Pin Bearing Issues 2017 Tacoma

I bought a brand new 2017 Tacoma TRD truck lifted by the dealership. The next morning when the weather was cooler, I felt a vibration. I called my salesman and was told to put it in 4H at 35-40 mph to see if the vibration stopped and it did. I was then told there was a fix coming real soon that it is a known issue with 3 different models. During the summer when its warmer you could barley feel the vibration. When I had my sales person explain this to the service manager I was told that was impossible.

7 months later the vibration got so bad it completely ruined the bushings which I was told in the beginning the vibration absolutely would not and could not hurt a thing. I was told by the service manager that they could replace the bushing but it doesn't help for long because he's tried it on other trucks. I called Toyota Care and they pretty much told me they have no known issues. When I told them I knew for a fact they have a service bulletin on it I was placed on hold then told I would get a call back within 24 hours. Days later when they called they wanted to do the temp fix. I explained Im not interested in your temp fix because I was told by the service manager that it doesn't work. I was then deemed "a difficult customer".

I know they have a service bulletin because I have a family member that works there that sold me my truck. I've been told that the entire front end would need to be replaced at some point by the discretion of Toyota and flown here from Japan once they knew how to fix it. Uhm...this is a BRAND NEW TRUCK lifted by the dealership. I call within 12 hours with this issue after purchasing this brand new truck. I simply picked a lemon and Toyota absolutely does not care.

This is when I decided to look online to see if anyone else has this issue and to my surprise all the treads about pin bearing issues is exactly my same complaints that Im told is my imagination such as cooler weather seems to be worse. Of course when I mentioned that I found this thread and can see I'm not the only one I was then told every one on here is crazy and has no idea what they are talking about and to pay no attention to any of this. LOL...UGH...SHAME ON TOYOTA!!! When I am calm enough to talk to Toyota Care...I ask them, what if this was your brand new truck? They simply put me on hold then tell me they will call back later. WOW Toyota. Thanks for the headaches, the let down, the family issues it has caused because my family member is the one that sold it to me. Well, like I say..bad news spreads faster than good news and every time I get a compliment on my brand new truck I get to explain to them that Im stuck with a lemon but it sure looks good.

 

The fix for your issue is this:
https://eastcoastgearsupply.com/i-8536125-toyota-8-clamshell-bushing-eliminates-needle-bearing.html

Lots of info in this thread:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/front-diff-vibes-ecgs-bushing-fix.464941/

 

Thank you...I have read the ECGS fix but I'm told that this thread and alllllllll these people don't know what they are talking about. I'm considering taking my truck 150 miles to another dealership to see if they are more helpful and willing to at least talk about the ECGS fix. Also, when coming to a slow stop the transmission clunks as if I got rear ended. I was told the yoke must be gritty.

 

Lets slow down for a minute.

The vibration coming from the front that goes away in 4H typically occurs after lift and is a result of the needle bearing failure (salesman is right so far). There is no fix coming soon (or at all) and Toyota's replacement bushing is essentially the same and will result in the same failure.

Everything that happened between initial diagnosis and now is a result of POOR dealership customer service and not a Toyota corporate thing. Your Toyota warranty likely does NOT come into play for this issue since it was lifted by the dealer. What the dealer should do is install this bushing for you to stop the problem. Obviously they are either unaware of the ECGS bushing or are trying to brush you off. Your goal now should be to educate them on the problem and solution, and lead them toward fixing an issue that they caused by lifting the truck. If they don't play ball you'll either need to do the install yourself or find an independent shop to do it. ECGS installs them for a couple hundred dollars (great deal considering the cost of the parts).

YOU DO NOT HAVE A LEMON. You bought an improperly lifted truck by a slimy dealer.

@beergeek beat me to the punch but your answer is here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/front-diff-vibes-ecgs-bushing-fix.464941/ and in the link to ECGS's site that he posted.

OA

 

This is what I keep reading and it sounds like I will have to go 150 miles to another dealership to see if they will help me as this dealership has deemed me difficult to deal with. Day 1 my hubs said the lift didn't feel or sound like it was properly installed as it made the most god awful sounds when driving over humps but it has now quit that sound. I am told constantly the lift was done by the best of the best....lol. My salesman, which is also my brother, is put in a very difficult position here. He has told me from the beginning this is a known issue in 3 different Toyota models and that there is a "fix" coming by way of replacing the entire front end. But I believe you and everyone else on here and not my brothers bosses. He dropped off my truck last night and it hasn't made that vibration sound yet. Im wondering if I can see what kind of fix they did on Toyota Care since I can't get a straight answer out of the dealership. The transmission still clunks as if we've been rear ended when coming to a slow stop. My brother drove it and felt it and I was told this morning thats because the yoke is gritty. Well, Christmas ought to be interesting this year.

 

The clunking likely isn't from the transmission but from the driveline (so the slip yoke comment is valid). What makes this difficult is they clearly have some idea what the problems are (more than most) - they just have half the answers or are copping out. Rather than pursuing another dealership I would go to a 4x4 shop or some independent mechanic you can trust. These aren't difficult issues to fix.

As for your brother...you better have gotten the best deal on the planet for a dealer lifted truck (which tend to be WAY over valued by the dealerships) or he needs a good shake down for toying with your money.

OA

 

Yeah I think he owes you an extravagant Christmas present for that one.

If you go to an indie shop, make sure you give them everything they need (save yourself some cost by procuring the parts yourself) and provide them with the install vid that ECGS put together (also on their site).

OA

 

You need a new brother. Take the advice given above. By the way I got $2,300 off my trd OR without even asking.

 

I like how in the first post you blame Toyota Corp for your lifted truck. The problems your having are a direct result of the lift that was performed by your dealership. I'm actually surprised that Toyota Corp was actually willing to do a temporary fix. Usually they say that any modified trucks have to be returned to stock and then we'll talk. Your right in that there is a tsb on a different bearing but it was meant to be used on a unmodified truck so it' not going to work for you.

 

When I said I was going to call Toyota Care I was told not to mention the lift...NOW I know why!!! :-( I had no clue that something that was done by the dealership would not be warranted. All I did was show up and picked out a truck and drove away. I didn't ask for anything extra to be done. I liked the truck the way it sat on the lot. I assumed,,,,cough cough,,,that if I bought it brand new off the lot everything would work. I was never made aware that the lift job they did would or could have issues. I blamed Toyota because my brother and every single one of his boss' tell me its Toyota and not them....constantly from day one. Last night he sat in my house and still blamed Toyota, said they would love to help but it's the Toyota Corp not them and they just feel awful about the whole thing. I said what if you or your boss bought this truck? What would you guys do? He said nothing until it comes back 3 times then its considered a lemon. Thats just the way it is and it's not as simple as just trading it in for one that works and that I must wait for Japan to send me a whole new front end whenever they decide that they come up with a fix. I can't make this up....lol...I called bull snot last night and I still do even more now that I'm finally getting straight answers from complete strangers. Every thing I've been saying has come straight from the dealership. No wonder every time I say something to Toyota Care they ask me where I'm getting all this from.

 

Wow what a mess. If I were you I would go see a lawyer. The dealership is at fault by not disclosing to you that the Toyota warranty could be effected. I would also give Toyota customer care a call and explain what's going on. Be completely honest. Toyota Corp will be very interested because this is a fraudulent act by one of their dealer's. As far as your brother is concerned, look at it this way, he's more concerned about himself then the situation he's put you in. Do what's best for you.

 

Save yourself some time and install/pay someone to install your ecgs bushing that you will end up purchasing anyways, I did.

 

Just talked with my brother and he insists they will take care of it. He was highly upset with the answers I got from this thread which tells me they are in the wrong. He insists that Toyota recommends they do lifts and that it is more common in trucks not lifted but I'm not buying it any more. They are refusing to use ECGS parts. He also warned me from telling Toyota care or putting after market parts on elsewhere. They changed the bushing yesterday and so far so good but if my truck starts the noise again I will go directly to my lawyer which he also insists will get him fired but like I told him...what if your wife bought this truck? Never been so bummed and stressed in my life over a brand new truck. I honestly thought I was going to have a stroke yesterday due to this mess.

 

Wow, unreal. If that thing starts making noise again, keep taking it back, screw them, go for the lemon law. Your brother has to realize that this is bs, it’s just not right. Hope everything works out for you.

 

Hmm crappy situation...what brand lift did they install?

If your gonna install the ECGS might as well take out the crappy lift they put in the truck as that's probably the sound your hearing. Im sure it's some cheap lift install as many dealerships do and mark up the price tag. I would rather buy a set of stock offroad TRD sport or TRD Off road suspension and eliminate any other headaches down the road.

If you don't want to lose the lift get a set of Bilstein 5100s and lift to your likings.

Good luck.

 

I really appreciate all the answers you all have been very helpful. I am wondering if I can get more info on this yoke slipping issue and what can be done about it as the dealership says they didn't witness it but my brother did.

 

I'm not sure of the brand of the lift...I'll have my hubs take a look. We have a friend that owns an accessory store in town and I could tell by the look on his face when he checked it out that it wasn't good. I think right now anyways, that we will live with the troubles and keep taking it back until I either get them to switch the truck or my lawyer will. I will never buy another lift done by the dealership. What a crappy lesson but I have learned.

 

It sounds like a spacer lift then. That's not good if you plan on doing a lot of offroading, but is fine for a pavement only truck. It's certainly not doing suspension the "right" way, but is usually what dealers do to add more cost to the sticker sheet as a rip-off to buyers. Parts for a spacer lift are super cheap, I've seen them for $100. $250 max if you get a main brand. They're easy to install too, but seem daunting to someone who's not a truck person, so the spacer lift usually adds $1k or so to sticker.

If they did the ECGS install, the problem is likely gone for good. A new stock needle bearing might be good forever, or it might fail. Lots of people do lifts without the ECGS bushing and have no issue, lots of people do the lift without it, and then later have to install it. You really won't know until you've driven it for a while.


I paid, including tax and tag, $34,000 for my truck. It had a lot of options, so the sticker (MSRP) was $38736. Paying tax and tag on that would have put the truck at over $40k. I drove over 3 hours away for it, and the truck had been on the lot for well over a month, so I got a deal. Have no illusions about it, people do negotiate down on Tacomas. You probably won't see much negotiation on a TRD PRO, but just a TRD you should be able to definitely get below MSRP, ESPECIALLY if your brother works at the dealership. I think your brother may have taken advantage of your kindness some.


Your clunking could be the suspension being improperly tightened too, I've seen that on a truck (not a taco) with a dealer lift before. It's impossible for us to tell without looking. Anyways, the bottom line here is, the dealer, especially with your brother involved, will do the best they can to make it seem as though they are innocent, both to protect themselves and to protect your relationship with your brother. People take vehicles for granted, and therefore safety for granted. You need to take it to an independent shop (Not Jiffy Lube, find a well-reputed shop on Google or ask in your local regional forum) to make sure everything checks out and is safe to drive. I've seen a lifted Jeep XJ lose an axle on the road because a shop didn't tighten the lower control arm and the bolt wiggled out. You don't want that happening on your shiny new truck.

 

Ok, that is a lot of good info too. My hubs and I may just have it checked by an accessory shop just to see whats going on before we continue to drive it. Ive been told it's safe by the dealer but have zero confidence
in them at this point. I've been worried about the safety since day 2. Day 1 I bought it at 6pm and just drove it home and parked it. Its been 7 months of being worried about driving this brand new truck. Crazy. I swear if I have a stroke I'll print this entire thread off and take it to the lawyer. :-/

 

Post some pictures of the truck. I'm sure some people on here can identify the lift for you and offer some more guidance based on that.