Has anyone had an actual trans failure?

I'm just curious.

My 2017 DCSB SR5 has all the goofy shifting issues that everyone has talked about on the site. I had the flash done at my 5K service and, frankly, I almost want to say that it made it worse instead of better. As I mentioned in another thread, it was discovered to be over 1/4 quart low.

Now, all that said, I can live with the goofy shifting, the jerking right before an upshift, the massive jerk/clunk thing it does when you hit the gas on a rolling start, etc. if I feel like I can trust it to just keep clunking along. If it's likely that I'll see the 100K mark even with the "quirks" then I'll get used to it and that'll be OK.

So, all the complaints aside, has anyone actually had a catastrophic transmission failure on these 3rd gen trucks? I'm sure SOMEONE has, right? If so, what were the warning signs (if any)? Did you tow a lot? Off road a lot? Any thing else remarkable?

I just want to know if true failures with these things are common or if it's just a lot of complaining (as I'm doing) about "quirks".

Many thanks!

 

You shouldn't have to put up with a transmission that doesn't shift properly! This is complete BS on Toyota. If more people would complain maybe Toyota would get their act together and fix all these transmissions.

 

Why are you willing to accept it?

I would guess that the high side of miles here is only around 50k and the infamous Dodge Caravan transmission could go that far.

If you bought a new Honda Accord that acted the same would you accept it?

If the answer is No, then why accept it on a new $35k Toyota?

 

Hey OP... sounds like your tranny is still low on fluid....!!
Been there... filled it... NOW it works as intended...!!

 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I agree 110%. Problem is, I live 130 miles from my dealer and I have to take days off work to take the thing back. Just not something I can do all that often and, honestly, I'm not certain how much good it will do since the only fix they offered me was the computer flash. What else could they do at this point?

 

Call them and find out? I doubt they would do anything more.

 

Call Toyota @ 1-800-331-4331 and open a case. Like the other guy said they need to hear all these complaints. I however have an open case for the same shit and passenger side dash rattle. It's been to the dealer several times with all the flashes and no fix. I'm being told it's a characteristic of the vehicle and I just have to live with it until Toyota decides it's a big enough problem across the board to start to do something about it. The jackass even had the nerve to tell me that the dash rattle might be a characteristic of the vehicle too. I told the guy that I'm getting real tired of spending so much time at the service department. He said, "well that's your fault if you decide to do that" I'm totally disgusted and ready to call a lemon law attorney. I hope you and others ave better luck.

 

I called Toyota immediately after my 5K service where they told me the trans fluid was low and opened a case. I asked for an extended warranty and was told to pound sand.

 

I was told by my service advisor that at one of my visits they found too much fluid in mine. He then said the shop Forman told him not to tell me. The only positive thing is that Toyota gave me an extended 8year / 125 K warranty

 

They probably won't offer to do this, but you could ask them to manually check the transmission fluid. Be persistent with them and they should do it.

 

They did check it manually at my 5K service. That's how they determined it was over 1/4 quart low. They actually gave me a loaner. They kept it over 3 days.

 

I've heard of one claim made on another forum.
He supposedly fried two transmissions and eventually had it lemon-lawed.

 

Sorry missed that part

 

.250 quarts low will not cause the transmission to act quirky or different. Now if you were a quart low or quart and a half, absolutely. Is it right? No it is not, but the problem with these transmissions is that they do not come supplied with a dipstick to check the level from the factory so it only further complicates the situation for the end consumer and even techs.

Factor in the fact that there are multiple ways of checking the level now that there is no dipstick. Each not incorrect, but each a little different in their own way which could result in a different level reading will confuse even some of the assembly folks at the factory.

I'm not sticking up for the guys, I'm just saying that the situation that us 2nd and 3rd genners are in as far as level inspection goes is a whole different enchilada of a party.

 

I agree.... either YOU check it yourself or you live with the issue/consequences...!! Toyota doesn't give a Rat's Ass...!!

 

Seems dealer should just do a full 12 quart flush. Ask the master mechanic over there to test drive with you to verify if the "goofy" shifting is still present. Test drive a similar 17 on the lot and see if that truck has the "goofy" shift symptom.

It is tough for dealership to do anything if nothing catastrophic happens to the truck. It is likely nobody there has ever rebuilt a transmission.

 

My Truck has none of these symptoms. Have you had the TSB for the transmission performed on your truck?

 

Yep, they did perform the TSB according to the receipt I got. To be honest, I don't think it really did anything.

 

Can you elaborate more on "goofy shifting"?

Does it shift to much, too less hold a gear to long, not long enough, does it work better or worse with ECT on or off, how does it operate in S mode (S4, S5 or S6), are there speeds where it seems more prevalent?

A whole lot of things to consider when you try to diagnose "goofy shifting" and 1/4 qt low ( 1 cup) in a system designed to hold 12 qts is negligible.

 

OK, I'll try to articulate this as best I can. Down-shifts: if the trans is in D and I am driving along at, say, 37 mph and at 1500 rpm. A slight increase in pedal pressure and I feel a "bucking" or "jerking" sensation just before the trans shits to a lower gear or "down-shifts".

If I am going along at 55 to 60 mph and just "cruising". I feel a bucking or surging sensation from time to time (particularly if there are slight rises or hills) even though I'm not increasing pressure on the pedal at all. Similar to above. Like I am driving on a rough road but I'm not.

When I pull off the highway onto my gravel driveway. I slowly coast off to the right and down the drive. If I touch the gas pedal, the truck surges forward and I feel a "thunk" sensation like there is slack in the driveline.

Part of my driveway is uphill. Unless I floor it several feet before the hill starts, I get halfway up and the truck just bogs down. I push the pedal so far before it shifts that it downshifts violently and spins the tires. My fault? Maybe, but I've heard others say this before.

I do think it shifts too much in regular mode. ECT mode is a little better since it holds the gear longer. Admittedly, I haven't used S mode much.

In stop and go driving, it's just such a slug if I don't put it into ECT mode. It's like it shifts in high gear and won't downshift unless I floor it.

The truck "lunges" every time I put it into gear, especially when it's cold. It does it in either drive or reverse. A few seconds after I shift and it rolls forward or backward it will lunge. It stopped this for about two weeks after the TSB and it's now doing it again.

I can go on......