2021 tacoma automatic trans problems like previous years. and it shakes...

It's not uncommon on a new transmission to act a little funky until the computer figures things out and things settle in. I had test driven a few different ones and each the shift points felt a little different. But the one I bought was the dealerships demo so it has 3k on it and shifts just as I would expect.

I test drove 4 tundras and the shifting to me wasn't much better. Actually they seemed to all take more effort to down shift, but the engine obvious has the torque not to matter as much.

One thing I figured out quick in the Tacomas, drive it like I do my Wife's Honda Pilot. Her's feels almost the exact same based on how I decide to drive. None of the tacomas hunted for gears but like the Pilot, likes to hang out in the higher gears a bit more than I would prefer. Which is opposite of my CRV, with cruise on it shifts down way more than is needed. But at 255k and still perfect, Honda, like Toyota I gather knows more than I do.

 

Interesting. Although i remember driving my buddys 19 OR AT and the rpms were pretty low when cruising, like 1.2-1.5k rpm. I remember i stompted on it and she went pretty good. Seemed ok to me on that 10-15 min drive, but then again all of my vehicles but one were MTs so what do i know.

I drove 2 different 19s ATs for about 10-15 mins.

 

I test drove the Ranger, its 10 speed automatic shifts well.. then I woke up and knew I would regret moving on from Taco, and traded in my 2018 for my 2021 Limited. The 2021 shifts much better than my 2018...

 

Fair enough, i get that.

That is why i will row my own until i can. I had 1 AT vehicle, 2003 honda accord and i hated it with a passion. MTs always felt like home to me, im just weird like that.

My buddy loves his 3rd gen AT, and he is kind of a car guy too. He even goes through the rockies and tells me its fine. Different ecpectations, different calibrations/tuning? I dont know.

 

Oh man, OV tune makes excellent product, i can confirm

I had no issues on the stock tuning though. I saw so many dudes rave about the SFOB tune, so i decided to try it. Everyone can use a bit more power, right? It drives like a completely different animal, love my truck even more now. More power throughout the RPM range and im getting same MPGs as i did in the summer.

Thank you Mr. OV tune.

 

I might just go Ridgeline at this point. Honda reliability is on par if not superior to Toyota. Ridgeline also has more power than the Tacoma.

 

but it looks like a soccer moms vehicle...

which is fine if that is what you like...

 

Just slap it in S5, you'll get back to that happy rpm zone at 80

 

Did you test drive yours?

 

My 2021 with 265/75/16’s is pretty darn good, no hunting and when the skinny peddle is pressed hard enough, it surprises me.

Around town, usually keep it in sport mode and bump it into 5th. Once on the freeway, bump to 6th or back in non-sport.

 

This is exactly the problem with the Taco shifting tables. It is literally programmed to avoid its powerband as much as possible. Guys who don’t often ask the engine to work don’t realize this.

Some nerd at Toyota realized you could use less fuel bouncing between 4500 rpm and 1500 rpm than just running 2500. Fuel economy is great and all but thats miserable to drive for a lot of guys.

Fortunately can be fixed with vF Tuner.

 

Prior to OV Tune my truck also avoided 2.5-4k like the plague. I do not think I ever once saw the tach touch the 3 when in Drive. Press the pedal, drop 2 gears to redline. Foot off the pedal, rpms drop to 1k. There was no in between.

 

So at times it would be nice if it only dropped one gear.

 

My 2021 SR on 285s has none of the known issues of previous years. I drive it up mountains and at sea level often, it never hunts for gears, never does the annoying down shifts that my buddy’s 2019 had before the TSB correction.

At 70mph it turns 1750 rpms, again on 285s. Regardless, it’s getting 4.88s next week.

 

I'm thinking toyota didn't intent owners to drive these trucks at 80 mph. I keep mine around 70 all the time in 6th gear and its perfectly fine.

 

@daily47 I too have a 2021 Taco with a automatic transmission. I have experienced the same stuff as you.

Thankfully the more I drive it the better its getting. When you refer to it shaking, I've experienced this too but when slowing down in-between 50 down to 20 miles an hour. I heard just about everything as to what it could be but again its seems to be getting better with more mileage.

I'm currently at 2200 miles right now.

My two cents.

 

I drove a brand new 2020 sr5 across the country and by the end of the trip it seemed to tune itself. At first I had all the hunting problems and jumps from 1700-4000rpm like others noted, especially on long inclines.

but now it’s super smooth stock. I cruise around 1800rpm 75-80mph range and no jumping around whatsoever. Part of it is unconscious foot technique I’m sure but no complaints now. I didn’t do anything other than keep driving it.

 

Bought a 21 OR last month, my first Toyota. I'm not having any issues with the shifting, pretty happy with it. I traded a 2016 Silverado 4x4 with a 6 speed in on the Tacoma and I never was crazy about the Chevy's shift pattern. Quick upshifting and to get it to downshift I had to give it a lot of pedal. Lazy shifting is the best description. But I got used to it. The Toyota definitely shifts better.

 

Get 4.88s, that lazy shift goes away real quick.