2008 Toyota Tacoma Transmission Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLES RPM LEVELS INCREASED ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN GEAR. WHEN THE VEHICLE SPEED WAS 70 MPH AND THE CONTACT SHIFTED INTO 5TH GEAR, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 95 MPH WITHOUT HIM PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 26,000. UPDATED 03/30/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND THE VEHICLE DOESN'T GO BACK TO IDLE IN BETWEEN GEARS; ESPECIALLY BETWEEN 4TH AND 5TH GEAR. AND A SLIGHT TO MODERATE DOWN HILL THE RPM'S DON'T GO TO IDLE. UPDATED 08/18/10

NHTSA ID

10313832

Incident

Nov 8, 2008

Mileage

26,000 mi

I PREVIOUSLY FILED ODI COMPLAINT 10282779 TO REPORT TO TWO INSTANCES WHERE MY TACOMA ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AT A TIME WHEN I HAD ABOUT 17,000 MI. ON THE VEHICLE. THEREAFTER I TRIED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM. THE ONLY THING THAT CHANGED PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF THE SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION WAS THAT I ACQUIRED A BLACKBERRY CURVE TO REPLACE MY PREVIOUS CELL PHONE. MY OLD CELL PHONE WAS SMALLER, SO WHILE DRIVING I USUALLY KEPT IT IN THE SLOT NEXT TO MY GEAR SHIFTER. MY BLACKBERRY WAS MUCH BIGGER AND DIDN'T FIT IN THE SLOT. THEREFORE I PUT IT IN THE CUP HOLDER UNDERNEATH MY DASHBOARD. IT WAS THEN THAT I STARTED EXPERIENCING THE ACCELERATION PROBLEM. SUBSEQUENTLY, I STARTED CARRYING MY BLACKBERRY EITHER IN MY BACKPACK ON THE PASSENGER SEAT OR IN THE SLOT WHERE I USED TO KEEP MY SMALLER CELL PHONE AND I NO LONGER CHARGE THE BLACKBERRY USING THE CHARGER THAT PLUGS INTO MY LIGHTER SOCKET IN MY DASHBOARD. WITH ONE EXCEPTION (WHICH I SHALL DESCRIBE) THIS HAS SOLVED THE PROBLEM OVER THE 9,000 MI. SINCE IT BEGAN. ON 10/21/2009, I WAS DRIVING MY TACOMA AT A TIME WHEN I NEEDED TO CHARGE MY BLACKBERRY. I PLUGGED MY BLACKBERRY INTO THE CAR CHARGER AND PLACED THE BLACKBERRY IN MY BACKPACK ON THE PASSENGER SEAT. WITHIN 10 MILES MY TACOMA STARTED ACCELERATING UNCONTROLLABLY. I SHIFTED THE TRUCK INTO A LOWER GEAR AND UNPLUGGED MY PHONE FROM THE CHARGER, BUT THE VEHICLE KEPT ACCELERATING. I SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE WHEN IT STARTED TO REDLINE, AND STEERED THE VEHICLE OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER I STOPPED, I SHIFTED INTO PARK AND TURNED THE IGNITION AND THE ENGINE AGAIN STARTED TO REDLINE. I LET IT REST A COUPLE OF MINUTES, AND IT STARTED NORMALLY AND I DROVE OFF. I NO LONGER CHARGE MY BLACKBERRY WITH THE LIGHTER CHARGER AND HAVE NOT HAD ANY SUBSEQUENT PROBLEMS. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT MY BLACKBERRY'S ELECTROMAGNETIC FREQUENCIES INTERFERE WITH MY TACOMA'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WHEN THE PHONE IS EITHER TOO NEAR THE DASH OR PLUGGED INTO THE CAR CHARGER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10303710

Incident

Oct 12, 2009

Mileage

19,000 mi

TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND THEN WENT IT WENT INTO GEAR IT JERKED YOU FORWARD BECAUSE I WAS PRESSING ON GAS PEDAL AND NOTHING WAS HAPPENING AND THEN IT GRABBED THE GEAR. SENT TO DEALER 8/7/08 TO 10/30/09. TRANSMISSION WAS FIXED SO SO ON 8/14/08 BUT NOW THE WARNING BRAKE LIGHT AND SOMETIMES THE WARNING BEEP COMES ON. STARTED 8/14/08 UP TO AND STILL 10/30/09. HAS BEEN TOO TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS HAD COMPANY SEND THREE DIFFERENT TECH. TO WORK ON AND EVEN HAD A ARBITRATOR WITH THE COMPANY, STILL HAVE PROBLEMS WITH TRUCK . *TR

NHTSA ID

10290990

Incident

Aug 14, 2008

Mileage

2,999 mi

MY 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN WITHOUT WARNING WHEN DRIVING NORMAL SPEEDS. THIS HAPPENED TWICE IN THE LAST WEEK. BOTH TIMES THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS NOT BLOCKED OR IMPEDED. WHEN I SUBSEQUENTLY SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL, THE FIRST TIME THE ENGINE RETURNED TO NORMAL, THE SECOND TIME THE ENGINE RACED TO REDLINE SO I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. THEREAFTER, I STARTED THE ENGINE AND IT RACED TO REDLINE, SO I SHUT IT DOWN. THE SECOND TIME I STARTED IT, THE ENGINE RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE FIRST TIME THE PROBLEM HAPPENED, I THINK THAT HAD BEEN USING CRUISE CONTROL EARLIER IN THE 45 MINUTE DRIVE. THE SECOND TIME, CRUISE CONTROL HAD NEVER BEEN TURNED ON OR ENGAGED AND THE PROBLEM OCCURRED IN THE FIRST 2/10 OF A MILE INTO MY DRIVE. THE PEDAL DID NOT GET STUCK AFTER I HAD PRESSED IT ALL THE WAY DOWN. IN BOTH CASES, I WAS DRIVING A CONSTANT 35-45 MPH WHEN THE TRUCK TOOK OFF ON ME. WHEN I SAY IT ACCELERATED, I MEAN PEDAL TO THE METAL ACCELERATION - NOT GRADUAL LIKE WHEN CRUISE CONTROL RESUMES. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. THEY TESTED IT AND DROVE IT 80 MILES, BUT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG OR ANYTHING THAT COULD BE FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. I CALLED TOYOTA'S NATIONAL OFFICE, AND THEY SAID THAT IF THE DEALER DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG, THEN THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THEY WOULD HAVE SHOWN SERIOUS CONCERN FOR THIS DANGEROUS PRODUCT DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10282779

Incident

Sep 3, 2009

Mileage

17,000 mi

MY 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, SURGES FOREWORD SOMETIMES. (NOT ALWAYS WITH THE A/C ON). IT VIBRATES SOMETIMES WHEN COMING TO A STOP. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. THIS OCCURS REGULARLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10277114

Incident

Jul 15, 2009

Mileage

100 mi

I WAS TRAVELING ON THE PARKWAY, PITTSBURGH NEAR PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ON MARCH 8, 2009. WHERE THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED IS 3 LANES. I ACCELERATED TO PASS A SLOW MOVING VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE LANE, THE THROTTLE STUCK WIDE OPEN AND I WAS SPEEDING AS FAST AS THIS VEHICLE COULD GO, I TRIED BRAKING WITH ONE FOOT, THEN 2 FEET, NOTHING WAS SLOWING ME DOWN. I WAS CONCENTRATING ON WHAT WAS AROUND ME AND NOT THE SPEEDOMETER OR GAUGES. I NOTICED A GRAVEL BERM ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PARKWAY AND THOUGHT MY ONLY WAY OF GETTING THIS TRUCK STOPPED WOULD BE TO TRY AND GET INTO THE GRAVEL BUT KNEW AT THE SPEED IN WHICH I WAS GOING THAT I WOULD PROBABLY FLIP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLES AHEAD OF ME WERE GETTING CLOSER AND I KNEW THAT I HAD TO GET THIS VEHICLE STOPPED SOMEHOW. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE WAS SCREAMING - IT SOUNDED AS IF THE ENGINE WOULD COME THROUGH THE HOOD OF THE TRUCK. THE SPEED AT WHICH I WAS TRAVELING STILL PROPELLED ME UP THE GRAVEL BERM, WHEN I CAME TO A NEAR STOP, I SHUT THE IGNITION OFF. I LOOKED DOWN AT THE FLOOR, THE GAS PEDAL WAS NOT STUCK, THE FLOOR MATS WERE NO WHERE NEAR THE GAS OR BRAKE PEDAL. THE SMELL OF HOT BRAKES WAS QUITE EVIDENT. I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND IT STARTED NORMALLY. I CONTINUED TO MY DESTINATION CAUTIOUSLY. THE NEXT DAY, MONDAY, MY HUSBAND AND ME TOOK THE TACOMA TO TOYOTA OF GREENSBURG WHERE WE BOUGHT IT AND IT WAS PUT ON THE COMPUTER AND SHOWED "NO ERROR CODES". THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH I HAD GONE ON-LINE THE NIGHT BEFORE TYPING "TOYOTA TACOMA ACCELERATION PROBLEMS" AND FOUND NUMEROUS ARTICLES. I TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT I DID NOT WANT THIS VEHICLE THAT IT IS A "DEATH TRAP!" THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID, "WELL, I CAN TELL YOU WE ARE NOT GOING TO BUY IT BACK." I HAVE CONTACTED NHTSA AND SPOKE TO SCOTT YON WHO ADVISED ME TO CONTACT TOYOTA CALIFORNIA, I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND SPOKE TO DON LOMBARDO AND NICOLE RED WHO BLAMED THIS INCIDENT ON THE TACOMA RUBBER FLOOR MATS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10263322

Incident

Mar 8, 2009

Mileage

12,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE RPMS INCREASED RAPIDLY. THE CONTACT WAS NOT DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AT THE TIME. THE VEHICLE ACTED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO LUNGE FORWARD. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AT LEAST FOUR TIMES AND THEY STATED THAT THE MANNER IN WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN CAUSED THE SURGES AND INCREASED RPMS. THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS LESS THAN 100 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4,515. UPDATED 4/6/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY SURGE ON ITS OWN. EVEN WHEN HE SHIFTED GEARS THE TRUCK WOULD MAKE A LOUD NOISE AS WELL. UPDATED 06/09/09.*JB UPDATED 03/19/10.*JB

NHTSA ID

10262528

Incident

Apr 27, 2008

Mileage

100 mi

MY 2008 TOYOTA TACOMA TENDS TO SURGE WHEN DOWNSHIFTING. THIS CAUSES THE PICKUP TO "JUMP", PARTICULARLY WHEN COMING TO A STOP. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, DOWNTOWN TOYOTA OF SPOKANE, BUT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG - SURPRISE! I WAS TOLD THAT THE AIR CONDITIONER COULD CAUSE THE PROBLEM WHEN IT KICKED ON, BUT THE AIR CONDITIONER NOR THE HEATER/DEFROSTER HAS BEEN ON WHEN THE SURGES OCCURRED. THE INCIDENT DATE IS THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED - TODAY. IT IS NOT VERY PLEASANT TO DRIVE UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10235744

Incident

Jul 25, 2008

Mileage

5,300 mi

2008 TOYOTA TACOMA, JUNE 16, 2008 I TOOK MY TRUCK TO THE DEALERS GARAGE AND TOLD THEM THAT THE PICKUP MOTOR WAS ENGINE SPEED WOULD RACE WHEN I WAS AS A STOP, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, AND THAT MY FUEL MILES HAD DROP 5 MILES A GALLON. ALSO THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLAM IN AND OUT OF LOW GEAR GOING UP AND DOWN A HILL. THEY CLAIM THEY PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER AND IT DID NOT SHOW ANY ERROR. SO THAT THE TRUCK IS FINE, THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS PROBABLY FROM WHEN MY AIR CONDITIONER WAS ON I TOLD THEM I DON'T RUN MY AIR CONDITIONER. BUT THE TOLD ME TO JUST WATCH IT BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG.

NHTSA ID

10232477

Incident

Jun 16, 2008

Mileage

10,900 mi