Ok everyone time to go out and start up your manual tcs and listen to the clutch sound then press the clutch to the floor and see if it goes away..... Mine makes a slight rubbing/grinding noise and when the clutch is out and I rev the engine you hear the noise get louder and if I press In the clutch the noise goes away again..... Need to know if this is common or not its an hour drive to the dealer.... Please help a friend out!! Respond asap

Clutch chatter is normal

Clutch chatter eh. That explains a lot. Sometimes when I let off the clutch after switching gears, I hear some of this clutch chatter too, but I'm releasing at the right moment. I'm assuming this is normal?

I'm having issues when cold going into second... The other day it audibly grinded... Clutch was fully depressed.... Wth??

I'm having issues when cold going into second... The other day it audibly grinded... Clutch was fully depressed.... Wth??

How many miles do you have on your car?
Mine used to do that once in a while, like once a week, when the car was brand new.
Changing from 1st to 2nd gear was almost always rough.
But it got better and better.
It makes no noise now at 5k miles.
I think it got smooth by the time I had 2k miles on it.

I have 5100 on it right now

I'm noticing the same thing, only 1700 miles or thereabouts... brought the issue up with a dealership here and was told it was "normal" and the car was fine.

*shrug*

Pretty much everyone on here has griped about the tranny. Cold weather makes it almost impossible to shift until the tranny warms up. Once ambient temps hit 60F and above, the issue goes away. The clutch acts just like it is at the end of it's life imo. Cars that I have worn out clutches on behaved exactly the same. Rough getting in 1st, 2nd and reverse. I have 5600 on mine and nice warm weather, it is not really a problem anymore.

Wonderful news. I have a somewhat uneasy feeling about the longevity of the transmission if this is a common complaint. Not to bash the car, but if the temp drops and it feels like @$#% then why would I drive it? I mean really, this is not a 'summer' car.

Sorry, not directed at anyone, just... after a rough purchase, I'm going to be sorely disappointed if this car does not hold up to my normal driving.

It will get better with time. Only one guy on here has managed to grenade a tranny to my knowledge.. Pretty sure it was a lemon from the start.
I have not tried to do burnouts and run around chirping 2nd gear, but I do drive mine hard on occasion. No problems yet. Everyone who has installed shifter and base bushings on these swears it helps tons. That reminds me I need to order a set. tHey take the slop and mush feel out of the linkage. Check out the TWM performance threads.

Wonderful news. I have a somewhat uneasy feeling about the longevity of the transmission if this is a common complaint. Not to bash the car, but if the temp drops and it feels like @$#% then why would I drive it? I mean really, this is not a 'summer' car.

Sorry, not directed at anyone, just... after a rough purchase, I'm going to be sorely disappointed if this car does not hold up to my normal driving.

I'm actually in the same boat... Love for the car has gone to like and it's just becoming a head ache for me. The transmission in mine is being replaced because I was having so many problems until it started making a noticeable noise and wasn't taking 2nd gear. Dealer finally got back to me after 3 weeks saying they found a transmission and it's been ordered. I'm actually kind of disappointed with my tc...sadly. Though I still think it's sexy! Again just like you, not to bash the car, but i'm just not having the best experience with the tC2.

i'm just not having the best experience with the tC2.

Same here. I bought 6 brand new cars over 12 years time. I've never ever had any problem with any of the cars except this tC2. The most annoying one is the roof noise that just can't be fixed yet after taking the car in for 2 times. The 3rd time is coming soon. I hope 2012 tC would solve all these issues for the future buyers.

Same here. I bought 6 brand new cars over 12 years time. I've never ever had any problem with any of the cars except this tC2. The most annoying one is the roof noise that just can't be fixed yet after taking the car in for 2 times. The 3rd time is coming soon. I hope 2012 tC would solve all these issues for the future buyers.

Car just isn't as fun for me anymore because i'm constantly back and forth with the dealer. I end up driving my 84 corolla just because I enjoy it so much more then my tc2 lol

^^ Don't hate on the 'rolla!

Obie, how did you manage to get your dealership to look at the transmission issue? Did it just get to the point that 2nd was no longer an option? I don't want to burn almost $200 for the TRD SS and TWM Bushings to 'fix' an issue that shouldn't be there to start with, but being told the transmission is 'normal' just burns my haunches.

Also for us owners of the short shifter if any larger problems arise won't they void the warranty?

^^ Don't hate on the 'rolla!

Obie, how did you manage to get your dealership to look at the transmission issue? Did it just get to the point that 2nd was no longer an option? I don't want to burn almost $200 for the TRD SS and TWM Bushings to 'fix' an issue that shouldn't be there to start with, but being told the transmission is 'normal' just burns my haunches.

Not hating on the corolla, I love mine! :-) Currently working on a 4agze swap into my little ae86, loving every minute! As for getting them to look at it I demanded the service manager to ride with me in the car. After he heard what I was talking about he got his techs to look at everything that could be the issue and it turned out to be a bad tranny.

Just reading this now. I don't want this to seem like I know exactly what's wrong, because I don't, but I can tell you its not likely the transmission that's the issue. I have yet to hear of anyone replacing one yet other than Obie, so that's not a very high percentage of failure.

Anyways, I have this "grinding" noise as everyone puts it and my take is that it's the throwout bearing. This transmission uses a completely different style throwout compared to other cars. Point in case, it's actually bolted to the transmission, not attached to a fork. It's hydraulically actuated from what I can tell and this could be part of the noise. But it can't be the transmission as the sound wouldn't go away when the clutch is depressed.

Obie, sucks to hear your having issues, but my thought is that the dealer may have just jumped to conclusions and replaced the transmission when in reality, they didn't have a clue what was wrong. Process of elimination type thing; EX. your tires wear out too fast, therefore it must be the tires and not an alignment.

Keep us posted with what happens. I'm interested in hearing what the result is.

Bushings are not expensive, short shifter is not necessary either. I am with 1stOne... The clutch is an issue, but it is more a nuisance than a major problem. A thinner, more slippery gear oil may help the tranny too. Trust me guys, the more the car "breaks in" the better it gets. I still swear my B&M shifter T-handle was the best 30 bucks I spent on this ride. WAY more leverage, plus it is weighted.

My second gear many times engages rather hard when its cold.. I'm going to be ____ed if it doesnt break in..

^ x4!!!

Bushings are not expensive, short shifter is not necessary either. I am with 1stOne... The clutch is an issue, but it is more a nuisance than a major problem. A thinner, more slippery gear oil may help the tranny too. Trust me guys, the more the car "breaks in" the better it gets. I still swear my B&M shifter T-handle was the best 30 bucks I spent on this ride. WAY more leverage, plus it is weighted.

Added weight will help a lot. My TWM shifter made a huge difference in shifter feel and throw. I love how this car drives with it.

My second gear many times engages rather hard when its cold.. I'm going to be ____ed if it doesnt break in..

I have yet to drive a car where the transmission actually liked being cold. Most manual (and autos) will seem glitchy when cold, but it's just like you would if you sat around all day, cold and then tried to do something strenuous without stretching first. :icon_mrgreen:

Down shift into 2nd gear when coming to a stop and it sounds like a jet engine. Seems to be getting louder as time goes on. Normal??

Added weight will help a lot. My TWM shifter made a huge difference in shifter feel and throw. I love how this car drives with it.



I have yet to drive a car where the transmission actually liked being cold. Most manual (and autos) will seem glitchy when cold, but it's just like you would if you sat around all day, cold and then tried to do something strenuous without stretching first. :icon_mrgreen:
My 4runner tranny used to not shift until 4.5k in the cold :lol: I guess you have a point, just strange its only 2nd

Down shift into 2nd gear when coming to a stop and it sounds like a jet engine. Seems to be getting louder as time goes on. Normal??
Like a whining sound? It's louder in 1st on a slow roll and obviously in reverse. I wouldn't worry about that

Na, its way louder then the normal whine from a low gear. Also grind almost every time I put it in reverse. I have to make sure I am at a complete stop before putting it in reverse. I figured Id just wait until the tranny fell out, any other problem I have had with any car the dealer says "it's normal".

Na, its way louder then the normal whine from a low gear. Also grind almost every time I put it in reverse. I have to make sure I am at a complete stop before putting it in reverse. I figured Id just wait until the tranny fell out, any other problem I have had with any car the dealer says "it's normal".


It's normal. The transmission has a new is "pre-synchronized system." It works by stopping the input shafts rotations when shifting in to reverse. The also takes care of that clashing when the output shafts rotation is changed.

I have to make sure I am at a complete stop before putting it in reverse.

It's "normal" that you have to do that.

ah, its just like im at the dealership :icon_redface:

I'm having issues when cold going into second... The other day it audibly grinded... Clutch was fully depressed.... Wth??

Sorry to bring back a post that's a couple months old.

My car has 16,700+ miles on it (bought it in Nov 2010)

For the first 5,000 miles, I had no issues with the transmission. Even at 20F temperatures.

After that, my car definitely has a hard time shifting into 1st gear when cold especially if I'm rolling. For a little while, it would also grind a bit when shifting into 2nd (clutch fully depressed).

Hasn't done that recently, but it scared me so much to hear grinding that I would take 1st gear up in RPMs, and skip 2nd, going directly into 3rd (my driveway is downhill)

Some helpful tips that have worked for me:


Try to make sure you are completely stopped before shifting into 1st.
If you are stopped, try shifting into 2nd, or 3rd before hitting 1st to align everything. (I always touch 2nd before putting it in reverse in any M/T to align the gears/syncros)
Try to only pull it in 2nd when the RPMs have matched the RPMs you need to be at for that gear (should reduce the grind if any)

Rev matching should be common practice whether or not you use the clutch peddle, this will save you from any potential grinding/excess clutch wear!

To fix all of these issues, you can get an automatic, but who would want the sluggish performance of an automatic in a sporty car like this? Sure, automatics have come a long way, but once you have experienced what it's like to have direct contact from engine to wheels, you won't go back to auto any time soon.

I have ~1500 miles on my car and I've noticed recently when DISengaging the clutch I hear a whirring noise. Sounds like a fan kind of or something spinning fast. 2nd gear likes to pop out of gear every once in a while if you flip it back and still leave the clutch engaged. In the morning it's a bit rough shifting, but it could be me. If you ever downshift into 1st, I'm going to smack you. 1st gear is useless and scary if you drive faster than 10 mph. If you feel like the gas is sloppy and you get a bit of a rock, up-shift. Tips is to keep RPMS 1500 to 2000 while moving slowly. On the highway doing 80 in 6th, the RPMs are only at like 2700 to 2900. Otherwise it's all driver error ;)

I have ~1500 miles on my car and I've noticed recently when DISengaging the clutch I hear a whirring noise. Sounds like a fan kind of or something spinning fast. 2nd gear likes to pop out of gear every once in a while if you flip it back and still leave the clutch engaged. In the morning it's a bit rough shifting, but it could be me. If you ever downshift into 1st, I'm going to smack you. 1st gear is useless and scary if you drive faster than 10 mph. If you feel like the gas is sloppy and you get a bit of a rock, up-shift. Tips is to keep RPMS 1500 to 2000 while moving slowly. On the highway doing 80 in 6th, the RPMs are only at like 2700 to 2900. Otherwise it's all driver error ;)

I hear the whirring noise only when my foot is not on the clutch.

Never had an issue with 2nd gear popping out.

I put the car in 1st all the time at 10+ mph when coming to a stop sign. As long as you know what you are doing, and rev match the gear, you will be fine. However, I would never put the car in 1st when going faster than 32mph, and never 2nd when going faster than 58mph, etc. That's bent valves waiting to happen.

When on flat ground, I usually roll off in 2nd starting at around 7 mph or so

I'm wondering why the dealer says all this transmission noise and issues is just perfectly normal....