Affectionately nicknamed the ‘Taco,’ the Toyota Tacoma remains one of the most reliable pickup trucks in any size class on the market today. But, with older models falling out of CPO warranty, there are some years you may want to avoid, unless you can get a really, really good deal.
Key Points
- The 2012 Toyota Tacoma suffers the most problems with nearly 300 complaints, with around half pointing to loss of engine power.
- 2016 Tacomas were recalled over problems with the engine stalling, but complaints continue to roll in years since the recall was issued.
- The 2017 Tacoma suffers many of the same problems found in the 2016, plus a fuel pump recall affecting over 1.5 million vehicles.
- Even the worst years for the Toyota Tacoma are still pretty reliable, as the rate of incidence for serious problems is extremely low.
Faulty Air Valve and Still-open Airbag Investigation Makes 2012 Toyota Tacoma the Least Reliable of the Bunch
Even the worst years for the Toyota Tacoma aren’t all that bad, with the 2012 taking the lead at seven recalls, one investigation, and just under 300 complaints.
The leading issue here is in the engine, with 122 reports, plus 22 for vehicle speed control, 49 for fuel/propulsion system, and 32 for powertrain.
A report in May of 2020 claims that their engine and traction control warning lights went on, and they lost power at 65 mph on the freeway. They could not get their truck to climb back up over 25 mph. Eventually, they diagnosed the problem to be faulty air injection pumps and/or switching valves, identified with code P2442.
This is basically what you’ll see over and over again through the engine complaints: loss of power followed by error code P2442, or sometimes P2440.
After a decade on the road, with reports dating back to at least 2014, there has been no recall on the matter as yet. With the truck now out of CPO warranty, this means that any repair costs for the air injection components will come out of the driver’s pocket.
The parts themselves can be found for as low as $150 before you add labor costs. So it’s not quite as pricey as a new transmission, but still, that’s a hundred and fifty bucks you’d probably rather keep to yourself.
The sole investigation into the 2012 Tacoma is for potential electrical overstress in the airbag’s ACU. That is, the computer that manages the airbags might overcharge and short circuit. The investigation, launched in April of 2019, remains open.
2016 Tacoma’s Mysterious Powertrain Problems, Like Engine Stalls, Persist Following Recall
The 2016 Tacoma takes second place for most troubled with 261 complaints, four recalls, and an open investigation (the same airbag investigation as seen in the 2012).
The leading cause of complaint is in the powertrain, with 126 reports, nearly half of the total complaints. A Texas driver reports in July of 2021 that the truck has been jerking at low and high speeds, with the issue persisting even after a computer update.
In February of 2021, a driver reported that the truck had difficulty going uphill, and was hesitant to shift from park to drive. One of the earliest incident dates was March of 2016, when the truck was still very new, with the Tacoma hesitating to accelerate.
In June of 2017, a recall was issued for 31,824 units, all V6 Tacomas with the model years 2016-2017, for a crank position sensor malfunction that could lead to engine stall. However, this recall was issued five years ago, as of the time of this writing, and the complaints were still being registered well into 2021.
Based on the data available with the NHTSA, you can never be certain if these are drivers whose vehicles are eligible for recall, if some units weren’t covered in the recall, or if this is some other issue entirely.
In any event, the rate of incidence is low enough that this shouldn’t scare you off of buying a 2016 if you can get a good deal on one.
2017 Tacoma Suffers the Same Problems as the 2016 Model, Plus a Fuel Pump Recall Affecting Over 1.5 Million Vehicles
The 2017 Toyota Tacoma has many of the same issues as the 2016 model, including the airbag investigation going back to the 2012, plus a recall for fuel pump failure.
This issue covered more than one and a half million Toyota and Lexus units, including the 2017-2020 Tacomas.
If the low-pressure fuel pump fails, you’re going to get rough idling, hesitation, and stalling. The engine could even shut off entirely and refuse to start.
If you get the problem taken care of early, Toyota will foot the bill through the recall process. But leave it unresolved and you’re looking at long-term damage, eventually requiring a whole engine swap, which can run you about four grand before you add labor to the equation. So make sure to run your VIN and claim whatever repairs you have coming your way.
Even the Least Reliable Toyota Tacoma is Still Pretty Reliable
Compact and mid-size trucks often have far fewer major issues to contend with than full-size pickups, and that goes double if we’re talking about a Toyota. The NHTSA numbers on a “worst year” Tacoma look a lot like a “best year” for a Tundra. So even with these three being the least reliable Tacomas released in the last decade or so, they’re still among the very best and most reliable pickups on the used market today.
The tricky thing is that the NHTSA decides to launch investigations and roll out recalls based on a number of factors, including rate of incidence. So if a problem only shows up in a couple hundred units, it’s less likely to be addressed than a problem with thousands of reports. So your chances of being affected by engine stall in a 2016 Tacoma are slim, but your chances of paying for it yourself if it does happen are high.
Fortunately, even the most expensive repairs associated with the Tacoma aren’t all that pricey. So don’t let these problems scare you away from a reliable pickup.
Photos: Toyota
