I have a 2009 Tacoma 5spd, 4x4 regular cab. When I shift into first and second, it makes a loud clunk when I let out the clutch pedal. It sometimes makes the clunk when shifting into third as well. I am not dumping the clutch, since that would just be rude, and I’m not riding it either. The only thing that seems to make the ‘clunk’ less noticeable is revving the engine before upshifts (shouldn’t have to rev match for an upshift, but it seems to lessen the noise if it’s pushing 3,000 rpm before a shift).
There is noticeable resistance when trying to get it into gear with all the gears, with first and second being the worst.
The truck has about 4000 miles on it now. It’s been doing it since new, but I thought, ‘hey, it’s just a truck, no biggie.’
For comparison, I drove another 2009 tacoma with 29,000 miles on it that had a smooth shifting manual. I had no issues with it.
Any ideas? I’m definitely going to ask the dealer about it.
Have the dealer inspect the clutch to make sure it’s releasing properly. Have them check the clutch fluid level and check for air in the system. A malfunctioning clutch will make the transmission shift badly. Over time…it can damage the transmission.