Motor Almanac

Toyota / Tacoma / 2016

2016 Toyota Tacoma

Family: Tacoma · filed with NHTSA as TACOMA

Summary

  • In its first three years the 2016 Tacoma drew 200 complaints — 1.5× the median of its generation (2016–2023). It is among the most-complained-about years of this generation.
  • These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
  • Of the 292 complaints that name a component, 47% concern Powertrain (136).
  • 4 recalls filed for this model year.
  • 1 federal defect investigation covers this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints
324
Recalls
4
Investigations
1
NCAP overall
4 of 5 stars
Combined MPG
18–21
Annual fuel cost
$2,950–$3,450
Median mileage at complaint
15,000 mi (n = 190)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths
4 / 4 / 1 / 0

What owners report

Powertrain

136 complaints · 47% of complaints that name a component · median 11,000 mi (n = 83)

Owner report 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 v…
Owner report 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.

Engine

47 complaints · 16% of complaints that name a component · median 24,000 mi (n = 20)

Owner report 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: “Eng…
Owner report 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 issue…

Electrical System

37 complaints · 13% of complaints that name a component · median 35,000 mi (n = 25)

Owner report 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 report 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 abilit…

10% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2016–2023)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 132.

Model yearAll complaintsFirst three yearsNote
2016324200most complaints
2017243118
2018209122
2019219143
20209049not compared
20218142not compared
20225938not compared
20235441not compared

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

17V425000 · EQUIPMENT | STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

Filed 2017-07-03 · 3,547 vehicles

Defect: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2011-2016 Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner vehicles equipped with accessory hood scoops installed by SET or SET dealers. The adhesive attaching the hood scoop may weaken, allowing the hood scoop to detach from the vehicle.

Risk: If the hood scoop detaches, it may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will mechanically fasten the scoop to the hood, free of charge. The recall began on September 1, 2017. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-954-429-2000. SET's number for this recall is SET17B.

17V356000 · ENGINE

Filed 2017-06-01 · 31,824 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Tacoma vehicles equipped with a six-cylinder engine. The affected vehicles have a crank position sensor that may malfunction, potentially resulting in an engine stall.

Risk: An engine stall may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crank position sensor with an improved design, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0H.

17V285000 · POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT

Filed 2017-04-27 · 227,732 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Tacoma vehicles. Oil may leak from the area where the rear differential carrier is assembled to rear axle housing.

Risk: If the vehicle is operated with an insufficient amount of oil in the rear differential, the differential may seize and cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear differential for oil leakage. Based on the inspection, dealers will either tightening the fastening nuts or replace the fastening nuts and gasket. If the rear differential components are damaged, the rear differential carrier assembly will be replaced. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall June 19, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0G.

15V656000 · AIR BAGS:KNEE BOLSTER

Filed 2015-10-14 · 306 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Tacoma trucks manufactured August 20, 2015, to September 10, 2015. In the affected vehicles, incorrect bolts were used to install the driver's knee air bag module.

Risk: The incorrect bolts may loosen over time and affect the performance of the driver's knee air bag, increasing the risk of driver injury during a crash that necessitates deployment of the air bags.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install the correct driver's knee air bag module mounting bolts, free of charge. The recall began on November 19, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is F0T.

Federal investigations

ActionComponentOpenedClosedRecall
EA19001AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE2019-04-192024-09-1920V024

EA19001: Electrical overstress

Engines and fuel economy

VersionEngineTransmissionDriveCityHwyCombinedFuel cost / yr
Tacoma 2WD2.7L 4cylAutomatic (S6)Rear-Wheel Drive192321$2950
Tacoma 2WD3.5L 6cylAutomatic (S6)Rear-Wheel Drive192421$2950
Tacoma 4WD2.7L 4cylAutomatic (S6)Part-time 4-Wheel Drive192220$3100
Tacoma 4WD2.7L 4cylManual 5-spdPart-time 4-Wheel Drive192120$3100
Tacoma 4WD3.5L 6cylAutomatic (S6)Part-time 4-Wheel Drive182320$3100
Tacoma 4WD3.5L 6cylManual 6-spdPart-time 4-Wheel Drive172119$3300
Tacoma 4WD Double Cab3.5L 6cylManual 6-spdPart-time 4-Wheel Drive172018$3450

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

VariantOverallFrontalSideRollover
2016 Toyota Tacoma PU/EC 2WDNot RatedNot RatedNot Rated★★★★☆
2016 Toyota Tacoma PU/EC 4WDNot RatedNot RatedNot Rated★★★★☆
2016 Toyota Tacoma PU/CC 4WD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
2016 Toyota Tacoma PU/CC 2WD★★★★☆★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 410 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about structure.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

DateComponentSummary
2026-01-07UNKNOWN OR OTHERSome 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Serv…
2025-11-11STRUCTURE:BODYToyota has received some reports of paint peeling along the exterior door window frames, front inner fenders as can been seen with the hood open, and on the A-pillars on certain Tacoma vehicles with 040 Super White paint color. Although th…
2025-08-20ELECTRICAL SYSTEMSome customers may experience echoing on the line calling the vehicle when using Bluetooth Hands Free. This is caused by the phone Hands Free volume being too low.
2025-07-31STRUCTURE:BODYToyota has received some reports of paint peeling along the exterior door window frames, front inner fenders as can been seen with the hood open, and on the A-pillars on certain Tacoma vehicles with 040 Super White paint color. Although th…
2025-07-31STRUCTURE:BODYTECHNICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM 23TE08 COVERAGE FOR PAINT PEELING ON EXTERIOR DOOR FRAMES, FRONT INNER FENDERS AND A-PILLARS CERTAIN 2016-2022 MODEL YEAR TACOMA
2025-07-31STRUCTURE:BODYCustomer Support Program 23TE08 Paint Repair Process Job Aid
2025-01-17STRUCTURE:BODYSome 2016 – 2022 model year Tacoma vehicles with Super White (040) paint may exhibit paint peeling along the exterior window door frames, inner fender edges under the hood, and/or A-pillars. The affected panel(s) require repainting to addre…
2025-01-06UNKNOWN OR OTHER21TD03 Final Reminder
2024-12-06STRUCTURE:BODYAcid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-12-06STRUCTURE:BODYTo prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Tacoma, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Toyota Tacoma model page.

Sources

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.