Toyota Tacoma Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 941 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the Toyota Tacoma across 32 model years. The 2016 model year has the most (136). The words owners use most often: “rear differential” (6% of reports).
- 941power train complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 23mention a crash
- 6mention an injury
- 5related recalls
- $1,750typical repair cost reported by owners
- 31%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Rear differential: mentioned in 59 of 941 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the Toyota Tacoma at $1,750, and half of them between $1,350 and $2,800.
Based on 16 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2007–2022), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 617 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 941 complaints, 23 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 6 an injury.
Toyota Tacoma power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tacoma | 4 | 40% | — |
| 2025 Tacoma | 21 | 20% | — |
| 2024 Tacoma | 55 | 36% | 2,422 |
| 2023 Tacoma | 7 | 13% | 20,370 |
| 2022 Tacoma | 10 | 17% | 41,000 |
| 2021 Tacoma | 14 | 17% | 9,000 |
| 2020 Tacoma | 15 | 17% | 5,500 |
| 2019 Tacoma | 40 | 18% | 900 |
| 2018 Tacoma | 29 | 14% | 5,825 |
| 2017 Tacoma | 68 | 28% | 5,000 |
| 2016 Tacoma | 136 | 42% | 11,000 |
| 2015 Tacoma | 9 | 9% | 16,000 |
| 2014 Tacoma | 13 | 14% | 20,000 |
| 2013 Tacoma | 22 | 18% | 6,500 |
| 2012 Tacoma | 35 | 12% | 53,000 |
| 2011 Tacoma | 8 | 4% | 2,500 |
| 2010 Tacoma | 29 | 10% | 7,607 |
| 2009 Tacoma | 75 | 14% | 1,750 |
| 2008 Tacoma | 22 | 5% | 17,915 |
| 2007 Tacoma | 68 | 13% | 38,000 |
| 2006 Tacoma | 56 | 7% | 34,700 |
| 2005 Tacoma | 57 | 8% | 26,600 |
| 2004 Tacoma | 22 | 5% | 43,500 |
| 2003 Tacoma | 18 | 5% | 50,000 |
| 2002 Tacoma | 21 | 6% | 55,000 |
| 2001 Tacoma | 15 | 4% | 105,895 |
| 2000 Tacoma | 11 | 5% | 119,700 |
| 1999 Tacoma | 16 | 6% | 139,500 |
| 1998 Tacoma | 10 | 3% | 133,788 |
| 1997 Tacoma | 9 | 7% | 160,000 |
| 1996 Tacoma | 14 | 6% | 100,000 |
| 1995 Tacoma | 12 | 7% | 130,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (5)
Power train:driveline:driveshaft
Model years: 2025
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2025 Tacoma and Tacoma Hybrid vehicles. The front driveshaft constant-velocity (CV) joint may deform and break.
Risk: A broken driveshaft can impair steering. Vehicles with full-time 4WD may experience a vehicle rollaway while parked without the parking brake applied. Both scenarios increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace both front driveshaft assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed August 11, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB11 and 25TA11.
Power train:axle assembly
Model years: 2022, 2023
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturer (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Tacoma vehicles. The axle shaft sub-assembly may separate from the axle housing due to debris causing improperly secured fasteners.
Risk: Axle shaft separation can cause a loss of vehicle stability and brake performance, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear axle assembly, tighten the axle retaining nuts as necessary, and repair or replace any damaged components, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 17, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 24TB05 and 24TA05.
Power train:driveline:differential unit
Model years: 2016, 2017
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Power train:driveline:driveshaft
Model years: 2010
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 toyota tacoma pickup trucks. The propeller shaft may develop cracks during the manufacturing process. Over time, the cracks may eventually lead to the separation of the propeller shaft.
Risk: This may result in a loss of vehicle control increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the front propeller shaft on affected vehicles free of charge. The safety recall began on march 22, 2010. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Power train:driveline
Model years: 2007
Problem: On certain pickup trucks equipped with four wheel drive, a section of the rear propeller shaft may have been improperly cast.
Risk: The front side of the rear propeller shaft could separate at the joint and come into contact with the road surface which could result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the possibility of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rear propeller shaft with a new one free of charge. The recall began on august 1, 2007. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Abnormal vibration from drive line at 22-24 MPH. Dealership service manager rode in the truck and validated the abnormal vibration. He checked for Tech Service Bulletin for this and found none. He drove four similar Tacomas on their lot and said they all have the same vibration at that speed. He…
My 2025 Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter consistently experiences a severe loss of engine power while driving in rainy conditions. During precipitation, the vehicle suddenly loses acceleration capability, sputters, and becomes highly unresponsive, creating an immediate highway hazard as it cannot maintain…
2026 Toyota Tacoma (i-FORCE 2.4L turbo, 8-speed automatic), purchased new, 2,051 miles. On the morning of XXX, I noticed a delay when the transmission shifted gears and shortly after while driving on the highway at approximately 55â57 mph, multiple warnings appeared at once: Check Engine…
For second time fordt time was in 2024 bow again in September of 2026 while accelerating i loose power while shifting gears. No matter how hard i push accelerator it does not provide power feels almost like seiches to from drive . Worried that loss of power will cause accident since i csn…
Have 2 incidents. 1. Transmission would do a hard jerk when shifting from 1st to 2nd going about 20MPH. Also happened when slowing down. Also happened when going from park to reverse/drive and/or reverse to drive. Happened randomly. Had to tech from dealer for ride along and tech saw it happen…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Toyota Tacomas have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 941 owner complaints about power train for the Toyota Tacoma. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Toyota Tacoma power train?
Yes: 5 safety recalls list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the Toyota Tacoma?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,750 (half paid between $1,350 and $2,800), from 16 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the Toyota Tacoma?
The most frequent phrase is “rear differential”, in 59 of 941 complaints.
Other Toyota Tacoma problems
- Structure problems (2,204)
- Suspension problems (1,533)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (779)
- Air Bags problems (556)
- Steering problems (476)
- Electrical System problems (434)
- Engine problems (433)
- Service Brakes problems (392)
See all Toyota Tacoma problems.