2016 Toyota Tacoma problems & reliability
323 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2016 Toyota Tacoma vehicles were involved in 107 fatal crashes with 33 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 136 | 42% |
| Unknown OR Other | 50 | 15% |
| Engine → | 47 | 15% |
| Electrical System → | 36 | 11% |
| Seats → | 22 | 7% |
| Structure → | 22 | 7% |
| Service Brakes → | 18 | 6% |
| Exterior Lighting → | 17 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 14 | 4% |
| Suspension → | 14 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 15,406 miles (middle 50% between 6,500 and 41,000 miles), based on 173 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Structure · filed Jul 6, 2026
“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…”
Power Train · filed May 19, 2026
“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…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed May 8, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Electrical overstress
Engineering Analysis EA19001 · opened Apr 19, 2019 · closed Sep 19, 2024 · led to recall 20V024
Technical service bulletins
410 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma. The 10 most recent:
Some 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…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 7, 2026
Toyota 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…
23TE08 · Service Campaign · issued Nov 11, 2025
Some 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.
T-TT-0790-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2025
Customer Support Program 23TE08 Paint Repair Process Job Aid
23TE08 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 31, 2025
Technical 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
23TE08 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 31, 2025
Toyota 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…
23TE08 · Service Campaign · issued Jul 31, 2025
Some 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)…
T-SB-0099-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 17, 2025
21TD03 Final Reminder
21TD03 · Other · issued Jan 6, 2025
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
To 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…
T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2016 Toyota Tacoma has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2016 Toyota Tacoma?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 15,406 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.