Hill Start Assist Issues...

I just picked up a 2017 TRD Off Road with the long bed a few weeks ago. In the few weeks that I've had it, I've noticed that the Hill Start Assist feature on this truck doesn't seem to work as well as I am accustomed with other vehicles. The feature is supposed to keep the truck from rolling backwards when starting from a stop on inclined roads or slippery surfaces....yet mine does not hold my truck at all. In Fact, my truck immediately rolls back when transitioning from brake pedal to gas pedal at an incline and the slip indicator warning lights activates on the instrument panel.

I took it in to the dealer today and was told that they looked into it, even contacted Toyota and I am being told that the feature is functioning as it is supposed to. Regardless of what the techs at my dealers are telling me, I just don't think the feature is working as it should on my truck.

Has anyone else had this experience with your trucks?

 

Mine still works, although I find that I have to be on a much more substantial incline that I had to be on when I had my wrangler. Luckily I've been driving a manual all of my life.

I wonder if there is a way you could program the sensitivity

 

On my Outback it only works when at a certain degree incline, has to be pretty steep for it to activate. Like Karl1C4 said, you might not be on a steep enough hill.

 

That was my hope too, but was told there is no way to make adjustments to the hill start assist feature.

 

The problem for me is...my truck rolls back at any grade road and the slip warning indicator lights up. I think the feature is not working on my truck....

 

I see a dealer trip in your future

 

That's the problem too...my truck is at the dealer right now. I'm supposed to pick it up tomorrow. I'm being told that they have inspected the hell out of it and have even contacted Toyota directly and I am being told that the system is functioning normal in my truck.

I'm a little frustrated because I know what a Hill Start Assist feature is supposed to feel like and mine is not working right in my opinion.

 

2017 TRD Off-Road 4x4 (auto) here and i agree, the truck just rolls back when on an incline and transitioning my foot from brake to gas. While the truck is rolling back it doesn't sound good (it is in drive) and an icon on the dash flashes (hadn't looked into which one yet).

Even though i remember seeing Hill Start Assist on the window sticker i have been wondering whether or not it was actually working; it doesn't seem like it is working right.

As a workaround, I have been using my ebrake to hold it in place like when i learned to drive a manual 20 years ago.

 

What you have just described, that's exactly what I am experiencing

What you have just described, that's exactly what I am experiencing...to the letter! I was told by the techs today that it is working as it should and there is nothing they can do. All I know is I was and am expecting a better functioning feature for a truck this expensive and this nice.

 

My 2016 Auto off road does the same thing when rolling back on a hill. The traction control kicks on and does slow the vehicle down but does not stop it like the hill start assist on the Prius.

 

Thanks for the feedback folks...appreciate it. Now at least I know I am not the only one experiencing this weird issue. At first I thought my brand spanking new truck was shipped to me with issues. I guess I will just have to live with this...

 

I hear ya, my last vehicle was a Mazda with a price tag 50% that of this truck, it also had Hill Start Assist, so my existing idea of how it should work is from that vehicle. On that vehicle the Hill Start Assist would kick in immediately with no rolling back and would hold the vehicle in place for 3 seconds allowing plenty of time to move your feet around.

Does it eventually slow it down? I didn't wait long enough to find out because i didnt want to roll into the car behind me....

honestly i am hoping the hill start assist is recalled or fixed via a TSB; this just doesnt seem right to me.

 

Totally agree...

 

Here are some related thread on this feature:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/hill-start-assist-control.422486/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/hill-start-assist-sucks-why.107824/
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/hill-start-assist.399682/

A few mixed reviews, some people mention it working better/stronger more quickly (like in my previous vehicle), but in general it seems like the design of this feature is just not what i (or many others) expected...

 

I've got a 2016 TRD Off-Road with an Automatic Transmission and less than 2,000 miles on the clock... and I, too, am a victim of hill assist. It happened to me today, for the first time, and I'm not happy.

I backed out of a parking spot that was on a steep incline, shifted from reverse to drive, let off the brake pedal, applied the gas and the truck didn't move! I tried three times and each time I applied the gas, the truck wouldn't move, the slip indicator light in the dash would come on and the truck would start making weird noises (sounded like it was coming from the abs). I eventually reversed down the driveway until it was less steep to get the truck moving forward again.

So what am I missing? Did I not wait enough (2 seconds) between letting off the brake pedal and applying the gas?

I'm going to try this again at the same spot to convince myself I'm not crazy.

 

This feature is GARBAGE in my Taco. Truck rolls back, warning light goes off, brake pedal and ABS make all sorts of racket, i think CRAWL control might even engage and it just continues to roll back. Techs told me it was functioning as it should GARBAGE design.

In our 2015 Mustang, when you release the break pedal on an incline, the front brake caliper locks and hold the vehicle until you release the clutch. Totally silent and works like a champ.

Pathetic that the sorry fuckers at Ford are out performing legendary Toyota quality and engineering. I am going to check the wife's Subaru... not sure if it has this feature but if so it would be a good comparison as well.

 

^^^^ THIS!!!!

TOTAL GARBAGE on the TRD OR! The fact that they signed off on the design and called it hill-start assist is a TOTAL JOKE!! Then they have the nerve to tell you that it IS functioning PROPERLY!!!

 

For TRD OR we don't have Hill Star assist in the traditional sense. It doesn't apply the brake and release when you get going, it uses the fancy OR gadgets, ABS etc. to try and mimic this feature.

Edit: Accidentally deleted post for some reason lol

 

Yeah it's strange that this is the case. My solution on steep grades is to use the E-brake

 

My MT one works great, lets off the brake in about 2-3 seconds after I let off the brake. Like mentioned before, if the hill isnt very steep it wont work.