3rd Gen Poll: Rear End Noise howling when feathering throttle

Bitter much? You are sounding like numerous members (before they were permabanned) with your incessant, and repetitive complaint posts. This forum is a place to complain, sure, but not every single post. Your posts are exactly the same. No deviation.

You have options. You own the vehicle, not Toyota. You CHOOSE not to exercise those options. Why you don't lemon law your truck yourself is beyond me. Regular people without lawyers do it all the time, it just takes awhile. I understand why you don't trade. You are upside down on your note, but that is on you, not Toyota. Seriously man, good luck and I hope you get some kind of resolution but the constant posts in this thread do nothing. I read any updates in this thread hoping to get news of a TSB or a valid solution but all I get is your same post about how Toyota screwed you.

Again, good luck and if it gets too bad, do something to get rid of it. Please.

 

You nailed that on the head---I was thinking the exact same thing but decided to just ignore it.

 

I've posted this before and I'll post it again.

Had the howl. Had two mechanics listen to it (non-dealership) and tell me it was most likely nothing to worry about - but to keep and eye out for certain behaviors.

It's my hunting rig and an activity vehicle for my wife. We decided to upsize the wheels and tires and the gears - 4.88. Took it to a very reputable rear end specialist who listened to it pre-swap and also said - "probably nothing to worry about, it's not uncommon in Toyotas."

Regardless, we asked the shop to take a look at the old gears for signs of wear or impending failure. They walked me through what they saw - nothing....no signs of wear, tear or damage. They had some theories on the cause of the noise, but this thread has enough misdirections, theories and WAGs - doesn't need another one. At the end of the day, they told me exactly what hiPSI has been saying - "it's probably just a noise".

Or at least in my case it was.

As for the other complaints, about half my miles are trekking from the Bay Area to mountainous points north and east. No problems with the hills weighted down with my gear and the dogs gear. I put it in ECT mode and she downshifts when she needs to and passes on uphill climbs when need be.

I've listened to all the back and forth about the various gens and have made it a point to test drive 2nd gens when I come across them. My ear is pretty well tuned to the "howl". Several of the ones I've driven have it. Whatever has been going on with Tacomas and rear end noises, it has been documented that it goes back to at least 2002.

Also, I cannot really tell a discernible difference between the 4.0 and the 3.5...which is odd for all the bullshit and complaining going back and forth between the two. I honestly expected a night and day difference.

 

The only difference I can gather is the low end torque from a 4.0 to a 3.5. Again, it's not a huge deal breaker for me as I already knew this BEFORE I bought my truck... So you won't hear me complain about anything that should have been filtered out from a test drive.

 

I really appreciate the number of opinions, suggestions, and general conversation on the Tacoma rear differential howl or noise as some seem to prefer. I would also say thanks to those of you who were willing to share the specifics of their new Tacoma regarding the rear differential howl/noise. It's also interesting to read some conclude Toyota and their dealerships have our best interest at heart.

Admittedly, I am at a complete disadvantage here. I've only driven three new Tacomas, two were 2018, and one a 2017, all with less than ten miles, so have not head/experienced the howl/noise documented in this TW thread for myself.

I visit this 3rd gen thread because I'm proactive and I want, and expect, to know as much as I can about what I'm buying before I buy it, especially for a vehicle. And, just as Tacowin1013 already knew about the lack of low end torque from the 3.5 engine before he made his purchase, I want to know what to expect from a 2018 Tacoma before I own one. I have read every 3rd gen thread all the way through at least twice to arm myself with as much info as possible before actually buying. My goal is not complaint based, but rather to get as much info as possible and determine if a fix to the diff howl/noise can/will happen before I end up with the problem myself.

Again, I really appreciate the the opportunity to learn from 3rd gen owners, thanks

 

My brothers 18 had this. Was very noticeable. Took the truck back, got his money back, all that good shit. Trying to decide what to buy now.

 

You answered questions I have had all along. If mechanics (not technicians) at an automotive shop that specializes in differentials were not concerned about reliability issues, that settles the issue for me. My Tacoma has close to 22,000 miles on it and the noise is not any louder than when new. If I don't feather the throttle, there is no noise. I would rather not hear it, but it is not the end of the world.

 

I just purchased my 2018 TRD OR 4x4 DCLB AT Sunday (build date unknown) and it instantly had a howl from the rear diff, so we're talking about 40 miles on the truck when I first noticed it, now with less than 200 miles its at the dealer. Howling occured while decelerating from highway speeds from 55-50mph. The dealer acknowledged there was an issue related to the rear diff and are replacing a component. I'm not sure if they are replacing the entire diff or just a certain component at this time, but they are fixing something and have given me a rental. I will keep you all posted as to exactly what they replaced on the repair sheet once I get it and if it fixed the howl.

Edit to include when howling noise occurs.

 

My howl is there even if I stay on the gas - feathering has nothing to do with it for me. It goes away when I lift off the gas, and comes back when back on the gas.

 

They have to replace the entire preassembled diff assembly, there is no one part to fix within the diff.

 

Exact same thing occured with my truck, the new diff is little quieter but still noisy and not acceptable.

 

Yup! 2017 TRD pro 6 speed manual built in 2017. 62 MPH starts to howl and I back off it stops. I was wondering about that noise!
Sounds like this is a common Tacoma issue. I'm guessing it's the read diff. Ugh...great. Has Toyota identified this as a defective rear differential or
something else?

 

Welcome to the club!

 

So, update on my 2018 DCLB Sport....now have 1000 miles on it and when listening close the whine is there. If I weren’t listening close I probably wouldn’t notice it. So far it isn’t anything that bothers me...hopefully though it won’t become like my 2016 DCLB Sport which was MUCH worse and had progressed to the point that it was there all the time above 55mph like barcelona’s

 

My neighbor took the same return action 48 hours after he took delivery of his 2018. Rear end howl was the issue for his return and he received no hassle during the return.

Both my neighbor and I want another 3rd gen Tacoma, but it looks like we will sit on the sideline until at least the 2019 model in hope that quirks are resolved.

 

Just don't understand why they won't address this.

 

It's not a safety concern at this point. Other than a howling noise, there really aren't any other 'known' issues or possible damages so my guess is Toyota is letting it ride until further notice. A TSB has been in the works allegedly but my guess is it's for noise reduction.

 

I know this has been beaten to death on here, but I still don't think a new vehicle should sound like that.

 

I agree with you, and I'm not justifying it but would you feel better if, at 120k you had the same howl and no other issues? My point is that none of us really know what the exact problem is, what the possible long term issues are.

 

I know. Just kinda seems like Toyota doesn't give a shit.