i think i speak for everyone when i say the manual transmissions in the new tacomas are a huge dissapointment. my 6 speed in my 08 double cab is horrible. its rarely ever a smooth shift.

 

^
Agreed

 

really? i have an 05, about 40,000 miles and i can't describe my shifts as horrible. I can say I've had the squeak and had a throw-out bearing go bad, all under 40,000. So while the clutch may in fact be shit, I still enjoy driving my truck and running through the gears.

 

complete piece of garbage transmission.........be prepared for your dealer to tell you "its all within normal operating limits" or " we cant reproduce the problem" my dealer actually told me " we cant fix the problem until it completely breaks, toyota wont pay us for the new parts if the old ones arent broken" I said " give me ten minutes" but i didnt have the balls to ram it through their front windows..............:disappoin
If you want advice on how to lessen the clunks.... try a different tranny oil redline mt90 or amsoils version of a manual tranny gear lube ........also the search function will yield a few results on this site..........good luck.

 

I own a 1988 4Runner V6 and 5spd. 380k miles and finally blew a head gasket. I put in the 2nd clutch at ~210k miles. I can get into a race car (most any car for that matter ) and learn it in 2 min....this truck...took me 2 months to shift smooth.:ugh3:

Other ramblings:

I've been told by Toyota corp. that the hanging revs between shifts are "normal and part of the emissions program". AND the engine revving to 1500 rpm while braking until stop is "normal and part of the emissions program"....

I don't understand how burning more fuel gets better emissions?

Anyway....my 08 6spd does some weird things. Thought it was me...guess not.

Do a search and you'll find more about the 6spd.


I now have a rubbing/groaning sound that the dealer says is my stereo! WTF!

 

I also have exactly the same issue. Starting on hills is difficult due to a "grabby" clutch.
Shifting 2>3 is always clunky unless I REALLY nurse it and judge the engine revs just right. And if the A/C is on, it's never a smooth 2>3 shift.

I hate to say this, but the whole truck feels "delicate", not tough and durable. I hope my perception is wrong.

Also, I just did the first oil & filter change at 1500 mi and greased the 3 U-joints while I was at it. In doing so, I realised there was very little grease in them from the factory, as I had to pump lots through untill I finally saw it ooz out.

I hope Toyota's legendary quality has not slipped for the 2008 model year.

 

^
if you think the new tacomas are "delicate" search tacogrande and watch his videos....
clunky shifting? yes. delicate? no.

 

the guy that said he didnt feel like his shifting was horrible, is this the first manual vehicle youve ever driven? i mean seriously. when i test drove my truck even the salesman told me when i was shifting and "clunking" "yea alot of people have a hard time with the new 6 speeds, but it wont take you long to get used to" 3 months later im still not very good with it, and like someone else mentioned, i hate using the ac just because it shifts so much worse then. OTHER than the crappy transmission i LOVE my truck.

 

I suppose I'm "that guy." But yeah, I've always had manuals. My commuter car is a 99 Passat TDI, 5spd with 265,000 miles. I'm not a newb to manual transmisions by far. I should ask you the same question, because 3 months and you still can't drive the truck good? regardless how shitty the transmission is, you should be able to learn how to drive it by now.

 

^ I think some good ones slipped through the cracks LOL I know somebody w/ one with more miles than mine and never had one shifting issue, so im sure its hit or miss.

 

Every time I read a thread like this I smile.....Because I spent the extra money and bought an auto!

 

^
i'm sure it's got less to do with money than personal preferance..

 

My first vehicle was a 5-Speed. When I purchase my truck I really wanted a manual but when I sat in the 2WD TRD Sport V6 Manual I was very disappointed. I have also driven a 5-Speed SR5, even less impressive. I believe the 5 Speed Auto is the best choice. Makes it very easy when backing up the trailer or navigating through technical terrain. I had an experience getting stuck on the side of a hill and restarting from a dead stop, needless to say it was a breeze with the auto. When I'm not driving my truck I'm in my new 4cyc 5-Speed Coupe, estimated 36 MPG Highway. :chug:

 

I am in the same boat as Jesse1983, my throw out bearing is about shot at 30K. Dealer is going to replacing it on August 12, 2008 for the 2nd time. They put a brand new clutch in my 06 Tacoma Sport 4.0L at 23K back in December of 2007.
I am currently suing Toyota Corp. my clutch pedal sticks to the floor on cold mornings when I go to start the truck. The dealerships in the area can not fix the issue. Toyota Corp. says "the truck is operating normal". So I sued them for Breach of Warranty. I documented everything since day one and my attorney is pushing the issue all the way to the court system. Toyota does not want to go to court but I want a jury to hear and read what Toyota Corp claims as "normal". When was the last time you went to go test drive a vehicle and the clutch stuck to the floor when you started it in cold weather?... ha ha ha... Normal my ass. I wonder if the salesmen tell their customers that?

Do not sweat it too much. The power train warranty is 5yr-60K miles. Run it, if it breaks, go get it replaced and when you get close to the end of your 3yr 36K mile warranty just buy the extended warranty and keep on driving. Or sue them, which ever you prefer.

 

steve-m explained the shifting problem better than I originally did, the correct word for the clutch being "grabby." Clutch seems to grab too close to the floor, and I'm hopeful a simple adjustment (like on the old cars) will fix it.

I've driven manual transmissions for 40 years (cars, trucks, and motorcycles) and I know a "grabby" clutch when I drive one. Like steve-m agreed, it's up-shifting into 2nd and 3rd, and if super careful you can try to avoid the abrupt engagement. It's just not right!!!!


Steve-m, Question please.............. Did greasing the fittings on the drive shaft help at all????


Thanks, Bill
wdy@frontiernet.net

 

Hello Chuckster,

No, greasing the u-joints made no difference at all. However, I do feel better knowing there's enough lube in there now. If you haven't done it, I would recommend doing it at every oil change, since it only takes about 1 minute. I've had other cars & trucks that had u-joints that were not greasable and they eventually failed. Never had a failure with one that I can keep lubed.

I too have been driving manual trannys for about 35 years, and compared to previous vehicles I've had, this clutch/tranny just feels wierd. I must say though that before I bought the truck I test drove yet another one (a 4 cyl w/5speed at another dealership) and mentioned the clutch, and he said this is the way all manual Tacomas are. I didn't believe him so I went to another dealership, test drove the 6 cyl. Same clutch feel. Ended up with the 6, although I wanted the 4 for gas milage, but my wife liked this one better.

 

Well back in 2006 I purchased my new Tacoma with a 6 speed as well. I noticed the shifting was very rough. I figured it had to do with the tranny being brand new and would break in later on. I was wrong. About a week ago when I was driving to work I went to shift from 1st to 2nd and lost pedal pressure and it would not go into gear. I pulled over and it still wouldn't go into gear. So I started the truck in 1st gear and started it to drive it down to a parking lot. I got it to the dealership on a friends flat bed and they found premature parts failure. I guess the clutch springs were bent and worn very unevenly. They ended up replacing all the fibers, pressure plate, and throw out bearing. The truck had 30500 miles on it, thats it. Before that I had a host of brake problems and both door locks had failed. I had finally had enough and took it to another Toyota Stealership and traded it on a brand new one. The same truck. I got the truck with 60 miles on it today drove it out of the lot and man it shifted much smoother. Based on that I think its hit or miss.

The funny thing is I was talking to a transmission parts salesman. I asked him about these transmissions and he had nothing but good things to say about them. The said they are very tough and tow very well. Seeing the clutch fail in my old truck tells me he's full of shit!

Before I bought a Tacoma I had a 93 Toyota P/U and it too shifted rough. My buddy's 2004 shifts rough too. I think it may be the Toyota transmissions.

 

I'd like to know how the pre 05 Tacomas shifted compared to these newer trucks.....I had a 98 for a year but it was an auto. My 08 has the 6 speed and I like it for the most part. The most annoying thing I find with the tranny is the rpm's dont drop when you shift from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th. Other than that the truck is pretty smooth, you've just gotta know how to shift.

 

chuckster, i have a 08 prerunner reg cab manual. i'm experiencing everything you listed. while i feel it could shift better i'm not going to let it get me sour. sometimes it's smooth and effortless and other times it's clunky.
my 06 honda civic si does the same thing when turning on the AC, (lurches and harder shifting) it has almost 80,000 miles now so i'm not worried about that being a problem.

overall i'm very pleased with my truck.

happy motoring

 

My 5 speed has somewhat of an abrupt clutch, but it's something I've learned to live with. It does seem to be getting worse about going into reverse without lining it up in 2nd before going to reverse. As said above you might try some redline MT 90 for help with the shifting, but the clutch is kind of grabby. Yours may be on the worse side.
Air-conditioning ...there was a thread on back there somewhere. It's something to do with the compressor kicking in before the flow path is open so there is a little bit of a lock-up for a part of a second. Mine does it first thing when started after work when it's been sitting all day. What do you expect from GM anyway?

 

Yes, I do believe that the shifting/grabby clutch is worse with the A/C on. Drove to work this morning without the A/C, and while still a little grabby,not too bad. Coming home with the A/C on the "grabby" clutch and abrupt engagement was much more noticeable.

One other thing the truck does is having to sometimes depress the clutch pedal twice to start it. When it's cold, press in the clutch, turn key, and the truck starts fine... When it's warm (like a quick stop somewhere), press in the clutch, turn key, it starts to crank but then stops cranking.. Re-engage clutch and it starts OK on the second attempt.


Overall it seems like a nice truck, but I must say thet my 1997 Tacoma did not have any of these quirks with the clutch, A/C, starting --- nothing... I turned in my 1997 2WD extended cab on the frame rot program with 205,000 miles on it, and it still ran great and never needed any repairs aside from some O2 sensors. The "warm fuzzys" with this new truck (1300 miles on it) are beginning to wear off.

Bill

 

2006-RegCab-4X4-265tires... I have every problem you have listed are you sure you're not talking about mine? After a year of driving it I got used to it and sort of anticipate the quirks and work around them. I always let off the gas pedal a bit before turning the a/c on, I never turn it straight to full blast (just to low first), I make sure I am up to speed before turning the a/c on (because it bogs my truck down), starting and driving uphill I have to ride the clutch a little bit, and I had to get used to the clunkiness and sometimes hard shifting. It's like constant alertness. All in all - I still love the truck.

 

My experience is the same as others, however I did replace the tranny and transfer case with GL4 Amsoil 75w90 and it did improve just a little, mostly when hot.

Funny thing is, when I drained it, it was half full from the factory. Might just do a gear oil change to be safe...

cheers!

 

no, pre 05 toyota 5 speed manuals were always very tight and easy to work with. my buddies 04 5 speed was probly the best shifting ive ever experienced. i used to have a little 93 2wd toyota pu 5 speed company truck just to fart around town on and pick up parts and it still had a tight stick and the clutch never gave me any problems. this is just a new tacoma issue. but its not bad enough to make me hate my awesome truck:thumbsup:

 

I find it strange that everyone is having issues with the manual AND Toyota has not really done much since 05 to correct it. It's just weird that they let this slide along. My buddy has a 06 6-spd and its fine but my other 2 friends have 07's and they are not too bad but not as smooth as the 06.

hit or miss? maybe but .. toyota should fix it so its as reliable as the older manuals

 

What the h*** does the A/C have to do with shifting??:headbang:

 

Read the original post

 

My 08' shifts like a dream compared to my 85' 01' 04' toyota's, even with the clunk from 1-2. It is a pick-up truck..... Has anyone ever driven a sm-465, nv 4500, nv 5600, ax-15?? These transmissions make the 08' feel like a car trans not a truck trans.