23 TRD Sport

Good day fellow Tacoma owners. I’m Looking for advice or an explanation.
We bought a new 23 TRD sport late last year and now at 3500 miles. All stock. The truck drifts left.
it’s most noticeable on the highway. If I’m in the right lane, it’ll go straight for a while before giving into the road crown. Sometimes it will actually drift towards the center lane.
When I drive in the middle lane, the truck wants to go to the left Lane. I’m in the left lane. I’m fighting it.
The tires are feathered on the outer edges, and the truck has been to three different dealers for four alignments.
Each time toe has been off.
Each time I ask, they tell me there’s nothing wrong with the truck and Say it’s the road crown. When I asked them why the alignment is off every time they assume that we hit pot holes or go off roading.
We’ve actually called Toyota and all they do is call the last dealer we went to echoing the same.
We don’t off-road haven’t hit anything.
This is so frustrating that I don’t even wanna drive the truck anymore.

Has anybody had a similar experience or can make any suggestions?
Attaching alignments (numbered) 1st one was at 400 miles or so last one at about 3300

 

Try an independent tire/alignment shop. Dealers may be playing a CYA game.

 

Similar issue being talked about concurrently, good advice here

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/3rd-gen-alignment-issues.833869/#post-29878576

 

Post the alignment numbers, that will tell the story.



Also, I can't assume experience of prior vehicles. Tacomas do wander a bit compared to some cars, especially if on certain brands of tire or on heavy road crown.

 

Ideally you should wait 20'000kms for the suspension to break in.

Rotate your tires and if you have access to a jack, stands and a pry bar possibly I would check your front end for loose components like a ball joint.

Do post your alignment numbers, i'm guessing it is a negative toe issue if not a loose ball joint.

 

So here’s what I do. I pay for an alignment at a place like Belle Tire. I pay the extra 30 bucks and get the lifetime alignment. I can take it back in and get it aligned every six months I want. If your tires are feathered chances are they are junk. I’ve never had luck with dealerships and alignments. Ticket to a tire shop talk to them and explain your issues and tell them what you would like.

Safe to assume you’ve tried different roads in it pulls or as you say drifts left on multiple roads?

 

Thanks for all your responses. I’ll also check out the other forums

Attaching alignments (numbered) 1st one was at 400 miles or so-last one at about 3300

 

I had similar problem with my 23 sport except if drifted right ever so slightly. Dealer told me Toyota sets it that way as a safety issue , drift away from head on accident. Obvious bull. However I’m at 15000 and as of my last tire rotation and no other work it now tracks perfect. All I can say is good luck and mine was maybe a little more subtle than yours.

 

Have you checked your air pressure? Low pressure will cause feathering and cause pulling and drifting. I keep mine at 36 psi front (265/70r17)

 

Yes pressure is consistent at 30.
tire pressure should be 29 cold according to toyota

 

yes different roads. Mostly happens on highway at higher speeds.

 

Rotate your tires, verify your tire pressures cold and if that's good, try giving them this for a spec

Camber:+0.6* both sides
Caster: 2.25*(Left) 2.75*(Right)
Toe +0.04" on both sides.

Generally though for safety it is preferred that a vehicle drift right into the ditch instead of left into oncoming traffic. Not a rule but a general practise. These trucks also aren't the straightest tracking trucks by no means. I've played with my own alignment lots and have never been fully satisfied with how it drives. The spec I gave you is the most decent of what i've tried.

Not the answer you want to hear but if you want something that drives straight as an arrow get a Chevy. Their electric power steering compensation is fantastic. Driving into a 60kph crosswind and the truck will adjust and compensate in less than 5 seconds.... the rest of the vehicle is not as fantastic.

 

I think the answer is pretty simple IT ISN"T YOUR ALIGNMENT. There are a number of things that can cause it. Most likely candidate is the tires. Cross rotate the fronts. If the pull suddenly goes the other way, it is the tires.

 

Dealer switched left and right front. Did not help.

 

New tires or start looking at the rear end to see if something is off.

 

I bought mine in August and initially noticed a slight pull to the driver-side. I decided to leave it alone, and now I can't even notice it anymore. I rotate my tires with every oil change, which might have something to do with it because the pull disappeared after the first tire rotation.

 

If it isn't the tires and isn't the alignment, it has to be in your head. Not trying to be mean, but there are only a couple of things that could cause it.