RoadVitals

2010 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.
13
Latest Apr 18, 2012
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 291 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.
1
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 2010 Toyota Tacoma submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 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 Apr 18, 2012
Fire reported

SINCE THIS VEHICLE HAD 5000 MILES ON IT I HAVE HAD CLUTCH ISSUES. HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 5 TIMES FOR CLUTCH ISSUES AND IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP NOW. THE CLUTCH IS BURNING UP, THOUGHT THE TRUCK WAS GOING TO CATCH FIRE A FEW WEEKS AGO. THERE HAS BEEN A TSB ON THIS ISSUE AND THEY REPLACED EVERYTHING ON THE LAST SERVICE. IT HAS FAILED AGAIN WITH ON 3,000 MILES ON THIS NEW CLUTCH. THE VEHICLE IS A LITTLE OVER 1 YEAR OLD AND CURRENTLY HAS 23,000 MILES ON IT. TOYOTA IS GIVING ME THE RUN A ROUND AND NOW WANTS ME TO PAY FOR WARRANTY WORK. I HAVE REPEATEDLY TOLD THEM THEY HAVE A WEAK DESIGN CLUTCH, MADE FOR A 2 WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE IN A 4X4 TRUCK. WE THINK THE CLUTCH SLIPPED SO MUCH A FEW AGO IT REALLY DID CATCH FIRE, IT SMOKED FOR 10 MINUTES AFTER I TURNED THE TRUCK OFF. I HAVE FILED WITH THE HOUSTON BBB AND FILED WITH TOYOTA. I NEED HELP *JS

NHTSA ID
10455674
Incident
Mar 9, 2011
Mileage
5,213 mi
Transmission
Filed Feb 14, 2011

MY 2010 TACOMA, WHILE SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT, SUDDENLY SURGES AS IF SOMEBODY HIT THE GAS OR SLAMMED ME IN THE REAR. IT HASN'T PUSHED ME BEYOND MY BRAKES BUT IT IS VERY DISTURBING. I REPORTED THIS TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T REPRODUCE IT. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN WITH ANY REGULARITY, IT JUST HAPPENS OUT OF THE BLUE. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN YOU GO TO VERY LOW SPEEDS AND MAKE A SHARP TURN THE RPMS JUMP TO ABOUT 3,000 AND THEN IT FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION KICKS IN. THIS WAS ALSO REPORTED TO THE DEALER WHO SAID IT WAS BY DESIGN BUT IF IT IS IT IS POOR DESIGN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10382548
Incident
Jan 13, 2011
Mileage
20,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 24, 2011

2010 TACOMA 4CYL, 5 SPEED. CLUTCH STARTED SLIPPING DURING ACCELERATION IN 4TH GEAR. FIRST OCCURRENCE HAPPENED AT 10700 MILES. TRUCK NOW HAS 13500 MILES AND THE ISSUE HAS GOTTEN WORSE. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES FOR RESOLUTION. SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAYS THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE AND REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ELSE. SLIPPING OCCURS IN EVERY GEAR EXCEPT 1ST. DANGEROUS WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. RPM'S SURGE BUT THE VEHICLE DOES NOT ACCELERATE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10378372
Incident
Nov 2, 2010
Mileage
10,700 mi
Transmission
Filed Dec 2, 2010

2010 TACOMA CREW CAB WITH 18,000 MILES, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD OR WARM IT SEEMS TO SLIP OUT OF GEAR GOING AROUND CORNERS OR ACCELERATING FROM A STOP IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THIS DOES NOT OCCUR EVERYTIME BUT AT UNEXPECTED TIMES. ALSO AFTER I HAVE SLOWED DOWN TO ROUND A CORNER OR CROSS AN INTERSECTION THE TRUCK FEELS AS IF IT SHIFTS TO NEUTRAL GEAR AND WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS DEPRESSED NO FORWARD MOVEMENT OCCURS. IT ACTS LIKE IT HAS NO THROTTLE RESPONSE. AFTER ANYWHERE FROM 2 TO 6 SECONDS IT STARTS MOVING FORWARD AGAIN AND STARTS MOVING AS IF NOTHING EVER HAPPENED. THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR AT EVERY CORNER, STOP OR LIGHT BUT DOES HAPPEN IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTIONS AND CHANGING LANES. SO FAR I HAVE HAD 5 NEAR COLLISIONS IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO TAKE CARE OF THE ISSUE AND THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY FOUND NO ISSUES WITH THEIR FIRST TEST DRIVE, HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS PROBLEM AND ARE TRYING TO FIND THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10369007
Incident
Dec 2, 2010
Mileage
18,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jun 2, 2010

THE CLUTCH ARM ON THE 2010 TACOMA IS SO FAR TO THE LEFT THAT IT OBSTRUCTS THE FOOTREST. IF I USE THE FOOTREST, MY LEFT FOOT TENDS TO HIT THE SIDE OF THE CLUTCH PEDAL OR GETS STUCK BETWEEN THE CLUTCH PEDAL AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE KICK PANEL WHEN I RAISE MY FOOT TO APPLY THE CLUTCH. ALSO, ON A LONG DRIVE, IF I TRY TO STRETCH MY LEG OUT WHILE DRIVING, MY LEFT FOOT GETS STUCK BETWEEN THE FOOT REST AND THE BACK OF THE CLUTCH ARM. IT HAS NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, YET. BUT, I HAVE STALLED THE VEHICLE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AS A RESULT. THE POTENTIAL IS DEFINITELY THERE FOR A MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10334217
Incident
May 30, 2010
Mileage
28 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 22, 2010

2010 TACOMA CREW CAB WITH 10,000 MILES, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS WARM (DRIVEN) AND STOPPED (AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN), WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED TO BEGIN DRIVING AGAIN THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT ALWAYS ENGAGE IMMEDIATELY. THERE ARE TIMES IT TAKES TWO TO THREE SECONDS FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO 'CATCH' AND THE TRUCK TO BEGIN MOVING. YOU CAN HEAR THE ENGINE REV UP BUT THE TRUCK WILL NOT MOVE. PRESSING HARDER ON THE ACCELERATOR TO GET THE TRUCK TO MOVE DOES NOTHING BUT REV THE ENGINE, AND WHEN THE TRANSMISSION DOES CATCH THE VEHICLE CAN LURCH FORWARD RAPIDLY ACCELERATING. THIS SITUATION CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IF YOU ARE NOT 'READY' FOR IT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10327010
Incident
Apr 22, 2010
Mileage
10,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 19, 2010

MY TACOMA 2010 SEEMS TO SLIP OUT OF GEAR GOING AROUND CORNERS -- AFTER I'VE SLOWED DOWN TO ROUND THE CORNER THE TRUCK REVS HIGH WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS DEPRESSED AGAIN. AFTER A FEW SECONDS IT LURCHES FORWARD WHEN IT FINALLY GETS INTO GEAR. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS AT ALMOST ALL CORNERS, BUT NOT FROM A STOPPED POSITION. I DO NO THINK THE CORNER CAUSES THE PROBLEM, IT'S JUST THAT THE TRUCK IS DOWNSHIFTING, THEN UP-SHIFTING AGAIN. I NOTICED THIS BEHAVIOR WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK I HAD THE TRUCK, AND IT HAS BEEN GETTING WORSE EVER SINCE. I TOOK IT INTO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHO SAID THEY APPLIED A SOFTWARE PATCH AND THAT IT IS NOW "FIXED." THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THE TRUCK'S COMPUTER DOES NOT SHOW ANY PROBLEM "CODES" THAT WOULD INDICATE A PROBLEM. I WILL PICK UP THE TRUCK TOMORROW, SO I DON'T KNOW AT THIS TIME IF IT INDEED HAS BEEN FIXED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10326484
Incident
Jan 15, 2010
Mileage
100 mi
Transmission
Filed Mar 3, 2010

2010 TOYOTA TACOMA DOUBLE CAB PRE-RUNNER, I HAVE EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN JERK (LIKE OTHER CAR HAS HIT ME ON THE REAR) WHILE I WAS STOPPED AND THE BRAKE WAS PRESSED WHILE WAITING AT THE TRAFFIC LIGHT. IT HAPPENED TO ME THREE TIME FOR FIVE DAYS AFTER I BROUGHT MY TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM, WHICH THEY SAID THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM AND IT IS JUST BECAUSE THE TACOMA HAS A SEQUENTIAL TYPE OF TRANSMISSION.. *TR

NHTSA ID
10316401
Incident
Feb 26, 2010
Mileage
1,800 mi
Driver assistanceTransmission
Filed Feb 16, 2010

THE VEHICLE SURGES UNEXPECTEDLY. ONE OR MORE TIMES A DAY, DEPENDING ON TRAVEL NEEDS, I EXPERIENCE SURGES BOTH AT COMPLETE STOPS AND WHEN ACCELERATING. DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FROM A STOP OR ROLL INCLUDES A "DELAY" IN RESPONSE FROM THE VEHICLE, THEN THE UNEXPECTED SURGE IS NOTICED. GENERALLY, A SMALL AMOUNT OF PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL DOES NOT YIELD A DESIRED ACCELERATION EFFECT, INSTEAD A "WAIT AND GO" EFFECT IS EXPERIENCED. SEVERAL TIMES, THIS DELAY HAS CAUSED NEAR MISSES IN TERMS OF ACCIDENTS. EXPECTING THE VEHICLE TO RESPOND TO ACCELERATOR PRESSURE BUT NOT GETTING ACCELERATION IS CONSIDERED HAZARDOUS. SURGING FORWARD VIOLENTLY WHEN AT A COMPLETE STOP IS ANOTHER CONCERN. WITH THE BRAKES COMPLETELY DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE WILL SURGE FORWARD AT MOST TRAFFIC LIGHTS OR DURING STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. THIS VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER A WEEK AFTER PURCHASE WITH MY CONCERNING OF SHIFTING AND SOMETIME ERRATIC BEHAVIOR. THE DEALERSHIP DID LITTLE MORE THAN TAKE A SHORT TEST DRIVE WITH ME (NO DIAGNOSTICS, NO FORMAL OR MECHANICAL EVALUATION), AND TELL ME NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE TRUCK. THE TRUCK HAD LESS THAN 1000 MILES ON IT, NOW WITH 2600 MILES, THE PROBLEMS PERSIST. *TR

NHTSA ID
10310778
Incident
Feb 15, 2010
Mileage
100 mi
Transmission
Filed Dec 3, 2009

L HAVE A 2010 TACOMA THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING TOOK IT IN AT 500 MILES AND THEY SAID IT WOULD WORK IN ,IT DIDN'T AT 1100 MILES L TOOK IT BACK AND THEN THEY SAID L SHOULD MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT 1700 MILES L MADE AN APPOINTMENT ,THEY RESET THE COMPUTER AND IT STILL SLIPPED AND THEY FLUSH THE SYSTEM AND NOW IT'S WORSE, THEY CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID THE ENGINEERS WERE WORKING ON THE PROBLEM AND THEY'LL GET BACK WITH ME WHEN THEY FIX IT , IN THE MEAN TIME DRIVE THE TRUCK , WHICH, IS GETTING WORSE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10294376
Incident
Oct 15, 2009
Mileage
50 mi
Transmission
Filed Nov 30, 2009

WHILE SLOWING AND MAKING RIGHT OR LEFT TURNS, MY 2010 TACOMA V-6 4X2 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL SLIP INTO EITHER NEUTRAL OR FIRST GEAR FOR SEVERAL SECONDS (TYPICALLY 2 OR 3). ENGINE RPM INCREASE AND THEN TRANSMISSION SHIFTS INTO THE CORRECT GEAR WITH A LURCH. THIS DEFECT MAKES LEFT TURNS, ACROSS TRAFFIC, ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS, SINCE YOU NEVER KNOW IF IT WILL HAPPEN AND HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO HUNT FOR AND FIND THE "RIGHT" GEAR. I FIRST NOTICE THE ISSUE AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 75 MILES (HAVE A LITTLE OVER 800 MILES NOW). BEEN TO DEALER TWICE. DEMONSTRATED PROBLEM WITH SERVICE MANAGER IN THE TRUCK. HE HAD NO SOLUTION FOR THE PROBLEM. HE "HOPES" TOYOTA WILL COME OUT WITH A FIX. TOYOTA HAS A SIMILAR DEFECT WITH THE 2009 TACOMAS AND ISSUED ON NOVEMBER 3, 2009 TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN T-SB-0373-09. BUT TSB ONLY ELIMINATED THE DEFECT IN THE 2009 MODEL. DOES NOT ADDRESS 2010 TRUCKS. THIS DEFECT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED QUICKLY BEFORE SOMEONE GET INJURED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10294082
Incident
Nov 12, 2009
Mileage
75 mi
Transmission
Filed Nov 20, 2009

WHILE SLOWING TO 10-12 MPH MY 2010 TACOMA V-6 4X4 'S AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WILL SLIP INTO WHAT SEEMS TO BE NEUTRAL FOR ABOUT 2-3 SECONDS. ENGINE RPM'S WILL RISE TO ABOUT 2500-3000 RPM'S BEFORE TRANSMISSION RE-ENGAGES. THIS SITUATION HAS NEARLY GOTTEN ME INVOLVED IN 5 ACCIDENTS. I FIRST NOTICED THE PROBLEM WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 150 MILES ON IT. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO OCCUR WHEN YOU SLOW FOR EITHER A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN OR WHEN YOU SLOW TO 10-12 MPH AND THEN TRY TO RESUME POWER . VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO SELLING DEALER 3 TIMES TO HAVE THIS ISSUE RESOLVED BUT HAS NOT BEEN FIXED. DEALERS TRANSMISSION MECHANIC WENT FOR A TEST DRIVE WITH ME AND THIS CONDITION WAS DUPLICATED WITHIN 5 MINUTES. TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE HAS BEEN NOTIFIED AND SO FAR NO FIX HAS BEEN FORTHCOMING. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION AND COULD CAUSE A VERY SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10293032
Incident
Oct 6, 2009
Mileage
150 mi
Transmission
Filed Nov 19, 2009

VEHICLE IS A 2010 TOYOTA TACOMA DBL CAB, THE TRANSMISSION SEARCHES FOR THE RIGHT GEAR TO ACCELERATE IN ONCE THE SPEED GETS 15MPH OR LOWER AND YOU PRESS THE GAS PEDDLE. AT 1ST IT WAS JUST ANNOYING, BUT RECENTLY I WAS TURNING A CORNER AT A SIGNAL LIGHT BEHIND ANOTHER VEH. AND IT SLAMMED ON IT'S BRAKES, I WENT TO GO INTO THE PASSING LANE, BUT WHEN I ACCELERATED, THE TRANSMISSION DIDN'T RESPOND, IT JUST REVS UP TRYING TO FIND THE GEAR. BY THE TIME IT DID, I WAS WATCHING IN MY MIRROR AND AN ONCOMING VEHICLE STARTED HITTING THEIR BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING ME. WHICH WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE IF MY TRUCK WOULD HAVE GONE WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS. THIS OCCURS EVERY TIME YOU ARE GOING AT A RATE OVER 25 MPH AND SLOW DOWN TO AT LEAST 15 MPH AND THEN TRY TO ACCELERATE AGAIN. IE: CROSSING HIGHWAYS. I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK OCT. 21, 2009 AND HAD IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ON NOV 9TH, 2009 WITH THIS ISSUE, THE TECH DROVE IT, ACKNOWLEDGED IT, AND TOLD ME ALL THE NEWER VEHICLES ARE THAT WAY, & HAVE HAD OTHERS COME IN WITH THE SAME ISSUE. NOTHING ELSE HAS BEEN DONE TO TRY TO FIX THIS. I BELIEVE THIS COULD LEAD TO POTENTIAL ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES, IF NOT WORSE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10292867
Incident
Nov 2, 2009
Mileage
1,220 mi

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.

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .