- The U.S. NHTSA has received at least ten complaints over 2024 Toyota Tacoma gearboxes
- Dealers who plan to swap out the defective transmissions will have to wait for their replacements
- Owners are reporting problems affecting both automatic and manual transmissions
We recently covered news of Toyota recalling its full-size Tundra pickup truck for engine issues, and now the midsize 2024 Tacoma may be experiencing some troubles of its own. While it hasn’t announced a recall or an indication that one may be coming, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has published ten consumers’ complaints about their trucks’ transmissions, on new trucks with low mileage. Two other powertrain-related complaints were for the engine stalling and not restarting; and for a failed universal joint bearing and subsequent driveshaft damage.
In some of the complaints, the owners stated their dealerships said the transmissions had failed and required replacement, including one where the technician “found metal shavings in (the) transmission fluid.” In addition, getting those replacement units appears to be a problem — that same person said the dealer reported that “there are no spare transmissions in the U.S. and that it could take 3 months or longer to replace.”
The Tacoma is an all-new model for 2024, and it’s often tough enough to make enough transmissions for the assembly lines, without having to build more as replacements for them.
In a report from The Drive, it looks like NHTSA’s complaints file is just the start. That outlet compiled a number of complaints from social media and online forums, including “mechanics reporting multiple trucks in their shops with failed transmissions.” It appears drivers are having issues with both the automatic and manual transmissions.
The story also references a video from Canada’s Truck King, where a Tacoma with manual transmission fails on camera as the hosts illustrate the truck’s rev-matching feature. An engineer with Toyota Canada blamed it on operator error. Watch the video yourself and see what you think.
It’s not the only video out there: Untamed Motorstalks about issues with the transmissions. Another video from Pickup Truck Plus SUV Talktakes a balanced approach with the NHTSA complaints, along with an attempt to find if someone making videos about the transmissions actually exists (and apparently does not).
Whether the complaints to the U.S. agency will actually result in a recall has yet to be determined; so far, the 2024 Tacoma doesn’t have any recalls issued by NHTSA, nor with Transport Canada. Of course, if any emerge, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, no matter what you drive, you can check to see if it has any recalls by visiting Transport Canada’s website, or by contacting the auto manufacturer, either online or through its customer service number. You’ll need the vehicle information number, or VIN, which is that 17-digit mash of letters and numbers that’s on your ownership, or visible on the driver’s side of the dash through the windshield.
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