Fed up with my Taco

Well I guess it's time to find something better. Good luck!

 

I am in the "other camp". I read about the "problems", asked the salesman about them. He knew nothing. I test drove a different Tacoma, for about an hour. Noticed nothing. Put a deposit on the one I have now, while it was still in transit from the factory. 42k miles later I am still waiting for it to act up. I plan to keep it another 5 years or so, probably to 120k miles, so it still has plenty of time to act up.

 

Isn't this place designed for exactly that? I mean it is a place to discuss and vent about this very truck. Got to take the good with the bad. My daily is a 5.3 Silverado because I was not happy with the 3rd gen so everyone has to make a decision but this forum is designed to discus Tacoma's. The good and the negative.

 

OR get a :

 

It has been fixed. My 2019 OR has no shifting issues.
This is one of those issues that I have conflicting feelings about. On the one hand I sympathize with those who have the issue and on the other I don’t because that’s what test drives are for.

I stayed away from Tacoma’s for a long time because although I liked everything else about the truck, I didn’t like the way my buddy’s ‘16 shifted. Fast forward to February this year when I was in the market for something with better mileage to replace my twelve year old Tundra.

I was at the local Toyota dealership not even intending to buy but just kind of browsing the new Tundras even though I knew I wanted something smaller this time. I was pretty set on buying a Jeep Gladiator and said as much when the salesman asked me to take out a Tacoma. I explained to him why I wasn’t interested and he encouraged me to try out one of the ‘19’s. Actually he welcomed me to take it out on the highway and put it through the paces.

I did and was very pleasantly surprised to find that the thing behaved like any other car or truck I was used to driving. No revving, no lurching, just smooth as silk. I took that same truck home with me that very afternoon and have been happy as a lark with it ever since. But the myth that “They all do it” lives on in the interwebz due to uninformed or just plain pissed off posters.

 

I like this quote of yours "Just drive it and let the vehicle do what it needs to do." The 3rd gen was built the way it behaves, I have no problems with my 2018 and I acknowledge when people reference the "issue". I never heard of someone being stranded due to REAL issues on the 3rd gen, people should go to GM and Ford forums and compare issues. You will fall in LOVE with the 2nd and 3rd gen Tacoma all over again!

 

whats the speed limit for trailers in your state? max speed limit with trailers here in cali is 55... so um.. why would you wanna go upwards of 80 mph with a trailer anyway? you know that could go south really fast right?

 

Buy a ranger. Way better truck anyways

 

and yet here you are bitching about other people bitching...

 

3rd gen automatic problems

shoulda got a manual.

happy Friday

 

You should have bought a Donkey, their more reliable and hold their value longer.

 

So what are test drives for? Sorry but I’m calling bullshit on those that say a test drive isn’t enough to pick up on it. Get on the highway, mash down on the skinny peddle, and you’ll immediately see the difference between the ones that have the issue and the ones that don’t.

 

I read all the replies and its obvious that I'm not alone in that others are having similar problems with their Tacoma's. I appreciate the intelligent comments which express possible solutions to making this truck more of what it should of been stock. And NO , I don't drive 80 mph towing...its just that I tried EVERY possible scenario while on the trip to overcome the problem and assumed if I carried enough speed than it would stay in a higher gear BUT it still would not pull the gearing even on flat ground, kept losing speed till it downshifted then upshift and repeat again and again, tried every possible combination without luck. I didn't come on here to bash the truck or anybody, just looking for others who may be experiencing the same issues. I can tell this forum has its share of total ASSHATS with nothing better to do than offer stupid replies which offer nothing constructive except their unbiased love for Tacoma's no matter what crap Toyota is pushing out the door. I have been driving over 44 years and have had the good fortune to own many fine vehicles ( probably over 25 new trucks of various makes and configurations for both business and pleasure)so I didn't just stumble into this rig as some might suggest, I am more that capable of discerning what makes a pickup truck good or bad and didn't use this truck outside the parameters of what its intended use would be from the manufacturer.

 

towing at 80mph... well there goes your fuel economy... try towing at 65-70mph... mileage goes to shit past 70mph anyways reguardless of towing but you get upwards of 18mpg... also try ETC, and read the manual, says to tow in s4 with ETC on.. most trailers are not meant/designed to tow past 65mph anyways (note this is why uhaul trailers have that 45mphmax speed limit signs on their fenders)

 

Most states dont have separate speed limits anymore. I was real bummed when I crossed the line into California this summer and saw that 55 mph sign... I usually like to cruise at 65-70 with mine.

 

Hey man, his been driving for over 44 years... so perhaps he knows whats his talking about. OK!

 

fastest i'll go is the same. about 65-70. but still.. check that shit out...

 

manual? We don’t need no stinking manuals...

 

2016s had a known issue when using cruise control, the truck would not upshift back to 5/6th after a downshift to 4th. TSB was released to address this issue. Did you have your trans fluid level inspected also? This requires a physical inspection and not a Techstream check.