7.5

pretty bad
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
6,720 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2005 Toyota Tacoma transmission problems

transmission problem

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2005 Toyota Tacoma Owner Comments

problem #14

May 152005

Tacoma

  • 1,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Tacoma with manual transmission. The contact stated that when driving at any rate of speed in fourth gear, the transmission would intermittently switch into neutral without warrant. When placed back into fourth gear, the vehicle would function as normal until the failure would recur. The contact stated he would experience the failure at least once each time the vehicle was operated. The dealer advised the vehicle was not under recall and would not offer any assistance. The contact parked the vehicle and was no longer operating it. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000 and the current mileage was approximately 15,000.

- Brooklyn , NY, USA

problem #13

Feb 022005

Tacoma

  • miles
My 2005 Toyota Tacoma used to lunge forward and accelerate while stopped. It happened over the several years I owned it. I reported this to the dealer and they ignored me. I would always make sure I had the brake depressed hard while stopped.

- Arlington, TX, USA

problem #12

Jan 182006

Tacoma

  • 1,500 miles
I have a 2005 Toyota Tacoma trd 4X4 they have replaced my front wheel bearings 6 times know my front diff, the transmission once and my rear end.

- Frazier Park, CA, USA

problem #11

Aug 272006

Tacoma 4WD 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 27,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2005 Tacoma, trd sport pkg, 6 speed manual behind a V6. At about 27K the clutch pedal started making this horrendous squeak. The dealer performed a tsb to replace the clutch pedal assembly. Squeak was gone for about 6K miles but the pedal sticks. Since that first replacement of the pedal assembly, the dealer greases it every 6-8K miles because the squeak keeps returning and the pedal still sticks! they did replace the pedal assembly a second time however now the pedal feels like it is going to fall off and it still sticks. The last straw was when I brought it to the dealer and they told me that it was "excessive use of the pedal, the truck was not made to drive in traffic". what the heck was it made for?? I drive the highway everyday to work and yes, I occasionally get caught in traffic due to an accident, but that might happen once every other week! Toyota corporate was no help, they said I would have to work with the dealer because I was out of warranty. The dealer doesn't return phone calls and I am stuck with a truck that has a bad clutch pedal!

- Northfield, NH, USA

problem #10

Apr 102006

Tacoma 4WD 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 3,000 miles
My 2005 Tacoma has had a clutch squeal since it was brand new. Toyota has replaced 2 clutches after 2 release bearing failures in less then 1 years time. After the second clutch the squeal came back within 3,000 miles. The dealer lubed the slave cylinder / clutch fork intersection point. After several trips from 48 hrs to 1 month intervals they lubed it numerous times. Fed up I informed them I would not be coming in constantly to have the transmission lubed. They replaced the slave cylinder and clutch fork. Within 48 hrs the squeal was back. After having the vehicle in for a Toyota field tech to look at the replaced the clutch return spring. Within 24 hours the squeal was back. During all the incidents I contacted Toyota to keep them informed of the issues. The latest call resulted in escalation as I have requested replacement of the transmission as there is apparently a defect in the casting of the transmission or an internal issue. Toyota called me back to say they would work out a plan with my dealer to fix the vehicle. (this is after 13 trips to the dealer for the same problem between repairs and lube trips.) I was informed I would be called back no later then Thursday Nov 14th. As of this point there has been no contact and I'm taking legal actions.

- Carmel, IN, USA

problem #9

Dec 202005

Tacoma 4WD 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 7,500 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Tacoma. The contact smelled asphyxiate gas fumes when cold starting the vehicle. The dealer was unable to diagnose or duplicate the failure. The current mileage is 8,000, and the failure mileage is unknown. There were no warning indicators. The consumer provided a copy of repair invoice. The dealer stated creak sound clutch pedal when depressed and difficulty putting into 4WD, but factory never able to duplicate the problem. Updated 07/06/07

- Ilion, NY, USA

problem #8

Jan 262007

Tacoma 4WD 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 7,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This is a follow up to a previous complaint regarding difficulty shifting particularly from 1st to 2nd. After sending three certified letters to Toyota (the last sent to the president's office) I finally, more than 6 months later, received a written response. Perhaps because of the reasons I cited for my failed mediation attempt (in particular being given bad advice, which, at the time, I naively accepted, by the Toyota factory trained specialist on how to prepare for the mediation) I was granted a second attempt at mediation. The transmission continues to behave in the fashion I previously mentioned. I simply cannot understand why it is "normal" for the gears to intermittently clash (and the colder it is, grind) when shifting. I have been driving 5 speeds for more than 2 decades.

- Ilion, NY, USA

problem #7

Jul 282006

Tacoma 4WD 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 9,400 miles
2005 Toyota Tacoma (6 speed manual transmission) has experienced excessive transmission noise and clutch judder when starting in first gear since the day of purchase. The transmission has been, at times, excessively difficult to shift and the judder has been, on rare occasions, evident in second gear. Both problems have been intermittent since the vehicle was delivered. On the morning of July 28th, the judder problem was particularly bad and was evident with every start in first gear and sometimes in second gear. It became more violent with each start and at one point, after the clutch pedal was fully released, there was a sudden slip of the clutch disc followed by sudden friction. This resulted in loss of traction of the drive wheels and subsequent total loss of control of the vehicle. Control was regained relatively quickly by depressing the clutch pedal to remove drive power from the wheels and a catastrophic event was narrowly avoided. Toyota has attempted repair of this judder problem three times including a complete clutch assembly replacement at 6,500 miles, but now claims that the vehicle operates normally. The vehicle was returned to a dealer shortly after the incident described above and the shop foreman said again, the vehicle was operating normally. He also claimed that per Toyota's directive, he is not to keep the vehicle unless he has prior approval from Toyota to do so.

- Sunnyvale, CA, USA

problem #6

Mar 112006

Tacoma 4WD 4-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
When shifting from 1st to 2nd, there is an inconsistent and unpredictable mechanical sensation that varied from a mild yet distinct rough transition (creating the perception that I was forcing the gears) to a dramatic mechanical sensation of gears changing (at times accompanied with a clicking sound). I returned to the dealership to have the master technician (mt) drive the truck and see if he was experiencing what I was experiencing. He shared that he could feel the gears and said he could replace the transmission if the factory trained specialist (fts) agreed it needed replacing. Fts drove the truck with me and did not feel that there was anything abnormal about the shifting (vehicle operates as designed...). because the present shifting sensation makes you feel like you are forcing or grinding gears when shifting from 1st to 2nd, this is a safety issue given I can tend to be more focused on the shifting from 1st to 2nd than on driving and it is uncertain whether the transmission will possibly fail while I am driving the truck. I have owned at least 5 or 6 five-speed vehicles. I have also worked on transmissions. In all my experience with 5-speeds I have owned, I have never experienced a shifting problem like I am presently experiencing. This is a brand new, supposedly, quality Toyota vehicle and it unquestionably seems that something is not right with the transmission. I am currently in arbitration.

- Ilion, NY, USA

problem #5

Jan 092006

Tacoma 4WD

  • Manual transmission
  • 9,890 miles
During recent cold winter weather, had couple incidents where brakes appeared to not operate correctly on moderate ice/slushy road condition and this caused on one occasion to run through intersection due to not being able to stop the vehicle being fortunate that no other traffic was present at the time. This all comes after a transmission replacement at 6271 miles and rear brake work on the vehicle at 6558 miles. This truck is like a lemon.

- Chromo, CO, USA

problem #4

Dec 142005

Tacoma 4WD 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 6,558 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

After having transmission replaced on this vehicle at 6271 miles, less than 2 weeks later again heard a clinking sound emanating from the rear transmission wheel area. Took vehicle back to dealer and during technician test drive with spouse rear end locked up. Dealer discovered issue was bolts on right rear E-brake cable inside drum came out and brake shoe was locking up rear and then making it hard to shift into gear and bolt was making the grinding noise at lower 1st gear. Dealer removed and cleaned axles, installed new bolts on E-brake cable, removed and repaired rear brake shoes and machined both rear drums.

- Chromo, CO, USA

problem #3

Nov 242005

Tacoma 4WD 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 6,150 miles
At around 6150 miles, transmission was making a clicking sound and occasional issues encountered getting the vehicle to shift into 1st gear. Took vehicle into dealership and they identified that bearing had slipped loose in transmission. Dealer ordered and installed a brand new transmission into 2005 Toyota Tacoma pick up.

- Chromo, CO, USA

problem #2

Dec 082005

Tacoma 4WD 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 13,879 miles
I purchased a 2005 Toyota Tacoma, 6 speed in June of 2005. Just before the vehicle attained 14,000 miles it started slipping out of 4th gear. I placed a call to the dealer, and the service department stated, "it will need a new transmission" during the 5 minute conversation on the phone. After the vehicle was brought to the service department on week later, within the first 2 hours of them receiving the truck a new transmission was ordered. This tells me that they are experiencing this problem regularly. If a number of 6 speed Tacoma' have been returned with the same problem, shouldn't the consumer be notified. After all my car slips out of gear while driving, that seems to be a bit of a safety issue to me. The vehicle has slipped out of gear at least 25 times prior to being fixed.

- Phillipston, MA, USA

problem #1

Jan 012005

Tacoma 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 1,200 miles
The consumer owns a 2005 Toyota Tacoma. The vehicle has a manual transmission and he states that the vehicle will not go into 5th gear safely. This vehicle will go into every other gear perfectly fine. This is the second transmission consumer has put in his vehicle and he only has 5000 miles on his vehicle.

- Huntington Beach, CA, USA

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