6th 4Runner TRD Pro 1st - 2nd Gear Shift ISSUE

[4Runner13]

@MikeUtah - Thanks for the update! I'm almost due for my 5k service and will request they try to reset the TCM. Fingers crossed for us both.

Any updates on yours?

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[fabtonic]

Any updates after the TCM reset?

 

[MikeUtah]

Any updates after the TCM reset?

Any updates after the TCM reset?

Update as of December 5, 2025:
It has been about 70 days since the mechanic reset the TCM. As previously noted, for the first 10 days or so, the shifting was all over the place but got steadily smoother and the TCM ‘relearned’ my driving habits.

The issue is about 90+% resolved, meaning the Hard rough shifting is no longer occurring. When the truck is cold and shifting from 1st to 2nd, the is a slight ‘course’ shift, but completely acceptable.

 

[IRFAN0922]

same issue , SR5 -Gas - only 195 miles on it , yesterday and today I noticed this issue and its like I am driving a Suzuki with manual transmission in 3rd wold country .

 

[6thGen1419]

same issue , SR5 -Gas - only 195 miles on it , yesterday and today I noticed this issue and its like I am driving a Suzuki with manual transmission in 3rd wold country .

Maybe you are driving it like a Suzuki with manual transmission in 3rd wold country?

 

[IRFAN0922]

Maybe you are driving it like a Suzuki with manual transmission in 3rd wold country?

amazing .

 

[ThatSickRIp]

same issue , SR5 -Gas - only 195 miles on it , yesterday and today I noticed this issue and its like I am driving a Suzuki with manual transmission in 3rd wold country .

Same.

Old Lady has a 25 LC that does it as well. Dealer "cant replicate" it on hers, though its pretty apparent...

 

[6thGen1419]

Same.

Old Lady has a 25 LC that does it as well. Dealer "cant replicate" it on hers, though its pretty apparent...

Don't know what to say except my TRD ORP iForce Max did it when new. I've now got 9550 miles on the odometer and it just doesn't do it anymore.

 

[MikeUtah]

Update - October 31, 2025:

It has been 24 days since the Mechanic reset the TCM. For the first 10 days or so, the shifting was all over the place but has steadily got smoother and it appears the TCM has ‘relearned’ my driving habits.

As of today, the ‘rough shift, cold truck’ issue appears to be 90% resolved; may be 100% resolved, but only time will tell!

Update as of August 2026:

Since my last update in December 2025, I have taken several ~1,000-mile road trips (highway driving 70 – 85 mph). After each trip there was a short period time that the tranny shifted somewhat rougher than before the trip. After a tank of gas or so, the tranny settled back down.

• Looking back, when I purchased the 4runner from a dealer ~700 miles away, I experienced shifting issues immediately upon returning home. And as explained above, I had a local dealer reset the TCM. Was this because I drove 700 miles before the TCM ‘learned’ my daily driving style/habits?

Transmission Drain and Fill, July 2026

• After doing a tranny Drain and Fill, I experienced rough shifting again, like after taking a long road trip. Some online ‘experts’ recommend resetting the Transmission Control Module (TCM) after a Drain and Fill, due to degraded fluid. The theory is that you should clear the old adaptive shift memory and adjust to fresh fluid pressure whenever you replace the automatic transmission fluid. In my case, the fluid was a bit dark but not degraded, 22,000 miles on truck.
• Again, after a tank of gas or so, the tranny starting to settle back down.

Options to reset TCM:

• Using a bi-directional OBD.
• Asking the Dealer to completely reset the TCM using Techstream software.

Questions for the Readers of this Forum:

• Has anyone noticed the tranny shifting a little rougher after long, ‘high speed’ road trips?
• 
  
• Has anyone noticed the tranny shifting a little rougher after a transmission Drain and Fill?
• 
  
• Are my observations ‘real’ or a case of “Association Does Not Mean Causation” or cheap whiskey?

Interesting article about Toyota 8-speed transmissions in Tacoma’s:

https://www.torquenews.com/1084/toy...t-fix-its-broken-transmission#google_vignette

 

[josiahg52]

Update as of August 2026:

Since my last update in December 2025, I have taken several ~1,000-mile road trips (highway driving 70 – 85 mph). After each trip there was a short period time that the tranny shifted somewhat rougher than before the trip. After a tank of gas or so, the tranny settled back down.

• Looking back, when I purchased the 4runner from a dealer ~700 miles away, I experienced shifting issues immediately upon returning home. And as explained above, I had a local dealer reset the TCM. Was this because I drove 700 miles before the TCM ‘learned’ my daily driving style/habits?

Transmission Drain and Fill, July 2026

• After doing a tranny Drain and Fill, I experienced rough shifting again, like after taking a long road trip. Some online ‘experts’ recommend resetting the Transmission Control Module (TCM) after a Drain and Fill, due to degraded fluid. The theory is that you should clear the old adaptive shift memory and adjust to fresh fluid pressure whenever you replace the automatic transmission fluid. In my case, the fluid was a bit dark but not degraded, 22,000 miles on truck.
• Again, after a tank of gas or so, the tranny starting to settle back down.

Options to reset TCM:

• Using a bi-directional OBD.
• Asking the Dealer to completely reset the TCM using Techstream software.

Questions for the Readers of this Forum:

• Has anyone noticed the tranny shifting a little rougher after long, ‘high speed’ road trips?
• 
  
• Has anyone noticed the tranny shifting a little rougher after a transmission Drain and Fill?
• 
  
• Are my observations ‘real’ or a case of “Association Does Not Mean Causation” or cheap whiskey?

Interesting article about Toyota 8-speed transmissions in Tacoma’s:

https://www.torquenews.com/1084/toy...t-fix-its-broken-transmission#google_vignette

It has been standard procedure on every modern vehicle I've owned to reset the automatic transmission adaptations when draining and refilling the transmission, likewise with automatic transfer cases, incidentally. Can't say for every vehicle out there, but it seems completely logical and yes, there was always an initial difference in shifting for a period of time and miles. Don't know with Toyota.

 

[IRFAN0922]

Update as of August 2026:

Since my last update in December 2025, I have taken several ~1,000-mile road trips (highway driving 70 – 85 mph). After each trip there was a short period time that the tranny shifted somewhat rougher than before the trip. After a tank of gas or so, the tranny settled back down.

• Looking back, when I purchased the 4runner from a dealer ~700 miles away, I experienced shifting issues immediately upon returning home. And as explained above, I had a local dealer reset the TCM. Was this because I drove 700 miles before the TCM ‘learned’ my daily driving style/habits?

Transmission Drain and Fill, July 2026

• After doing a tranny Drain and Fill, I experienced rough shifting again, like after taking a long road trip. Some online ‘experts’ recommend resetting the Transmission Control Module (TCM) after a Drain and Fill, due to degraded fluid. The theory is that you should clear the old adaptive shift memory and adjust to fresh fluid pressure whenever you replace the automatic transmission fluid. In my case, the fluid was a bit dark but not degraded, 22,000 miles on truck.
• Again, after a tank of gas or so, the tranny starting to settle back down.

Options to reset TCM:

• Using a bi-directional OBD.
• Asking the Dealer to completely reset the TCM using Techstream software.

Questions for the Readers of this Forum:

• Has anyone noticed the tranny shifting a little rougher after long, ‘high speed’ road trips?
• 
  
• Has anyone noticed the tranny shifting a little rougher after a transmission Drain and Fill?
• 
  
• Are my observations ‘real’ or a case of “Association Does Not Mean Causation” or cheap whiskey?

Interesting article about Toyota 8-speed transmissions in Tacoma’s:

https://www.torquenews.com/1084/toy...t-fix-its-broken-transmission#google_vignette

I honestly hate going back and forth to the dealership. It's a waste of time, and it feels like finding an experienced technician these days is getting harder and harder.

I was really excited to buy the 6th Gen 4Runner, but I'm honestly disappointed. It just doesn't drive the way a brand-new Toyota should. Now I'm also seeing that owners of the new RAV4 have started reporting similar complaints.

The floor vibration, combined with the rough gear shifting, makes the vehicle feel like something isn't right. At times, it honestly feels like the transmission could fail down the road. A new vehicle shouldn't drive like this, and owners shouldn't have to keep returning to the dealership hoping for a fix.

Is anyone else experiencing the same combination of floor vibration and rough shifting? If so, has your dealer found a permanent solution?

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