Toyota Tacoma years to avoid
Across the 2015–2022 Toyota Tacoma, the 2016 model year drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA: 323, about 3.2× the 101 median of the other seven model years with enough complaints to compare. The most-reported components that year were the powertrain and the engine. The 2022 drew the fewest, at 57. Separately, the 2017 carries the most recall campaigns, 5. Complaint volume and recall campaign counts also reflect how long a model year has been on the road and how many were sold, so they rank years within this model rather than measuring build quality.
The 2016 Tacoma is the outlier of the 2015–2022 Toyota Tacoma, with 323 complaints against the model's 152 median.
Every Tacoma model year, ranked
Every Tacoma model year NHTSA holds records for, most complaints first. Counts are NHTSA records as of 2026-09-15; recall campaigns and complaints are counted separately because a recall is the manufacturer acting and a complaint is an owner reporting. Years with enough on record have a page of their own.
| Model year | Owner complaints | vs the 152 median | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Tacoma | 323 | 2.1× | 4 | the powertrain |
| 2017 Tacoma | 239 | 1.6× | 5 | the powertrain |
| 2019 Tacoma | 218 | 1.4× | 4 | the fuel system |
| 2018 Tacoma | 203 | 1.3× | 3 | the brakes |
| 2015 Tacoma | 101 | 0.7× | 4 | the body structure |
| 2020 Tacoma | 87 | 0.6× | 1 | the fuel system |
| 2021 Tacoma | 80 | 0.5× | 0 | the powertrain |
| 2022 Tacoma | 57 | 0.4× | 3 | the powertrain |
Buying a Toyota Tacoma? Check its VIN.
Model-year complaint totals do not describe one car. Confirm its identity free, then decide whether to review its reported title, mileage and auction history before you buy.
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See what the paid report includes →How to read these numbers
- A higher count is not proof of a worse car. Complaint volume rises with sales volume and with years on the road.
- The comparison is between years of the Tacoma only. It says nothing about how the Tacoma compares with other models.
- NHTSA publishes owner reports without verifying them. A complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- Recall campaigns cover production ranges. Only a VIN lookup shows whether one vehicle is included and whether the work was done.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
Toyota Tacoma year-by-year questions
Which Toyota Tacoma year should I avoid?
Across the 2015–2022 Toyota Tacoma, the 2016 model year drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA: 323, about 3.2× the 101 median of the other seven model years with enough complaints to compare. The most-reported components that year were the powertrain and the engine. The 2022 drew the fewest, at 57. Separately, the 2017 carries the most recall campaigns, 5. Complaint volume and recall campaign counts also reflect how long a model year has been on the road and how many were sold, so they rank years within this model rather than measuring build quality.
Which Toyota Tacoma year is the safest bet?
Of the 2015–2022 Toyota Tacoma, the 2022 drew the fewest owner complaints to NHTSA — 57, against the model's 152 median. Newer years have had less time on the road, which lowers their count on its own, so treat this as a starting point and check the individual VIN.
Do complaint counts mean the Toyota Tacoma is unreliable?
No. NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports, and the count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road. They are useful for comparing years of the same model — which is what this page does — not for ranking one model against another.
How do I check a specific Tacoma?
Take the 17-character VIN from the windshield or driver-door label and run it through NHTSA's free recall lookup. That reports open campaigns for that exact vehicle, including whether the repair is still outstanding. A model-year page cannot tell you that.