2013 Engine Vibration through Steering Wheel at Highway Speeds and during gear down

I'm curious as hell to see what T does about this whole bs with rear suspension/driveshaft issue , which I firmly believe is related to suspension design alone.
Doubt any driveshaft will ever fix the issue without going to a spring-under suspension or aftermarket springs .
Fighting with my '08 Certified Used POS right now too...
Sarge

 

So today was the day I got to drive another DCSB TRD 4x4 at the dealership, and........that had the vibration through the steering wheel also. In my opinion (and not just me holding on to the issue), the vibration did not seem as bad in this new truck as it is in mine, but it was definitely still there. So what we are dealing with is an issue with the truck design and not a fault with my specific truck. I had a much better than I expected discussion with the dealer service manager and he was understanding, though conceded that there is little that he can do. In his opinion the truck is operating as intended so there is no fix he can make, and Toyota wont cover any of his service tech's time to look at it given that there is no actual issue. It comes down to an issue with the design of the truck.

I am due to follow up with Toyota again tomorrow and I am going to find out how to formally register a complaint so that hopefully this issue can get looked at. For example, for the 15-25mph vibration issue there must have been something that made Toyota decide that they wanted to look into it and propose a fix. I am hoping that the same can happen here. If you are a 2013 Tacoma owner who is experiencing vibrations through the steering wheel can I encourage you to Private Message me through this board. I figure if there are a few of us having issues it will add weight to the argument. @Tacozilla, please PM me so we can exchange some information. Also, if you haven't already filed a case with Toyota we can chat about that.

 

I have a 2008,double cab short bed and is very smooth

 

I got my truck back yesterday, after the dealership had it for 8 days.

The service rep I spoke to on Tuesday told me that, after my driveshaft came back from being tested by their specialist, the dealership wasn't happy with it, and that Toyota told them to order and install a new one.

Yesterday (Wednesday) around lunchtime I got a call from the service technician (not the rep) to say that the truck was finished and ready to go. I was surprised that the call came so early in the day, given what I was told on Tuesday.

It turns out that the service rep had misinterpreted what she read on her computer screen. What she should have told me was that IF the specialist found a problem with the driveshaft, THEN they would order a new one.

I might add that the service rep wasn't on top of her game at all. I hadn't heard from the dealership since Friday, so I called on Tuesday afternoon and supposedly caught her off guard (she was out sick on Monday). She read--incorrectly--what was on her computer screen. Had someone been giving me daily updates, like they did last week, that might not have happened.

Anyway, the dealership and Toyota were satisfied with the results of the specialist's tests on the driveshaft, and they reinstalled it in my truck. For those of you who might understand this crap, here's the description of the of the specialist's findings: (This is a direct quote from the paperwork, and it was written in all capital letters)

"FRONT SHAFT OUT .016 @ TUBE YOKE, MIDDLE TUBE OUT .003, CARRIER BEARING OUT .001 REAR SHAFT TUBE YOKE OUT .005, MIDDLE TUBE OUT .015, REAR TUBE YOKE OUT . 005."

I take the word "out" to mean "out of alignment" ?? If anyone knows anything about this, I'd appreciate a translation.

The Tech said that these numbers were all within acceptable tolerances. Therefore, Toyota would not authorize replacing the driveshaft.

So, at this point they've done everything they know to do. Short of Toyota redesigning the powertrain to eliminate the problem, there's nothing else they can/will do at this point.

Oh, by the way--one of the fixes on the TSB was to replace the leaf springs. When they did this, the vibration worsened. So in the end, they put the original leaf springs back.

I've been assured that Toyota has full documentation of this whole mess, and that if/when they come up with another "fix" they'll let me know. Yeah, just like they let me know about the current TSB!! I found out about it here on TW and had to call them. I know--it's not a "recall," so they were under no obligation to tell me. But still, they'd had my truck in once before (for 3 days) to mess around with the issue, so they were well aware that I would be eligible for the "fix."

So, I have a brand new truck with under 4,000 miles on it that I'm extremely disappointed with. It definitely takes away all the fun of having a new vehicle. My main concern is that over time this issue will cause undue wear and tear on the drivetrain, and diminish the overall value of the truck. I sold my '03 Tundra for 8 grand when I bought the Taco, and I was very happy with the resale value. I'm not so sure I'll have that to look forward to with the Taco in another 10 years. :-(

 

I think the out measurements they are quoting mean run out. That is the amount the parts vary from the rotational axis. With out reading through the complete thread again, does the vibration vary with vehicle speed or engine speed?

It seems to me that it is time to explore some other possible causes and or another service department.

If road speed related:

Did they balance the drive shaft?
Have they checked the tires thoroughly? Not only balance but a road force test which could point out problems with the tires construction. How aggressive is the tread pattern? Would they consider putting different tires on?
Are the front and rear wheel bearings good? Is the rear diiferential OK? An easy way to check bearings is to use a mechanics stethoscope and listen for a grr, grr ,grr or such sounds that would indicate roughness when the assemblies are rotated.

If engine speed related:
Have all the accessory drive components and pulleys been checked.
I don't know about this particular engine but back in the day V-8s had a harmonic balancer built in to the front crank pulley and they sometimes went bad causing a higher frequency vibration.

Just something's that come to mind. Sorry you're having this problem. It may be time to escalate. Have you contacted Toyota Corporate? Has the district rep actually driven your truck?

 

Another thought. Is there something in the steering column or shaft that is not isolating the steering wheel from vibrations. They have a TSB out about clunking, maybe there is another problem with the intermediate shaft and the rubber coupler in between the two sections of the intermediate shaft.

Bad motor mounts that are not isolating the engine from he frame properly?

 

I too have this slight vib going on as I have mentioned in prior posts. I have read alot on here regarding the TSB , Dealers, drive shafts, tires, steering wheel dampener steering shaft isolator TSB, engine and tran mounts or isulators as the dealer calls them, etc etc etc.

I have never read on here that any of these worked after the dealer did whatever they did. Very few have had sucess with driveshaft replacement with an after market one piece. (but I really doubt it or the dealer would have done something with the driveshafts)

At least you have had it all documented by the dealer. Logic tells me that these complaints come from all parts of the United States. Florida, Caifornia, PA, new york, so one must assume that toyota does know about these issue. With all the the dealers submitting documents, appointments with toyota reginal reps, emails, phone calls, etc etc etc.

So toyota is either not going to do something about it or their engineers are not able to figure out (isolate) the issue. I do not think that toyota does not want to do something about it after all they could not afford another recall, so it would be in their best interest to do something. Now the speed in which they do it is another thing.

My suggestion is do what I have done. Just put the issue aside if you can and enjoy the truck. I know that everytime you get in there it is, but I have realized that its not going to get fixed as of now. So just enjoy the truck and try not to visit these posts regarding vibrations (enjoy the other stuff on here). Enjoy the truck, dont beat yourself with the frustration of it all, just move on from it. When you go into the dealer for service ask for any updates or recalls regarding the issues, and if not oh well.

 

It seems to have something to do with the exhaust resonance. Long story short- I did not have this resonant vibration originally. When I was under my truck lurking around, I noticed that the alignment of the flange on the passenger side second cat was offset from the flange on the crossover pipe, and the gasket was leaking. I put a new gasket on and lined up the flanges exactly and torqued them. I picked up the vibe that you describe at idle, and between 45-50 mph. I bought a new gasket, repositioned the flanges back to the offset they were originally at, and it is smooth again. Not saying this is your exact issue, but I think it has something to do with the strain on the pipe as it is assembled.

 

My 2013 4x4 TRD is as smooth as glass at 90 plus but has a vibration and growling in town speeds.

 

Agreed! Again somebody over analyzing something, could be a problem with your arm too!

 

With it being so late in the game on this model Toyota is not going to issue a TSB for this. A recall will only be issued if it is safety related.

 

I too have a 2013 TRD Tacoma and when I reach Highway speeds I notice a Vibration that makes the passenger seat shake or bounce. It all started when I had to get new tires. I now have the stock tires back on my truck,3rd set, which are the BFG's Rugged Trail TAs but it still happens. After several trips to the Dealer they told me it's as DESIGNED. However, they NEVER drove the truck like I had explained so I don't think the really saw or felt what I was experiencing. I'm now experiencing a Vibration in the steering wheel in getting to those speeds as well. I'm at the point that I feel Toyota knows of the problem and just doesn't want to take care of it because it will cost them. I'm thinking about talking to a Lawyer to see what options I have.

 

If it started after new tires were installed I think going back to the tire installer would be a good place to start.