Tacoma Oddities

I purchased a 2023 Tacoma TRD Off Road on Feb. I previously owned a 2007 Altima and 1987 F250 diesel. My new Tacoma is my first adventure in new vehicle technology.

I have religiously watched YouTube about all the frustrations with the Tacoma and mods to include lifts, suspensions, pedal commander and tunes so I’m familiar with these topics.

After driving the Tacoma, for the most part I love the truck. I do miss my F250 but enjoy the comforts of this new truck. But there are things that drive me crazy and honestly make me wonder if something is wrong with the truck. Am I going crazy? Is this the normal routine?

I swear the truck drives differently every time I get behind the wheel.

The gas pedal is sometimes mushy and not responsive and sometimes it works as expected. The shifting sometimes feels great and sometimes feels bogged down and in too high of a gear when driving around town. Driving at 45 sucks. I’m either too low or too high.

God forbid if I need to make a quick move on the highway. I’m going to get run down. This is the scariest part.

Sometimes at idle the truck shutters and feels like it’s going to shut off and sometimes it idles smoothly.

Sometimes it wants to surge with my foot on the brake. I Feel like the thing wants to drive itself.

Lastly the suspension. For a truck I would expect to not feel the weight of 4 passengers but I do notice a handling difference. Also notice a difference when I had 9 bags of mulch in the back. I realize heavier duty springs would help but thought this truck could handle more without disruption in performance. I can’t imagine how crappy the ride is with these mall crawlers running around with their roof top tents, etc as they commute to their 9 to 5 job.

I guess I will get accustom to this new world and suck it up. I just wish there were a way to have a consistent ride experience and have this darn truck GO when I push the gas pedal. LOL.

 

I idle for an hour every day at lunch- eat in my truck. I get the stumbling part as well- 2023 with 8k miles. I know that these trucks do a "dieseling" which is when the port and direct injection do a decarbonizing process. That's also why they sound like a diesel sometimes.

 

Welcome to the forum. Couple of things, the these computer controlled monsters do “learn” as you drive so over time they can feel a bit different, many people here have had a tune done and say it makes the truck drive the way it should have from the factory. Finally, they are a bit quirky as mentioned with cleaning cycles, torque converter klunking, axle wrap, and other reported oddities. After just over 6 years in mine I still love it but some of the quirks drive me nuts.

 

Drive it in S mode at all times, it turns off the adaptive b/s, and somewhat tames the go pedal's split personality.

 

Welcome to TW! Tacos are a completely different animal. Maybe you can get your F250 back.

 

It's a midsize truck, not a F250, you are going to feel nearly 1000lbs of weight in the cab... same with a bed of mulch. If im driving around with a cab full of people I usually turn on ECT Power to help with acceleration from stop.

This is why people get tunes. However, you just got this truck in Feb so you may still be in the 'learning' phase, how many miles? I don't think my trucks acceleration truly worked itself in until about 5-8k miles in, and has continued to get better (no tune, 25k miles and i don't plan on getting a tune for now, its acceptable to me).

I don't have the idle issue at all.

 

i came from a ram 2500. even after owning a toyota pickup, chevy colorado, and ford ranger, i too find the driving and handling characteristics of the tacoma to be inconsistent and odd at times.

many on here have written this truck is not for everyone. i agree, and the longer i own it the more i realize it may not be for me. the upside is they hold their value and should i decide to sell, it should be easy especially with the recent release of the G4.

there is no question you will feel the weight of 4-people in any mid-size truck. that should not be a surprise and is something you will need to get used to and accept.

the gas pedal response, surging, and shudder you describe may be something you should have the dealer look at. but, before i would do that i would try different fuel and drive it for a while, especially on the highway and not just short trips and stop/go traffic. it may improve on its own.

good luck.

 

Congrats and great choice trim/color btw.

Shifting will seem to argue w you early on, as it attempts to adapt to your particular driving style. That’s probably the most sophisticated part of this truck, which, ironically yields the most complaints.

Otherwise, while technically brand new, the bones of your truck go back 20yrs. There’s some occasional vibrations, noises and clunks that surface, all while it happily & reliably motors its way to a gajillion miles. Most get used to it, some get bitter. No wrong answer either way. Good luck!

 

I find that these trucks are sensitive to gasoline quality. What brand of fuel do you use ?

 

Huh, I thought that was the Atkinson cycle. No real data though.

 

there's a sticker in the doorjamb of all vehicles sold in the US, it clearly display's it's weight capabilities of that specific vehicle. Next time take a few seconds to inspect before you buy.

 

Thanks all. I’m sure with time things will work out. I haven’t owned a new vehicle in 16 years so things are just different, but some of these comments are very helpful and make sense. Just seems like computer technology would do a better job more efficiently and effectively. Maybe too sensitive for a truck. Pros and cons. Trade-offs we accept. I truly enjoy the truck and think it looks great. There plenty of options to fine tune. I get it. Just more $$$. I will keep it stock for now. I get tons of positive feedback.

 

9 bags of mulch can weigh anywhere between 200 and 700 pounds depending on how wet it is. Please don’t tell me you thought this was like an F250.

 

No sir.

 

I came from a 1994 Chevy K2500 Suburban Silverado 6.5 turbo diesel to my brand new 3-2017 Tacoma and there are no realistic comparisons between the two. On both, I can feel the difference between empty fuel tank and full fuel tank.

Do not pussy foot the throttle pedal and do not lug this high-revving V6 like you did in your Ford, doing so makes the truck have "problems".

 

your in luck. drive with ECT on all the time.
i installed the "ECT on at start up" mod and have been driving with it on for 6 years.

there will be posters here that say it makes no difference, not in my case.

try it for a day, but each time you start the truck you have to turn it on.

 

The good news is, the 4th gen is right around the corner - most likely will fix all of the drivetrain issues of the underpowered 3rd gen

 

Funny isn’t it?