NHTSA Complaint #10925387 — 2007 TOYOTA TACOMA

THIS TRUCK HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND THE PROBLEM OCCURS WHILE IT IS IN GEAR. IF THE ENGINE IS LOADED AT 50% OF FULL THROTTLE OR MORE (ACCELERATING, GOING UP HILLS, INTERSTATE SPEEDS) IN 4TH OR 5TH GEAR, AND YOU TAKE YOUR FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE ECM (COMPUTER) CONSISTENTLY HOLDS THE THROTTLE OPEN FOR 10 SECONDS. IN ANY SITUATION WHERE YOU NEED TO STOP QUICKLY (YELLOW LIGHTS, CAR TURNS IN FRONT OF YOU, PEDESTRIAN) AND YOU STEP ON THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE FIGHTS THE BRAKES AND GREATLY INCREASES (>DOUBLES) STOPPING DISTANCE. IN ONE INSTANCE THE REAR WHEELS REPEATEDLY BROKE-FREE, AND IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE VEHICLE GOING STRAIGHT. ON SNOW OR ICE, I EXPECT MAINTAINING CONTROL TO BE IMPOSSIBLE: I'LL SPIN AT THE FIRST APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES. TOYOTA TECHS HAVE EXAMINED THE VEHICLE TWICE AND CONFIRM THAT IT IS THE ECM HOLDING THE THROTTLE OPEN, SUPPOSEDLY "...HELPING THE RPMS TO STAY UP FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME TO HELP WHEN SHIFTING" AND TO MITIGATE EMISSIONS. IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO HOLD THE THROTTLE OPEN WHEN IN GEAR, BUT I WAS TOLD THE ECM DOESN'T KNOW WHEN THE CLUTCH IS ENGAGED OR WHAT GEAR IT'S IN. ON MY VEHICLE THE NORMAL "SHIFT CYCLE" HAPPENS CORRECTLY BETWEEN ALL THE GEARS AND LASTS ~1 SECOND AS LONG AS YOU DON'T "LOAD" THE ENGINE GREATER THAN ~50%, AS DESCRIBED ABOVE. BUT IF YOU DO, THE ECM HOLDS THROTTLE FOR 10 SECONDS WHILE THE TRUCK IS IN GEAR, WHICH IS 880FT AT 60MPH! I HAVE SPOKEN TO TOYOTA SEVERAL TIMES: BRENTON, (800) 331-4331, CASE #1610030909. BRENTON, A SUPERVISOR, CLAIMS THAT THIS IS INTENDED BY DESIGN AND IS SAFE AND REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING. THERE IS MORE DOCUMENTATION AT HTTPS://WWW.TACOMAWORLD.COM/THREADS/UNSAFE-ENGINE-REVS-BETWEEN-GEARS-3-4-4-5-AND-SHIFTING-OUT-OF-5.458027/ I WILL CONTINUE TO DOCUMENT THE TRUCK'S BEHAVIOR UNTIL I CRASH DUE TO THE SEVERELY DEGRADED STOPPING DISTANCES.