2018 Tacoma’s Are “No Touch” Vehicles?

I tried to do a search within the forum but it was too general to figure out if this is been discussed. I just did a test drive in Stockton California with my perfect truck yesterday which was a silver 2017 DCSB OR with the Premium package. In the employee lot was a really nice MGM DCSB lifted truck with stealth custom Ray 10’s. I ended up talking to the owner who is the parts department manager and he said so far Toyota is saying that the 2018‘s are “no touch” vehicles due to the TSS system and that what he’s heard is they can’t be modified. I obviously pointed that a huge percentage of their customer base purchase these trucks for that reason, but he said because of how the millimeter radar systems work that the TSS gets screwed up if you lift them.

I’m hoping this info is wrong. Let me know. All apologies if this has been discussed and I missed it.

UPDATE— my dealership called me tonight and they verified that no dealership will be altering 2018 Tundras or Tacomas as it’s strictly forbidden by Toyota Corp. Some guys have said they’ve driven lifted 2018 Tundras but the dealership will not sell them like that as it voids the power train and TSS warranties.

11/12/17 UPDATE-
Went to the Livermore CA toyota dealership and the sales team there said that the TSS will need to be recalculated but that it should be fine. They had 2 factory lifted (6”) 2018 Tundras with TSS, these both were on what looked like 37’s. So TBH who knows. But the salesman said this week Tacomas were coming in.

 

Really stupid on Toyota's part if true.

 

Can't you just disable the TSS system? Clip the camera wires hooked to the front grill and drop in something that you like?

 

I have faith someone on this forum will figure it out if true.

 

That’s an interesting development. I can see how that would make sense. Obviously if the radar is pointing up’n’over the rear bumper of the car ahead, it’s going to see a different distance and view.

Guys will probably lift anyways and just sacrifice the additional safety (which is true on the trucks as they are now anyways......lifted trucks are less safe for a number of reasons).

My questions will be about the adaptive cruise control on a 2018, lifted:

1- will you be able to lift and still use the system or will it slam you into the car ahead?
2 - can you use cruise, but defeat the adaptive function?
3 - will there be a calibration feature to account for the lift?
4- will a certain amount of lift be OK with Toyota?

 

Like anything else, someone will find a way around it.

 

two things will happen. One, they will lose a lot of customers that may be returning to get a new Tacoma, and two, if they did do that, the most likely will be bringing out they're own stuff which will probably be too expensive to think about. They probably won't because of all the other aftermarket brands that make products for Tacomas, and that Toyota regularly works with. And well one of these aftermarket brands would've learned something by now and maybe leaked something.

 

The prevailing question, I suppose, is how accurate/sensitive is this new radar? Like, it has to be able to sense collisision with a lot of different types of vehicles and objects, with a lot of different shapes, sizes, and directions. With that in mind, it must be somewhat adaptable to height, shape, size, and angle of the object it is seeking to avoid hitting. Maybe a 6” lift wouldn’t make all that much difference?

Will your insurance be null if you rear-end a vehicle with a lifted 2018 truck?

 

Toyota to the consumer:

https://youtu.be/WKteEJwPfzI

 

I have 2013 Honda Accord Touring that has Honda’s version of TSS, and it does a decent job following cars in cruise. It does however freak out sometimes if I have a semi next to me when I am at his midpoint and the highway turns. It alerts and shuts off. But looking at Toyota’s big wall display at the dealership they said the system includes pedestrian alerts as well. So that’s more advanced than my current Honda system which must mean more radar coverage and perhaps more sophistication in what it “sees.”

 

Just going to go out on a limb and saying the SR and SR5 is going to become the go-to for off-road rig builders and heavy-modders just to avoid all the unnecessary tech in their way.

 

This...

Honestly, I have never seen a more passionate bunch of folks about their vehicles. I thought the Corvette guys were crazy. Toyota offers a pretty good array of trims for whatever you are in to. The amount of guys that mod and actually use their trucks is awesome. Me, I have a sport, I like the way it rides and handles, the off road guys, lifted, snow, camping etc. If Toyota did anything to change the passion for these trucks, and the individuality owners put to their trucks, it would be an eye opening moment for Toyota.

 

Those are both going to have TSS as well though, so I don't see that making much of a difference.

 

Then you definitely have not met the Supra community.

 

Well screw Toyota then.

 

Honestly, not a huge percentage of owners modify their trucks, most I see are stock and I see a lot. We have 10 dealerships in a 100 mile radius.

A large percentage here on TW do... but members here aren't a large part of overall ownership. We don't see 12000 new members here every month do we?

I'd say maybe 10% at most.

 

You should see the Miata guys, they go nuts over aftermarket chrome trim rings.

 

Oh, I have, usually in the rear view mirror of my Corvette

 

Ultimately, as long as the feature has an off switch, I don't see it really making much of a difference. If it doesn't work lifted, turn it off and you essentially have a more-overpriced '17

 

Well, there is about 15k sold monthly so I'd go a little higher. Maybe mid-20 percent or so.