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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

2016 Toyota Tacoma — Problems & Complaints

NHTSA has 323 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.

323
Complaints
filed with NHTSA
4
Involved a Crash
owner-reported
4
Involved Fire
owner-reported
1
Injuries
across all reports
Years to Avoid

Toyota Tacoma — Complaints by Model Year

Years flagged AVOID have at least twice this model's average complaint count — the strongest public-data signal of a bad year.

0 complaints

186 complaints

295 complaints

125 complaints

93 complaints

101 complaints

323 complaints

242 complaints

209 complaints

219 complaints

90 complaints

81 complaints

59 complaints

54 complaints

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Power Train 136 reports
Unknown Or Other 50 reports
Engine 47 reports
Electrical System 36 reports
Structure 22 reports
Seats 22 reports
Service Brakes 18 reports
Exterior Lighting 17 reports
In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Exterior Lighting ODI 11291554 12/27/2019

THIRD LIGHT LEAKS WATER DAMAGED WIRING/ DAMAGED CARPET / MILDEW PROBLEM

Power Train ODI 10937293 12/23/2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE AN ABNORMALLY LOUD NOISE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SHIFT BETWEEN GEARS INDEPENDENTLY AND THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE FEATURE WOULD NOT ENGAGE AFTER BEING ACTIVATED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE SOFTWARE FAILED FOR THE TRANSMISSION AND NEEDED TO BE UPDATED. THE VE…

Power Train ODI 11163157 12/22/2018

TRANSMISSION SHAKES VEHICLE IN LOWER GEARS WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO A STOP. TRANSMISSION HESITATES AND HARD JERKS WHEN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE .

Power Train ODI 11561317 12/21/2023

AT shifter was stiff from purchase. I thought this was normal. Sometimes it shifted OK, most times not. Had independent repair shops lubricate the shifter multiple times to no avail. Then the shifter wouldn't move at all and I was in a traffic lane causing a dangerous situation. Had truck towed to an independent repair shop that found a second way to lubricate the shaft. Cu…

Power Train ODI 11162967 12/21/2018

WHILE DRIVING IN CITY MY TRUCK SHAKES AND VIBRATING HORRIBLY WHEN GOING INTO 2ND GEAR. AND CONTINUES TO SHAKE LIGHTLY AS I CONTINUE DRIVING. DEALER SAYS NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE TRUCK COULD BE A TIRE ISSUE. SO GOT MY TIRES BALANCED AND ROTATED. PROBLEM STILL RESUMES. AND STILL NO ANSWER AS TO WHAT THE ISSUE IS. I HAVE ONLY 69,276 MILES ON THE TRUCK BUT IT'S OUT OF WARRANTY AP…

Same Vehicle

Recalls & Crash Tests

Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma, or check your exact car by VIN with the free VIN lookup.

Check Another Car

Problems Checker

Any year, make and model: open the Car Problems Checker. Data: NHTSA (US DOT, public domain), cached up to 7 days.

Questions

FAQ

Is the 2016 Toyota Tacoma reliable?
Owners have filed 323 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma, most often about power train. Compare the complaint counts across model years above — a year with far more complaints than the model's average is the strongest 'avoid' signal in public data.
Which Toyota Tacoma years should I avoid?
The rule of thumb used by analysts: a model year whose complaint count is well above the model's own average (we flag 2× or more) usually had a real manufacturing or design problem — not just noisy reporting. Use the year-by-year strip on this page.
Where do these complaints come from?
Directly from NHTSA, the US government road-safety agency. Any owner can file a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire; NHTSA publishes them as public domain data. We cache each lookup for up to 7 days.
Do complaints mean a recall is coming?
Sometimes. NHTSA opens defect investigations when complaint patterns emerge, and investigations can end in recalls. Check the recalls page for this vehicle to see what has already been recalled.