Your vehicle report
2016 Toyota Tacoma
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 324
- Received Dec 2015 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips26 complaints · 8.0% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Water leaks into cabin during rain18 complaints · 5.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Heated seat overheats and burns occupants18 complaints · 5.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #17V425000Southeast 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.
- Recall #17V356000Toyota 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 4 crashes, 4 fires, 1 person injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
- Water leaks into cabin during rain
- Paint peels off roof and hood
- Glass shatters or cracks without impact
1 more problem
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 2 |
| 2016 | 57 |
| 2017 | 105 |
| 2018 | 36 |
| 2019 | 18 |
| 2020 | 26 |
| 2021 | 16 |
| 2022 | 19 |
| 2023 | 14 |
| 2024 | 13 |
| 2025 | 10 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 8 |
| Total | 324 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 26 | 8.0% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 18 | 5.6% | – | |
| Heated seat overheats and burns occupants | 18 | 5.6% | – | |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 11 | 3.4% | 40.3× | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 10 | 3.1% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 8 | 2.5% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 8 | 2.5% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 7 | 2.2% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 6 | 1.8% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 6 | 1.8% | 4.9× | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 5 | 1.5% | – | NHTSA recall #17V356000 |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 4 | 1.2% | – | NHTSA recall #17V356000 |
| Hood latch fails and hood flies open | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 3 | 0.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #17V425000July 3, 20173,547 vehicles affected
equipment; structure: body: hood: hinge and attachments
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #17V356000June 1, 201731,824 vehicles affected
engine
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #17V285000April 27, 2017227,732 vehicles affected
power train: driveline: differential unit
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #15V656000October 14, 2015306 vehicles affected
air bags: knee bolster
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.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN