2016 Toyota Tacoma · symptom sheet
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard
- 26owner reports
- 9,000median miles
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Sep 14, 2024 · checked Oct 2, 2026
136 of the 323 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 26 of those describe transmission shudder. Only drivetrain problems is reported more often on this car.
Tick what matches of 26 reports
Transmission shudder on other Tacoma years
No other Tacoma model year has enough reports of transmission shudder for a sheet of its own. See every Tacoma year.
What this problem usually is
This is the biggest drivetrain group on the site: a transmission that shudders, slips, hesitates or bangs into gear. It's the everyday version of transmission trouble, where the car still drives but doesn't drive right, and it has three narrower sheets of its own for jerking, hesitation and slipping.
What got replaced
Few of these reports name the part that was replaced.
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2016 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
Oil may leak from the area where the rear differential carrier is assembled to rear axle housing.
All 4 recalls on the 2016 Toyota Tacoma, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 1,650 and 24,500 miles, from the 15 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 2 service bulletins or notices for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
SOME 2016 MODEL YEAR TACOMA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 2GR ENGINE AND THE AC60 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MAY EXHIBIT ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING SHIFT FEELING CONCERNS: *DELAYED ENGAGEMENT PARK TO DRIVE OR REVERSE TO DRIVE. *HARSH 1ST - 2ND UPSHIFT.
Some 2016 model year Tacoma vehicles equipped with the 2TR-FE engine and the AC60 6-speed automatic transmission may exhibit a flare during the 2-3 up shift. Customers may describe this as a momentary Automatic Transmission slipping feeling.
What owners wrote
“Vehicle has been jerking itself while driving at both low speeds and high speeds. Had taken it to the dealership Sept.2020 in order to get the ECU/PCM reflashed/updated to resolve issue; issue persists. Now, at highway speeds, 80% of the time it will be jerking itself, as off being momentarily shut off and on. Caused my rear end to fish tail on highway.”
Filed Jun 2, 2021
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 26 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Driveshaft, axle or transfer case problems 37 reports