3rd gen torque converter shudder

I have a 2020 TRD Sport with 5,200 miles and am pretty sure I’m getting torque converter shudder up hills and around 40 - 50 mph. Has anyone else experienced this? Dealer wont acknowledge there’s a problem

 

I have not. Be careful though, a buddy has a 2014 Chevy truck that had similar symptoms. He kept driving it and it was the torque converter locking and unlocking. Somehow it ate the transmission, and was $5,5xx to repair.

 

I dont get converter shudder, but could it be driveline? lots of complaints even with stock tacoma's about rear driveline vibrations at lower speeds 20-40mph.. I have it in mine, before, and after the lift ( TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD "IT'S A TACOMA THING, NORMAL").. I even tried a carrier bearing drop, but it's not much better.. eventually a new driveshaft is in order.. hopefully before the U-joints fail (keeping an eye on them.)..

 

I literally just got out of a 2016 silverado that started getting the shudder.. trans was rebuilt but shutter never went away. I filed a lawsuit against them and won. Bought my tacoma from the settlement money... I can’t believe I’m probably going through this nightmare again ...

 

Have you tried Ecgs bushing to replace the needle bearing? Many are saying that is causing major driveline issues

 

PTSD.

 

Have you checked or had the dealer check the fluid level in the trans?

 

Low RPM? I'm gonna go with the infamous low RPM/light throttle miss some of us experience.

 

Op

Don't worry your not dealing with that again

Torque converter shudder will do it all the time not just hills.

What your getting is driveline vibration. What your experiencing I have found on my which now has about 6k on it (bought in January). I too thought it was a transmission shudder issue as that's what it feels like at first. But I have since actually gone through the drive testing (I'm an automotive tech) to determine if it's transmission or not. Definitely not.

It's "normal" in the sense it's very a common complaint. There are TSBs that exist for previous years, haven't caught up to ours yet.

Don't stress too much, the big thing is that it's well under warranty. Just stay on your dealerships ass about it. Also request to take a tech on a drive with you so you can replicate and point it out specifically. TOYOTA WILL STAND BEHIND THE TRUCK, your dealership on the other hand may be a POS about it, at which point you get Toyota corporate office involved.

Me, I'm not stressing. My dealership so far has been amazing. Probably stop in this weekend to let the service manager know the vibration is still there so he can put the complaint in to toyota to add to the list. Something you should do as well.

 

A slipping torque converter will show in your rpm. When you get that "shudder" or lurch, look at your tach and see if the tach needle is moving up and down at the same mph. If it is that means your TC is disengaging and reengaging. I have not encountered this problem. However, I heard that models with sunroof came with a better trans

 

What kind of throttle you giving it when this happens?

Run it in S3 or S4; preferably S3.
If symptoms are reduced, it might be your torque converter clutch partial engagement(a.k.a. flex lock).

 

Toyota is well aware of this driveline issue, and is doing nothing about it.... Their response is "its normal" is pathetic.
Word is they are eyeing the 8 speed that the Tundra will be getting to go into the 4th Gen when it comes out in 2023.

 

This is a very common complaint .
Toyota is competing with GM , Ford and Dodge for fuel economy .
Toyota commands the converter to apply very early with low engine rpms to save you fuel . The fuel economy looks great on the window sticker when you purchase the truck , but you get to suffer with the driveability complaints that are common with the converter clutch being applied far to early .
When you lock the engine directly to the transmission under severe loads , you feel everything the engine and drivetrain are doing in the drivers seat .
Eventually Toyota will release a TSB to eliminate the shudders but your fuel economy goes for a crap when Toyota flashes your ecm to compensate for the early converter application .
Once your truck is flashed , the shudders go away but your fuel economy drops too .
This has been proven at Tacoma world .
Toyota has been doing this for 1st, 2nd and 3rd gen Tacomas in order to compete with the big3

 

Probably Texas made truck. My Mexican Taco is smooth as butter jk

 

The problem is that when in ECT mode, the vibration really isnt there. If it was a driveline vibe, wouldnt it happen in ECT aswell?

 

So Ovtune would help in this case? Seen as it is a tuning issue then

 

yes. Although I don’t trust them... i may do a fluid check myself soon

 

Yeah. He had specific tunes to fix it back in the Version 1.05 days as it was only a problem on some Tacos. Everyone seems pretty stoked with the behavior in the current Version 2.0.

 

Nice, I’m gonna get into Ovtune and hopefully it fixes my issue. Im only worried that if this is a mechanical issue, something may take a sh*t during the time it is tuned and have to get warranty voided...

 

If it fixes the problem, then it would be unlikely to crop up later. The speed range that you stated is consistent with the issue. The TC dancing between unlocked, flex locked, and locked, as folks noted above.

Not much as been posted about dealers doing anything as far as I have seen. Checking the ATF level is about it. I wouldn't hurt to verify that you are on the latest factory tune, 04B81 from TSB-0092-20.