2007 Tacoma 6 speed manual Transmission, shifter not working.

hi guys, I have a 07 trd sport with 6 speed manual. The clutch and wheel were replaced at 80k and I just hit 96k miles. Today, I backed out of a parking spot, tried to put it into first, and the shifter stick just went loose and would not shift into any gears at all. It was loose and floppy and rotated all around loosely. The only thing to compare it to is a spoon in wide cup of water.....how the handle just rotates freely around the cup. Had to tow it to the garage. Any ideas what the issue may be and how much it's gonna cost? Thanks

 

My only guess would be a broken shifter or possibly the spring loaded cap popped out. If the shifter rod is broken, I'd suggest getting a TRD short shifter. Boch Toyota has them for less than $300 and makes the truck (to me at least) much more enjoyable to drive. If the cap popped up, it can be easily put back in place by pressing down and rotating it. This cap is on top of the transmission and holds the shifter in place. You get at it by removing the center console (rear part first). Good luck.

 

Thanks