Transmission does not engage

I have a 2020 4Runner TRD Pro with 65,000 km, which I have owned since new.
It has an automatic transmission. When I move the shifter from Park position to Drive position the transmission will not engage until I lift my foot off the brake pedal. At that point the transmission engages with a thud, and surges forward. This issue incidentally, is intermittent.
Upon taking the vehicle into the dealership, they could not reproduce the problem.
They did, however, believe that it may be the "Neutral Safety Switch", of which they replaced.
It seemed to have solved the problem, until three weeks later, the problem has returned.

Has anyone had similar issues ??

 

Did they check the fluid level?

 

Maybe your truck has commitment issues and doesn't want to get engaged?

 

OP: it was not like that when truck was new, when you left dealership with 5 miles on odometer? no? what you doing with truck, how you care or drive, park with brake on slope, how agressive on gas, etc. all is up to you. replace tranny gonna cost you 7k. you can hope it is low on fluid, IF (?) dealership replaced switch.

 

do you mean that you don't see "D" on display unless you release brake? Or shifter doesn't move when brake is pressed?

I had that Neutral park switch replaced but it had different symptoms, nothing to do with brake pedal.

 

Shift lever moves smoothly from Park to Drive. All visual dash indicators are normal. No check engine light or any other abnormal condition indicators.
I don't believe that the source of the issue is the brake pedal. When the transmission is shifted into drive position, it seems to remain in a neutral-like feel until the brake pedal is released. At that point I get a "thump" and the vehicle surges forward. It has now engaged into first gear. This is an intermittent problem.
No other shifting issues while the vehicle is in motion.

 

Is that really bad big thump or just faint thump? Did you experience it occasionally when stopping or start driving after stopped on red light? Maybe it just driveshaft need some lube? Clunck/kick when stopping-driveshaft? | Toyota 4Runner Forum [4Runners.com]

 

The thump is very definitive. Not faint at call. Can most definitely feel it and hear it. Does not happen when starting or stopping. Once the transmission is engaged, and remains engaged, I can drive all day without issue. Its only when placed into Park, and then subsequently moving the shift lever back into Drive position that it would happen.

 

Interesting. Looks like your truck is still under warranty, I would take a video and show it to dealership.

 

Could it be the transfer case is not quite all the way into 2hi? Perhaps gets bumped by someone/ something occasionally? Check that the transfer case shifter is pushed all the way forward.

 

What country are you in? Most countries have a 60k mile (or metric equivalent) 5-year powertrain warranty and you should still be within that powertrain coverage time window. The important thing for you is to make sure that you document this as thoroughly as possible with the dealership in their system. Keep going back to your dealership and having this addressed and documented in their system every time it happens.

If your warranty runs out, but you have previously reported the issue and it's documented in Toyota's system, you might still get coverage. A video of this behavior would help demonstrate the issue to the service department at your dealership (if a video can be safely taken to capture the behavior). Since the behavior is intermittent, it will probably take a while to get the proper video to prove the malfunction. Be patient and be safe in addressing this. And... communicate often with your dealership until this issue is resolved.

I can think of several things this issue could be besides the safety switch - including the wiring to the safety switch itself.

 

Thanks to all for your replies. Good information for sure.
I am located in Canada, and yes, this vehicle is still under warranty until next December.
The video is a great idea. I will do this.
Also your advice to keep returning to the dealership is solid. I will indeed, and ensure this issue is logged in their records each time.
In the meantime, I will recheck the transfer case.

 

Good plan. Also, don't accept the "we've got this and you don't need to keep showing up about it" from your dealership (ie quit bothering us) - if this goes on for an extended time. They may act annoyed with you. Don't be discouraged from doing what you need to do get them to document it in the Toyota service system. People at the dealership (including the service writer you're working with and the service manager) can leave/retire, etc. But, what's documented in the system is in there forever.

Gremlins are rare (relatively speaking) in Gen 5 4Runners. So, I know I can speak for the group here that we'd all appreciate it if you'd let us know when you find out what the issue is and how it was resolved. And... hey... you never know... Borracho Loco may have a point above about your 4Runner having "commitment issues." BTW, just had to mention that one - that's one of the best lines in the group yet!!!

Good luck Paul and sorry you're having this issue. We'll stay tuned.

Brad

 

You might try contacting the Car Care Nut. He has his own Toyota/Lexus/Scion repair shop, and he might have a suggestion:

My Toyota, Lexus and Scion Specialist Repair Shop:
TCCN Automotive
www.tccnautomotive.com
Mailing Address 15751 Annico Dr Unit 3
Homer Glen, IL 60491

I don't know if he will get back to you, but it couldn't hurt.

 

Just for the sake of gathering possible clues, does this always happen in the same location/attitude? For example, always parked on a sloped driveway with the nose pointing downhill? Or always uphill? You know, is there some characteristic that's always present when it happens? If you can get to where you can reproduce it consistently, it can help the shop troubleshoot.

A thing to try - if you park on a slope, try ALWAYS setting the parking brake before putting the shift lever into Park, and see if that has an effect.

 

I replaced the Neutral Safety Switch because of stiff shift and engine light + 4lo blinking.

After I replaced Neutral safety switch, stiffness went away and no more lights on Dashboard, but when i switched from N to D felt an aggressive thud, and sometimes when in D will have a delay to start.

I was surprised because car was fine before.
I figured out that the Neutral Safety Switch has an orientation mark on the right side. I had to reposition the Neutral Safety Switch body, and the problem went away.
Give that a try