2020 Toyota Tacoma

2020 TOYOTA TACOMA TRD SPORT, TRANSMISSION LURKS FROM REVERSE INTO DRIVE YOU HAVE TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL A LITTLE HARDER THAN NORMAL TO KEEP FROM LURKING. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO LOOSE POWER WHEN DOWN SHIFTING WHILE ACCELERATING (GOING AROUND A CORNER). THE TRUCK ALSO SEEMS LIKE ITS HUNTING FOR A GEAR AROUND THE 35MPH OR 43 MPH, ON FLAT SURFACE, GOING DOWN HILL, OR GOING UP HILL. THIS ALSO HAPPENS ON THE INTERSTATE WHILE GOING 65-70MPH, WHICH WOULD BE CAUSE FOR CONCERN. THIS FEELS LIKE ITS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE BUT ALSO COULD BE AN ENGINE MISFIRE OF A SPARK PLUG OR SOMETHING. THIS HAPPENS ON A DAILY BASIS, PURCHASE DATE OF 9.11.2020.

IN LATE NOVEMBER OR EARLY DECEMBER OF 2020, I HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEAR. I CYCLED THROUGH SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES (500+) THINKING IT MAY HAVE BEEN A LOOSE GAS CAP ISSUE THAT NEEDED TIME TO SORT ITSELF OUT. THE LIGHT DID NOT RESOLVE ITSELF AND I VISITED THE CLOSEST DEALERSHIP, AUTONATION TOYOTA, IN TEMPE. I WAS SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS CAUSED BY RODENTS. MANY MANUFACTURERS, INCLUDING TOYOTA, HAVE SWITCHED TO SOY-BASED WIRING INSULATION WHICH IS ATTRACTIVE TO RODENTS. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE POINTED AT 1-2 OTHER VEHICLES (ALL NEW) THAT WERE IN THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND SAID THEY'VE HAD AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF VEHICLES IN FOR THIS ISSUE. MY VEHICLE WAS 7 MONTHS OLD AT THIS POINT WITH 6840 MILES ON IT. THE WIRING HARNESS PART WAS A SPECIAL ORDER PART AND THAT COST ALONE WAS $1431.79. ADD IN THE ESTIMATED 20 HOURS OF LABOR AND THE "FIX" WOULD BE $4592.61 AT THAT DEALERSHIP. I ASKED IF IT WOULD BE OK IF I CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WHILE WE EXPLORED OUR OPTIONS WITH AN INSURANCE CLAIM. I WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE COULD EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN LOSS OF ACCELERATION AND CAUSE A CRASH. WE WERE ABLE TO INITIATE A NO FAULT CLAIM WITH OUR INSURANCE COMPANY, BUT HAD TO PAY A $500 DEDUCTIBLE AS TOYOTA WOULD NOT WARRANTY THIS ISSUE CAUSED BY THEIR SOY-BASED WIRING INSULATION. WORK WAS COMPLETED AT THE LEASING TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, NOT AUTONATION. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS SOY-BASED WIRING INSULATION ISSUE. NOT ONLY IS THIS TYPE OF WIRING MANUFACTURING ATTRACTIVE TO RODENTS, THUS CAUSING DAMAGE THAT CAN RESULT IN DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS, BUT THE WIRING ALSO DETERIORATES AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE IN HIGHER TEMPERATURES. (WE HAD A BMW 550 WITH SOY BASED WIRING THAT WAS DISINTEGRATING IN THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING.) MANUFACTURERS NEED TO STOP PRODUCING SOY BASED WIRING INSULATION OR IMPROVE IT TO REPEL RODENTS.

THIS MORNING I ACTIVATED MY CRUISE CONTROL (CC)AS I NORMALLY WOULD AT 55 MPH. IMMEDIATELY MY TRUCK BEGAN ACCELERATING UNTIL I FINALLY DISENGAGED CC WHEN THE SPEED REACHED 83-85 MPH. IT WAS STILL ACCELERATING AT THE TIME I DISENGAGED IT. I ATTEMPTED TO RECREATE THE INCIDENT WITH NO LUCK. BEFORE THE INCIDENT, I WAS DRIVING IN A CITY ENVIRONMENT AT SPEEDS LESS THAN 55 MPH, SO THERE WAS NO WAY I HAD PREVIOUSLY SET THE CC TO A HIGH SPEED THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN HAD I HIT RESUME.

SYSTEM WILL OCCASIONALLY SUDDENLY DECELERATE AS I AM PASSING, USUALLY A LARGE TRUCK. I WILL BE IN ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL AND AS I GET ABREAST OF THE TRAILER, THE VEHICLE WILL SUDDENLY DECREASE SPEED BY 10-20 MPH, THEN ACCELERATE BACK TO THE SET SPEED. THIS, OBVIOUSLY, HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CREATE A REAR END COLLISION IF SOMEONE IS FOLLOWING AND NOT PAYING FULL ATTENTION, ESP IF THERE ARE MULTIPLE CARS FOLLOWING. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES.

I WAS LEAVING MY DRIVEWAY, THE TRUCK STARTED JUMPING AND LOSS POWER. THEN CUT OFF AND WOULDN'T CRANK BACK UP FOR A FEW MINUTES. EVENTUALLY IT CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 3 OR 4 TIMES. UNTIL IT FINALLY DIED AND WOULD NOT RUN EVEN THOUGH IT WOULD CRANK. TOOK IT IN AND FOUND OUT MY PARTICULAR TRUCK WASN'T RECALLED EVEN THOUGH IT HAS A FUEL PUMP PROBLEM. THEY PUT A FUEL PUMP ON IT. BUT THEY DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE NEWER UPDATED PUMP OR THE OLDER VERSION KNOWN TO HAVE PROBLEMS. SO I'M RIDING AROUND IN A VEHICLE THAT COULD FAIL ANYTIME.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE STEERING WHEEL PULLED TO THE LEFT AND THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED TO THE LEFT CONSIDERABLY AND PERMANENTLY EVEN WHEN IT WAS GOING STRAIGHT ON THE ROAD, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO SERVICE, THEY ALIGNED IT AND IN JUST 500 MILES IT BEGAN TO PULL TO THE RIGHT AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE LEFT AGAIN EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS GOING STRAIGHT ON THE ROAD. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT IN SERVICE AGAIN SOON.

DURING CERTAIN CONDITIONS LIKE HARD BRAKING OR REGULAR BRAKING IN INCUMBENT WEATHER THE REAR WHEELS WOULD LOCK UP. TOOK TO THE DEALER 9/2020 THEY REPLACE THE REAR DRUMS, AND THE ISSUE CAME BACK SHORTLY AFTER THE REPAIRS. I TOOK IT BACK 12/03/2020 THEY REPLACED MORE INTERNAL FINAL DRIVE PARTS LIKE AXLE SHAFTS AND WHEEL BEARINGS SHOES, AND DRUMS AGAIN. THE LOCK UP WOULD DISENGAGE AS SOON AS THE BRAKE PEDDLE IS RELEASED. ON 2/9/21 WITH 6K MILES MY TACOMA NOW LOCKED UP AFTER TWO PRIOR ATTEMPTS BY THE DEALER TO RESOLVE MY ISSUE. THE TRUCK IS IN THE SHOP AGAIN THIRD TIME SAME ISSUES