ingrown toenail your truck should be lemoned. Seriously guys I hope my truck lasts until my 2 year old is able to drive but it is a truck. They will never be perfect so maybe it is time to stop sucking your momma's tit and get on with being an adult and start enjoying it. I am not saying warranty issues doesn't exist as we can clearly see they do but let's separate annoyances from warranty or defect issues.