The Fast Lane's Roman Mica and Andre Smirnov took delivery of a 2024 Toyota Tacoma in February 2024. Less than a month later, while they were off-roading in sub-zero conditions, Roman heard a loud pop. The resulting 4WD system failure resulted in the midsizer losing drive to the front wheels.
Affectionately christened Blueberry after the superb-looking blue paint color, the pictured Tacoma TRD Off-Road became a rear-wheel-drive truck with only 3,569 miles (5,744 kilometers) on the odometer. TFL's Roman and Andre couldn't see anything leaking or hanging from under their new truck after the mysterious failure, and 4WD system-related warning lights didn't come on either.
They also confirmed that the drive shaft connecting the transfer case to the front differential was perfectly fine. In any case, Roman was able to drive the Taco back to Tumbleweed Ranch. After a thorough inspection with the truck on a lift, then some quick testing on rollers to make sure the transfer case is engaging the front drive shaft, the most senior members of the TFL crew agreed that it must be a front differential-related problem.
At the time, they couldn't put their finger on what exactly failed within the diff. Several days after dropping the truck at the dealer, Tacoma chief engineer Sheldon Brown and the service tech confirmed that a part inside the differential had failed.
Namely, a part within the so-called ADD system. According to Sheldon, there is a part within the automatic disconnecting differential system that is designed to fail in a controlled way under extreme conditions. More specifically, in such a way that it does not destroy the rest of the driveline.
Photo: The Fast Lane Truck on YouTube
Sheldon agreed with Roman and Andre that it shouldn't have failed in the off-road conditions the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road was subjected to. According to Andre, just around 20 engineers are working on this problem to determine if a redesign is called for. Last but not least, the dealership will have the truck fixed within two days or so.
If you're wondering why none other than the Tacoma's chief engineer got involved in this matter, remember that the fourth-generation Tacoma is twinned with the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser (a.k.a. 250 series or Prado) and the Lexus GX J250. We also have to remember that a ground-up redesign of the 4Runner is just around the corner, with said family-oriented SUV flaunting the GA-F platform of the aforementioned Land Cruiser and GX.
If Sheldon and his team identify the root cause and fix the problem before the first units of the 2025 Toyota 4Runner hit dealer lots, the automaker will save a ton of money. Considering the many issues Tundra customers experienced in the third-gen truck's first year of production, it's hardly surprising that Toyota is so proactive about this matter.
Similar to Volvo making a name for itself by putting a big emphasis on safety, Japanese automakers came to prominence by means of affordable yet reliable vehicles. Toyota and the Lexus division take the top spots for brand reliability almost every year, which is why Toyota cannot afford to sully its reputation for reliability in the US market.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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