2009 Toyota Tacoma: adaptive cruise control problems

Filed Oct 17, 2020 · Acceleration, Airbags · 155,500 miles · AZ

Cruise control became finicky spring/summer 2019. I found articles stating that it could be the clockspring/spiral cable. I replaced the clockspring and that fixed the cruise control issue, but it caused my airbag light to turn on. I have been driving around with the airbag light on for the last year and a half. Over that time, the radio controls on the steering wheel have quit working (first the volume, then the channel, and the mode buttons). These haven't been working for at least 3 months now. Just yesterday, the cruise control went out completely. No warning signs or acting up. It just quit. From what research I have done, this issue was handled under a recall, but the recall only applies to the tacoma models without audio controls on the steering wheel. Has that changed at all? Why were not all versions/configurations covered?

Filed Aug 30, 2018 · Acceleration · 113,000 miles · TN

I have reported to toyota that my cruise control works intermittently and that it goes on and off as it pleases. Toyota has responded that that issue is not covered with the current spiral cable clock spring recall. My truck VIN is a few digits away from the current list. I have replace the brake light switch, the cruise control switch and the problem persists. The spiral cable clock spring controls the cruise control just like does connection between the steering wheel airbag and/or the vehicle's horn and other devices and the vehicle's electrical systems. My cruise control has quit/stopped while the truck is in motion.

Filed Jun 9, 2013 · Acceleration · MA · crash

I was driving south on I/s 95 in attleboro, ma at about 2:45 pm on 6/6/13 in a 2009 toyota tacoma pickup. My wife was in the passenger seat and the only other passenger in the vehicle. I was traveling at about 60 MPH and moved to the right lane to take exit 2 onto rt 1a southbound. The cruise control was on and engaged. When I flipped the lever to disengage (cancel) the cruise control the truck did not start to slow down (my foot was off the accelerator pedal). If anything, the truck started to accelerate. I immediately applied the brakes very forcefully, with little, if any affect. I immediately put the transmission into neutral. By this time, I was off the highway and on the exit ramp. Centrifugal force was pushing me to the left. It pushed the truck over the curb and grass and into the entrance ramp from 1a south onto I/s 95 south. At this time, I saw a vehicle on the entrance ramp headed toward me. Had I tried to steer to the right the truck would most likely would have skidded and blocked the ramp entirely, so I turned to the left, turning into the skid, hoping that the oncoming vehicle would have room enough to pass to my right. My truck continued skidding to my left and I believe hit the curb on the right side of the entrance ramp. It then flipped onto the drivers side, skidded along the pavement, hit something else most likely the guardrail and flipped back to the upright position. It came to rest on the left side of the entrance ramp. I do not know what became of the previously on-coming auto. There was nothing to indicate contact between contact between the two vehicles. Both side airbags deployed. Both of us had our seat belts attached. The front windshield was broken, the roof severely dented, scrapes along the driver's side and glass throughout the cab. The rescue arrived and transported us to the hospital.

Filed Aug 5, 2011 · 30,000 miles · RI

I always wanted a toyota truck ever since I was 16. Now at 38 I decided to purchase a 2009 tacoma brand new and I currently have 30,000 miles on it and I began noticing an annoying whining sound from the rear of the vehicle at 65 - 70 MPH. I brought in in to my local toyota dealership and they said it was normal. I was shocked to hear this since I have never heard this noise from any of the trucks I have owned previosuly and I checked online and thier is a tsb for the differential for this type of problem in 2008 models. I told toyota this and they said a rep would be coming out. A week or so later the rep came out and I recievied a call stating that the vehicle is normal and the noise can be heard in other tocamas as well. The rep said to wait and a tsb might or might not be released. I was very upset at this especially when I read online that toyota fixed this problem for other people. I opened a case up with toyota and they did not even care one bit. Now last week as I went to park my truck in the garage and I shifted it in drive with my foot on the brake (not the gas pedal)the vehicle's RPM raced up and the vehicle tried to lurch forward. Shocked to say the least I then shifted the vehicle into neutral waited a few moments as the vehicle kept racing up I then shut it down. I started it back up and it idled normally. The next day I called toyota to state that this is a safety issue. Toyota wanted me to bring it in right away. I took it in and they had a long listed form of questions like where was the floor mat, was cruise control on, do I use both feet to drive one for brake and one for the gas pedal. I told them nothing was on the pedal, I did not have cruise control on, and I use one foot to drive the vehicle. My foot was on the brake only. My foot cannot even hit the gas when its on the brake. They think it is me. This is a safty issue and they treat it like it's nothing. Toyota.bad customer warranty service. Please help me with this issue.

Filed Sep 29, 2010 · Acceleration · 13,900 miles · NC

Using the cruise control, set at 61mph, climbing a small hill, the truck downshifted at least 3 times, revving the engine to over 5000 RPM. It startled me. My first reaction was to shift to neutral, but I knew that would cause the engine to over rev. I lifted the cruise control to shut it off, and the engine speed dropped. I drove a while with the cruise off, then retried it. On the first hill the same thing happened, and I shut off the cruise. I tried two more times with the same results. When I drove with out the cruise control on, the engine would down shift only one time, then at the top of the hill would upshift, resuming the normal operation. Through out the rest if my visit to pa, I drove w/o cruise control, and there were no over shifting incidents. On the return trip to nc on the 26th, I reset the cruise, and upon climbing a hill, the same thing happened. I shut off the cruise control until I got out of the hills, and then the operation seemed normal. I have made that trip before in the truck, and had nothing like the experience I just mentioned.

Filed Feb 19, 2010 · Acceleration, Transmission · 6,000 miles · SC

Tl*the contact owns a 2009 toyota tacoma. While driving 70 MPH on a hill with the cruise control activated, the vehicle changed gears and the rpms increased rapidly. The failure has occurred approximately 20 times. The dealer was contacted, test drove the vehicle and duplicated the failure; yet, they said that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. No repairs were made to the vehicle. The failure mileage was 6000 and the current mileage was 17311. Updated 03/19/2010. *lj the consumer stated the transmission down shifted into second gear. Updated 07/19/10

Filed Nov 3, 2009 · Acceleration, Transmission · 2,000 miles · GA

2009 toyota tacoma 4x4 crew pickup truck with auto transmission and v6 engine accelerated unexpectedly to over 80 MPH, then later on the same trip it happened again. I was on a long straight stretch of interstate the second time so I allowed the truck to accelerate to approximately 95 MPH at which time I stopped the truck again. The first time it happened, I had disengaged the cruise control due to a slower car in front of me and when I engaged the cruise control resume feature the truck accelerated 15 MPH past the preset speed at which time I turned off the cruise control and regained control of the truck. The second time that it happened the truck was again in cruise control mode and was going up a long hill. When the cruise control shifted the transmission down and accelerated to maintain set speed the truck continued to accelerate past 95 MPH and was only stopped by turning off the cruise control again. I allowed the truck to get to that speed to see if it would discontinue accelerating but chickened out at 95 MPH because it is after all a truck. I took the truck to the selling dealer, he tried to make it happen again with no success (told me he would have to replace the cruise control unit but could not do that unless he could duplicate the problem because it is a very expensive change out) and it has not happened but one more time. 4 things seem to be common: 1. The cruise is turned on. 2. The vehicle is accelerating when the problem starts. 3. The transmission has automatically downshifted. 4. The problem is halted by turning off the cruise control. I had the dealer document the problem since he would not fix it. I hope this info helps in your continuing investigation of the problems that toyota seems to be having. I am not a disgruntled customer, I have purchased a 2010 corolla from the same dealer since the incidents.

Filed Oct 16, 2009 · Acceleration · 1,500 miles · PA

I was on my way to work in my new (3 months old) 2009 toyota tacoma. I was about one block from home when I was approaching a red light. As I was braking for the red light and the engine suddenly sped up on it's own. I had to press down very hard on the brakes to stop the car, but wheels were still spinning cause the brakes to smoke. (I could see the smoke in my rear view mirror. I had to put the car in park to completely stop the forward movement of the car. The engine continued to run at very high RPM. I then shut the vehicle off. I started the car again in park, the engine again raced up much higher than normal. I shut the car off again and restarted and every thing was normal. I had the car towed to the toyota dealer as I felt it was unsafe to drive. Prior it being towed I checked the gas pedal and their were no obstructions around it. The dealer could not find any fault codes or sticking linkage etc. They also took it for a test drive. The service manager suggested I accidentally put my foot on the gas instead of the brake, which I truly believe is not the case here. I saw other reports on the internet similar to this for the tacoma so I felt compelled to notify you. Kindly request that you look into this matter as someone could eventually get seriously hurt or killed. Note: I was not using cruise control at the time of the incident. *tr see also 10329722