2025 Toyota Tacoma Electrical System Problems

My 2025 Toyota Tacoma has an ongoing issue where Apple CarPlay frequently disconnects or fails to connect altogether. This happens both at startup and randomly while driving. The problem occurs across multiple iPhones, different cables, and even after ensuring that both the phone and the truck’s software are updated.

My 2025 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro (VIN [XXX] , purchased from Delaney Toyota, DuBois PA) exhibited a recurring Smart Key and door lock malfunction beginning in late October/early November 2025 and continuing through the date the vehicle was traded in February 2026 with the defect unresolved. Symptoms observed: Doors locking autonomously on exit, sometimes before occupants could exit the vehicle System falsely detecting the key fob as being inside the vehicle when it was in the owner's pocket outside, causing the truck to refuse to lock Touch-lock refusal at the door handle Random unprompted beeps while parked and locked with no corresponding lock movement Key card unable to lock the vehicle Dealership witness: During a January 2026 service visit, Delaney Toyota Service Advisor Ricky Carlson was personally locked inside the vehicle by this malfunction before he could exit. This was witnessed firsthand by a trained Toyota service employee and is part of the service history, though it was not captured in the official repair order. Service history: December 22, 2025 — RO #XXXX, no codes found, TAS case opened January 21, 2026 — RO #XXX, TAS case XXX, technician unable to duplicate, no codes found February 9, 2026 — RO #XXX, TAS case XXX, dealership driver witnessed false key-in-vehicle behavior directly when owner demonstrated it on arrival, behavior self-resolved before service bay access, no codes found Additional facts This defect never generated a diagnostic trouble code across three service visits Toyota Corporate case XXX was opened and closed without resolution Toyota arbitration case XXX was also closed without resolution The identical defect has since appeared on a replacement 2026 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro (VIN [XXX] ), currently under active Toyota Corporate case #XXX The vehicle was traded in February 2026 because Toyota Corporate failed to resolve the defect within the warranty window INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My 2025 Toyota Tacoma SR5 has an ongoing issue where Apple CarPlay frequently disconnects or fails to connect altogether. This happens both at startup and randomly while driving. The problem occurs across multiple iPhones, different cables, and even after ensuring that both the phone and the truck’s software are updated. Many other 4th-generation Tacoma owners (2024–2025) are reporting the same issue online — CarPlay will drop connection, the system freezes, or CarPlay will not appear as an available input for long periods. Because CarPlay is a key part of the hands-free system for navigation, calls, and messaging, these disconnections cause drivers to interact manually with their phones, which creates a potential safety hazard. Toyota dealerships acknowledge the problem but currently have no permanent fix. It appears to be a system-wide defect in the Audio Multimedia 6.0 system used in the new Tacomas. I’m submitting this report so NHTSA can investigate and, if appropriate, prompt Toyota to issue a software or hardware recall to address the defect.