Jerks at 45-50 mph, transmission suspected

Tune it. My Cousin's new Pro drives great but I feel it some, it would benefit greatly with a tune.

 

Agree with tuning it. As you can tell by my bio I recommend KDMax and can point you to the person you'd want to contact based on your location.

However,
Do check your fluid level. A shudder, which I know as the feeling of driving over rumble trips momentarily when you're cruising at a steady speed will be helped by a tune but is a mechanical fault. If you catch it early then usually a transmission fluid change will sort you out. If you let it shudder for too long then it will compromise the torque converter. How long is too long? Not sure. I'd say a shudder is a medium priority repair. Don't book an appointment tomorrow but next time you get paid and your bills are paid, get it sorted out.

For just the hunting and bogging down of the wrong gear at the wrong time, a tune will for sure sort you out. Check out the performance section to see and get more info on the various ones

 

They all do it. They people claim theirs doesn't just haven't felt it yet.

 

Yep. I think it is because if left in drive, it is in overdrive at 1100 rpm's or so at 40-45 mph. It is making no horsepower or torque at that rpm/speed, so it will shudder. If I am driving for any extended length of time on 35-45 mph speed limit roads, I just put it in s4, problem solved, for the most part. Engine makes all of it's power upstairs, it needs to rev a bit. If it stays around 1700-2000 rpm's for any given speed, it drives pretty smooth. If this truck had an 8 or 10 speed transmission, with appropriate gearing, everyone would rave about it's performance.Guys rave about how quick the ecoboost rangers are, this truck would be just as quick, or quicker with same transmission. Food for thought.

 

Many new cars do this. They are always trying to be in the highest gear at low rpms. My girlfriend's jeep grand Cherokee does the same thing.

 

Our leased acadia did a tiny bit but it not like this tacoma. The 4.0 4runner does it a tiny bit too but it doesn't bother me like this taco.

I am going to try S4 today in my ripping around town.

 

So true. Manufacturers are trying to squeeze every last drop of fuel mileage they can, takes the fun out of driving!

 

Ha ha! Keep 'er between the ditches!

 

My initial reaction was to say that OP was lucky. - I run into Jerks at all sorts of speeds, not just at 45-50 mph!

1200 Rpm under load is definitely lugging range. I could probably produce more horsepower pedaling that the 3.5 at that RPM /Gearing combination.

^This

My 21 does not either. (with a manual gearbox ) But I could make it do that if I wanted to...

 

I solved every complaint I had in one good drive today. You have to drive this thing like a stick shift Japanese car.

Forget "D" exists. S4 up to 40. S5 above 40. S6 or the otherwise useless "D" for highway only. The D is for the Douche computer trying to decide for a DRIVER.

If someone makes a plate that just takes away "D" and skips the handle over to S I'll buy it. It doesn't even need to be there. LOL.

I grew up driving nothing but sticks (2 Escorts, 1 Sentra, 1 Civic, 2 Wranglers, Peterbilt rig, 12 motorcycles) and that is what these should be.....6 speed sticks. Total total total BS that you have to get some stupid arse package to get a stick. But you can drive this one just like a stick IF IF you know how to drive a stick in the first place! Maybe it should be called clutchless stick.

It is nice that "S" defaults to 4. Then just 5 and 6 all day. New old school.

This ALSO MORE OFTEN keeps you out of the "annoying" range of the exhaust note because you are not throttling so often in an attempt to just go! Win. Win.

I am keeping it and love it again after today.

NO TUNE NEEDED AT ALL JUST DRIVE IT. The only way I would get a tune is if it was dirt cheap and simply gave me S4 to 40 S5 to 55 and S6 above.

The ECT does not do as good as above! It is for pulling and that is clear.


I totally get how people could mistake this silly D which should be named OverDrive for an excuse to hate this truck.

Called and disabled DCM too...no bars for you!!


I did swing by my buddies though and THOROUGHLY compared his new Frontier in every way for over a hour.

I tell ya what it would be a TOUGH call if you were looking at both new and had to decide! Brutal decision. We agreed it can't be called.

I kinda like the Nissan better just because of 4 wheel disks.

 

What did u use to measure the amountt of fluid that was in the transmission?

 

Pumped a quart into the overfill plug, put it into temp check mode (video), pulled the overfill plug until it slowed to a dribble.

The first fill nothing came out. Added one more quart, about 600ml came out that time. Truck drives smoother, shimmies in 6th still, and drive line noises and clunks here and there sometimes. It sped up the shifts and smoothed out take-offs and coasting. When it slipped from 3>4 I knew something was up which made me check it.

Fyi I emailed Scotty Kilmer and he said one quart low shouldn't hurt it for such short mileage, his rationale is there is already 9qts+ present in the system. From what I understand heat kills clutch packs?

 

If the dealer is telling you it's normal they just don't know how to fix the problem, or they are waiting for your warranty to expire to gladly take your money. People aren't going to buy a new truck that shutters going down the road. And not all Tacomas do it. So there is something going on in some trucks and not others. Some Tacomas have been know to come from the factory with low trans fluid levels in them. Check that first. I didn't catch your mileage but if you have over 60K miles it is due for a fluid change. That's the 2nd most likely cause of the shudder. And if it happens at ~45mph, that is when the torque converter locks up. It could be the shudder cause. Find the electrical connector on the trans for the TCC and disconnect and test drive. No shudder, problem is in the converter circuit. But not necessarily a bad converter. Could be the trans module needs re-flashed. But change that fluid and go from there. And FYI- the Powertrain warranty is less than the Emissions warranty. If the dealer points to your expired Powertrain warranty redirect him/her to the Emissions warranty. Many of the TSB's for shudder problems say the Emissions warranty covers it.

 

Absolutely shocks me, I had a brand new 2020 Trd sport and at the time my truck was so bad with this it would shake the entire truck when steadily cruising under light acceleration. I searched high and low for others having this issue, only thing I could find was people complaining of gear hunting. After a tune it still did it, no matter how many people o talked to back then nobody had an answer. Just now in 2023-24 I’m starting to see the proper description from other owners of what I dealt with. I I have a 2023 sr5 now doesn’t do this jerking AT ALL. thank god!

 

Exactly. Who is going to test drive a new truck, have it shake and shudder, and say, "I'll take it." If the problem didn't occur when it left the lot then something changed. Most likely cause is old trans fluid. I think the AC60 trans calls for a fluid change every 60K. People who add shudder fix may be just masking the problem.

 

Some do it terribly right off the lot. My 2020 Trd sport was one. I couldn’t wait to get rid of that truck it made it almost impossible to drive. The jerking was violent. Entire truck would shake and felt like you were getting rear ended over and over again. I pitty the owners going through this. All I know I’m so thankful my 23 sr5 doesn’t do this at all

 

Call me curious... Why would you buy a 2020 TRD right off the lot that jerked and shaked violently?

 

Didn’t notice it until the right road conditions were met, okay so litteraly 20 miles off the lot. Until you’ve expirenced don’t judge

 

Do you know how to fix the software problem?
. and the low tranny fluid level causing the shudder is a myth.

 

I think I’ll keep my 2.7 4 speed it’s a beauty. If I get a 3rd or 4th gen it will be a manual