The Fast Lane took delivery of a brand-new Tacoma on February 2. With merely 3,569 miles (5,744 kilometers) on the clock, the 2024 model year TRD Off-Road in question experienced a 4WD issue while off-roading in sub-zero weather.
Following a loud pop, the mid-size pickup lost drive to the front wheels. Roman Mica and Andre Smirnov couldn't find anything leaking or hanging from under their Tacoma TRD Off-Road. The drive shaft connecting the transfer case to the front wheels appeared to be fine as well.
4WD system-related warning lights didn't show up on the instrument cluster either, so what actually happened? Unfortunately, the answer will come at a later date. Andre and Roman will first put the truck on their lift to take a proper look under it. They also intend to put it on the rollers to figure out what's spinning and what's not. For an off-road-oriented pickup truck with so few miles to its name, this failure is all the more worrying.
Be it a front axle shaft, the front differential, or the transfer case, TFL will soon get down to the bottom of it. Following the lift and rollers, The Fast Lane will – obviously enough – take the TRD Off-Road to a Denver-area dealership for further inspection. Picked up from a Houston-based dealership at the beginning of February, the midsizer was configured to the tune of $45,330 (including destination charge).
On Toyota's website, the TRD Off-Road starts at $41,800 (excluding destination charge). This grade slots between the TRD Sport and Limited, which brings us to all the four-wheel-drive systems available for the 2024 model. But first, rear-drive trucks feature an automatic limited-slip differential, whereas the RWD-only TRD PreRunner levels up to an electronic locking rear diff.
Photo: TFLoffroad on YouTube
Four-wheel-drive trucks use an electronically controlled two-speed transfer case. Similar to the TRD PreRunner, the TRD Off-Road also has an electronic locking rear differential. The hybrid-only TRD Pro and Trailhunter, which are currently unavailable to configure, also feature one. Finally, the Limited is a special case because it sports full-time 4WD with a center locking differential for the hybrid option. Toyota calls it i-FORCE MAX, which is the same name used for the hybrid version of the Tundra's twin-turbocharged V6.
The Tacoma comes with a four-cylinder turbo, which can be had in four distinct flavors: the auto-only hybrid, the range-topping tune in combination with the automatic transmission, a mid-range tune for the manual transmission, and a base tune for the work-oriented SR with the eight-speed automatic. Peak horsepower ratings range from 228 to 326 ponies, while peak torque is estimated at anything between 243 and 465 pound-feet (330 and 630 Nm).
One of only two mid-size trucks that can be had with a manual for the 2024 model year, the Tacoma sports a six-speed unit with rev-matching and anti-stall tech. The iMT2 stick shift is available on the SR, TRD Sport, and the TRD Off-Road.
As opposed to the previous generation, which originally hailed from the TMMTX assembly plant in Texas, the fourth-generation Toyota Tacoma is produced in Mexico exclusively. Production is handled by two plants, namely TMMBC in Tijuana and TMMGT in Apaseo el Grande.
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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