Transmission or differential issue?

Hello all,

I have a 2016 TRD automatic and I have an intermittent issue with the transmission or differential, I'm not sure which. Here's what's happening:

1) Sometimes there is a "thunk" when I first start the truck up in the morning, put it in gear, and start to move. It's one "thunk" and then nothing else.

2) Twice, for no rhyme or reason, and about six months apart, the truck wouldn't move when I put it into Drive and take off. This was also a morning start. I moved the shifter to Park and back to drive and it was fine.

3) Yesterday afternoon I put the truck into Drive and the truck would barely move. It felt as though the parking brake was on, but it wasn't. I put the truck into Reverse, which worked, Drive again and it was still locked. I had to move the shifter back and forth several times before the truck would drive.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated. I plan to take it into the dealer but want as much information as possible before I do.

 

Welcome
Are you using the parking brake?
Your profile doesn't list your general location, but if you're in a freezing climate, it sounds like a freezing brake cable is common, though I rarely use the parking brake.

 

I would have them check the transmission fluid... I know on the older vehicles if it was low the vehicle would do that, wouldn't move until rpm was high enough to get the pressure up and then the tranny would slam into gear. Found that out after replacing trans fluid and not putting enough back in.

 

Thanks for the replies. As to my location, I'm an hour north of San Francisco. We get frost at night but nothing extreme or that lasts beyond mid-morning. And though it's a 2016, it has just 35K miles.

 

It's the brakes sticking.

 

Are you washing the truck prior or moisture in the brake pads? They are known to freeze/lock together

 

Interesting. That's kind of making sense. No, not washing, but it's an outdoor truck and I often only drive it on weekends to go hunting, camping, conditions in which the brakes often get wet.

Is there anything that can be done to prevent the sticking?

 

Usually when I wash my truck at home I'll take it for a spin around the block before I dry it to clear water out of the brakes.

 

Have you ever inspected the drums?
First things I'd check are:
-debris and/or lack of lube
-adjuster is too tight