Transmission 2016-2023- 6 SPEED AUTOMATICS COULD BE LOW ON FLUID DIRECTLY FROM FACTORY

I got my fluid checked around 700 miles and it was 3/4q low. I called corporate and opened a ticket. I told them that I could have bought any brand vehicle but I bought a Toyota for reliability and it wound up low on transmission fluid. They gave me some crap about how it was checked wrong at the dealership, so I called their bluff and said I wanted an extended warranty... If they are right about the low atf not causing damage, then I won't need to use it.

 

Thanks for the info! I'll be having the same conversation with them soon

 

I don't believe there will be any need for a corporate case, or a free 7 year 100k power train warranty if you you simply advise the dealership you are not signing paperwork/taking delivery until you are sure they have checked the ATF PROPERLY. You have certainly done your research and know the flaw-- make sure you let them know about it and are educated about the problem. Don't let them blow smoke at you.

No need to stress either, it will get done one way or another, and luckily you will have it done before any mileage gets put on the truck. -- plus there is a good chance your vehicle doesn't even suffer from this problem.

Congrats on the new truck!

 

I didn't get the warranty adjustment because I was only 1/2 quart down, which apparently is within some sort of tolerance. Considering how well it's shifting now (plus my commute mileage has improved 1 entire empeegee) I don't see any issues. I hadn't been driving very long down that amount, and none of it was considered hard.

 

So... after topping off the transmission fluid (it was almost a quart low) the truck did not improve any. I gave it 2000 miles to "relearn" before i posted this. I was torn because i loved the tacomas look and smooth ride but i just traded it in and bought a 2016 willys jeep. good luck to you guys and thanks for all the usefull info

 

"Willys Jeep?" Didn't know they were still in business.

 

The willys is a wrangler package. Be nice to have an original willys tho

 

i almost bought a willys last month instead of the tacoma. how long did you have your taco and how big of a hit are you taking?

 

I bought it in March it had 7000 miles on it. I was able to walk out of the dealer with no cash out of my pocket basically traded keys for keys. and my payments are $25 less a month

 

Nice. The Jeep I was looking at would have been around $1k cheaper, but the negative equity on a trade would blow that up on a vehicle this new. To trade now, I'd have to take a lesser model or longer loan terms. Whatever makes you happy, I guess.

 

I just took delivery of my 16 TRD DCOR with TOW package on 4/29 which I ordered. The build date was approx. 4/18ish from the texas plant. I had the transmission checked by the dealer the day I took delivery (4/29) which they documented and said is was to specification. I of course did not fully trust them so I pinned the thermostat and did the check procedure on 5/8 and of course NO fluid came out when I unscrewed the overflow bolt. My question could the dealer have preformed the check correctly by not pinning the thermostat and gotten a good fluid check bc no where can I find that it is required. And then by me pinning the thermostat I got a low fluid check. Does anyone know for for sure if you absolutely have to pin the transmission thermostat to get a accurate fluid level. I have called toyota corporate and Aisin to verify to no avail. I did not fill the trans so I have no idea how low it currently is bc i want the dealer to do it so I can make a case for a extended warranty. I have a appointment at the dealer on friday 5/13.

 

Took delivery today... service write up says, "checked transmission fluid at 113 degrees fluid at ATF sensor 1, OK." When questioned, the salesman assured me they did the manual check. I crawled under and it appears as though they did... there was a slight drip of fluid at the fill plug. So far, a mere 80 miles in mind you, it operates great... no pausing or surging from R to D, no slipping, no searching to speak of... I did notice that it needs to be spurred a bit to maintain speed on hills, but nothing with which I can't live... love the truck...

thanks to @gearcruncher for the heads up and education...

 

5/11 update: I sent the dealer my concerns in an email this morning, and my contact gave all the information to his service manager (I included the PDF instructions for the manual level check from this thread intro for fun...). The service manager talked to Toyota Corporate and they admitted there is an issue and that they addressed it two months ago in the factory (I assume this means factories - plural). The dealer also admitted they found 1 truck here locally that had the issue (this is a small town). They refuse to check my yet to be delivered truck manually due to the factory fix unless I pay for it. They also say Toyota Care doesn't cover owner wishes for service checking items that might be wrong, only known issues. This dealer has actually treated me well in this buying process, and I see their point. I could go the route of others on here: I pay if it's fine, and they pay if its low, but I won't trust them unless I watch the test and either way I'm going to check it myself. If I check it myself and it's low and/or if I have shifting issues, this will be continued ...

I agree @TRDoverland, I shouldn't stress, don't even have the truck yet... but real service would be dealers checking every truck manually for a few months to make sure this is factory fixed.

 

In my opinion , addressing the issue is calling back all the trucks that were sold " that may " have a low fluid level rather than allowing the loyal customers who are unaware of this to continue driving their trucks .
How would you feel if you read this post after hitting 50k on your new truck like many of the 2nd gen guys did
Until then , we must rely on you guys as new owners for reports that your fluid levels really are topped off to the full line .
No technical service bulletin has been released but there are a few reports that the low fluid level has been corrected at the factory somewhere near the middle of April . All the Service managers should know about these issues by now . Its been 5 months of steady complaints from this forum .
Is Toyota sweeping this issue under the rug ?

 

IMHO, predelivery inspections should check the fluid manually.

 

First, thank you all a ton for the info on this. Short story long: I purchased my '16 TRD OR from a dealer in Phoenix. Drove it down to Tucson and the next day I began to notice a considerable rough shift from park to reverse and reverse to drive. It was the worst when it was actually in reverse - almost like it was slipping/wouldn't engage. Joined this forum and thanks to everyone on here, realized this is a legit issue. Called Toyota to document the issue, then took it to a dealer here in Tucson. I specifically requested that the fluid level be checked...when I picked it up they did not check it. Spoke with a service manager who then had the fluid level checked. It was 3/4 qt low. I called the dealership I purchased it from and spoke with the sales manager...told him since they did not perform a proper PDI and that no one knows for certain the long term implications of the issue, that I wanted a 8year/120k mile platinum warranty. He gave me an idiotic run around ("...since it's a sealed unit, that isn't part of the PDI...") and said he would have their general manager call me back. When they called me back, they said they were going to give me the warranty as requested. Thanks again guys!

 

i think you are correct here @gearcruncher.... i am not 100% sure my truck was checked, and checked properly... i think so... i'm pretty sure... but....??? One would think Toyota would want me to feel completely at ease... completely sure... which they could do by taking steps like you have outlined...

 

I've got 3300 mi on my '16 OR 4x4 with the tow package and have had the R-->D hesitation happen maybe 3-4 times since I took possession. I have not encountered other shifting, shudder or slippage problems. Reading about the low fluid levels, especially with the tow package, I called corporate and started a case. The corporate person told me to call my local dealership and have them check it out. I watched the youtube video by the Weber St. Univ. instructor that was linked on the first page of this thread. So when I met with the dealer shop I mentioned the tools to him and he said they had them, so I wouldn't have to leave the truck overnight to cool down. After about 1-1/2 hours he came back to me and said the tranny fluid level was perfect, and he described how the vacuum was applied to the filler hole and how the variable tube length was done to check the level. There is another thread on TW that details how you should press the brake after completing your backup and keep pressing the brake pedal while shifting into D. I seem to recall the delay occurred while the truck was on a slight grade and was slowly rolling forward, then the delay occurred followed by a sudden engage as I was pressing the gas and thinking the tranny was already engaged in D. Maybe the transmission programming allows for a faster R-->D change if the brake is applied?

 

If I understand your post correctly Hiker , it is imperative that you always come to a complete stop before changing directions with an automatic transmission .Serious transmission damage can occur if you select different directions without using the brakes .
Try leaving your foot on the brake while selecting reverse or drive to verify the issue went away .
According to some informed members here at TW , Toyota has a small issue with their squawk control .
If your fluid levels are fine and you are still feeling a delay to drive , there may be an update to the transmission ecm coming shortly

 

Hey Gearchruncher, Let's say I back out of a spot that is sloped downhill, and when I stop backing up, I shift into Drive without pressing the Brake pedal. I'm definitely NOT shifting into Drive while I'm still rolling backwards. If you're on a flat spot and in Reverse, does the transmission "want" you to depress the Brake pedal before you shift into Drive? Would the depressing the Brake be part of the transmission's required sequence to complete the "shift into Drive"? This is the first AT I've owned in over 30 years (all others were Subarus) so maybe there's a learning curve for the new ATs. Maybe I need to press the Brake every time I shift R-->D or D--->R, even if the truck is not moving...
Thanks, Hiker46