Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Toyota Tacoma owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Since this vehicle had 5000 miles on it I have had clutch issues. Has been in the shop 5 times for clutch issues and is currently in the shop now. The clutch is burning up, thought the truck was going to catch fire a few weeks ago. There has been a TSB on this issue and they replaced everything on the last service. It has failed again with on 3,000 miles on this new clutch. The vehicle is a little over 1 year old and currently has 23,000 miles on it. Toyota is giving me the run a round and now wants me to pay for warranty work. I have repeatedly told them they have a weak design clutch, made for a 2 wheel drive vehicle in a 4x4 truck. We think the clutch slipped so much a few ago it really did catch fire, it smoked for 10 minutes after I turned the truck off. I have filed with the houston bbb and filed with Toyota. I need help
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Toyota Tacoma. While driving 55 MPH, an unknown humming sound emitted from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the driveshaft needed to be repaired. No repairs were made to the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.
The transmission, while driving, has a jerky shifting motion. Additionally, when stopped at lets say a red light, the transmission prior to driving away, will seem like it engages with an extreme jerking motion, almost feeling like you've been rear ended.
The vehicle surges unexpectedly. One or more times a day, depending on travel needs, I experience surges both at complete stops and when accelerating. Depressing the accelerator pedal from a stop or roll includes a "delay" in response from the vehicle, then the unexpected surge is noticed. Generally, a small amount of pressure on the pedal does not yield a desired acceleration effect, instead a "wait and go" effect is experienced. Several times, this delay has caused near misses in terms of accidents. Expecting the vehicle to respond to accelerator pressure but not getting acceleration is considered hazardous. Surging forward violently when at a complete stop is another concern. With the brakes completely depressed, the vehicle will surge forward at most traffic lights or during stop and go traffic. …
Several months after purchasing my new vehicle (purchased 8/2010) I started to notice a shudder through the floor board and steering column. The shudder occurred sporatically and always at 20mph. It reminded me of driving over the rumble strips cut along freeways and prior to toll boths. The sudder occurs on upgrades, downgrades, turns, and flat roadways. A Toyota dealership has worked on the vehicle several times and been unable to locate the problem. I have been told that the dealership cannot reproduce the incident and that the vehicle is "operating as designed". Dave zellers (customer retention for Toyota) assisted in my complaint and in the end refunded $890.00 as a sign of good faith (extended warranty price). Toyota has ground the front disks on two separate service occasions stating they were not flat. …
Correction to oid id#1044518 occurs while braking and reaching 20mph...... Several months after purchasing my new vehicle (purchased 8/2010) I started to notice a shudder through the floor board and steering column. The shudder occurred sporatically and always while braking and reaching the speed of 20mph. It reminded me of driving over the rumble strips cut along freeways and prior to toll boths. The sudder occurs on upgrades, downgrades, turns, and flat roadways. A Toyota dealership has worked on the vehicle several times and been unable to locate the problem. I have been told that the dealership cannot reproduce the incident and that the vehicle is "operating as designed". Dave zellers (customer retention for Toyota) assisted in my complaint and in the end refunded $890.00 as a sign of good faith (extended warranty price). …
Vehicle is a 2010 Toyota Tacoma dbl cab, the transmission searches for the right gear to accelerate in once the speed gets 15mph or lower and you press the gas peddle. At 1st it was just annoying, but recently I was turning a corner at a signal light behind another veh. And it slammed on it's brakes, I went to go into the passing lane, but when I accelerated, the transmission didn't respond, it just revs up trying to find the gear. By the time it did, I was watching in my mirror and an oncoming vehicle started hitting their brakes to avoid hitting me. Which wouldn't have been an issue if my truck would have gone when I pressed the gas. This occurs every time you are going at a rate over 25 MPH and slow down to at least 15 MPH and then try to accelerate again. Ie: crossing highways. I purchased this truck oct. …
2010 Tacoma crew cab with 18,000 miles, automatic transmission. When the vehicle is cold or warm it seems to slip out of gear going around corners or accelerating from a stop in a straight line. This does not occur everytime but at unexpected times. Also after I have slowed down to round a corner or cross an intersection the truck feels as if it shifts to neutral gear and when the gas pedal is depressed no forward movement occurs. It acts like it has no throttle response. After anywhere from 2 to 6 seconds it starts moving forward again and starts moving as if nothing ever happened. This problem does not occur at every corner, stop or light but does happen in the middle of intersections and changing lanes. So far I have had 5 near collisions in less than one week. …
While slowing and making right or left turns, my 2010 Tacoma v-6 4x2 automatic transmission will slip into either neutral or first gear for several seconds (typically 2 or 3). Engine RPM increase and then transmission shifts into the correct gear with a lurch. This defect makes left turns, across traffic, especially difficult and dangerous, since you never know if it will happen and how long it will take to hunt for and find the "right" gear. I first notice the issue after driving about 75 miles (have a little over 800 miles now). Been to dealer twice. Demonstrated problem with service manager in the truck. He had no solution for the problem. He "hopes" Toyota will come out with a fix. Toyota has a similar defect with the 2009 tacomas and issued on November 3, 2009 technical service bulletin t-sb-0373-09. But TSB only eliminated the defect in the 2009 model. …
Bought my 2010 Tacoma used. Did not observe any issues during long test drive. Very next day began to notice auto transmission not finding correct gear after slowing then making a turn; does not happen when truck is brought completely to rest with pause before the turns. I also notice transmission shudder at times when slowing in straightline; feels same as clutch slip / stall with manual trans if gear too high for speed. And my transmission downshifts too deep when I brake medium hard going downhill. I have begun to manually shift during turns without stops. Had dealer inspect transmission fluid & system at first oil change and discussed observations with service tech. Was told mine is fine, operating normally, & that these transmissions are hyper-active. Beginning to think my Toyota selection was a mistake. Does anyone make a trouble-free vehicle these days?
Related recalls
Power train › Driveline › Driveshaft
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 Toyota tacoma pickup trucks. The propeller shaft May develop cracks during the manufacturing process. Over time, the cracks May eventually lead to the separation of the propeller shaft.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the front propeller shaft on affected vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on March 22, 2010. Owners May contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Transmission complaints in other Tacoma years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2010 Toyota Tacoma?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2010 Toyota Tacoma, 10% of the model year's 294 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Toyota Tacoma transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-042 (driveshaft, Feb 18, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2010 Toyota Tacoma transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 10,000 miles, and 79% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.