Another Transmission Post - UPDATED

[ultane]

As far as the 2nd to 1st harsh downshift goes, I found this recently and my dealer here in Nashville acknowledged that it was an issue they were aware of. It doesn’t really bother me too much but I’m planning to have it addressed on next oil change. Hopefully this helps someone else!

Welcome to the asylum.

Sadly…. Mid Daisy is outside the 36,000 mile cutoff.

 

[b407driver]

As far as the 2nd to 1st harsh downshift goes, I found this recently and my dealer here in Nashville acknowledged that it was an issue they were aware of. It doesn’t really bother me too much but I’m planning to have it addressed on next oil change. Hopefully this helps someone else!

I wonder if this update also covers the jerky 1-2 upshifts, as well? I hope, I hope, I hope...

 

[Kevin]

Has anyone had this ECM/PCM update applied to a 2024 model? I occasionally experience the harsh 2nd to 1st downshift that is mildly annoying at worst, but am interested in getting this addressed if it improves that issue.

If you get this done on a 2024, please report back.

 

[ptahkeem]

I don’t believe an official ecm or pcm update has been issued for any LC250 MY. More owners need to open reports to Toyota Brand Management or to their dealerships for them to work on this from my understanding.

 

[SA@LC250 Prado]

Hello Everyone,

It will be great to have software update. However, for meanwhile those below steps helps to mitigate the harsh shifts both ways.

1. Register the driver name and link the key. This helps the ECM to learn/memorize your driving behavior and adjust the shifts accordingly. Instead of driving as a guest.
2. Turn off ECO indicator. From the dashboard.
3. Apply the needed lubricant for the drive shaft as per the manual. LUCAS or AMSOIL. The grease reduces the impact and shaking between drivetrain components (transmission differential,axle) also prevents noise from rubber joints.
4. Last resort, you can ask the dealership to rest the ECM. Which is also a standard procedure after a transmission oil change.

Best of luck.

 

[des701]

I'll add that my dealership has another LC with about 20K miles that the customer asked to drain and check their fluid, which was pretty shiny apparently, and had the downshifting conditions, to note no towing. Toyota has apparently said to just watch it in that case.

Yep that was my situation too. Changed it at 20k miles. Shiny. No issues on that end. Toyota logged it. I know my service guys pretty well so it’s logged and will follow up. I’m starting to think it’s the programming. Have been debating doing a system memory reset to see if the LC can re-learn driving habits and see if that helps any? I’ve heard of a few Saudi owners doing that.

 

[ultane]

Hello Everyone,

It will be great to have software update. However, for meanwhile those below steps helps to mitigate the harsh shifts both ways.

1. Register the driver name and link the key. This helps the ECM to learn/memorize your driving behavior and adjust the shifts accordingly. Instead of driving as a guest.
2. Turn off ECO indicator. From the dashboard.
3. Apply the needed lubricant for the drive shaft as per the manual. LUCAS or AMSOIL. The grease reduces the impact and shaking between drivetrain components (transmission differential,axle) also prevents noise from rubber joints.
4. Last resort, you can ask the dealership to rest the ECM. Which is also a standard procedure after a transmission oil change.

Best of luck.

Welcome to the asylum.

 

[halaweh]

I always experience the harsh shift from 1st to 2nd when I backup from my garage and drive.. I clearly isolated this harsh upshift as happens on a cold start only, this hybrid engines gets to operating temp quickly and it shuts off but the transmission needs a bit more time to warm up.. the trick is to warm the engine with the Tow/Haul on and to keep it a bit longer to warm things up.. jerky upshift is gone..

 

[Jack_Straw91]

As far as the 2nd to 1st harsh downshift goes, I found this recently and my dealer here in Nashville acknowledged that it was an issue they were aware of. It doesn’t really bother me too much but I’m planning to have it addressed on next oil change. Hopefully this helps someone else!

I'm located in Nashville as well. Curious what dealership you go to that acknowledged the downshift issue?

 

[chris_in_phx]

As far as the 2nd to 1st harsh downshift goes, I found this recently and my dealer here in Nashville acknowledged that it was an issue they were aware of. It doesn’t really bother me too much but I’m planning to have it addressed on next oil change. Hopefully this helps someone else!

Is there a TSB # we can give to the dealership?

 

[wpage]

Hope and pray, Toyota will soon do a software upgrade to relieve some of the sloppy issues on the Trans and other items that could use some tweaking.

 

[Markarian421]

As far as the 2nd to 1st harsh downshift goes, I found this recently and my dealer here in Nashville acknowledged that it was an issue they were aware of. It doesn’t really bother me too much but I’m planning to have it addressed on next oil change. Hopefully this helps someone else!

Did your dealer or the AI point to a specific TSB? (Ask an AI and you're unlikely to get a real answer unless you follow the sources. Google's Gemini is especially bad about using irrelevant sources.)

I am interested -- my 2025 has done the rough downshift coming to a stop exactly once and it was quite startling. And I finally understood what everyone's talking about.

 

[RideWithYanu]

I haven’t checked TIS recently but I haven’t been able to find any TSB on this. Would love to hear otherwise!

 

[ultane]

I am interested -- my 2025 has done the rough downshift coming to a stop exactly once and it was quite startling. And I finally understood what everyone's talking about.

Miss Daisy has only done it two or three times. I had to apologize to my GF..

 

[Bad1975]

No documentation of a TSB for the transmission in TIS or on NHTSA. Only TSBs for this calendar year are Musty Odor and 3 brake recalls which are just updates cancelling the previous TSBs.

There are a number of ECU TSBs from last year but they are nothing more than details on how the dealer is to perform ECU reflashes and the need for reprogramming keys when ECUs are reflashed.

 

[LC4ME]

I always experience the harsh shift from 1st to 2nd when I backup from my garage and drive.. I clearly isolated this harsh upshift as happens on a cold start only, this hybrid engines gets to operating temp quickly and it shuts off but the transmission needs a bit more time to warm up.. the trick is to warm the engine with the Tow/Haul on and to keep it a bit longer to warm things up.. jerky upshift is gone..

This is exactly what happens to mine. I'll try your fix and see if it works. Thanks for the tip.

 

[WillyTrouble88]

Hello Everyone,

It will be great to have software update. However, for meanwhile those below steps helps to mitigate the harsh shifts both ways.

1. Register the driver name and link the key. This helps the ECM to learn/memorize your driving behavior and adjust the shifts accordingly. Instead of driving as a guest.
2. Turn off ECO indicator. From the dashboard.
3. Apply the needed lubricant for the drive shaft as per the manual. LUCAS or AMSOIL. The grease reduces the impact and shaking between drivetrain components (transmission differential,axle) also prevents noise from rubber joints.
4. Last resort, you can ask the dealership to rest the ECM. Which is also a standard procedure after a transmission oil change.

Best of luck.

I can confirm....I just greased all of the u-joints and the shifting was much smoother. I think Toyota installed these dry. I literally had to pump 6-7 times before any grease squeeze-out was visible.

 

[MSINAL]

Hello Everyone,

It will be great to have software update. However, for meanwhile those below steps helps to mitigate the harsh shifts both ways.

1. Register the driver name and link the key. This helps the ECM to learn/memorize your driving behavior and adjust the shifts accordingly. Instead of driving as a guest.
2. Turn off ECO indicator. From the dashboard.
3. Apply the needed lubricant for the drive shaft as per the manual. LUCAS or AMSOIL. The grease reduces the impact and shaking between drivetrain components (transmission differential,axle) also prevents noise from rubber joints.
4. Last resort, you can ask the dealership to rest the ECM. Which is also a standard procedure after a transmission oil change.

Best of luck.

Funny how turning eco-everything off helps resolve many issues. Thanks for the tips!

 

[moonpie108]

As far as the 2nd to 1st harsh downshift goes, I found this recently and my dealer here in Nashville acknowledged that it was an issue they were aware of. It doesn’t really bother me too much but I’m planning to have it addressed on next oil change. Hopefully this helps someone else!

Just an update on this- I had the software update done and honestly feel that my transmission is worse now. It somewhat fixed the harsh downshift but not enough to sacrifice what I loved about it before the update. It’s like a jittery ride now or something. Very strange. Maybe I’m crazy and imagining things but pretty bummed so might see if I can get the ECU Calibration rolled back to factory settings.

 

[moonpie108]

I wonder if this update also covers the jerky 1-2 upshifts, as well? I hope, I hope, I hope...

It did not help with those.