The Toyota Tacoma is all-new for 2024, the company having introduced this year a new generation redesigned from the ground up. The first versions were launched last summer, but deliveries accelerated considerably this spring. As a result, we're starting to see more new Tacomas on the road.
However, not everything seems to be running smoothly. Some owners reported transmission problems on discussion forums in June, according to The Drive outlet. More formal complaints have also been submitted to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the equivalent of Transport Canada. Some of the documents reported problems before the models reached 1,000 miles (1,600 km).
Car and Driver reports that it contacted Toyota but has not yet received a reply.
The nature of the problems encountered with both the manual and automatic transmissions has not been reported either. Some customers also complained of long repair times, ranging from two to four months. This is unfortunately common with a new model, when spare parts are harder to come by immediately after launch.
To be clear, for the time being, there is no investigation underway on the part of the NHTSA, and there is no question of a recall.
However, we can guess that the matter is being closely monitored by the authorities, as well as by Toyota's decision-makers.
Note that the automaker has just recalled just over 100,000 Tundra pickups and Lexus LX SUVs to replace the engine due to a glitch noticed during manufacturing.
Toyota continues to enjoy a good reputation for reliability, but it has accumulated a few missteps in recent years. If it does not want to lose this strong image, it will have to be more vigilant.
This whole situation also reinforces an argument we've been putting forward, namely that it's often prudent to wait a year before getting your hands on a new model, to let the wrinkles be identified and – hopefully – dealt with.
There's no doubt that, in the long term, the Tacoma will prove reliable and durable. But it may have to overcome a first hurdle soon.