AutoUtility currently tracks 323 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma. Powertrain & Transmission issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 136 complaints (42.1% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 4 filings cite a crash, 4 cite a fire, 1 reports one or more injuries. The 2016 Toyota Tacoma belongs to the 3rd Generation (N300) platform.
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 323 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Powertrain & Transmission (136 reports • 42.1% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Engine & Cooling (43), Electrical System (36)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 4 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 4 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 1 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Most Reported Problems for 2016 Toyota Tacoma
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
Powertrain & Transmission
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #17V285000 POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
Engine & Cooling
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #17V356000 ENGINE
Electrical System
Body & Structure
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #17V425000 STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
Seats & Interior
Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2016 Toyota Tacoma
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.
Engine Coolant Intrusion / Oil Leak
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2016 Toyota Tacoma
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"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...."
"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..."
"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..."
"Dear Toyota Japan Customer Experience Team, I am the owner of a 2016 Toyota Tacoma currently registered in Guam, U.S.A. I am writing to request your assistance regarding a water leak issue from the rear brake light area, which has caused the carpets and seats to become wet and develop mold. I..."
"Severe clear coat and paint fading on hood, roof and sides of truck."
Complaint History for Toyota Tacoma
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Toyota Tacoma | 101 | 15 | 4 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Toyota Tacoma Current Page | 323 | 4 | 4 | Current |
| 2017 Toyota Tacoma | 238 | 12 | 5 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Toyota Tacoma | 202 | 7 | 3 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Toyota Tacoma | 214 | 10 | 4 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Toyota Tacoma | 87 | 6 | 1 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Toyota Tacoma | 78 | 9 | 0 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Toyota Tacoma | 57 | 11 | 3 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Toyota Tacoma | 52 | 5 | 4 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Toyota Tacoma | 144 | 5 | 5 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Toyota Tacoma | 85 | 4 | 5 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Toyota Tacoma | 0 | 0 | 0 | View 2026 Problems → |
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2016 Toyota Tacoma
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 58 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 102 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SEATS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PARKING BRAKE,WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEAT BELTS,SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)
Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
Electrical overstress
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (AC...
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.