Have 2 incidents. 1. Transmission would do a hard jerk when shifting from 1st to 2nd going about 20MPH. Also happened when slowing down. Also happened when going from park to reverse/drive and/or reverse to drive. Happened randomly. Had to tech from dealer for ride along and tech saw it happen first hand. Ended up getting new transmission. Truck has 30K miles. 2. Drivers side door handle broke. Had to roll down window to open door from outside.
Toyota Tacoma transmission failure problems
45 of the 8,489 owner complaints about the Toyota Tacoma describe complete transmission failure, most of them for the 2024 model year.
- owner complaints
- 45
- worst model year
- 2024
- typical mileage
- 9,890
Is there a fix? There are 5 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Jerking 5Check engine light 5Harsh shifting 4Sudden acceleration 2Won't shift 2Shudder 2Whining noise 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the transmission failed to operate properly while driving 35 MPH and attempting to accelerate. While driving uphill or downhill, the transmission was slow to shift into the intended gear, and the vehicle was slow to accelerate. Additionally, there was an abnormal sound while turning the steering wheel. While driving in the left lane with another vehicle in the right lane, the vehicle stopped suddenly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and the failure was associated with the gear shaft. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
Transmission blew at 40200 miles under normal driving conditions going approximately 30/35 mph
Transmission is failing, fluid was black and burnt at 35k miles (dealer did not provide a large enough sample to allow for testing the fluid because I didn't specify the amount I needed), and vehicle is not throwing a CEL or MIL so therefore Toyota says that there is no defect. Fluid change did improve the functioning, but it did not correct the problem. Transmission failures are a known problem on numerous Toyota vehicles using an A series transmission. My vehicle has done this and progressively worsened since it had roughly 500 miles on it. Dealership originally refused to document my complaints in their system and Toyota Customer Care's assistance has been minimal at best. My vehicle suffers from numerous of the same complaints that are listed under the 2024 model Tacoma. Before servicing the transmission fluid the vehicle would occasionally have an extremely hard shift around 55mph that would result in the truck spinning tires on the interstate which shouldn't even be possible. I actually managed to capture a short video of the dash as it was doing this once and even sent it to Toyota but they said if they can't replicate it then it doesn't count. I think there needs to be an investigation into Toyota's transmission issues as well as someone should investigate their programming for MIL/CEL activation parameters as their vehicles are alerting the driver's to a problem until there is a complete and total failure which could leave the driver in an unnecessary and dangerous situation that could possibly be avoided if the driver was informed when the "Fail-safe" features activate instead of when they're unable to compensate. I am unable to load the video through this computer; however, I can upload the video from my phone upon request.
Throwout bearing premature failure. Saftey was put at risk with harsh shifting and potential transmission failure while merging into traffic due to not going into gear. Was brought to a shop to install a new TOB and had to replace my pressure plate as well due to wear. TOB is now doing something similar causing noises due to wear on the shaft it rides on. This is a very very common problem and should be addressed as a failure point especially for what little milage is on the truck.
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)
I bought the truck at 6 pm on [XXX] in Pennsylvania and drove straight home in Brooklyn, when trying to find a parking spot the truck started to act weird(10pm after 190 miles). The rpm was going really high with no power to the wheels and abruptly it seems to find gear and jumped off really fast a couple of times. I was driving in a residential area at low speed and was able to pull over to the curb. I could have hit a pedestrian, another car or lost control pretty badly if I was in a highway. After the initial incident all the lights came off (engine malfunction, brakes malfunction, collision system malfunction and others). The truck was towed and after a long wait, today the 5th of December, it was diagnosed as a transmission problem, Toyota is going order a new transmission and the broken one will be sent to Toyota for further inspection. They want to replace my truck and it seems they are not willing to cancel the deal. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My new 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro with 2440 miles experienced a transmission failure as I was driving up a mountain highway. I lost most propulsion of the vehicle with no advanced notice. I barely was able to make it to a portion of the road with a shoulder. There was heavy traffic due to the thanksgiving holiday traffic. The error on the Vehicle indicated Hybrid System Failure. In the vehicle information I was able to access additional errors, “A malfunctions in the intelligent Clearance Sonar System has been detected”, and “A malfunction in the Drive Start Control System has been detected”. The vehicle was towed to a local Toyota dealer and the have diagnose that the transmission and a computer need to be replaced. The problem arose suddenly without warning and with out any prior issues.
When I was driving my new truck the transmission failed. It would not change gears forward or reverse. The RMP started ramping up in the red. Check engine light on drive start control malfunction. Advanced ultrasonic detecting and ranging system. The led screen was going hoops asking for code and updating while driving day before transmission went. Called dealer. Had the car towed. Later that day was told bye dealer the transmission needs to be replaced. Did research to find out Toyota new theses transmission are faulty and have not recalled. If I where on highway or similar roads I drive daily I would have been hurt. This problem will cause a accident. I am aware the federal safety agency has been informed, reached out to Toyota and Toyota has not responded nor have they started a safety recall. My fear is they are waiting for someone to get hurt or killed. My dealer also informed me another customer with a tacoma has been waiting since may 2024 for a transmission.
The transmission cooling line in my 2019 Toyota Tacoma was never installed by an authorized repair shop following an accident. This critical component failure led to the transmission failing just 1.5 hours after I retrieved the vehicle from the shop. My safety was compromised, as the failure occurred while driving at highway speeds, without any warning lights or messages indicating an issue. The failure has been confirmed by the dealership (MotorWorld Toyota) currently inspecting my vehicle. The shop responsible for the initial repairs has taken liability for missing the installation of the transmission cooling line. My insurance company (GEICO) has been involved but is delaying total loss consideration. No warning lamps or messages appeared before or after the transmission failure, which is highly suspicious. This negligence has caused severe damage to a vital component of my vehicle, and I question the overall integrity of the repairs.
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 transmission failure
Which Toyota Tacoma years have complete transmission failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2024 (14 complaints), 2005 (6 complaints) and 2006 (4 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Toyota Tacoma?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history