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Toyota TacomaModel year report

2016 Toyota Tacoma Problems

Compared with other Toyota Tacoma years

More complaints than typical for this model

91/100 2.6× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2014

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
324filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
15,000miles, 190 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
4 / 5stars overall, 2 rated versions
EPA fuel economy
21 mpgcombined, 2.7L 4-cyl RWD · 19 city / 23 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe transmission complaints: delayed or harsh engagement when shifting from reverse to drive or on a cold start, lurching, and hunting for gears, with many reports filed at very low mileage. A second cluster involves the third brake light seal letting rain water into the cab, and several owners also describe melted seat-heater connectors and rear differential oil leaks tied to a recall.

  1. Transmission and drivetrain

    Delayed or harsh automatic transmission engagement

    • 80 complaints (25%)
    • median 7,600 mi at 1.0 yrs old (54 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2016–2024

    Owners describe a pause of a second or more after selecting drive or reverse, followed by the truck revving and then lunging forward when the gear engages. Others report hard or clunky upshifts, hunting between gears, a driveline clunk when stopping, or in manual-transmission trucks difficulty getting out of gear after extended highway driving. Several say the dealer told them the behavior was normal or that other trucks on the lot did the same. Mostly reported under about 15,000 miles, often on cold starts or after highway driving.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Drive the truck from a cold start and shift between reverse and drive a few times, feeling for delays or lurching; also drive at highway speed and note any vibration under coasting or braking, which a TSB addresses.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When starting the vehicle in the morning (30-40 deg f) I let the truck warm up until the the thermostat needle begins to move. When I put the truck into reverse the engine rpms surge and then a second or two later the truck will engage reverse and the truck will often lurch rearward unexpectedly. When put into drive the same thing happens. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10836816, filed 2016-02, 600 miles

    “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 accelerates 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 same thing when going up hills. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10917788, filed 2016-10, 6,500 miles
  2. Other or unknown

    Rear differential oil leak (recall campaign)

    • 128 complaints (40%)
    • median 15,150 mi at 1.7 yrs old (60 state mileage)
    • owner-quoted repair $3,750 (median of 6 quotes)
    • filed 2016–2026

    Owners report oil leaking where the rear differential carrier meets the axle housing, which was covered by a recall on certain 2016-2017 trucks. Many complaints are about the repair process rather than the leak itself: trucks held at the dealer for weeks or months waiting for parts, and at least one owner told the recall was marked done while the leak continued. Mostly reported between about 14,000 and 25,000 miles, shortly after the recall was announced.

    Recall 17V285000

    What to check: Check for oil weeping around the rear axle housing and differential, and ask for documentation that recall 17V285000 was completed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I took my truck to the dealer for recall no. 17v-285 on may 15, 2017. It remains there for 3 and half months with no date for completing the repair (due to part not available, I was told). During the wait, I received another recall notice, 17v-356. The length of the wait is unreasonable. I would like NHTSA to help the address and remedy the situation thank you.”

    NHTSA complaint #11019865, filed 2017-08, 15,000 miles

    “Recall for rear differential leak. Upon inspection tech found rear diff leaking parts on order. Performance Toyota grounded my vehicle and parts were ordered on 8/22/17. Took my vehicle back from dealership and to this day, still no word on the parts. Something sticks....recall on my truck and then have no parts to fix it and then tell me that you are not responsible for damage in result of vehicle being driven.”

    NHTSA complaint #11023488, filed 2017-09, 13,938 miles
  3. Seats

    Seat heater connector or amplifier melts

    • 34 complaints (10%)
    • median 53,000 mi at 4.4 yrs old (19 state mileage)
    • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2016–2026

    Owners describe the driver's seat heater stopping while the switch light still works, then finding the connector or amplifier under the seat scorched or melted, sometimes with a burning electrical smell noticed while driving. Some mention a bulletin covering a related repair within a mileage limit and were told their truck was outside it. Typically reported between about 27,000 and 78,000 miles; several well past the 36,000-mile mark.

    What to check: Turn on both seat heaters and confirm they warm; if a seat stays cold, inspect the connector and amplifier under the seat for discoloration or a melted plug before buying.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I noticed when my driver seat heater was in the on position, the seat was not heating up. Electrical wiring/connector for the heated seat module located under the driver seat overheated or arced causing the connector (s) to melt posing a safety/fire hazard and rendering the heated seat inoperable. Tsb from Toyota covers this up to 3years/36,000 miles. Mileage at time of failure: 61,000 miles.”

    NHTSA complaint #11319165, filed 2020-03, 61,000 miles

    “Driver’s side front seat not delivering heat despite switch lamp indicating it’s on and working. Further exploration reveals passenger side seat heater working as it should. I checked wiring harness and connections under driver’s seat only to discover plastic connector entering amplifier scorched and melted with two of four pins destroyed (Red and Green wires). I believe the wire gauge sized for this system is improper and therefore represents a fire hazard. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11505879, filed 2023-02, 135,998 miles
  4. Exterior lighting

    Third brake light seal leaks water into the cab

    • 82 complaints (25%)
    • median 22,379 mi at 1.8 yrs old (48 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $3,000 (median of 5 quotes)
    • filed 2016–2026

    Owners report water entering the rear of the cab around the cab-mounted third brake light, soaking the headliner, seats and carpet and sometimes producing a musty smell or mildew. Cabin vents at the rear quarter have also been described as fracturing and letting water in. Complaints say the dealer often could not help or declined responsibility, though some reference a bulletin for the stop lamp leak. Reported from roughly 15,000 to 80,000 miles, most often noticed during heavy rain.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Look at the headliner and carpet behind and below the third brake light for water stains or mildew, and check after a rain or with a hose; ask whether the high-mount stop lamp has been resealed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The rear cargo/3rd brake light on the top of the cab seal is broken and water leaks in to the rear cab and satin in the headliner. I have looked up this problem and there seems to be many complaints. I called Toyota headquarters after getting my truck serviced for a recall item and the dealer said they could not help even knowing that there is a TSB 0055-18.”

    NHTSA complaint #11329160, filed 2020-06, 82,000 miles

    “During heavy rainfall, back driver side gets wet. I noticed this back in march and called the dealership. They asked me to call back in a week because they were closing due to covid. I've had medical issues since then and haven't been able to contact them. But I'll try to tomorrow. Now the water from the rains are getting to the middle between the two seats. Smells bad. I feel that the seat foams are bad. And it's growing mildew on the bottom left side (on the carpet) under the driver side back seat. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11352121, filed 2020-08, 59,000 miles
  5. Engine

    Engine stall with crank position sensor

    • 23 complaints (7%)
    • median 15,406 mi at 1.9 yrs old (17 state mileage)
    • filed 2015–2026

    Owners describe the engine shutting off while driving or after a restart, sometimes with the check engine and traction-control lights on and a high transmission temperature message. Some traced the pattern to the crank position sensor recall and found their truck was not covered by it; others describe gas cap or fuel line issues that set similar warning lights. Reported from about 15,000 miles up past 100,000 miles, sometimes after off-road driving.

    Recall 17V356000

    What to check: Ask whether recall 17V356000 has been performed, and check that the truck starts promptly and idles steadily on a test drive; a scan for stored codes can show a pending crank sensor fault.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My wife and I drove from austin texas to arkadelphi arkansas due to me getting out of the army'active' and my truck had been slowly studderjng, spitting etc.. Well it is stalled at a parking lot for a week now.. There is a recall for the 'crankshaft position sensor' for my exact mode and Toyota will not honor my truck for it and that's the code it's reading etc..”

    NHTSA complaint #11157209, filed 2018-12, 73,000 miles

    “Off-roading, restarted vehicle after a stop. Check engine light came on as well as trac off illuminated. Tried to drive forward and truck stalled and message said high transmission temp. Goggled issue to discover a recall for crank position sensor failure. Looked up my VIN and I don't have that recall although I have the stated year and model. Had this happened while driving on road it could have caused an accident.”

    NHTSA complaint #11321537, filed 2020-04, 120,700 miles

Buying note. Check the third brake light seal and rear carpet for water, test both seat heaters and look under the seats for melted connectors, and confirm the rear differential recall was completed. A long, mixed test drive including a cold start is the best way to judge whether the transmission behavior is acceptable to you.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 324 consumer complaints for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma. 190 of the complaints include a mileage, and 81% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 15,000 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 4 a fire, 1 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 409 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 15 Toyota Tacoma model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 91 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Vehicle speed control (10), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (10), Air bags (5), Steering (4), Electronic stability control (3), Seat belts (2), Wheels (2), Lane departure (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1).

Example complaints

Transmission and drivetrain: “Transmition sleep also push gas pedal and go down speed and jump aster acelerate and delay went I star 1rs gear not move after few seconds motor make wear noises like noking only have 67000 miles suspention is bad sep on curves and turn at 25 mikes pre hours so bad scarry back part is moving so bad and pull me out the road and I see the on other Tacoma same 2016”

NHTSA complaint #11255469, filed 2019-09, 67,000 miles

Other or unknown: “My warning lights on my side mirrors that tell me there is a vehicle on my left r right and warning lights and alarm that are supposed to sound when something is behind me works inconsistantly sometimes they work and a majority of time they do not work causing safety issues I am riding in car or backing up”

NHTSA complaint #11186134, filed 2019-03, 35,000 miles

Engine: “Brought vehicle in to dealership( northway Toyota) for recall notice, and vehicle stalling. They supposedly repaired it, but vehicle is doing the exact same thing, stalling and malfunction indicators are on. Contacted the dealership but no one will return my call. I don't think they did anything to my vehicle the first time.”

NHTSA complaint #11011457, filed 2017-07, 8,000 miles

Electrical system: “The trac off and check engine lights come on periodically. I have to disconnect the battery and take the gas cap off and put it back on and reconnect the battery when it happens. Its a pain in the butt. I thought I saw a recall for the gas cap seal to correct the problem, but the dealership said nope.”

NHTSA complaint #11373113, filed 2020-11, 49,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

81% of the 190 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 4,000 and 40,000 miles.

38%0–1024%10–2518%25–5012%50–754%75–1003%100–1501%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (190 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 15,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

201610520182020202220242026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Tacoma · crew cab 2WD★★★★☆4 / 4544 · 14.7% risk
Tacoma · crew cab 4WD★★★★☆4 / 4544 · 19.1% risk
Tacoma · extended cab 2WDnot rated———4 · 14.7% risk
Tacoma · extended cab 4WDnot rated———4 · 19.1% risk

Neighbouring years: 2015: same overall rating; 2017: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2016 Toyota Tacoma version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Tacoma 2WD2.7L 4-cyl6-speed automatic192321$3,200
Tacoma 2WD3.5L 6-cyl6-speed automatic192421$3,200
Tacoma 4WD2.7L 4-cyl6-speed automatic192220$3,350
Tacoma 4WD2.7L 4-cyl5-speed manual192120$3,350
Tacoma 4WD3.5L 6-cyl6-speed automatic182320$3,350
Tacoma 4WD3.5L 6-cyl6-speed manual172119$3,550
Tacoma 4WD Double Cab3.5L 6-cyl6-speed manual172018$3,700

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 409 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 409 bulletins →

Other model years of the Toyota Tacoma

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2026136,8000423—Too new
20251146,0005423Too new to compareToo new
202415415,8266—23Too new to compareToo new
20235419,140442137 · TypicalToo new
20225924,000342131 · FewerRising
2021819,700042114 · FewerStable
2020905,000142129 · FewerFalling
20192195,500442180 · MoreFalling
201820913,478342163 · TypicalFalling
201724315,501542180 · MoreStable
201632415,000442191 · MoreFalling
201510110,000442143 · TypicalStable
20149328,000442124 · FewerFalling
201312540,160642143 · TypicalFalling
201229557,000742156 · TypicalFalling
201118665,141942142 · TypicalFalling
201029440,00013—2176 · MoreRising
200951935,97413—21100 · MoreStable
200844957,00011—2188 · MoreStable
200754162,00010—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200678271,42811—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200570782,00010—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2004415108,0003—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2003360108,0943—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2002333120,0003—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2001396144,0004—18Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2000211130,3000—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1999249120,3160—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1998300136,0001—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1997131149,0000—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1996253139,0001—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1995177160,0002—21Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Toyota Tacoma model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2016 Toyota Tacoma?

Owners of this model year most often describe transmission complaints: delayed or harsh engagement when shifting from reverse to drive or on a cold start, lurching, and hunting for gears, with many reports filed at very low mileage. The issues reported most often: Delayed or harsh automatic transmission engagement; Rear differential oil leak (recall campaign); Seat heater connector or amplifier melts.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2016 Toyota Tacoma have?

NHTSA recorded 324 consumer complaints for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2016 Toyota Tacoma is reported most often?

Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 136 complaints (42% of the total), followed by other or unknown with 50.

Has the 2016 Toyota Tacoma been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2016 Toyota Tacoma do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2016 Toyota Tacoma 4 out of 5 stars overall, across 2 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2016 Toyota Tacoma get?

The EPA rates the 2016 Toyota Tacoma (Tacoma 2WD, 2.7L 4-cyl) at 21 mpg combined, 19 city and 23 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,200 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2016 Toyota Tacoma reported?

Among the 190 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 15,000 miles and the middle half falls between 4,000 and 40,000 miles; 81% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.