2024 Tacoma Odometer / Speedometer Accuracy

I have a new '24 SR5 Double Cab Long Bed with the 2.4L Turbo Engine. I just completed my first long distance trip with this truck. I have the stock wheels/tires with 245/70R17.

The speedometer shows about 5% faster than the true speed. For example, when the truck is actually traveling at 80mph, the speedometer reads 84.

The Odometer is reading 2.6% above the actual distance. My distance was 1478 miles, but the odometer increased 1516 miles.

This is a route I take frequently, and have used several vehicles. The distances are documented, and roadside ODO Check signs collaborate the error. The speed discrepancy is verified by several different GPS units during straight and constant speed.

My gas mileage was not quite what Toyota advertised. It was 21.4mpg using the truck's odometer, but only 20.8mpg using the known distances. I had a "normal' load, and have a tonneau cover. It was all highway driving with the speed limit at 70 & 80 most of the way. I used the cruise control heavily.

 

Sounds about right. The speedometer in my 3rd Gen was inaccurate with the OEM tires. I put larger tires on it (from stock 245 to 265) and the speedometer is now 100% accurate. It’s a fairly common thing with automakers.


https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/car-accessories/a32026968/are-speedometers-accurate/


There’s a lot of info out there on the topic if you do a quick google search (or TW search).

 

It's impossible for the speedometer/odometer to be 100% accurate 100% of the time. It's always been that way, we just never knew it until we got GPS technology. It seems like Toyota expects everyone to upsize their tires. Most people find that their readings are more accurate when they go up slightly in tire size. At least with Tacoma.

But only when the tires are new. As tires get some miles on them, they get smaller. A set of 265/75/16's with 40,000 miles on them will be the same diameter as 245/75/16's when they are new. The speedometer and odometer are gradually changing as you drive.

A couple of examples.

My son works in electrical construction. He always drives 50-100 miles round trip to where ever the construction site is. A few years ago he approached me wondering why he had been driving exactly 100 miles round trip to his work site every day. Suddenly he was now only driving 95 miles every day. I pointed out that he had just put new tires on his Nissan Sentra.

Back in the late 40's my dad worked in the shop at a Ford dealership. The local Sheriff's Department bought a new patrol car back in complaining that it wasn't fast enough. After a couple of attempts to tune the car for more speed the Sheriff still wasn't satisfied. They eventually swapped out the gears in the speedometer cable to make the speedometer show the car was going faster than it really was.

 

OP, Rough Country and Hypertech make speedometer calibrators if it’s important enough for you that yours is accurate.

 

Has anyone ever checked their GPS against timed runs over known mileage? GPS has measurement errors too.

 

Oof, that's putting 5% extra miles on the vehicle too, hurting resale. Worse as your tires wear down.

 

technically most if not all oem's will fib on the speedometer readout to ensure they adhere to fed rules. you can be lower than actual but never over actual. only time you can get accurate are usually PD vehicles since they are certified accurate from the oem on delivery (if i remember correctly)

 

edit :

 

Almost....

 

I always thought that Toyota did the slow speedo thing so that when you put the 33's on it, the speedo would be correct. At least thats what it translated to in my 2nd gen Tacoma...

 

I’ve never owned a vehicle that had a 100% accurate soeedometer. They’re all optimistic, i.e. will read 1-2mph higher than actual.

Buying a used cop car with a calibrated speedometer is the only way you’re going to see Rolex-like accuracy.

 

Richard. I have the EXACT same thing with my 2024 Tacoma SR5. Same truck and same issues. I’ve talked to two dealerships and they tell me there’s nothing they can do and to JUST deal with it. I’ve emailed Toyota hoping for something. I’ve had many vehicles in my life and tire wear has not changed the speedometer as much as this is off. Odometer as well. Hopefully something can be done

 

I’ve had the same drive to work for almost four years. I’ve driven a few different company trucks to and from work as well as my wife’s Sienna. All have always said 26.2 miles. No matter the tire wear. My new Tacoma says 27.1 miles.

 

Back in dinosaur days you could change a little plastic gear in the transmission tail shaft housing (or transfer case). There used to be shops that specialized in speedometer calibration.

 

Similar story to others above: My SR5 did the same thing with the stock tires; but I slightly upsized my tires to get an all-terrain/snow rated tire, and now my speedo is right on.

 

Op, did you go to the dealer and have them open a repair order and have them investigate the situation?
I would totally agree with you, even though I never tracked or engaged anything, but I don’t drive very much and my 24 Tacoma was racking up miles quickly…

nothing gets resolved by coming on here and whining about it, not trying to be a douche, reality…

 

I have been in contact with Toyota. They need me to go back to the dealership and do some field testing with other new 2024 Tacomas. Both TRO with the larger tires and the SR5 like mine. But I’m a grape farmer so being that it’s currently harvest, I can’t make it in until end of October. I do have an official case open with Toyota and I just have to contact my case worker when I’m available and they will contact my local dealer and set up the testing. I’ll keep you posted on what we find.

 

There have been countless reports of this "issue" going back to the 2nd gen, and continuing through the 3rd gen, and also on the 4Runner. The only "fix" is to put the next bigger size tire on your truck. I have serious doubts Toyota will do anything to remedy something they don't consider a problem.

 

I feel that if it’s proven at the dealership, they should do something. It’s not just my word versus theirs. It’s a brand new truck. And who knows, they might just give me bigger tires.

 

Let us know how that works out for you.