Love your show, Scotty!
I bought this car used for my wife with about 23,000 miles; currently has about 68,000 miles on it. Transmission flush was performed at 65,000 miles by a shop I've used for years and trust. Recently, I've noticed a shuddering feeling - low speed, often up a slight incline, speed around 25 mph, around 1,500 rpm, modest pressure on the accelerator. The shop I use drove it and didn't feel anything. To me, it feels like a drive train issue. My wife says it happens to her when she's steering around a corner - it's more noticeable and she thinks it's a bad tire (the right front tire, in fact) although the tires were replaced around 45,000 miles (Cooper Tires with a "65K mile warranty"). She's got a lead foot so maybe she doesn't notice it the same way I do. When I get it out on the highway at speed, it feels fine. I have no clue ...
If you think it’s a tyre issue, swap them with the rear tyres and check.
Although I too suspect something in the drivetrain is causing the shudder.
Like @yaser mentioned, you’ll have to take it to a reputed transmission shop & have them scan it to pinpoint the source of the shudder.
Lastly, in future -
https://carkiller.com/scottykilmer/qa/atf/
My advice:
1. Find out what the shop actually did. If it's a drain and fill, that's good, as opposed to a flush.
2. Find out what actual fluid was used. Was it the WS-ATF that Toyota uses? If NOT, that's a problem. The transmission might need to be drained several times, over a few months, to get out most of the third party fluid, in that situation. Using anything other than the OEM Toyota fluid will not rectify the situation. Transmission are finicky. Don't deviate from the fluid specified in your owner's manual. NO SUBSTITUTIONS.
2.a. Confirm that the temperature and fill levels were correctly assessed (and the fill level is appropriate). It's an involved procedures, working with these dipstick-less transmissions. They have to get those details right,
3. Best case scenario: The shop dropped the pan, replaced the screen/filter, added the OEM fluid in the right amount at the right temperature. If the shop did all of that, then they're not the problem. Perhaps it's the torque converter, if the transmission is the problem. And that none of this is on them.
4. The tire/rim possibility (check the wheels, as well) can be measured and dealt with.
5. If it still shudders, find a good diagnostic shop (and you will pay for the diagnosis) and take that information into your cognitive mix.
Good luck to you.
I assume you do not have any check engine light on. I would take the car to a transmission mechanic and have him test and scan it. Just one question: why did the mechanic flush the transmission?
Good question about the flush. I thought it advisable after Scotty recommended flushing around 60K miles, particularly on a transmission that says "lifetime warranty" on the original fluid.
No. Scotty says change the transmission fluid. Not flush.
Hmm
So 3k miles ago a shop FLUSHED the transmission fluid, and now you are having problems.
They should have never flushed it in the first place, flushing transmission fluid can cause problems rather than prevent them.
I don't want to be the guy, but I am questioning the trustworthiness of the shop if they decided to flush it for no reason and say they didn't feel a shudder.
Scan it and see if you get any codes, if you do we could help you more.
I requested it, they didn't suggest it. And as you can see from the previous poster I should have asked for a change instead of a flush. My bad ... could be an expensive lesson learned.
I checked the service ticket and it clearly says "fluid exchange." I did take the car back to the shop about 10 days later complaining about the shudder and that newer service ticket said they scanned and found no transmission codes. They said they could feel a tire balance issue during a test drive and suggested balancing the tires. They found two tires couldn't be properly balanced so they took them off the rims and found rubber "beads" inside them but found no damage.
that sounds shady... There obviously is a problem. Above suggestion to switch the front and rear tires is a good idea try that. Also have another mechanic see it if that doesn't help.
It might help to note that if yours is the 6 speed automatic they do have a tendency to shudder because of poor fluid maintenance around 20-40mph.
The car has the V6 which, I believe, means it has the 5-speed transmission. Interestingly, the transmission isn't slipping as when you press on the gas and it doesn't want to seem to get moving. It's shuddering and only in a narrow speed range, maybe 20-25 mph. Below that speed and above that speed it seems to run and shift just fine.
Flushing an automatic transmission is always a bad idea. Draining and filling (which requires specialized temperature and level assessments on newer vehicles without dipsticks) is preferable. If you've ever watched a a video of a transmission being taken apart, with all those maze-like plates, you'd understand why it's a bad idea. (Scotty has long panned automatic flushes, as does any competent mechanic/shop). You can end up with problems that you didn't previously have, which looks like the case, here.
Some manufacturers, such as Honda and GM, in TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) have told their dealerships that flushing transmission voids warranties.
I always have to ask: Did the service people use the right fluid? (OEM WS-ATF, I would assume). If they used a different fluid, something other than the OEM, that might create problems.
Did they measure the temperature/fill level correctly? I don't know that, either.
It's possible that your mechanic high-pressured gunk into the torque converter, which has been problematic on some of these Toyotas. See here: https://www.google.com/search?q=2013%20highlander%20torque%20converter%20shudder
If it's the tires, that can be checked by a competent mechanic. The tire might be out-of-round, or the rim. All of that can be measured.
Many thanks to everyone for their comments and insights. It's obvious I didn't clearly pay enough attention to the advice I THOUGHT I heard but what's done is done.
The car will need to go into a shop within the next week or so for regular tire rotation & balancing and for the state's annual safety inspection. I'm inclined to try someplace other than where I've been going for years. That said, my regular shop did what I asked but they certainly didn't push back and try to stop me ...
So ... I am where I am. I'll ask the shop to check for problems with the wheels just in case that's the source of the problem but I sort of doubt it. Is there anything that can be done for the transmission to try to "reverse" or rectify whatever might have been done with the flush? Should I go someplace else and have them do a drain and fill and replace the filter? I'm willing to spend the money if that could head off further, and more serious, problems ... if that's even possible. Or am I just screwed?
BTW, in case it makes any difference, I did check the fluid (it has a dipstick) and it's at the proper level and still reddish. No signs of burning or off odors.
An update ...
So, I messed up and did a complete flush and refill and the shudder started. The shop uses OEM transmissions fluids for Toyotas and Hondas and other brands for everything else - that answers one of the concerns from a prior post.
Tires are fine so that's not the source of a "bouncing" feeling as opposed to a shudder.
A few weeks ago, I was watching a Scotty video and someone was having a similar shudder problem and asked Scotty about using something called "Instant Shudder Fixx" by Lubegard. Scotty said he likes their products and suggested the person go ahead and use it - that it might fix the problem but it wouldn't hurt. Watch here at about 1:23 into the video:
. To quote Scotty: "Their Shudder Fixx is actually a good product."
The product gets very positive reviews on Amazon (almost 2,200 reviews, 85% of which are 5 star or 4 star). The negative reviews generally said the product didn't work at all or only worked for a while before the shudder returned. I figured I had nothing to lose so I spent the $10, poured it into the transmission, and - amazingly - after about 50-60 miles of driving the shudder was gone!
So, for anyone who is having a similar shuddering problem, it seems like it's worth a try. Ten bucks at AutoZone as opposed to a big repair bill seems like it's worth taking a chance. Be aware, though, that Lubegard says there are some transmissions it can't be used in (CVT, DCT, and Ford Type F).
Is my problem permanently fixed? Maybe, maybe not. But for $10 it seemed worth trying, it's still working after a few hundred miles, and maybe I'll be one of those 85% for whom the product appears to have fixed the problem.