RoadVitals

1996 Toyota Tacoma Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest May 17, 2010
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
4%
of 253 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Toyota Tacoma submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Transmission
Filed May 17, 2010

REF: NHTSA 96E00100 REF: TOYOTA REFERRED RECALL WEBSITE <HTTP://WWW.INTERNETAUTOGUIDE.COM/AUTO-RECALLS/09-INT/1996/TOYOTA/TACOMA/INDEX.HTML> JAN 03, 1996 | RECALL ID# 39110 - RECALL REASON VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL RECALL DATE JAN 03, 1996 MODEL AFFECTED TACOMA POTENTIAL UNITS AFFECTED 5145 RECALL SUMMARY; THESE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEMS FAIL TO HOLD THE SPEED SET BY THE DRIVER AND CAN ACCELERATE ABOVE THE INTENDED SET SPEED. CONSEQUENCE; UNINTENDED ACCELERATION CAN INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR A VEHICLE ACCIDENT. REMEDY; DEALERS WILL REPLACE THESE CRUISE CONTROL ASSEMBLIES. NOTES: ROSTRA PRECISION CONTROLS THIS IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING WITH MY 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA. TWICE IT ACCELERATED TO OVER 90 MPH WHILE ON A RECENT TRIP TO ANOTHER STATE. IT NOW DROPS OUT RAPIDLY AT ANY SPEED AFTER 1/2 MILE OR SO, AND THE CC LIGHT BLINKS CONSTANTLY. I'VE CALLED TOYOTA ABOUT THIS PROBLEM (PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVIDENTLY HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE 1996!!!) AND THEY REFUSE TO HONOR THE RECALL. CAN YOU HELP GET MY VEHICLE RETURNED TO A SAFE TO DRIVE STATE WHERE THE CRUISE CONTROL IS NO LONGER A SAFETY ISSUE? I'VE HAD THE DROPPING OUT PROBLEM SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE, BUT THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE THE UNIT WAS UNDER POWERED. NOW THAT IT'S SPEEDING UP, I LEARNED JUST RECENTLY THAT IT'S DEFECTIVE AND TOYOTA KNEW ABOUT IT!! THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ID
10330790
Incident
Mar 14, 2010
Mileage
100,000 mi
Driver assistanceTransmission
Filed Jan 8, 2001

THROTTLE VALVE CABLE BROKE DURING NORMAL USE OF THE TRUCK. NOTICED A CHANGE IN TRANSMISSION FUNCTION AND THE VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT TOO SOON AND WAS NOT ABLE TO SPEED UP NORMALLY. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SHIFT FROM FIRST TO THIRD GEAR AT 10MPH AND THEN TO 4TH GEAR AT 30 MPH. IT WOULD BYPASS 2ND GEAR SO I HAD TO SHIFT IT MANUALLY IN ORDER TO ACHEIVE A SPEEDY ENOUGH START TO GET ON THE FREEWAY. ALSO OCCURRED IN MY BROTHERS 96 TACOMA ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT IS TOO MUCH OF A COINCIDENCE FOR IT TO BE OCCURRING IN THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR TRUCK ALMOST AT THE SAME TIME. TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR AND THE CABLE WAS RUSTED SO IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS EXPOSED SOMEWHERE IN THE ENGINE THUS CAUSING IT TO GET WEATHERED AND BREAK. REPAIRS WERE OVER $300 DOLLARS AT DEALERSHIP AND I THINK IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER SOME WARRANTY SINCE IT SEEMS LIKE THAT PART SHOULD HAVE HAD A HOUSING TO PROTECT IT FROM BEING WEATHERED AND RUSTED. I BELIEVE THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING TO GO THROUGH THIS SAME THING WITH THIS SAME MODEL AND YEAR TRUCK SINCE IT HAPPENED TWICE IN THE SAME FAMILY HERE. *AK

NHTSA ID
739015
Incident
Dec 23, 2000
BrakesOther / unspecifiedSteering+2 more
Filed Jan 27, 2000

RIGHT REAR HOLD DOWN PIN FAILED CAUSING SQUEAKING NOISE FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. *ET

NHTSA ID
784455
Incident
Mar 8, 1999
SuspensionTransmission
Filed May 19, 1999

MY TRUCK EXPERIENCES SEVERE TRANSMISION NOISE WHEN I APPLY BRAKES, CAME TO A STOP AND THEN PROCEED.A NOTICEABLE CLUNKING NOISE TOOK PLACE AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS BROKEN.ALSO MY FRONT TIRES WORE EXCESSIVELY ON THE HEELS, AND I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE FRONT END WAS MISALIGNED. OFCOURSE I PAID FOR A FRONT END ALIGNMENT BUT IT DIDNT HELP THE VEHICLE FROM SHAKING AT SPEEDS OF 55+MPH.ALSO , THE FRONT SUSPENSION SHIMMIES, SHAKES, AND RATTLES OVER MINOR ROAD IMPERFECTIONS. I FEEL LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL IS TELLING ME THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE. I HAVE NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT, AND MY VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. CAN SOMEONE OFFER HELP OR ADVICE? THOMAS J FINLEY. *AK( DOT NUMBER: )

NHTSA ID
706676
Incident
Dec 25, 1998
Powertrain (other)SuspensionTransmission
Filed Jan 8, 1998

TRANSMISSION NOISY IN THIRD GEAR, SUSPENSION POPS ON ROUGH ROADS, AND SPEEDOMETER MAKES CLICKING NOISE.

NHTSA ID
527985
Incident
Jan 1, 1996
Transmission
Filed Sep 9, 1997

TRANSMISSION FAILED.

NHTSA ID
606039
Seat beltsTransmission
Filed Jan 15, 1997

CLUTCH ASSEMBLY REPLACED, ALSO TRANSMISSION DISC ASSEMBLEY REPLACED DUE TO LOSS OF ALL GEARS EXCEPT FOURTH.

NHTSA ID
513727
Incident
Jan 6, 1997
Seat beltsTransmission
Filed Jan 15, 1997

AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, HEARD A THUD SOUND AND LOST ALL GEARS EXCEPT FOR 4TH GEAR.

NHTSA ID
513723
Incident
Jan 6, 1997
Transmission
Filed Jan 14, 1997

OWNER STATES THAT HIS POWERTRAIN COMES OUT OF 4 WHEEL DRIVE WHILE DRIVING, IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
807651
SuspensionTransmission
Filed Dec 11, 1996

SUSPENSION FAILURE, CAUSING POOR STABILITY.

NHTSA ID
512570
Incident
Nov 22, 1996
Transmission
Filed Jun 3, 1996

WHEN GOING INTO FIFTH GEAR STICK SHIFT BECOMES SHAKY AND IS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE.DEALERSHIP HAS TRIED TO FIX THE PROBLEM TO NO AVAIL. *AK

NHTSA ID
985155

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .