Toyota to replace faulty 8-speed automatic transmission in 2024 – but

Pickup trucks like the Toyota Tacoma are supposed to be reliable and trustworthy, but several owners of 2024 Tacoma models in the U.S. have complained about transmission issues. Toyota acted quickly and issued an official technical service bulletin, which means the affected trucks will be repaired free of charge.

The technical service bulletin was shared with dealers last week and covers only certain 2024 Tacoma VINs, all of which are equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission. However, since this is not a safety recall, Toyota will not be offering a fix for all applicable 2024 Tacoma models, but only those that have been damaged or may be damaged in the future.

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Dealers have been informed that vehicles eligible for the repair must have at least one of six diagnostic trouble codes. The Tacoma4G forum states that these codes indicate a stuck pressure control solenoid actuator or a stuck torque converter clutch actuator in the closed position. Any Tacoma vehicle eligible for the repair that has one of these six trouble codes will require the replacement of the entire automatic transmission and torque converter assembly.

While this is great news for owners who have already experienced the problem, or for any other Tacoma owner who owns a truck that could experience a problem in the future, it can be stressful to hit the road knowing that your pickup could have a transmission failure at any time that requires a major repair. Hopefully, dealers will have easy access to replacement transmissions and will be able to perform the repair without too much inconvenience to the owner. There is nothing more frustrating than having your vehicle sit in a repair shop for weeks while the dealer waits for parts.

Luckily, models equipped with a manual transmission are unaffected. The 2024 Tacoma is one of the few trucks that can be ordered with a manual transmission, and while its 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is slightly downgraded from the automatic’s 278 hp and 317 lb-ft (429 Nm) to 270 hp and 310 lb-ft (420 Nm), it’s definitely the transmission option we’d choose.