Transmission Shutter?

We recently purchased a 2005 4runner 2WD sport from my sister-in-law. Unit has 230K+ miles currently. The engine seems to run well. During "grandma"(normal) acceleration, the vehicle will shutter in-between 20-30mph. If the throttle is taken off briefly, and then back on again, the shuttering will go away. It will also go away if more throttle is applied. It does not have a problem if you drive it like you stole it. Anyone have ideas or helpful checks?

 

Welcome

 

You need to provide a little more information concerning the vehicle's maintenance history to help us narrow down the probable causes.

Possibilities:
1. Incorrect fluid level (causes air bubble pumped into torque converter)
2. Incorrect fluid type (cause wrong friction coefficient within torque converter/friction plates)
3. Last fluid drain/fill? (dirty fluid, too much metal particulate)
4. Torque converter/plates damaged from first three points...

 

I have no clue on service history. Just bought it from my sister-in-law. My godson drove it for a while and then my goddaughter. Now it is mine, thinking about giving it to my son for his first vehicle. I drove it again yesterday, the shutter is like you are driving over rumble strips in the road and can happen apparently almost any speed if only light to moderate throttle is being applied. If you give it more than 1/2 throttle(3/4 to full) the issues go away.

 

It sounds a lot like a classic light throttle ignition misfire. Although it's a coil-on-plug ignition and any misfires should turn the check engine light on.

 

Read on this forum and the other forum on the topic " shudder/ chatter".
There are lots of discussions about the Torque Converter.
My 2017 at 48,000 miles had a failed FlexLock torque converter component in the tranny valve body fail. Long story but repair was accomplished with a new tranny because the torque converter was the symptom NOT the cause. I have the A750 tranny. Toyota's unique FlexLock torque converter design has many problems across many models for many years. There are Toyota Technical Bulletins going back decades. See the attached screen shot from the many I saved.
I hope your issue is simpler.

 

Funny you should put it that way. No idea if this is the problem but search “4th Gen rumble strip issue.” For example…link.

 

Bluesky 07, thanks for the link, sounds like the issue I am experiencing. I will try a couple things and let you know what happens.

 

One bottle of shudder fix in with a full drain and fill of my transmission fixed the issue for me. Took almost 2000 miles for the shudder to completely go away.

Also, try driving in just "4" instead of "D."