2020 Toyota Tacoma Problems

What owners report

Complaints on this model year cluster at very low mileage — most cite only a few thousand miles — and center on fuel delivery and stalling, brake pedal feel, and automatic transmission behavior. Several owners describe intermittent problems that dealers could not reproduce, while others report that a fuel pump recall part was unavailable for their truck or that their vehicle was not covered by it.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Stalling, rough running and hard starts (fuel pump)

   Mentioned in 13 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the truck shutting off or losing power while driving, sometimes at highway speed, and in some cases failing to restart immediately. Related symptoms include long cranking on warm starts, a gasoline smell, rough idle and hesitation under acceleration. Complaints say dealers replaced high- and low-pressure fuel pumps in some cases, and in others could not duplicate the problem; several owners note their truck was not covered by the fuel pump recall. Reported across a wide mileage range, from a few thousand miles up to about 120,000 miles, often shortly after purchase.

   Recall 20V6820003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel pump has been replaced and whether recall 20V682000 was completed for this VIN. Note any hard starting, gas smell or hesitation on a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “With the truck warmed up: pushing the gas pedal almost to the floor to enter traffic the truck just sat there and did not move this happened twice. The only way the truck would move was to push the gas pedal slow and enter the flow of traffic at reduced speed. With the truck warmed up: putting the truck in reverse and pushing on the gas pedal the truck did nothing. Taking my foot off the gas pedal while still in reverse the truck lunged backwards. I had to stop the truck with my foot on the brake. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11390085, filed 2021-01, 6,000 miles

   “My car has shut off while driving at 45 MPH in the city . Brakes locked and the car stalled off . I went to the dealership and they said they tried to initiate the same error but could not .”

   NHTSA complaint #11367065, filed 2020-10, 4,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brake pedal feels soft or goes to the floor

   • 10 complaints (11%)
   • median 3,000 mi at 0.9 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2020–2025

   Owners describe the brake pedal sinking toward the floor when held at a stop, or requiring extra pressure or pumping to get normal braking. Some complaints mention pulsing or drag from the rear brakes, jerkiness when stopping, and a few describe the brakes locking at the rear wheels. According to complaints, dealers replaced drums, axle shafts and related parts in some cases, and in others told owners the pedal feel was normal for the truck. Mostly reported in the first several thousand miles, from near-new up to roughly 14,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Hold firm pressure on the brake pedal at a stop and see whether it creeps down; check for fluid weeping near the master cylinder and ask about any prior brake repairs.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2020 Toyota Tacoma truck I found that ,when siting at a stop light, with moderate pressure on the brakes, the brake pedal would slowly go to the floor. Took the truck to checkered flag Toyota, 5301 virginia beach blvd, virginia for repair. Was told that the pedal to the floor was 'normal' for this truck. Shop foreman said that the pedal going to the floor was 'normal for this truck'. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11343859, filed 2020-08, 2,200 miles

   “I own a 2020 Tacoma with 14k miles on it. I was driving my truck and I went to hit my brakes and the pedal went straight to the floor. I was able to get partial brakes by pumping them up like when you are bleeding new brakes. Took truck to Toyota and they had it for 10 days. There was a total failure of the brake master cylinder. If this scenario would have occurred while driving in traffic or on the highway the end result could have been fatal. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11364292, filed 2020-10, 14,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Automatic transmission hunting, hesitation and shudder

   • 13 complaints (14%)
   • median 8,000 mi at 1.4 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Owners report the transmission seeming to search for a gear at steady speeds, delayed downshifts and a lag or dead spot when accelerating, and occasional shuddering at cruising speed that some describe as torque converter lock-up. Complaints also mention the truck rolling backward on a hill when the accelerator is released and lurching when shifting out of reverse. Some owners say dealers found no code or could not reproduce the behavior. Typically reported between about 5,000 and 10,000 miles, with some complaints at higher mileage.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive at steady 35-50 mph and on a slight incline, watching for shudder, gear hunting or delayed engagement; ask whether any transmission software update or torque converter work was done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I just bought a new 2020 Tacoma sr5, and it has very poor acceleration when passing other vehicles. There is a significant dead spot when accelerating. It seams to have a transmission delayed shifting response time when driving. I consider this unacceptable for a new vehicle. It runs worse than my old car. It runs like all the fuel injectors are dirty. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11365482, filed 2020-10, 157 miles

   “This morning I activated my cruise control (cc)as I normally would at 55 MPH. Immediately my truck began accelerating until I finally disengaged cc when the speed reached 83-85 MPH. It was still accelerating at the time I disengaged it. I attempted to recreate the incident with no luck. Before the incident, I was driving in a city environment at speeds less than 55 MPH, so there was no way I had previously set the cc to a high speed that would have caused this to happen had I hit resume.”

   NHTSA complaint #11404107, filed 2021-03, 10,500 miles
4. 4
   Forward collision avoidance

   Cruise control and pre-collision braking acting unexpectedly

   • 8 complaints (9%)
   • median 9,000 mi at 1.2 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2020–2023

   Owners describe the adaptive cruise control dropping speed sharply when approaching or passing large vehicles, and in one case accelerating beyond the set speed before being switched off. Others report pre-collision braking engaging with nothing in the road ahead, and one owner notes the brakes activating without input. Complaints say dealers were not able to reproduce the events. Reported from roughly 10,000 to 20,000 miles in most complaints, and occasionally at lower mileage.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test adaptive cruise and pre-collision warning on a highway drive; ask the dealer whether any radar or camera calibration or software update has been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “System will occasionally suddenly decelerate as I am passing, usually a large truck. I will be in adaptive cruise control and as I get abreast of the trailer, the vehicle will suddenly decrease speed by 10-20 MPH, then accelerate back to the set speed. This, obviously, has the potential to create a rear end collision if someone is following and not paying full attention, esp if there are multiple cars following. This has happened multiple times.”

   NHTSA complaint #11402933, filed 2021-03, 18,000 miles

   “While driving and applying my brakes they do not always seem like they are going to stop me in time. Sometimes it feels like the brake is grabbing and the stop is jerky and not smooth. On a couple of occasions while driving with cruise control on I applied the brake pedal but as soon as I took my foot off the brake the vehicle sped up on it's own to resume previous speed so it appears the cruise control did not disengage when brake was applied. I first noticed a braking issued when I started driving the vehicle in july 2020. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11359922, filed 2020-09
5. 5
   Electrical system

   Infotainment, cluster and charging issues

   • 8 complaints (9%)
   • median 12,000 mi at 5.2 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Owners report the center instrument cluster going dark at startup, with no odometer or digital speed display, and the infotainment system cycling off and on while driving. Complaints also mention the Qi wireless charging pad getting very hot during phone charging, and a corroded battery terminal with repeated no-start conditions. Some describe the rear camera image being misaligned or washing out when headlights are on. Mostly reported between about 5,000 and 12,000 miles, sometimes later.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Start the truck several times and watch the cluster and screen; check the backup camera with headlights on, and ask whether any audio or navigation software update was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When you are backing up with your head lights on during the day your backup camera screen goes almost dark. Lets say it is raining or any other reason you happen to have your head light's on or want them on and you need to back up your screen for the backup camera goes almost dark you can not make anything out on the screen. This is a safety issue the camera screen should remain bright just as if you do not have your head lights on. A person should not have to turn off the head lights off just to see the backup camera screen. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11339594, filed 2020-07, 400 miles

   “Occasionally Center cluster on start up is black it has gotten more frequent. No odometer, No cruise control, no digital speedometer. The truck has 12,000 miles on it now today October 13,2026. Selling dealer out of town has no knowledge of issue. Local dealer at time it exhibited issue said never seen that before just disconnect battery for 30mins that will fix it that’s what we do. Was waiting for recall or TSB but am tired of waiting.”

   NHTSA complaint #11770970, filed 2026-10

Buying note. Look for service history showing the fuel pump recall and any brake or transmission work, and verify the fuel pump recall status for the specific VIN. A thorough test drive covering hills, steady highway speeds and the brake pedal at a stop will surface most of what owners describe.

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.