When did transmission problems start with the 3rd gen?

I think some folks are getting the wrong idea about my comments, missing the point. The truck shifts fine after 4 or 5 software updates, there is no "transmission" problem. To me transmission problem implies something is broken. Does not shift, stuck in gear etc.

As for the steep hills, the hill used for example is a 30 mile long hill climbing 5,000 feet in that stretch. If in cruise and on a more level stretch of the climb, and then a slight incline is detected, the trannie will instantly jolt from 2,500 RPM to 5,500 RPM. It will stay at that 5,500 RPM, even if the next stretch is 2 miles of steeper hill.

If I take it out of cruise, I can drive the same stretch using just auto (no ect or manual mode) and it will get up that same stretch at 3,000 RPM.

The issue being, it would be nice to use cruise on the less steep stretches, especially since I am mostly alone when I drive this mountain highway. Seeing 5 other vehicles in an hour of driving is standard.

It is how the software relates to cruise. Because of how it performs on this hill you cannot use cruise at all. Even the smallest change to incline will cause it to smash up to 5,500 RPM and stay there. Get to the top of that incline and as it starts to level, it will stay at that 5,500 RPM and not decrease rpm.

The only other issue I have with the truck related to gear changes, is still some hunt and peck by the trannie even when driving 35mph on a flat. Ease my foot off the gas even slightly, and it can drop to 1,000 RPM and the softest touch back on the pedal can cause it to downshift and rev up to 4,000 RPM. That happens several times daily.

I am a way soft driver on city roads and highways. Seldom use my brake, I just ease off the gas when I want to slow. I drive at a very steady rate maintaining a steady speed, but the trannie can react very quickly with high rev's even when accelerating from a blistering 50 mph to 51 mph. Strange behaviour.

 

I'm with you OP. Cruise acts funny and holds high RPMs way too long. It's so bad that my GF that knows nothing about cars asks whats going on. We often joke about it and wait to see what the cars going to do.

It's a small inconvenience overall though and I still enjoy my truck. But this has nothing to do with gearing IMO. It's simply a fact of soft bottom end and funny programming of the cruise.

 

My old 2nd gen would bump down 2 gears and put me at least 5mph over my set CC limit whenever I encountered a slight incline (which is basically just the overpasses here) and wouldn't stop accelerating until halfway down the other side. I'd just gotten to the point where I'd cancel the CC just as it was about to drop the gears and turn it back on when I was at the crest. Similar experience with my dad's '11 Tundra.

Absolutely none of that bullshit with this new truck.

 

Here is the highway I mention in my post. This is what it looks like in winter if you are stuck due to an accident. It is 30 miles of this hill. In winter, multiple semi's are jack knifed off the road every day, and accidents can be pretty bad, a lot of deaths.

I was driving down one of the hills one time on way back from a summertime fishing trip. Guy passes me going down a very steep 5 mile stretch. I am doing 60mph, he passes at maybe 75mph. Very old one ton van, towing a 12 foot boat on a trailer, all the family inside. The loses control, crosses the highway back and forth several times, then hits the 3 foot high concrete rail. His van is hanging over the side, a 1,000 foot drop into a valley. The only thing that prevented him from going over the side was his boat and trailer that hooked up on the curb. On my last fishing trip coming home, again the steepest part. Very scary hill, but speed limit is 65mph. Two guys in full size pickups, with huge lift kits pass me doing about 100mph, the guy behind maybe 4 feet off the other guys bumper. Absolute insanity.

On another trip, we finally arrive home. In this picture you can see the tunnel the vehicles are approaching. Thirty minutes after we got through this tunnel, there was a 8 car pileup with 5 killed. That hill is so steep, that the semi's go down the entire length of the hill at 10mph. If they go faster they will lose it. This highway has multiple runaway lanes but they are not paved and they go basically straight up some mountainside. The runaway lanes are so steep, you would think twice about driving your Taco up one in first gear. I can't imagine having to use on of those driving a big commercial rig with a heavy load.

 

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I bet this dude has problems with his transmission.

 

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I bet this dude doesn’t...

 

It started when Toyota decided to stuff a high-revving small displacement Camry motor in a truck.

 

Or did they put a truck motor in a Camry?

 

On a road trip today actually. On cruise going through UT/WY/CO passes, my truck loves climbing grades in 6th, I mean 5th, nope, 6th, nah 5th. 4-5 shifts within about 7seconds, and I just put it in S5. Happened multiple times this morning. 20 mins later, just put it back in D.

Combination of grade, and 75+mph air resistance.
Can't win everything I guess. Otherwise, the radar cruise in my 19 is miles ahead of the 17 or even 18 I rented last (and earlier this) year.

 

I have experienced 0 problems climbing off-road, and there's no car than can keep up with me on the trails.

So much for the car engine in our truck theory, so there's that

 

2019 here and no shifting issues. In fact it has performed better the more I drive due to the learning trans.

 

I want in on those market tips....

 

Why do you guys care SO much if people bitch about their trucks? I've never seen so much energy wasted because someone has an opposing experience or opinion than you. Let it go and stop hating things you don't understand. If your truck drives perfect that's good for you. Hope you feel better calling people names, like Whiner over and over. Do you really have nothing better to do than pick on people that don't agree with you?

 

Truth.

(confirmed Camry owner. Car is fuckin truck)

 

Exactly what years of Toyota Tacoma or earlier pickup had a displacement larger than 3.5L? Exactly.....only the gas-guzzling 4.slow with its 5-speed tranny doing 7000rpm on the highway. No fuckin thanks on that POS!

 

This, in my opinion is quite correct. Here is the list of all the cars this engine is installed into. The Tacoma is the only truck. The rest are cars, mini vans, small SUVs. So yes, it is a car engine in a pickup.

Applications (calendar years):

• 2016-present Toyota Tacoma (GRN305/310/325/330)[9] 278 hp (207 kW; 282 PS)
• 2015-present Lexus GS 350 (GRL12/16)[10] 311 hp (315 PS; 232 kW)
• 2015-present Lexus RX 350 (GGL20/25)[11] 295 hp (220 kW; 299 PS)
• 2017-present Lexus LS 350 (GSF50) 318 hp (237 kW; 322 PS) (China)
• 2017-present Toyota Highlander (GSU50/55) 295 hp (220 kW; 299 PS)
• 2017-present Toyota Sienna (GSL30/33/35) 296 hp (221 kW; 300 PS)
• 2017 Toyota Camry (GSV70) 301 hp (224 kW; 305 PS)
• 2017 Toyota Alphard (GGH30) 296 hp (221 kW; 300 PS)
• 2018 Toyota Avalon (GSX50) 301 hp (224 kW; 305 PS)
• 2018-present Lexus IS 350 (XE30) 311 hp (232 kW; 315 PS)
• 2018 Lexus ES 350 (XZ10) 302 hp (225 kW; 306 PS)
• 2018 Lexus RC 350 311 hp (232 kW; 315 PS)

 

Uh no, it actually starts when people who drive cars decide they want to drive a truck that doesn't behave like a car

 

Mind blown. So true it hurts.