Exiting Tacoma / Push Button Start / Still in Gear

I have searched the TW site for this issue but cannot find so please forgive me if I have overlooked a thread that has addressed this. Before I go any further, I am the idiot that made this mistake and by not paying full attention to what I was doing, "it costs me dearly". A few weeks ago, I pulled into my driveway while on my phone via bluetooth. I sat for a few minutes and when I ended my call (this is where it gets ugly), I opened my door and when getting out, my Tacoma starting rolling backwards down the slight driveway decline. I tried to grab a hold and stop it but it had too much momentum. I started to "jump for it" but I quickly decided against that fearing previous horror stories of people getting hurt or even killed. So I watched my Tacoma roll down the driveway, across the street, down an embankment and into a heavily wooded area with pine trees. There were very few body parts that were not damaged. The driver door was actually ripped off as it went by a large tree. Also, the tow driver did more damage while getting it out but there was no other way to get it out. All is good now, my insurance company paid and I have a "first class" body shop nearby and my Tacoma was as if it were brand new again and never happened. I might add here that I bought my "new" 2018 White TRD-OR, 4WD, 2 months before this mishap. I have figured out that being used to having vehicles that use an actual key is why I made this mistake. In a "non push button start vehicle", when you exit your vehicle, the key will not come out of the ignition if the vehicle is still in "drive". On "push button start" vehicles, you can turn the vehicle off and get out, while it is still in gear. I have checked every setting I know to check and cannot find a way around this. Does anyone know of a way that the driver door will "not unlock" until the vehicle is put in Park? Before I get all the comments about it being an easy fix with the "door lock settings", you can customize the door lock setting to stay "locked" when putting in park, but the drivers door will always unlock when you pull on the handle (no matter what the setting are). BTW, the owner of the body shop told me that this has become a very common issue with push button start vehicles. Thanks for any help.

 

The drivers door unlocks for safety reasons. If you get caught in a stressful situation the designers want you to have an easy egress without worrying about door lock levers or knobs. With my truck when you leave it in drive and open the door a loud alarm/buzzer will sound. Does yours do this too? This is about the only warning I can think of that will prevent or warn you about what gear you are in.

 

Thanks OmegaMan... I haven't checked but I don't remember the alarm, but it is possible I was just simply not paying close enough attention and did not notice. I will check.... Thanks for the help!

 

Get in the habit of using your parking brake.

I feel like I've done this once on flat ground with the parking brake already engaged and the truck made that annoying beeping sound and I believe I received a dash display of some sort, but I could be wrong. Either way, it let me know it wasn't in park.

 

I set my e-brake everytime before I set it in park. It's a habit (I don't completely trust Pawls, and I hate the "thunk" sound when shifting out of park).

@TheWindowMan I myself have done that (forgot to put the truck in park and turn it off) but thankfully I always set e-brake before I put the truck in park. I am sorry to hear about your accident. I do not know of a work around, I don't think there is.

I run a valet company at a Hospital, many of the newer vehicles we get have push button transmission which are also push to start. When those vehicles are shut off, they automatically switch to Park. Maybe Toyota other manufacturers will go that way in the future. The Prius will also go into park when it's turned off, but that has a different shifting mechanism.

I'm sure you're not the only owner of any of Toyota's push to starts to have an issue like this. Good luck with the repairs.

 

Thanks for the replies...
I think the first thing I did when I got it back from the Body Shop was I taped me a note on the dash "SET PARKING BRAKE". I am now pretty much in the habit of setting it now before I turn off. I'm attaching some pics of the damage this "dumb mistake" I make caused. Take it from someone with experience, "get into the habit of setting your parking brake", whether you want to or not. Fortunately the Body Shop did some incredible work, they gave new meaning to "as if it never happened". I'm as anal and OSD as anyone I know and I looked at every square inch of it and I could not find one thing that they had to redo or adjust. Enjoy the pictures and have a good laugh on me because I'm use to it, I had plenty of friends and family to have fun at my expense.

 

Sorry that happened OP. Glad you can take the mistake like a champ. Good on you

 

For all the ribbing you got, I am sure the vehicle damage was a lot cheaper than something 'simple' like a broken arm, let alone getting seriously messed up.

I think your realistic best chance is to remove the automatic unlock feature on the door handle that moves the lever to unlock as you grab the inside door handle. I don't know how you do that, but I 'BET' that a simple piece of plastic trimmed off and you would be there.

My best recommendation, buy one of these ebay door handles (don't know if they fit but I bet they will at least give you a chance to break something that isnt your truck) and figure out what the mechanism is that forces the lock off when you pull the handle.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/112771289716
I bet it is the little tab circled...



Then just live with the knowledge that it will be harder to get out in an emergency.

 

Yeah, but the damn things beeps for EVERYTHING. My wife and friends all think it's funny. I will be figuring out for to disable that damn beeper in the near future. Can't leave my radio on with a door open. Anyway, that really sucks man. I can't give you a hard time because I have done similar (and I also had a tree incident last weekend before my first oil change). I was in a Bronco II when I was younger. Decided I needed to be further up the steep driveway. I thought I got it started, but it only turned over, not start. Put in in gear and started rolling backwards with the door open. I didn't have power brakes so by the time I got it stopped it rolled 10 or 15 feet back and the door bent all the way backwards on a basketball goal. That also crunched the fender.

 

Dang, you even got the fuel filler door!

I just had to give applause for going against primitive instinct and deciding against trying to save the vehicle. It's a harder choice than most people realize, when youre caught up in the moment.


Downside, that story will get retold at every family gathering from now on. Upside, at least it won't be printed in your obituary.

 

Another of my awesome fuckups was backing up my lifted xterra after Thanksgiving dinner. Did not see my brother's WRX right behind me. My hitch hit the upper part of his grill. Radiator, support, hood, grill all messed up pretty bad.

 

Man I can feel you on this one, I had a camper that I tried to move by hand, but like you it got away on me and went down my hill. No one was hurt but I was so upset with myself
I never use my E brake, should I?

 

We should turn this thread into a more fun "Massive screw ups from your past" thread. I bet we can all contribute.

 

theres this awesome thing in both autos, and manuals called a parking brake lever.. whenever you park.. give it a good yank.. no more crashy, crashy... learned this when driving stick.. i still use it reguardless of putting my truck in park.. habits! they are a good thing.

 

Good job, op, for sharing. It takes a strong person to share their mistakes like you did. Big kudos for not trying to save your truck at all cost. It could have resulted in a serious injury and shows good judgement.

 

Glad to see your truck back to looking like nothing ever happened, but those before pictures definitely hurt my soul.

 

Ran a call the other night for a guy that did something similar...only they didn't have the sense to let the truck go and paid for it. Could have been so much worse, so props for getting out of the way. Also had a similar conversation about technology solving "problems"...the human element will always "win".