Driveline vibration fixed in 2016 According to lead Tacoma engineer.

Hello everyone,
I'm fresh to the forum. Last week Friday I purchased a new 2016 Tacoma TRD Off Road 4x4. I am also having this issue at deceleration between 25-15mph. This is the first time I get a new car. I was very excited to get this truck, I've always been a fan of them but never had been able to afford one before. My whole experience has been vexed by this issue. I have an open case number with Toyota. I got the truck back from service yesterday where they claimed the problem was due to low transmission fluid. Bullshit! They just keep putting me off.

 

Personally, if I could do it all over again I would have cancelled the sale if I was within a week window. I too was told "it's just the break-in period" or "the transmission is just learning". I reluctantly but naïvely went along with their BS until it was too late to just return the truck.

If you *just* bought it. I'd take it back and wait until a fix is available/ they stop coming out of the factory like this.

It doesn't get better.

Edit: for the record I was in the same boat. Wanted one since I was 16 and finally at a place where I could get one and I as pumped. It's so disappointing. Toyota is ruining this for me. I wouldn't recommend this truck to anyone at this point.

 

I had no idea I could return it. I was under the impression that I was bound in the sale from the moment I signed and took it. I will look into this. Honestly, the truck is awesome and I do want it, but at this point I can't really get into another better off just getting another vehicle in general. I test drove another identical to mine off the Toyota lot, only difference was the color, and that one also had the vibes and shuddering. Quite frustrating, but mostly just disappointed that they pushed this vehicle out like this. Granted it's the first mode year of the "redesign" but it's no excuse.

 

I've driven about a dozen. They all do it. I am skeptical of anyone on here that says theirs doesn't tbh. But if theirs don't then Toyota's"characteristics of the vehicle" nonsense carries less weight.

It sucks.

As for your return. Check with your dealer, read the fine print, and check state laws. The dealership might have a 7 day guarantee or something similar. They might not advertise the policy either.

But do yourself a favor and make sure they document everything. Everytime you go into service make sure it's documented. Make sure it's documented that you had issues and brought it back within a few days.

 

I shot you a pm about it.

 

Welcome to TW. Lots to read, lots to learn, lots to ignore. Check out the stickies......some good stuff there!

 

Not sure if your serious or not......

 

Yeah, the bump shift...still shifts when it damn well pleases. If I'm on the interstate and put it in 6th, it stays in 5th til it gets ready to shift up on it's own, and will down shift when it thinks it needs to. Worthless as tits on a bull that bump shift. ECT? Meh, I can tell little difference really...except that it "hangs" in 5th, or downshifts to 4th on the interstate even more than normal.

 

Still planning on updating today/tomorrow? I am really trying to get this sorted out at my dealer and am relying on you and @.280Rem for my argument

 

I have a quicksand access cab TRD off-road with tow and tech packages. I ordered it in December and picked it up April 20th. Built in Texas. I was really worried about it given what I have read on this forum, but I don't seem to have any of the problems discussed in this thread, and I feel for those of you that do have the vibration issues. The only reason I am posting this is I noticed that you all wanted examples where this wasn't an issue so you could further your argument that it is not normal. My truck does not shutter or vibrate as discussed in this thread. I did pay attention to all of the things this forum suggested needed to be checked before accepting the truck, and my dealer checked them all - u-bolts, trans and diff fluids, u-joint lube, etc. I don't know if that helped to avoid it or not. I have about 2800 miles on the truck at this point and I do not have any of the issues you seem to be experiencing. I can only conclude that it is NOT normal to have these vibration issues. If I do experience it in the future, I'll be sure to get back with you.

 

B b but, Toyota says it's a characteristic of the vehicle!! So *your* vehicle is actually messed up. I would take it in immediately and open a ticket with corporate.

 

Yeah, same here. Toyota has already told me it's normal multiple times. The dealer is reluctant to help me. My only option now is to keep escalating my case with Toyota Customer Care to see if they decide to send a field technical specialist.

 

Which thread?

 

Count yourself lucky. The vibration problems are just a "bad luck of the draw" deal. They don't present in every unit. It is my wholly automotive engineeringly uninformed opinion that the angles in the drive line in the Tacoma are, BY NECESSITY OF DESIGN, critical. Meaning, they are very close to the point where they are "out of spec". On the edge of tolerances. And that normal mass manufacturing tolerances cause some units to fall "out of spec." Anybody that has more Automotive engineering knowledge than I (which wouldn't take much) can chime in on that opinion.

 

So when I took my truck in for its service I had them look at everything again. I showed them the service order from REMs fix. He called his regional field rep and decided not to attempt this "field fix".

He acknowledged that there is a lot of hubbub about the issue and Toyota is working on it and asked me to sit tight until a Toyota sanctioned fix comes out.

 

The case manager I was assigned says that he reached out to Toyota regional and according to them there is nothing more Toyota can do. So I'm basically SOL on a truck that hasn't even reached 500 miles...

 

I work as an engineer for a major aerospace company. I consider automotive similar enough to aerospace.

It takes a while to diagnose, solve, test, qualify AND manufacture (production line) a solution to roll out. Not to mention there are corporate hoops to jump through during the entire process. When a solution rolls out, especially in a consumer market, they need to make damn sure it will solve the problem.

 

And no doubt there is some amount of not wanting huge TSBs right out of the gate hampering first year sales. Not to mention cost benefit analysis to figure out if it's worth it to even fix in a widespread way.

 

Believe it or not but Toyota uses Tacoma World as their guinea pig .
Why would Toyota spend countless millions on research when they have you and me to do it for them .
We save Toyota millions . Enough complaints and they look for the cheapest way to fix the problem .
They have known about the low fluid issue for " at minimum " the past 6 months and still haven't rectified the problem at the factory level .
I could go on and on with other issues that have not been addressed yet .

 

TSB's don't hamper sales. In fact most people don't even know what tsb's are or how to look them up. If they killed sales GM wouldn't be around