Not Happy with my 2018 Tacoma Limited

Thanks. I wish I had taken a longer test drive with the salesman and my wife. Wouldn’t have bought truck. Best regards

 

The fact that my transmission has no problems is not subjective. “Smooth as caramel” is a literary device us d to illustrate a point. Doesn’t change the fact that my truck runs well and has no mechanical issues...

 

That’s the funny thing. The 3rd gen is actually a fast truck but takes a while to get there. Slow in the lower gears but fast once it gets up there. Sadly the lower gears is where you get the feeling of a fast truck or not. The 2nd gen Tacoma feels way faster then the 3rd gen but actually not true either.

 

Yes. Should have driven longer and without salesman and wife

 

Bring your truck over to my area and see how it fares. Brought the truck into Toyota with them saying that’s normal and we tested a few trucks on the lot and they all do the same thing. The Toyota engineer said it’s the elevation which is horse crap. You have a 19 just give it some time.

 

I'd rather have a truck that has more power when moving or passing than the first three seconds off the line.
3rd runs circles around 2nd once moving. 2nds bogg down.
Plus the outdated interior of 2nd suck.

 

OP, you've unwittingly stumbled onto a hot topic here on TW, so you're dealing with a hotbed of raw emotions from various forum members who feel that their vehicle choice defines them. Your complaint/observation about the driving characteristics of the truck are not uncommon. Luckily for you, there's a way to limit this annoying characteristic. In the owner's manual, Toyota pretty much concedes that leaving it in "D" will result in unnecessary upshifting....and states the following:

"Selecting shift ranges using S mode restricts the upper limit of the possible gear ranges, controls engine braking forces, and prevents unnecessary upshifting."

So while you're waiting for the dealer appointment, try this:

1. When you start the truck, immediately press the ECT button....always drive with it on.

2. Always drive with the truck in "S" mode. S4 works great around town, although S5 can also be used anywhere.

3. The combination of ECT and S mode is critical with regards to the overall drivability of the AT iteration of these trucks.

 

Ok, here’s a story for you:

My buddy’s ‘16 shifts like crap. Has all the surging and downshifting and revving everyone complains about. I stayed away from Tacoma’s for a long time when I started thinking about buying a new truck for that very reason. I was thinking they were all like that and I wanted nothing to do with it. I was all set to buy a Gladiators. Then one day I ended up at the local Toyota dealer to check out some Tundras when the salesman asked me if I had tried the new Tacos. When I told him about my experience with my buddy’s ‘16 and how I wasn’t interested. He just smiled and told me to take one for a test drive.

We did. I took it out on the highway, drove it around town, truck was like night and day compared my friend’s. Long story short, I bought it on the spot when we got back to the dealer.

I have no doubt the issues exist. But based on my personal experience I think whatever it was that was wrong they must have fixed on the latest ones built. I got mine in February of this year. It is a relatively new build I guess. That’s pretty much the only thing that makes sense to me that would explain all the stuff I read here. Don’t know what else other than the most spotty QC on earth would account for it and I’m pretty sure that isn’t it.

At any rate good luck with your new truck I hope you have good experiences with it.

Edited to add either all that or I’m the luckiest SOB on earth. . . I’ll take it.

 

It's mainly because OP claimed to lurk here for a while. He should already know everything by now at it's literally posted daily. He should also know most people's reactions by now to others who post about their problems. If it's a new problem, we will try our best to help. But if it's been posted many, many times before and almost daily, heck even use the search function, then your subject to being called out on how ridiculous the claim is.

 

By the way, I live in Cruces. Already been all over the state and well into Colorado with it so I dont know what you mean by “bring it to my area”?

 

According to guys here the ecu can learn about your driving style. My dealer bought 2016 acted this way a while, and stopped acting that way a while back. I live in the White Mts if NH USA and at first it was horrible. Every hill I had to use ETC , but now on;y the steeper ones.

I might have the noise but I don't hear well. I think if it has noises my wife would complain .

 

No doubt there making updates to it. It should be an easy fix since the aftermarket option on these forums seems to work. But it’s been a slow process. I know people with 19s that have had issues and my buddy has a 16 with no issues. So I’m not sure how some are having issues and others are not. Seems like a mixed bag. It seriously didn’t annoy me much as first but after a year of it I got sick of it especially after it kept reving up to 4000rpm and being stuck there not knowing when to downshift.

 

I don’t think the time difference is actually that huge they are fairly close 0-60.

 

It may learn your driving style. My dealer bought 2016 was horrible. I think they set it to factory spec, and from reading here it seems to be able to learn. My 2016 no longer aCTS OR DRIVES LIKE IT DID AT THE DEALERS.
(CAP LOCKS IS JAMMED SORRY)

 

This is why I moved to a 2019 T4R now if I can get it to pass a gas station without pulling in that would be great!

 

I can totally see where that would get annoying. I notice it every time we go somewhere in my friends ‘16 even if I’m not driving. I just figured it was some seriously underpowered piece of shit. Like I said, it kept me from even considering one for a long time.

I feel for you guys that ended up with one, but they aren’t all like that. I think that’s why there’s so much acrimony on this site from the two camps.

There’s no effing way I would have bought one if it did that during the test drive...

 

I think what got me was Toyota telling me that a seeping diff was normal leaving fluids on my garage floor and the Diff howl that started was again normal....Plus the Transmission issues and vibrations in the steering wheel....

 

I test drove a used 17 sport and noticed the tranny searching a lot and that same howling noise and needless to say didn't buy it. I also saw the maintenance record and it was in and out of several dealerships all over Ontario, more than too many times for just oil changes and regular service. So I bought the 19 Sport new and notice there is some gear searching but no howling. When the throttle is punched it does drop 2 gears and goes like a scared rabbit. Surprisingly enough it is getting great gas mileage 25.5mpg.Imp. combined. 50/50mix with only 730kms.(450 miles). Do as everyone is saying and bring it in for the TSB.

 

Transmissions seem to be a big problem for many manufacturers these days. They are trying to increase MPG, deal with emissions, etc.

Last weekend we took the Taco camping up north towing our travel trailer. We only make this trip a few times a year, and in the past have just dealt with the constant shifting between 3rd and 4th. The best way to maintain your sanity is just drop it into 3rd and let her scream. I told the family this would be the last trip with this truck. I just can't do it anymore.

 

Well, then sell it and get something else.