I love my Taco, but....

To preface this thread, I would like to say, that I truly enjoy driving my truck BUT there are a few things that I've noted that kinda irritate me . Some more than others. I would be curious to see how many other people feel the same or what are some other "gripes" about the function or design of the vehicle. What's more is that most of these seem like extremely minor fixes that someone should have caught in the R&D/Testing phase.

[Note: I have a 2018 DCSB TRD OR with Premium Tech Package]

That being said, here we go:

---------------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT FOR CLIFF NOTES VERSION​

1. The left steering wheel button controls are backwards!
2. Where the eff are the grab handles?
3. Where the eff are the grab handles?
4a. Bluetooth phone call speakers blow!
4b. Having to stop to program the Nav blows!
4c. Entune blows!
4d. The reverse overlay blows!
5. Where the eff are the power ports?
6. TSS system is going to kill somebody!

---------------------------------------------------------------------​

1. The left MFSW button:

• Of all my gripes, this one is strangely the most annoying. The button layout has the volume adjust going left to right and the track selection going up/down. This always confuses the hell out of me. Common sense indicates that volume is turned up and down and tracks are cycled forward and back. Shouldn't the buttons reflect this simple concept? I don't know how many times I keep skipping my track thinking I'm turning up the volume. This also seems counter to the industry standard.

2. The lack of a driver's side grab handle:

• There's one on the passenger side but none on the driver's side?! I use my predator bars extensively to climb in/out of the truck. Climbing in is easy but without a grab handle to secure myself to, I essentially have nothing to hang on to when jumping down.

3. The lack of rear passenger grab handles:

• This mainly affects my kids and mom when they want to pile in the back. The predator bar is great at providing a step up but with nothing to grab onto that can help pull them up and into the cab, they struggle a bit. I've seen hand placements on doors, headrest support bars, front seat backs, seatbelts, or whatever they can get a hold of (to include other passengers already seated in the back! ). Plus, I'm frequently relegated to being a spotter (especially when my mom wants to climb in/out) to make sure no one falls out while attempting entry.

4. The Entune/Multimedia Interface:

• Okay, so this is something common to all Toyotas. But there are a few things that REALLY irk me.
• First, the quality of bluetooth voice connections is poor (bad speakers which are complained about extensively on these forums so I need not go into that too much). My 2015 Scion tC had a much better and clearer sound quality on calls than this and Scions pretty much had zero options.
• Second, the navigation forces you to stop to do anything. This is ridiculous. Sure, it can be unsafe, but just throw a disclaimer up on the screen and call it a day. It's a pain in the ass to use my phone for navigation when I have a nav in the dash.
• Third, the Entune software is basically worthless. I haven't even used one app from it....ever...in my life. Just go ahead and add apple CarPlay, already. Granted it's not the best either but it's more user friendly and offers more functionality than most of the current app suite can provide.
• Fourth, the ladder diagram on the reverse camera: What vehicle is it guiding? Because the vertical lines on the screen aren't positioned to accurately reflect vehicle width (especially in tight spots or when I really want to make sure I hug the edge of my parking pad). The vertical lines should reflect the potential path of the tires but they feel more trapezoidal in shape and there's no way to predict the path based on the onscreen overlay.

5. The lack of power ports:

• Hey there's a plug-in in the bed! That's kewl. So how come they can't add more USB or power ports to the inside cabin; especially in the back? Granted we can add them with a simple hole saw and aftermarket part, but for $40k, what's a $1.00 part really gonna hurt? I would think it would take more engineering brainiacs to pipe an outlet to the bed than to the backseat passengers.

6. The TSS system needs some tweaking:

• I'll set the cruise at 70mph with all three bars as following distance. Everything goes good until someone safely signals and merges in front of me. Then the whole truck feels like it slams on the brakes until the right distance is achieved then drops the hammer on the acceleration when the car clears. It shouldn't be THAT hard to program these things to calculate closing speeds as well.

Again, none of these issues have contributed to an overall regret of the truck. It runs great and drives great. I get compliments all the time on the looks. For the most part, I am satisfied with my purchase. These "gripes" are like the flies buzzing around your freshly grilled steak. I'm just hoping that maybe someone from Toyota actually pays attention to these forums so that the truck can be even better.

- Fin

 

ErmahgeRRRDDD there’s so many words

 

I agree with the volume/track button. I had the truck for over year and I still screw it up.

My wife’s ride is the opposite too so that doesn’t help when I switch cars back n forth.

 

Cliff notes:

1. The left steering wheel button controls are backwards!
2. Where the eff are the grab handles?
3. Where the eff are the grab handles?
4a. Bluetooth phone call speakers blow!
4b. Having to stop to program the Nav blows!
4c. Entune blows!
4d. The reverse overlay blows!
5. Where the eff are the power ports?
6. TSS system is going to kill somebody!


....better?

 

The volume and channel button bothered me at first too. I later realized that the volume displays on the screen horizontally and the channels scroll up and down on the screen. The buttons mimic that on screen layout. I’m not saying it’s right, it just makes sense now why Toyota have the buttons that way.

The other grips I agree with. Especially not having a grab handle on the drivers side. Seems like a no brainer on an off road truck.

I still enjoy my truck and don’t regret trading in my RAM 1500. I no longer need a full size truck and this Tacoma is so much better for city driving.

 

First world problems...

 

Tldr: i love my taco but i bought a turd gen.

 

I flipped my volume track buttons 90-degrees to the right and they work just great now.

Also, if you touch the nav button for 10 seconds, it will let you enter addresses while driving.

And if you push the Qi button for 5 seconds, it will blink faster, signaling it’s in quick charge mode.

 

1. Yeah, it's weird. I don't notice it any more though.
2-3. Doesn't bother me, guess Toyota had me figured out there.
3-4a-4b-4c-4d. I yanked Entune within a week of buying the truck, got a Kenwood with carplay, upgraded the speakers, put in a subwoofer. Better stereo than anything Toyota ships and I have carplay, so I just talk to my car to navigate.
5. 12V in your console, use that with an adaptor or rig your dash 12V to be always on, fuse it inline, and put a dual USB wired off it in one of the lower dash deletes (like this:

$13 Cllena Car 12V 24V to 5V 3.1A Dual USB Ports Dashboard Mount Charger Blue Light for Toyota (2.1/1.2A-2)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CTOKI06/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 )
6. 2017, I don't have that problem =)

 

1. The left steering wheel button controls are backwards!
** Never bothered me tbh.

2. Where the eff are the grab handles?
** I use the steering wheel or door if needed.

3. Where the eff are the grab handles?
** Neither my wife or I miss them, but I get it. Buy the hand braided ones that attaches to the front head rests. Simple cost effective solution.

4a. Bluetooth phone call speakers blow!
** They’re better than anything I’ve had before. No complaints.

4b. Having to stop to program the Nav blows!
** Lawyers with liability concerns will overrule your inconvenience issues every time.

4c. Entune blows!
** First world problem. Don’t like it, reprogram it or replace it.

4d. The reverse overlay blows!
** I actually prefer the static layout and have gotten very accustomed to it. I’m always dead center in parking spots and know immediately if I’m not square.

5. Where the eff are the power ports?
** Again, first world problems. Add it and get over it. But honestly, how many other vehicle make/models have ISB power outlets in the bed or car trunk?

6. TSS system is going to kill somebody!
** I use TSS @ 70mph too and have no issues with it. Toyota cannot predict when people will be assholes in front of you. I plan on installing plenty of light bars and will blind their ass when they cut me off.

 

1.The left steering wheel button controls are backwards!
This annoys me too, however I’ve grown used to it. I do believe if memory serves me right, you go into your display settings in the cluster you can control from the right steering wheel switch and they will work they opposite (correct way)


2. Where the eff are the grab handles?
Majority of Tacoma owners are upper middle aged men, a lot of them out out of shape. I guess I can understand why so many owners are bitching about this. But I doubt too many are the younger owners.

3. Where the eff are the grab handles?
Same question again. You must really need those handles. So I’m going to guess your between the ages of 50-60, and Atleast few lbs overweight?

4a. Bluetooth phone call speakers blow!
Bluetooth plays right out of the “regular” speakers. These aren’t Harman Kardon, MB quart, Focal or any other high end speakers. They get the job done, if you’re unhappy a cheap set of aftermarket co-axles will be a big upgrade.


4b. Having to stop to program the Nav blows!
Every factory system is this way. Even after market ones are designed with this. Reason being a safety issue. Because a lot of people can’t drive, let alone try to type in a destination and drive. There are modules you can buy to fake the unit out. Search around.


4c. Entune blows!
I just use my system mainly to play music that’s on my phone, for that it work fine. Factory nav usually always sucks, and a bunch of other features I don’t give a damn about. I just want to listen to my music. For that it works.

4d. The reverse overlay blows!
You mean delay? I think after putting it injtvo drive the camera should stay on for a few extra seconds but it always comes on right away when I throw it into reverse.

5. Where the eff are the power ports?
It’s toyota. We are lucky to have 1. But I agree with you. Should be Atleast 2 USB in the front and 1 in the back. Minimum


6. TSS system is going to kill somebody!
I don’t have TSS on my 17 but if I did I highly doubt I would use it. I like to be in control of my vehicle. All these systems imo just let the driver become more distracted. While I can say I’m guilty of occasionally sending a text while driving or something, I’m usually very alert while driving. Always keeping a close eye around me as well as you never know who or what might impede your driving. I’ve heard a bunch of people claiming they had their trucks lock up because of TSS errors. That could be very dangerous. On the flip side I’ve also read how it has helped people avoid an accident. To me if you just stay alert, you won’t have to worry about needing this

 

Agree with the tss system especially in city type driving, it's always on and braking easy is impossible when coming to a stop since the truck applies brakes making it jerky. Slow to a stop under 10mph with a car in front of you using the same constant brake pressure and you'll feel it. Feels like you're always riding the brakes in city driving.
Need grab handles, makes no sense not to have them.
Fuck that NAV system, absolutely useless if you have to update your travel like highway vs back roads. It'll give you the option then gray it out, even on preprogrammed destinations.
Oh and the voice commands are the worst I have ever used. I'm in mass and ask it to put in an address and I get Abilene TX. Their hands free system makes me use my phone more.
And last the anemic motor in this thing. Takes a good second and a half to accelerate after hitting the gas to pass someone or come off a ramp etc. It's like a diesel polo. The V6 feels like a 4 banger. No nuts

 

To address your complaints about the TSS, set the sensitivity to the lowest setting at one bar. The system wont be nearly as picky in that setting.

 

And you still bought the truck? Did the salesman somehow conceal these things during your test drive?
I don't use/need grab handles.
Took about two minutes to familiarize myself with all controls. Every vehicle is different.
Entune is what it is. I use it.

Seriously, if I don't like that many things about a vehicle I don't buy it. I could give a rat's ass about what other people think about my vehicle so what people say about it is meaningless to me. Good luck.

 

Smitty99 approved!!!

 

Never needed a grab handle to get in or out of a truck.

 

I do agree with Etunes and wonder what Toyota’s strategy is to keep with its proprietary system instead of admitting defeat in the car audio interface race and incorporate CarPlay and Android Auto.

 

I would just like to chime in and say that my previous 2014 Camry had the steering wheel controls in the correct position. I agree that this is backwards in our trucks.

 

The Tacoma ain't perfect. I like mine pretty good though.