Hey everyone, I've been having this problem with my 4runner since I got it. The dealer said it's normal, but I don't think something like this is normal.

When I take off from a complete stop and the tranny shifts from 1st to 2nd gear, there is a very noticeable hesitation, even more so when the engine is cold. One time when the engine was cold, the RPM's dropped to around idle speed and I almost hit the steering wheel (I was pulling on to a freeway access road--I was pretty much flooring it when it happened).
Usually, there is a 100-300 RPM drop before it shifts into second gear. When I went to the dealer, they said it's a "normal characteristic of the ECT transmission." I don't buy it, how can this be normal? Although, with ECT on, the hesitation still happens, but it's not as bad.
I just rolled over 36k, so I'm off warranty now. Is there something I can look into myself? All the maintenance has been done, I did the 30k maintenance at 30k and it gets regular oil changes.