While stopped at a highway stop light the light turned green and the truck would not shift into first gear. I tried cycling the clutch, shifting into second, and shifting into reverse but the truck would still not shift into first gear as if it were blocked halfway between neutral and first gear. There was a semi-truck fast approaching behind me and they had to lay on the horn and swerve dangerously into the next lane over to avoid hitting me while I was stopped at a green light. Finally, after about 30 seconds and multiple attempts I was able to engage first gear after pumping the clutch a few times and going from second to first gear. I will reach out to the dealer to see if this is something they cover under their warranty, but the issue is intermittent. It has happened a few times before but not to this extent or risk level.
Toyota Tacoma won't shift problems
103 of the 8,489 owner complaints about the Toyota Tacoma describe stuck in gear or won't shift, most of them for the 2012 model year.
- owner complaints
- 103
- worst model year
- 2012
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,000
- typical mileage
- 56,670
By model year
Often reported together
Check engine light 48Loss of power 10Stalling 4Transmission failure 2Misfire 2Jerking 2Harsh shifting 2Adaptive cruise 2
Trouble codes mentioned
P2442 37P2440 28P2441 4P2445 3P2443 2P2438 2P2446 1P2437 1P2433 1P0412 1
What owners say
Have had engine issues such as stalling, rattling, limp mode, rough idling and engine missing. Have had repairs done but continues to have major issues where it is not functioning properly.
Six speed manual transmission would not shift into second fourth or sixth gears. It started in a parking lot shifting from first to second, then it made a grinding noise and all the bottom gears of the extended 'H' shift pattern were not functioning.
The morning my transmission failed... I started the truck and put it in R, at which point the entire truck shuddered for several seconds. At this point many, many warning messages appeared on the instrument cluster screen as well as the infotainment screen - and the truck would not move in Reverse. After moving the shifter into P and back to R, the truck backed out of the driveway. When the truck was shifted to D - nothing happened. The truck was shifted back to R and then back to D at which point the truck moved forward but would not shift out of 1st gear. Placed truck back in P and then back to D two more times and truck would move forward but not shift out of 1st gear. Turned truck off and on approximately 3 times and it began to shift gears when driving. I drove the truck to the closest Toyota dealership where the warning codes were checked, and I was told that my transmission was bad and needed to be replaced. I was told that it would need a new Torque Converter assy, new Automatic Transmission assy, and a new Hybrid Module assy. Total cost for parts would be $27,504.29.... Covered by warranty. My truck was purchased brand new in Virginia, MN on [XXX], and the failure occurred on [XXX] with less than 800 miles on the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Upper Intake manifold flap actuator ( part: Toyota 17190-0P101 ) brakes in the intake resulting in wrong air reading and forcing vehicle into limp mode causing the vehicle to rapidly decrease speed, and creating a potential accident with other vehicles and semi's. this will continue to happen but this will give a person a false sense of security since error codes will reset once vehicle is turned off and on, a reassurance to a person that the issue has resolved itself since this will only happen at high speeds. the part is designed for fuel efficiency, as the flap opens and closes air is controlled properly for emission, but once broken will throw error codes, and force vehicle into limp mode this part is not be repairable, the part needs to be changed completely. this would happen to me while accelerating on highways, up mountain passes and pushing vehicle over 4000 rpm.
new 2024 Tacoma sport. approx. 3800 miles. While driving automatic transmission revved hi, like it was in neutral. Lost power, went into limp mode. Multiple warnings on dash. Had truck towed to dealer. Next day they said transmission needed replaced. metal filings found inside transmission. Not sure how long it would be to repair. The dealership was very kind and sorry this happened. I told them it's not there fault, it's toyota
Transmission experienced rough shifting from reverse to drive immediately followed by the inability to access gears 1-5. The transmission was within normal operating temperatures per the onboard temp readings. Going into park or neutral did not fix the issue. Stopping and restarting the engine allowed access to lower gears briefly, but once the vehicle shifted up, it could no longer access the lower gears. Shortly after this, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle went into limp mode.
2017 Toyota Tacoma double cab-V6 with 62K approx miles. On or around April 29th 2024, I was traveling in this truck when there was a sudden and complete loss of power, two check engine lights came on-The "trac off" light and the check engine light came on. I needed to pull over immediately for safety. I ended up driving the vehicle to the Toyota dealership in limp mode. The vehicle has sat at Tustin Toyota now for weeks with the Toyota dealership initially suggesting that a ACIS Flap broke off inside the intake manifold of the car. This was replaced and the vehicle is still providing the same alarms and still in limp mode. The initial fix(whihc did not fix the problem was a full replacement of the intake manifold). Now the dealer is suggesting that a piece(s) broke off the intake manifold and ended up inside the engine so now dealer is recommending and entire engine break down to attempt to further diagnose the situation. Again it looks to be a complete failuure of the ACIS system and the intake manifold. This problem has presented a EXTREME safety issue due to comp[lete loss for power initially then truck sits in LIMP Mode. Very dangerous!
I’ve only had the vehicle about a month with only 1245 miles on it. I was leaving a parking lot and pulled out on the road and the vehicle shifted in neutral after a minute or so the vehicle then slammed back into gear. It did this 2 or 3 times. I pulled into a gas station turned the vehicle off and waited a few minutes. I turned the vehicle back on backed out and preceded to drive when the same issue happened again. But now the vehicle would not shift into other gears. This time the check engine light came on with 3 reported errors 1. Advanced ultrasonic detecting and ranging system malfunction. 2. Drive-start control system malfunction. 3. Check engine light stating malfunction in the electronic control of the engine, throttle, or automatic transmission has been detected. I was only about a mile or 2 from a Toyota dealership and was able to limp the truck to the dealership. The dealership informed me today [XXX], that it will need a new transmission and that there were similar issues on new Tacomas across the US. There were no prior signs of any issues prior to the transmission failure. This happened on a roadway with traffic that comes in both directions. Thanks goodness this didn’t cause an accident has it happened out of the blue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
In the past two years my Tacoma has had to have the air switching valve replaced twice. Vehicle going into limp mode is not safe. Dealer tells me I need to drive it more than 5K miles a year. So I need to drive more to make an emission component work better? How does that even make sense.
Related recalls
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2025 Tacoma and Tacoma Hybrid vehicles. The front driveshaft constant-velocity (CV) joint may deform and break.
- Risk
- A broken driveshaft can impair steering. Vehicles with full-time 4WD may experience a vehicle rollaway while parked without the parking brake applied. Both scenarios increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace both front driveshaft assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 11, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1‑800‑331‑4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB11 and 25TA11.
Recall number 25V656000 · Recall details
Power train: axle assembly
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturer (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Tacoma vehicles. The axle shaft sub-assembly may separate from the axle housing due to debris causing improperly secured fasteners.
- Risk
- Axle shaft separation can cause a loss of vehicle stability and brake performance, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rear axle assembly, tighten the axle retaining nuts as necessary, and repair or replace any damaged components, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 17, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑800‑331‑4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 24TB05 and 24TA05.
Recall number 24V152000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: differential unit
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Tacoma vehicles. Oil may leak from the area where the rear differential carrier is assembled to rear axle housing.
- Risk
- If the vehicle is operated with an insufficient amount of oil in the rear differential, the differential may seize and cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear differential for oil leakage. Based on the inspection, dealers will either tightening the fastening nuts or replace the fastening nuts and gasket. If the rear differential components are damaged, the rear differential carrier assembly will be replaced. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall June 19, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑800‑331‑4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0G.
Recall number 17V285000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 toyota tacoma pickup trucks. The propeller shaft may develop cracks during the manufacturing process. Over time, the cracks may eventually lead to the separation of the propeller shaft.
- Risk
- This may result in a loss of vehicle control increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the front propeller shaft on affected vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on march 22, 2010. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331.
Recall number 10V042000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline
- What is wrong
- On certain pickup trucks equipped with four wheel drive, a section of the rear propeller shaft may have been improperly cast.
- Risk
- The front side of the rear propeller shaft could separate at the joint and come into contact with the road surface which could result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the possibility of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the rear propeller shaft with a new one free of charge. The recall began on august 1, 2007. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331.
Recall number 07V324000 · Recall details
Questions about the Toyota Tacoma won't shift
Which Toyota Tacoma years have stuck in gear or won't shift problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2012 (69 complaints), 2016 (8 complaints) and 2024 (6 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix stuck in gear or won't shift on the Toyota Tacoma?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 23 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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