Toyota Tacoma is one of the most reliable midsize trucks on the market.
Starting out as a compact pickup, Toyota Tacoma has become a mid-size truck over the years. Toyota’s renowned pickup truck has been renowned worldwide for its ride quality, smooth handling, capabilities and convenience.
Getting yourself a used Toyota Tacoma can be a brilliant move; however, on the flip side, without proper investigation, you might get the wrong one. So it’s better to know precisely what you’re looking for. Therefore, let’s get to know Toyota Tacoma more and identify its worst years and its potential to have a more holistic idea of what to look for in the market.
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Based on the reports on the CarComplaints website, the 2016 Toyota Tacoma has the most overall complaints; however, the 2005 model year is titled the worst Tacoma based on the severity of its issues and how costly they are.
The 2005 model mainly suffers from body and paint problems such as frame rust and frequent paint chipping. However, its most recurring issue is body paint peeling which has a typical repair cost of around $3300. The 2005 model also suffers from minor transmission, engine, and electrical problems, which are not as big of a deal as the paint peeling is and can be fixed pretty easily.
The 2016 model is the most complained-about model year of the Toyota Tacoma, and its problems are quite varied and all across the board. The 2016 model’s transmission has been the subject of many complaints. Reportedly, customers have a hard time shifting, and also, there is a delayed engagement of drive when it is cold. No solid solution’s been found for these issues as they stay unsolved. Additionally, there’s been a load of drivetrain-related reports on NHTSA, mainly focusing on drivetrain vibration and leaking of the rear differential.
The second most reported issue regarding the Toyota Tacoma comes with the 2017 model, and it’s a transmission problem. The 2017 model is prone to not shifting properly, and the more concerning issue is that it happens in low mileages. “REALLY POOR TRANSMISSION. Every morning after take-off when the engine is cold the transmission SLIPS, very dangerous as the truck will not engage gear and start slowing down.” One customer reported. This model year also shares some other problems encountered in the models mentioned above.
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You can expect to get at least 200,000 miles out of the Toyota Tacoma. That’s just to stay on the safe side. If you take proper care of this vehicle and perform everything needed to keep it at its best, you can hope to get much more from your Tacoma. There have been reports of Tacomas getting over the 300,000 miles and even 400,000 mark. So it’s not out of reach to think about getting high numbers from this truck.
That’s, however, if you stay focused and do the necessary deeds to maintain your Tacoma. Listed below is the official maintenance schedule you must be following to get the most out of your Tacoma:
The Toyota Tacoma’s average year-round maintenance cost is $478, which is still $70 lower than the average for midsize trucks at $548. Don’t be surprised if your Tacoma’s figures differ from this, as it mainly depends on how you treat your car.
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Toyota Tacoma has been one of the most consistent trucks over the past decades, providing great value and absolute reliability. However, there can be slip-ups along the way with every vehicle, and Tacoma follows that line. For the most part, you will have a good chance of getting a fantastic experience buying a Tacoma, but a couple of model years such as 2005, 2016, and 2017 are more problematic than the others, and it’s better to avoid them as much as possible.
You can also count on Tacoma to easily put out numbers of 200,000 miles caliber. Should you want to get more out of your Tacoma, you’ll need to take complete care of it, and that way, you have the chance of even surpassing the 300,000-mile mark.
Seyyed is a literature student, fitness guru, writer, and gearhead. He is a fanatic about a healthy lifestyle, music, and anything car-related. He is a massive devotee of vintage muscle cars. His favorite hobby is clanging and banging in the gym.