2016 Toyota Tacoma Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 11,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2024 Ford Edge. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking while driving. The contact noticed there was fluid emerging from the rear of the vehicle near the tire. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who confirmed there was no recall or leak. The vehicle was not…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 100,000 miles

2016 Toyota Tacoma is known to have an issue with the timing cover leaking oil. This is a Fire Hazard: Oil leaking onto hot engine components can vaporize and ignite, posing a fire risk to the vehicle and surrounding areas and can cause environmental pollution.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 20,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

Bought 2016 Tacoma in 2022 w/ 53k miles. Hit 58,850 (ish) and had an noticable oil leak… apparently this was a “Well Known” issue, as the mechanic @ Surprise, AZ Dealership (Toyota of Surprise, 13543 N. Auto Show Ave., Surprise, AZ 85388) told my wife and I…. it’s from this same thing that google showed me also: “Engine oil leaks…Owner complaint, filed 2025

I have experienced two major failures on my 2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport with less than 90,000 miles: a leaking coolant crossover pipe, which required partial engine disassembly and cost me approximately $2,500, and a leaking timing chain cover, which required a full front-end teardown and cost over $4,500. Both issues are known problems…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 35,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Toyota Tacoma. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 132,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 229,000.Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 229,000 miles

I am reporting a persistent and unsafe issue with the factory-installed Entune infotainment system in my 2016 Toyota Tacoma. While driving, whether locally or on the highway, the system frequently freezes, becomes unresponsive, or abruptly resets itself, often multiple times per drive. This directly affects my ability to safely use the…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 27,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

Just like with the other double cab Tacoma recalls I am hearing about, the third rear tail light is leaking water into my access cab. The interior smells like mildew. I’m not sure why my truck is not covered by the recall, but it is experiencing the exact same situation. Water leaking through the deteriorated seal of the break-light. I…Owner complaint, filed 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving, the driver’s side fog light housing melted. There was an abnormal odor of smoke. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 143,749 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 41,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Heated seat had stopped working, checked and found the problem. The module that controls the heated seats had a melted connector and wires, causing the seat to no longer be able to have heated seats.Owner complaint, filed 2025

The seat heater thermostat under the driver’s seat melted and charred while heater was in use Fire danger. Dealer said this happens to a small number of vehicles of similar age and manufacture date. This was inspected by the dealership. No lights or warns came on before, during or after. I noticed the seat heater stopped working. I…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 32,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (21).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

Toyota has a paint problem on the tacomas. The paint is the bright white, .040 . They have painted all 4 doors,both front fenders and the pillars on each side of the windshield. I’m having the same problem on my hood,top of windshield and bed . Toyota refuses to take responsibility for these areas. They call this a customer satisfaction…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The rear passenger door lock actuator on my 2016 Toyota Tacoma failed prematurely, causing the door to no longer lock or unlock properly. The failure required replacement of the entire actuator assembly at a Toyota dealership at a cost of $727.19. This failure occurred without abuse or unusual use and is not consistent with normal wear…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 6,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

At 55,000 miles Brake fluid began leaking into passenger cabin. Brake fluid leaks on to brake pedal and driver footwell. Obviously a safety issue and dealer is asking approx 2000 dollars to repair. Failing component is a brake master cylinder that is specific to the Off Road and Trd Pro Tacomas that have a traction control feature called…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Knocking noise from vac pump. Had the tech not noticed this when we had the truck serviced for another reason, the vac pump could have failed while driving down the road, causing a potential fatal accident. Toyota was aware of the potential vac pump failure why did they not issue a recall on their own.Owner complaint, filed 2020

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 21,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

The original low pressure fuel pump failed at 114,700 miles. The symptoms of the failure were loss of power on the freeway, quickly followed by the engine stumbling, then shutting off completely forcing me to change lanes without power. The vehicles has had to be towed on 2 occasions because of this. The pump was replaced at 114,700…Owner complaint, filed 2026

After a commute drive I parked my vehicle in the garage. An hour later, went back in the garage and smelled a strong amount of fuel leak. After verification I found the high pressure fuel lines were leaking right above the driver side exhaust manifold. Drove to the nearest toyota dealer and had new lines put in.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 80,112 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 30,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

When using four-wheel drive, the vehicle was unable to make a left turn. I disengaged four-wheel drive, and the vehicle was stuck in four-wheel drive. This happened on two occasions. The first time was approximately August 2022 and the second time was last year. When I took it to the dealership, they said here was nothing wrong with it…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The control arm of the driver side fail during driving , I lost control of my Tacoma then the alarm stering activate. Then is was dificult to control the pickup and i almost hit a car that was next to me. When i take to the machanic shop he was alarm by the situation he told me that this was very dangerous , he found that the driver…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 55,621 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 10,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

When driving on the highway the acceleration is erratic. I will press on the accelerator to get to a cruising speed (this happens anywhere between 40-60 MPH) and the vehicle suddenly [VIN] and the tachometer jumps from between 2000 and 3000 to the upper 4000 ? 5000 range. Additionally, when I have the car in cruise control, it does the…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 6,500 miles

I brought my truck into Miller Toyota of Anaheim due to a violent shuddering and acceleration at about 40 to 50 mph. This could have caused driver to lose control and injure themselves, passengers, and other drivers on the road. Dealership diagnosed the problem as a bad torque converter in the transmission and said it would cost about…Owner complaint, filed 2022

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

My husband and I were driving home on a snowy night when our car slipped and slid down an embankment almost into a river. Luckily, our car was stopped by a large boulder right at the waters edge. Unbeknownst to us at the time, we had stopped completely out of the water however we were not sure because every airbag in our car deployed…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 15,000 miles

I bought the vehicle and realized when I was sold the vehicle the passenger airbag off indicator was on but I thought it would be a quick connection error. The front driver side headlight is very dim and does not illuminate well. I contacted crown dodge of fayetteville and they told me they can't do anything. This was a little over a…Owner complaint, filed 2021

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

During a safety inspection, it was found out that the steering rack was leaking. In a quick research on Google, it appears that many people that own this particular year and tacomas are experiencing the same issue. It is the first time for any car that we own and we keep our cars for more than 10 years. To us, this could be a…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Power steering issues, leaks, corroded. Can lead to entire rack and pinon [VIN]. Steering is tight, active fluid leak(s); toyota dealer that it was purchased from knew it was leaking but refused to investigate further. Per toyota, power steering leaks can cause engine compartment fire, vehicle should not be driven until leak is repaired.…Owner complaint, filed 2023

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

Vehicle made a loud bang from the rear of the vehicle , then started to slow down slightly without brakes applied. And then suddenly within a few more feet the Rear wheels locked up without brakes applied. Traveling at between 35- 45mph the vehicle skidded causing vehicles behind me to also skid to avoid hitting me. Truck would not move…Owner complaint, filed 2022

The contact owns a 2016 toyota tacoma. While driving 10 MPH, the rear passenger wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to toyota of gastonia (4821 wilkinson blvd, gastonia, nc 28056) where it was diagnosed that the emergency brake was leaking fluid. The dealer stated that there were no recalls for this failure. The vehicle was not repaired.…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 53,633 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

Was told by the mechanic that there was a bulletin to replace if an issue before the 3 years 36,000 miles. Have had the truck for 4.5 years and now the bsm left side needs to be replaced. Only have 26,567 miles on the truck! If they had an issue, why aren't they replacing them if the issues happen within the 36,000.Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 3 miles