2009 TOYOTA TACOMA Complaints

PURCHASED 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA CREWCAB IN JULY 2009. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO NOTICE WHEN DRIVING THAT THE TRANSMISSION GEARING WAS NOT CORRECT. WHEN DECELERATING TO MAKE A TURN OR AFTER COMING TO COMPLETE STOP FOLLOWED BY ACCELERATION, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND STRUGGLES TO FIND THE CORRECT GEAR FOR THE SPEED THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING. *TR

I PURCHASED A NEW 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA IN MAY OF 2009. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE I NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION 'SLIPS' AND DOES NOT ENGAGE AT LOW SPEEDS AFTER SLOWING TO AROUND 10 MPH AND THEN ACCELERATING WITHOUT COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I HAVE HAD SOME CLOSE CALLS WHEN TURNING LEFT AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT. I HAVE CARRIED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TWICE AND THEY SAY THAT TOYOTA HAS RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM AND IS WORKING ON A COMPUTER 'PATCH' TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I WAS GIVEN NO TIME FRAME TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I "GOOGLED" TOYOTA TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE SO PREVALENT THAT THERE IS A PRIVATE WEB SITE DEVOTED TO THIS PROBLEM. I AM WONDERING WHY THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL? THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND GEAR AND ALSO LUNGED FORWARD AT TIMES. THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AND ALMOST CAUSED HER TO HIT PEDESTRIANS AND OTHER VEHICLES. THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER ON TWO OCCASIONS. A TECHNICIAN STATED THAT IT WAS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DO. THE MANUFACTURER BACKED UP THE DEALER'S EXPLANATION. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,600. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 161. BL

TRANSMISSION DOES NOT RESPOND WHEN YOU ACCELERATE AFTER SLOWING PROBABLY BETWEEN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR. THE TACH WILL GO UP BUT THE TRANSMISSION FAILS TO ENGAGE AND YOU JUST END UP COASTING INTO A TURN OR MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. THIS HAS OCCURRED SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. BUT FROM OTHER COMPLAINTS I SEE THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING WITH SOME 09 TACOMAS. YOU CANNOT PULL INTO TRAFFIC FROM A ROLLING START SAFELY. *TR

I DRIVE A 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE TRANSMISSION HESITATES/STICKS WHEN THE DRIVER ACCELERATES AFTER DE-ACCELERATING. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE TRUCK SLOWS TO A SPEED BELOW 15-20 MPH, ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING A CORNER OR YIELDING. THE DRIVER IS PUSHING THE ACCELERATOR, TRYING TO GET OUT OF HARMS WAY OF OTHER TRAFFIC AND THE TRANSMISSION IS STICKING AND REVVING UP; NOT WANTING TO KICK IN AND GO. TOYOTA CLAIMS THIS IS NORMAL. THIS IS NOT NORMAL - IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

MY NEW 2009 TOYOTA PRERUNNER TRANSMISSION RANDOMLY SLIPS (DELAYS) WHEN GOING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. I FIRST NOTICED IT AT 150 MILES. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH A DEFINITE PATTERN, EXCEPT IT HAPPENS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM SPEEDS BELOW 10MPH. I NOW HAVE 1500 MILES ON THE ODOMETER AND IT STILL SLIPS RANDOMLY AND CONTINUOUSLY. I'M AFRAID THAT ONE DAY I'M GOING TO TRY TO ENTER TRAFFIC AND MY TRANSMISSION IS GOING TO SLIP AND I'M GOING TO HAVE SOMEONE RUN INTO ME OR CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. TOYOTA HAS TOLD ME THIS IS A "NORMAL" THING. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT IT. I WAS TOLD IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE COMPUTER/EMISSIONS/AND OTHER COMPONENTS, WORKING TOGETHER FOR BETTER GAS MILEAGE (WHICH BY THE WAY IS NOT ALL THAT GREAT) AND IT IS NORMAL. IN OTHER WORDS, NOTHING IS WRONG AND NOTHING NEEDS TO BE FIXED, IT'S SUPPOSED TO THAT. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION RANDOMLY SLIPPING IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. *TR

LIKE A GREAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE, I AM EXPERIENCING MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE RADIO IN MY 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE RADIO TURNS ON AND OFF RANDOMLY WITH NO INPUT FROM ME. IT ALSO SWITCHES BANDS (FM1 TO FM2, ETC.) OF ITS OWN VOLITION. SOMETIMES IT REFUSES TO TURN ON AT ALL. JUDGING FROM THE OTHER COMPLAINTS SCATTERED AROUND VARIOUS FORUM SITES ON THE INTERNET, THIS PROBLEM SEEMS PARTICULARLY PREVALENT IN THE "ACCESS CAB," WHICH IS THE MODEL I RECENTLY PURCHASED. THIS BIZARRE BEHAVIOR HAS BEEN HAPPENING FROM THE DAY I DROVE THE CAR OFF THE DEALERS LOT: THE RADIO--WHICH I THOUGHT WAS OFF-- SUDDENLY BEGAN BLARING AT HIGH VOLUME. AFTER ABOUT ONE SECOND, IT. TURNED ITSELF OFF AGAIN. IT WAS STARTLING TO SAY THE LEAST, AND I'M GLAD IT DIDN'T HAPPEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE RADIO EXHIBITS SOME KIND OF "POLTERGEIST" MANIFESTATION ALMOST EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE VEHICLE. SO FAR TOYOTA'S RESPONSE TO MY PROBLEM ALSO SEEMS TYPICAL OF WHAT OTHERS ARE REPORTING. THE COMPANY (AND THE DEALER) APPEAR TO BE STONEWALLING AND STALLING. THE INTERNET IS RIFE WITH COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE RADIO YET THERE IS NO SERVICE BULLETIN (PRESUMABLY BECAUSE THERE IS ONLY AN INDIRECT CONNECTION TO SAFETY ISSUES AND THE LAWSUITS THEY CAN BRING). THE SERVICE WRITER AT MY DEALERSHIP STOUTLY MAINTAINED THAT HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM. WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD FOUND COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE INTERNET, HE ATTEMPTED TO CONVINCE ME THAT I WAS THE VICTIM OF INTERNET HYSTERIA--AS IF I COULDN'T TELL WHEN MY RADIO WAS TURNING ON AND OFF WITHOUT HUMAN INPUT. IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT TOYOTA HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE PROBLEM FOR THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR, THE SERVICE WRITER TELLS ME THAT "A TECHNICIAN WILL HAVE TO EXAMINE THE RADIO FOR DEFECTS AND GET PART NUMBERS AND SO FORTH BEFORE HE CAN MAKE REPAIRS." IN OTHER WORDS, I HAVE TO MAKE AT LEAST TWO TRIPS TO THE DEALER (25 MILES AWAY) TO SOLVE WHAT SHOULD BE A SIMPLE RECALL ISSUE, AND I HAVE TO HOPE AN ELECTRICAL GREMLIN APPEARS ON DEMAND WHEN THE TECHNICIAN CHECKS IT. *TR

IN DECEMBER OF 2008, I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA FROM HARR TOYOTA FOR ABOUT $30,000. THIS TRUCK WAS A 4X4 OFF ROAD, AND CAME WITH ALL OF THE EXTRA OPTIONS THAT COULD BE OFFERED. THE TRUCK INCLUDED A 36,000 MILE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY AND A LIFETIME POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. SINCE I TRAVEL OFTEN FOR WORK, THE TRUCK WOULD REMAIN GARAGED FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, AWAY FROM THE ELEMENTS OF THE WINTER. IN JULY, AFTER RETURNING FROM A BUSINESS TRIP, I STARTED TO NOTICE THAT ON THE HIGHWAY, THE TRUCK HAD AN UNUSUAL ODOR, AND WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS APPLIED, THE SMELL WOULD GET WORSE. I BROUGHT THE TRUCK IN TO BE LOOKED AT BY HARR TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT, WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAS IMMEDIATELY REFUSED TO BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO 'CORROSION.' HISTORICALLY, TOYOTA HAS HAD MANY ISSUES WITH CORROSION AND THE IMMEDIATE REFUSAL FOR COVERAGE SHOCKED ME. THEY CLAIMED THAT THE TRUCK APPEARED TO 'HAVE BEEN DRIVEN THROUGH A BODY OF SALT WATER' ' COINCIDENTALLY ON THE TRANSMISSION ONLY. AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO GET TOYOTA CORPORATE TO REVIEW MY CASE, THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY CAME TO SEE THE TRUCK, AND DENIED COVERAGE. AS MY RESEARCH SHOWED, THEY HAD NOT ACTUALLY COME DOWN, AND HAD JUST SPOKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP ON THE PHONE. ON THE NEXT ATTEMPT AT A TOYOTA INSPECTION FOR COVERAGE, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT I HAD TO PAY $441.00 FOR THEM TO TAKE THE TRANSMISSION DOWN, AND THEN COVERAGE WAS ONCE AGAIN DENIED. . AFTER NUMEROUS CALLS, AND INSULTING CONVERSATIONS WITH DEMEANING AND SARCASTIC CUSTOMER CARE REPRESENTATIVES, I HAVE GIVEN UP AND FEEL THAT TOYOTA MAY HAVE GOTTEN THE BEST OF ME. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION IN 2009 TACOMA 4WD V6 DOES NOT SHIFT DOWN SMOOTHLY AS THE TRUCK SLOWS DOWN INTO A TURN AND BEGINS TO ACCELERATE OUT OF A TURN OR IN A STRAIGHT AWAY. THE ISSUE IS PRONOUNCED IN SPEEDS OF 35 MPH AND LESS . THERE SEEM TO BE A DELAY IN RESPONSE WHEN ACCELERATING,. UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION RESPONDS AND THE TRUCK LURKS FORWARD . I CHECKED WITH THE TOYOTA DEALER , AND THE DEALER DOES NOT THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM . I CHECKED TOYOTA FORUMS AND FOUND OUT NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE THAT I HAVE . THERE IS FOR SURE A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION OR THE SOFTWARE. MY TRUCK HAS ONLY 2700 MILES ON IT . ALL THE COMPLAINTS I READ REGARDING THIS ISSUE ARE LOW MILEAGE TRUCKS AND IT SEEMS TO BE AFFECTING THE 2009 MODEL. *TR

WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND CROSSWALK WAITING FOR TWO PEDESTRIANS TO CROSS MY 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA SPORT BEGAN TO ATTEMPT TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. THE ONLY WAY I WAS ABLE TO STOP IT WAS TO PUT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL - WITH THE ENGINE RACING OUT OF CONTROL UNTIL I MANAGED TO TURN THE IGNITION KEY OFF. MY VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 10K MILES ON IT. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO KEEP THE BRAKE ON HARD ENOUGH TO PREVENT HITTING THE PEDESTRIANS WHILE MY TIRES WERE SMOKING BECAUSE OF THE ENGINE REVVING. *TR