Two problems related to automatic transmission have been reported for the 2003 Toyota Tacoma. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2003 Toyota Tacoma based on all problems reported for the 2003 Tacoma.
On June 11,2010 I was changing the anti freeze in my 2003 Toyota Tacoma. The vehicle was in park and running to warm engine to open thermostat to get more coolant from the lower block . Well I decide to boost the engine speed by manually moving the throttle . To my surprise my truck lurched back before coming to a stop I check the shifter it was still in park . But a further exam the vehicle stuck in reverse and will not go into any forward gear. I m' going to check to see if the linkage needs adjustment everybody I talk with said it was not suppose to move unless the brake was applied first.
After approx. Putting 5,000 miles on my Tacoma 2003 double cab, I started noticing when normally bringing the vehicle to a complete stop, there is a cluncking sound from the rear end. The harder you stop the vehicle the worse it gets. It's like getting slightly rearended by another vehicle. If it doesn't make this cluncking feeling and sound as you come to a stop, it will do it once you let off of the brake pedal to idle/roll forward to advance at a traffic light, stop sign, etc. This appears to be getting worse as I continue to drive the vehicle which now has 24,000 miles on it. I took it to ron carter auto world and the service department tells me that Toyota is aware of this and considered it normal. If this is normal why don't other vehicles do this? it gets annoying looking into the rear view mirror every time this happens thinking that you've be rearended by another vehicle.