Are Gen 3 Tacomas as unreliable as Tacomaworld makes them seem?

Have you tried using the "S" mode? it'll keep it from upshifting. I do it all the time around here and going up and down the Sierras. Handles it just fine. Also what speeds are you going? Takes some getting used to, i'll admit, but it becomes relatively easy to gauge throttle input and when it will upshift/downshift. I also will just shift it "manually" when needed. A trip from Reno to Roseburg, OR was done smoothly with 3 adults, a dog, and a bed full of gear. If the issues are really that bad and you dislike it so much, then I'd get rid of it

 

Not that im planning to sell my taco anytime soon but man, i cant wait to see new tacoma and what engine and tranny choices it will have.

God forbid it looks similar to hilux.
Imagine the shit show in 4th gen forums...

 

Its just a POS toyota with a camry engine.

 

Because there's no way that a transmission and motor could reliably go from around 1900 rpm to an instant 4500 rpm and then bounce around for five solid hours without some kind of wear.
I do this trip, which I have been doing for 17 years multiple times a year, with various vehicles, which never broke a sweat doing it.
The 2020 Tacoma struggled with nothing more than a sleeping platform and two day bags in the bed. And I'm being really nice calling it a "struggle". It simply could not handle it at all.
It was pathetic. The trip utilizing CC beat the shit out of this new truck.
I have ZERO faith that this truck can do what the cheapest commuter shitbox can.
I was really liking this too.

 

I just got here yesterday. Every other aspect of it feels and runs fine.
This is the first time I have encountered real hills/ small mountains.
I don't even want this thing in my garage now.
It WILL be replaced ASAP or given to my kid to used on the flat lands.

 

That sounds kind of extreme. I heard other AT trucks do that when CC engaged. Why the heck it its programmed that way? The engine has plenty of power. My truck flies up any hills, im actually very happy with the performance.

 

My 2017 Tacoma has been great. No complaints. Wish I could say the same for Toyota. I hit a deer that did $7500 damage to my truck. The deer got up and walked away but my truck sat for 2 months waiting for parts. That makes Toyota unreliable. When I needed my truck Toyota kept sending the wrong parts to fix it with. We have been long time Toyota buyers since 1991 but we are going to switch to either Mazda or Honda for our next new car. Toyota would not replace my leaking struts on our Sienna and said they were only seeping. As soon as the warranty expired they now called that seepage a leak. Same with steering couplers on most Toyotas going bad. They used to fix them under warranty but sluffed that one off to. That is Ford crap.

 

I took it out amd about today to check it around the ski areas at different grades. I was happy with it. I thought it performed well as long as I didn't use CC. And I took it up some decent grades. I have used Rangers with V6's in these hills for years and know how they react. The Tacoma did well.
But for coast to coast travel at any kind of mountainous terrain, I know it just can't handle it using CC.

 

I don't doubt the motor power. I know it has some. More than enough.
It's just not utilized through the transmission well. My Pilot has the Tacoma laughably beat on hills.

 

Thats so strange that CC will mess up the transmission logic. I will need to go for a ride in my buddys 19 OR AT, ask him to turn on CC and see how it actually is.

Thats why i stay sway from ATs, no offence. My CC works beautiful.

 

I'm going to have to try this if I even keep it for the trip back. I'm going to the Ford dealership tomorrow to see what they have. I already know I'll like the Ridgeline.
S mode in 5.

But........should one really have to?
On a new vehicle with a touted record?
Takes away ALL confidence.

 

I like my 6 speed Z Roadster.
I wondered about getting a manual Tacoma, but thought for ease and luxury......just get the auto.
I bet the 6 speed rocks!
Should have got that.

 

Yeah like I said, avoid cruise control. Also be sure to try S5, and ETC if you really want to drive it. 5th is still OD so your mileage really doesn't take a hit. The difference in RPM at highway speeds is about 3-400 RPM or so, it's not a big deal

ETC will hold gears longer preventing the early upshifting. It can hold to low of a gear sometimes too, so play with it and see if you like it.

For all the complaints here, there are actually very few tranny failures to report.

 

Lol at your posts. Test drive much or do you just want to blame the truck instead of you for buying something you are regretting...

 

look we hate our fucking trucks but we hate the other ones more

 

6th gear is absolutely made only for flat road with no wind. Toyota cruise likes to race as fast as possible back to your set speed, hence the dropping of gears and roaring off. I find it very annoying so I don't use it.
The MT trucks have the added benefit of higher gearing that puts it a few hundred RPM higher than the auto.

 

Man, i love this 6spd. Smooth, and very easy to drive. Got the 4.30 rear end stock as well. The only drawback is worse highway fuel economy.

Its very quick off the line, i feel very comfortable driving it.

If taco didnt offer MT, i would have had to get the frontier.

 

But dropping from 1900 rpm to 4000 rpm is a bit extreme. Would like to know toyota engineers' reasoning. Who needs to race back to the set speed like that?

 

Honestly, I like the auto. I typically use D except for when I tow, but cruise on the auto could use some tuning. Like what you are reading in this thread.