NHTSA Complaint #10438479 — 2011 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW AND THE 5 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OPERATED SMOOTHLY. AROUND 9,300 MILES THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SHIFTING GEARS HARSHLY. THE HARSHNESS IS INTERMITTENT BUT HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. ALSO, WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS GOING DOWNHILL, THE RPMS BOUNCE EVERYWHERE FROM 1500 RPMS TO 3000 RPMS. ITS ALMOST AS IF THE TRANSMISSION IS CONFUSED AND DOESN'T KNOW WHAT GEAR TO CHOOSE ANYMORE. I ALSO FEEL AS IF THE BRAKES AREN'T RELEASING. WHEN SITTING AT A RED LIGHT GOING DOWN HILL, ONCE I RELEASE MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE AND BEFORE I ACCELERATE, WHILE COASTING, I FEEL A "THUD" IN THE REAR END AFTER ABOUT TWO ROTATIONS OF THE WHEELS. I DRIVE IN BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC DAILY IN PITTSBURGH AND THIS SHIFTING IS AWFUL - BY FAR THE WORST TRANSMISSION IN A VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED. I MENTIONED THIS ISSUE DURING MY LAST SERVICE VISIT AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED YET. THIS NEEDS ADDRESSED ASAP. THIS CAN'T BE THE WAY TOYOTA INTENDED FOR THIS VEHICLE TO OPERATE - ESPECIALLY SINCE IT DIDN'T ALWAYS OPERATE THIS WAY. *TR