Died and Limped Home - 2023 TRD OR 4x4 w 15k ODO

Yep, it happens.
Every once in a while someone gets killed by a falling tape measure while they're delivering drywall... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

https://www.osha.gov/ords/imis/accidentsearch.accident_detail?id=68846.015

 

It amazes me that they didn’t even pull the plug and assure everything was assembled correctly and nothing loose. Hope it stays that way.

 

Playing it through in my head....
Excessive fuel consumption / inconsistent fuel consumption
Misfire
Rough Idle

I might just pull and replace the spark plugs in the off chance one isn't gapped right or is having an issue.
Should be cheap all things considered.

After that I'm thinking that weak spark from a bad coil pack would be next.

 

Did they give you the printout with the codes?

 

Fyi, sparkplugs are both expensive (iridium plugs) and a pain in the ass on these trucks.

Not discouraging you from doing it (it sounds totally possible that could be the issue) but yeah.


https://youtu.be/tc9FYrD7vUw?si=7NSmdgP7Wl3lTjPe

ccing the Toyota guru @3JOH22A on this thread, it seems right up his alley.... Weird ass issue that confuses me

 

When i changed my plugs, one was loose.

 

Please let us know what happens, and I would still consider writing up that service manager for his attitude to you.

I would NOT put up with any lip or attitude from ANYONE, and I would storm right to the dealer’s manager right afterand let them know what happened.

Because I am in a wheelchair, people think I am easy to bully or berate. That changes VERY quickly when I stand up.
(I of course cannot walk more than a few feet because both my knees ligaments had crumbled to dust years ago.)
And when I’m standing up, I get even more grumpy because now I am in pain, on top of being angry in the first place.

I had simply gotten tired of being everyone’s punching bag and found my balls after I got married, thanks to my gorgeous wife.

 

Outside of Montana, wright-ups are nothing more than a formality.
No one cares about their job until the moment they lose it.

As to the manager, he already knows what's going on in his dealership.
He may not like it, he may be looking to change it when the opportunity presents itself, but you can bet you bottom dollar he knows every employee, and knows them well.

 

3rd gen’s are notorious for having loose plugs from the factory. The job is not hard to do yourself with a 3/8 ratchet, numerous extensions and a metric socket set. just get the magnetic spark plug socket from Amazon (5/8) and the denso iridium’s. Plenty of videos on YouTube walking you through it. If Chloe can do it, you can too. Also, it’s not that expensive. All in like 70 bucks. If you pull your coils out and they’re brown, you had a loose plug. When I changed mine cylinder 3 and 6 had brown coils and lo and behold those plugs weren’t even hand tight. Changed the plugs and trucks running like a top. it was a bit rough before the change.

 

Not yet - Truck died and went into the shop right before a 5 day Virgin Voyages cruise to the Dominican (absolutely beautiful island and people - go if you can). So I haven't been able to get the truck. That's today.

 

Did you sample any of the Brugal all you were there?

 

Make sure to not only get a code printout but any kind of diagnostics information they have performed in writing. Erasing codes and just driving it is not a proper diagnostics approach.

I’d also ask for freeze frame data and if that was noted when they diagnosed it. It should show the relevant info for when the code was thrown.

 

I also get comparatively horrible mileage with my stock ‘23 TRD OR 4x4… (Fuelly tracking summary: 16.9 avg./19.8 best)… which I’ve been justifying due to the AC running constantly and the “stock” configuration consisting of the all-terrain tore upgrade to Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac tires).

Now reading through this thread gets me thinking about checking my spark plugs! … I also occasionally notice a rough idle, and smell like the engine is running rich.

I hope you get an answer and favorable resolution to your issues today! I’m looking forward to hearing what Toyota tells you.

[In researching spark plugs I found another TW user who had his vehicle go into limp mode due to an issue with the plenum manifold flap.
3.5 V6 ACIS plenum/manifold flap failure (2GR-FKS) SECOND UPDATE
I know it’s not the exact issue, but might give you another area to explore if the dealer hasn’t diagnosed your problem yet.]

Good luck! Keep us posted.

 

No? Now I have to go back! Good thing we already scheduled the next one for 2026!

Funny you mention it. When I picked up the truck the Service Rep I had been working with wasn't there (they never are - why we do this charade is beyond me). So I told the Service Rep I was picking it up from, that I was going to have some questions. We read the notes and it said they cleared two codes but there was no mention of what the codes were. He commented that was odd. He tried to look up the codes in their system and could find no mention that there were even codes to erase.

I asked him... You have had my truck for over a week while I was traveling. At any time did you think to check the spark plugs? Did you look at the coil packs? He read more in the computer and said "no." I asked him what did they do then? Just erase the codes on a truck that died in traffic? That's a safety issue. If it never happens again, fine. But if it does, you are going to need to get me a rental car and I'm not going to be happy with just erasing codes. He said that was up to the "Big Man" in a tone like he was uncomfortable going to talk to the big man about this.

He also read where they couldn't find the error on the Infotainment screen. He asks, "The big screen in the middle?" Yep. Then he goes out to the truck and pulls it right up. He said they should have easily been able to find that. But then he notices that it happened on November 29th - the day after Thanksgiving. "Well it hasn't happened in about a month." So I told him, "Well November 29th to December 12th is not exactly a full month. More like a couple of weeks. It happened on a Friday. I scheduled it for January 3rd because that was the nearest time thinking you would call me and you didn't. So I called you on December 2nd and it has been in your shop since then. Look at how many miles are on it between when I dropped it off and now. That should be the telling part of this." He looked - seven miles. So they didn't even really drive it 10 miles. They drove it ABOUT ten miles.

Eventually he asked if I had the Toyota App. I told him no - that when Toyota wanted me to subscribe to my truck that I had bought, I declined and erased the app because it was of little value. Then he gives me the "Oh, well that's why we couldn't get the codes. If you kept that app then it would send us all of the telemetry about your truck. I told him no - that the truck sends the telemetry to Toyota and then Toyota sends it to my phone if I'm a subscriber. But he insisted that w/o subscribing to the app service there was no way they were going to be able to properly diagnose this. Basically shifting the blame to me and expecting a $100 a year subscription to have access to them fixing things under warranty.

If they hadn't cleared the codes, or if I could see what those codes are, I'd take it to an independent shop to have a second opinion.
Toyota's warranty is worthless because their Dealer Service Network is worthless. Everything I have asked them to look at they have refused to so far.
1. I took it in because the transmission was shifting rough and hunting for gears - so much so the wife thought we were going to break down on the side of I-17. Refused to look at it. And now we all know that's how the truck works.
2. Several trips in complaining about the MPG - they refused to even look at it. Camelback did look at it but only to see if there was a code.
3. I told them the back speakers barely work - Oh yeah. That's just how they are. You need to replace them with better speakers.
4. Now the face plant and die limp mode and all they did was clear codes and drive it 7 miles and change.

I went back in my dash cam history to see what they did / said and they unplugged the cam for the duration of testing. I have no video evidence it was there in their shop. Seems to be pretty standard and I understand that as a mechanic you want to be free to diagnose and think things through with out every word being recorded for the customer. But when you do incomplete work, it also adds to the suspicion.

 

Silver lining to the above - I dd find out (and many of you probably know this already) that the key fob has a remote start on it, even though there is no button for it.

Push the lock button three times.
On the third push hold for a few seconds, maybe 3 to 5 seconds.
Truck starts right up.

So they weren't totally useless. I did get that little nugget of information.

 

@GTGallop, I've only skimmed this thread so I don't know if anyone has suggested this, but in your shoes I would be strongly inclined threaten the selling dealership with a Lemon Law claim; typically this gets their attention.

FWIW, I have a bone stock 2022 TRD Sport 4x4 DCSB 6MT which typically gets 22-23 on the highway; I am currently in the middle of a 2,500 mile trip between the DC and Miami areas, the first half of the trip I was pulling a 5x8 U-Haul loaded to the gills with my son's tools (former jet engine mechanic in the Navy and former diesel mechanic for a cement company, so several chests and bins full of heavy tools). On the trip down I averaged 16.8 mpg at speeds between 65 & 70; I'm on the return trip (no trailer) and yesterday I saw 22 in spite of a very gusty 15-25 knot headwind.

 

I have considered a Lemon Law but they have saved themselves from that by refusing the service. It hasn't been in repeatedly for MPG issues because there is no documentation of that. And this recent issue is one singular issue. So even though I have made the words come out of my mouth, they dismissed it without typing it in.

https://www.azag.gov/consumer/auto

Lesson learned - document everything and do it in your own system, not theirs. Now it would be my word against theirs and I'd look like an ungrateful customer making up shit to get a new Tacoma (which I'm not sure would be better than what I have now). What's done is done. I'll take a weekend of my time and do the sparkplug check and coil pack check. But if this happens again, I'm sitting in the "big man's" office in my overalls with no shirt on and spitting tobacco on his floor until he fixes it.

 

@GTGallop, this is a shame you’re going through all this. I know how frustrating it can be especially with such a new vehicle!

1.) As far as them disabling the dash cam, understood, but depending on what services you’re enrolled in through the Toyota app, you might get lucky… on my ‘23 TRD OR I was amazed to find a complete driving history within the app by default. It’s been turned off now, but perhaps something in the app was enabled so you can see exactly where and how much they drove?

2.) I’ve had two or three instances with our Toyotas where the dealership was less than accommodating to get an issue fixed. I called Toyota Brand Engagement and that seems to give them a little extra momentum to help me out. I might’ve missed it if you’ve already called, but I know earlier you said you were waiting to call Toyota would suggest if you haven’t already, call up and get a hold of a Toyota Brand Engagement, and give them a timeline of all your struggles to help further get things documented.

[3. The third thing just came to me as I’m in the process of installing an aftermarket dashcam. You mentioned you have one… perhaps you have some footage, or will in the future, so they see exactly what happens when you’re driving around along and something happens? It’s a lot harder for them to dismiss hard concrete proof like that. Just a thought…]

Good luck!

 

@GTGallop Misfire codes and 3rd gen Tacoma usually mean the worst. Several 3.5s have needed cylinder heads replaced. Some it was the ACIS flap failure. From low mileage to high mileage they do fail. Often enough that it should be on your radar. If it were me, I wouldn't be taking any long or remote trips until you know this problem truly went away.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/2gr-fks-engine-problem-failure.774579/page-5#post-30245979

 

you could always drive your truck through their showroom window just to give them an idea of how unhappy you are with their service.