2020 Gear Hunting Like CRAZY!

I just bought my second 3rd gen! I had sold my 2016 a few years back. That truck has major transmission issue and lead to me selling it. Annnnnnd now my new 2020 TRD OR SB is doing the same freaking thing...

The new truck when on the highway between 60-80 (I tried all different speeds) will do 1 of 2 things.

1. Stay PINNED at 3200rpm in 4th gear (even going downhill) and averages about 9-11 mpg.
2. Shift like crazy between 5-4-3-4-3-4-5-4-5-4-5-4 etc. I counted several times and for some stretches of highway it literally shifted 38 times in 1 minute. Many other instances of around 25-30 in the same 60 seconds. INSANE!

Notice also that I didnt say anything about 6th gear....out of a 600 mile trip I think I saw 6th for less then 5 minutes...

I have the truck in the shop to take a look at it. The weird thing is that after I picked up my trailer and SxS, we headed back to Denver (from Kansas...uphill) and got 12 as compared to the 9-11 that I got heading downhill to Kansas to pick up the trailer... HELP!!!!!

Any information would be AMAZING and much much appreciated!

Good to be back in the saddle of a Tacoma although admittedly...this one is my wife's!

 

Why on earth did you buy a second 3rd gen?

 

Its a replacement. I had a 2 year gap without one 18-19 and just bought a new one a few weeks ago. But if your question is "dont you know they are total crap?". The answer is I did a lot of research and all the fuel economy issues are on 16,17,18. Havent read much on the 2020s... I put my faith in the fact that after 5 model years...I assumed Toyota would have fixed the errors from the then new first year 3rd gen...GUESS NOT!

 

I just traded in for a 2020 2.7L ecoboost with the 10 speed f150. It drives so much better but not as exciting as driving a taco.

Picture was after driving to work and back for 4 days.

 

Two Words: SCREW YOU lol

 

2020 OR built in Mexico 3/20; not experiencing any of the issues you're describing. Currently at 950 miles and if anything, driveability is getting better (as others have suggested it does). I don't know how you can get stuck with same symptoms on two different trucks so what's the same (driving style, mods... etc.)? Assuming you're past the breakin period since you're towing and doing a lot of highway.

 

Stock on both trucks. Read into all of Toyotas BS about front air dam (which I added), toyota performance intake (which I added), and tonneau cover on the 16. 2020 is completely stock and yes past break in. Just set on cruise man going between 60-75 on county roads and highways. Using cruise I get way way worse then with my foot but it is so cumbersome. The damn trans just wont shift into 5th for more than 2 seconds and 6th ever...I hear what you are saying about same issues different truck but IDK what to tell you. Highway using cruise going downhill.... My 16 over the 34k I owned it (80% highway miles) I averaged 13.8.... Thought it was a first year problem but here we are 5 years later....same issue...

 

i4 or V6................how many total miles .....

the 3rd gen engine produces max torque approx 3200-3500 rpm
it will usually pull steady in 4th flat to rolling territory

in the mountains depending on load.............it might shift down to 3rd depending on load
with a trailer + ( SxS ??? )
really depends on weight
inclines & how much air resistance

under the above conditions ' cruise ' should not be used

no less the ECM has a ' memory ' that adapts to the prevalent driving style
if cruise is used & it hunts & is erratic ...............it will continue to be erratic

if there is a steady consistent style under ' foot '
that will prevail

i havent been anywhere that 3500 / 4th gear doesnt work

good luck

 

Try different shoes?

 

V6...come on...lol

Sorry if I confused you. It does this without towing anything... While towing I got the better fuel economy and just sat in 4th gear which is fine while towing and 12 while towing 2500 lbs is A-OK with me. It is the going from Denver to Kansas (declining in elevation) not towing getting 9-11 that is NOT acceptable to me. I get 18-19 in the city. Truck has a bit less then 1000 miles. I know it is still "learning" but they told me that till 34k on my 16 and it never "learned"...

 

Good trade. There’s nothing too exciting about the Tacoma lol. Unless the excitement is actually fear, while you’re desperately trying to merge with traffic and you have to mash the throttle to keep from getting rear ended

 

Not to high Jack. But what model did you go with? (I wanna trade into an F150 also)

 

Just get used to driving in ECT. It’s quite annoying. I have a 19 PRO and the shifting was so erratic and the throttle so finicky I gave up. I plan on trading in

 

Were you using cruise while towing? Using ECT while towing? I went out of town yesterday and put a little over 300 miles on it in that trip. On the interstate between 75-80 mph it rarely downshifted from 6th. That’s with cruise on. Same on most of the back roads on the way home.

If you were towing without ECT and in drive and using cruise, I could definitely see that being the problem. When I tow out SxS I use ECT and S4 or S5 and it’s done very well for me.

If none of that applies and it does it unloaded, then that’s pretty odd. Im on my third 3rd gen and never experienced anything close to that. Not sure if low fluid would do that or maybe a software issue.

 

Spend the money and get the vftuner or regear. You shouldve known with the same 3.5 engine and 6 speed auto transmission it was going to act the same right??

 

Sooooo why dont we start a damn Class Action Law Suite....I am so sick of hearing people say "Its a truck, what do you expect?" You are one of the few people that recognizes the problem and is doing something. I swear so many people are just ok with being LIED to by Toyota claiming 22 mpg highway....I bet the average of everyone on this forum and in the world gets about 14 and just accepts it...that is just not right. Sorry you are having the same problems man...Really REALLY dissapointed in Toyota... but being I bought it less then a week ago and it is already in the shop....I am not sure what my options are...Toyota has nothing for me that meets my needs...Might have to look elsewhere but IDK what Toyota is going to offer me for this POS.

 

the ' learning / memory ' is NOT hard fast

bump/grind commute is quite a bit different than a courier /hi way run

the ECM adapts to either

its not like hard or cache memory

if U are jerky/jerky..................U get jerky jerky

if mon thru Friday commute decides to take a trip its like an hour glass
trip displaces bump/grind

from what ive been able to determine takes about an hour
think how many cycles of stop lite/ slow downs commuter traffic some crowd into 1 hour

as opposed to approx legal speed hi way

big difference

 

my 18 doesn't have a fuel economy issue, it gets around 24-28 highway. if you stay under 80 around 70-75 it gets decent gas milage.

 

Thanks for the reply. I did use ECT while towing for a while, regular drive for a while, and S for a while and get the EXACT same. 12...which is GREAT. BUT 9 is not ok without towing in drive using cruise at all speeds between 60 and 80...

 

I honestly figured based on the lack of traffic related to this issue since the 18 model years that Toyota hired some freaking smart engineers or rather computer programmers to program the damn tranny to do its job...The truck has PLENTY of power its just the stupid programming that sucks! Toyota also knows this or the 4Runner would have been updated with this engine/tranny combo by now but they know they HAVE to fix it before releasing another POS.