- Certain 8-speed automatic transmissions in Toyota’s new ’24 Tacoma may be acting sorta wonky
- But there’s good news, too: Toyota does have a fix in the hopper, one it’s sent out to techs in a TSB
- The technical service bulletin notes the optional 6-speed manual is not affected by this issue
Owners of some new Toyota Tacoma pickup trucks in the American and Mexican markets have been carping about some odd behaviour in the automatic transmissions of their rigs, leading to rafts of discussion in places like (shudder) online forums. Now, the complaining has reached such a crescendo the company has issued a technical service bulletin (TSB) to service departments about how to handle the problem.
For those unfamiliar, a TSB is one step shy of a recall, acting as information or a set of instructions for repair centres (usually dealers, but not always exclusively) about some known problem with a vehicle. Unlike a recall, TSBs are not a mandatory fix, but ironically they usually enter the public eye because owners have been clamouring for a solution to a particular problem.
The issue seems to stem from wonky actuators in the transmission, resulting in all kinds of error codes and undesired behaviour. The malfunction indicator light is likely to illuminate in trucks with this problem, accompanied by shifting issues. According to the TSB, “the automatic transmission assembly and the torque converter need to be replaced to address this condition.” That’s no small job, though it is limited to the eight-speed automatic and does not encompass the six-speed manual ‘box — however, it also doesn’t discriminate between the hybrid and gasser powertrains.
Toyota rolled out the new Tacoma to much fanfare, showing up with a yaffle of trims and replacing a truck which was still popular but undeniably long in the tooth. In Canada, models range from an entry-level SR5 Double Cab priced in the ballpark of 50 grand; all the way up to a burly Trailhunter, with a six-foot bed and an MSRP cresting $80,000.
If yer Tacoma falls into this specific VIN range, you’ll want to get it checked out.
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