Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Toyota Tacoma owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. While the vehicle was parked, the contact could smell smoke near the vehicle. The contact observed flames around the front driver's side wheel. While the vehicle was on fire, the contact drove the vehicle home to extinguish it with a fire extinguisher. The fire and police departments were not contacted. The contact called pat lobb's Toyota of mckinney (located at 3350 s central expy, mckinney, tx 75070, [phone]) and informed them of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 137,816.
Dt*: the contact stated when accelerating in 1st gear at 15 MPH, the vehicle stalled on 9 occasions. At other times, the shifter would not go into reverse. There was a clunking noise when shifting occurred that became constant as the problem worsened. The vehicle was taken to a service dealer but the problem was not corrected. An appointment was scheduled with another service dealer. The fuel warning light was not activated at the proper volume of fuel. These problems happened shortly after the carpeting was replaced due to water leaking through the firewall. The manufacturer was notified. The consumer stated the vehicle jumped out of park and into reverse. On numerous occasions the truck stalled. Updated 12/18/06.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. While driving 30 MPH, the vehicle felt as if it would stall and a loud rattling noise was heard coming from the engine. The engine and oil pressure warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the head gasket was cracked and needed to be replaced. The contact called Toyota of runnemede at [phone] (located at 99 s black horse pike, runnemede, nj 08078) and was informed to schedule a diagnostic appointment. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: 1812100777. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
I have a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. It has uncommanded engine surges. It is most notable at a stop. Once the vehicle stops engine RPM reduces to 500 rpms and seconds later it surges to 800rpm. I noticed this when I bought the car,but thought that was "normal". In 2008 it caused me to have a minor traffic accident and realized it was not normal. At higher rpms above 35 MPH the vehicle feels like it is in a high gear as it quickly reduces speed when you take your foot off the pedal. Again I thought this normal prior to this current round of recalls. I was amazed the Tacoma's are not being recalled. Something is definitely wrong with the engine computer.
Whiled I was driving I went over a bump in the road. The fan on my truck started making a loud noise. I took the vehicle to a repair shop to be checked. This I when I found out that the frame on my 2005 Toyota Tacoma was cracked and caving in where the motor mounts attach to the frame. This caused the motor to drop down and the fan started hitting on the shroud. Also it pierced a hole in my upper oil pan when the motor dropped down and hit the rack and pinion. Upon research there are many many cases of this happening to the 2005 -2006 Tacoma trucks. This is clearly a safety issue that Toyota refuses to fix.
Tl contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The failure recurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that rust from the frame corroded the neutral safety switch. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 73,000.
2006 Tacoma 120,000 miles is leaking antifreeze into the engine. Personal mechanics smelled burning antifreeze coming from the exhaust and saw it leaking. Tells us we could blow the head gasket and it needs to be replaced. I noticed about 3 days ago has my truck warmed up it would shudder almost stall out while driving.
In late May 2009 while on highway 50 in sacramento just east of the 50/80 interchange in good weather (dry and clear) my 2006 Toyota Tacoma's gas pedal buried itself to the floor and the vehicle went to maximum acceleration. Braking only had a slight initial effect and then overheated and faded. After a lucky 4 miles I shifted to neutral and the problem resolved. This began around 60mph and maxed around 107. During the 4 miles I activated and deactivated my cruise several times, tapped the brakes, reached down and pulled on the pedal and the mat, the recent Toyota explanations of sticking pedal and mat issues did not apply and I find them ludicrous.. It is an eerie feeling to have your accelerator leave your foot on its own. Truck had 36,500 miles, never in an accident, was in good repair with regular maintenance and was stock except for a shell. …
Tl contact owns a 2006 Toyota Tacoma xrunner. The contact heard a whistling noise coming from the throw bearing. The dealer repaired the failure, but it recurred a month later. He took the vehicle to another dealer and they repaired the throw bearing again, but the noise recurred a week later. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but they did not want to replace the bearing. It was greased because the dealer felt that since it was new it did not need to be replaced. After the bearing was greased, the noise returned approximately two days later. The manufacturer advised the contact to replace the clutch. He took the vehicle to an independent mechanic to replace the clutch and, after it was replaced, the noise returned two weeks later. He does not have a warranty on the vehicle and cannot afford a diagnostic test. …
Noticed a loud rubbing noise from the radiator fan hitting the shroud in reverse. Opened the hood to observe that entire engine was leaning to the drivers side. Noticed from under vehicle that the drivers side motor mount was collapsed into the frame by approximately 3/4 of an inch. Further observation indicated that the mount appeared to break at the weld and then tear the frame in front and behind of the welds for the motor mount. Looked on-line for similar occurrences and discovered that many owners of this vehicle have the same problem without any resolution from the manufacturer (Toyota). Others on similar sites observed that between the 2006 model year (mine) and 2007 model years Toyota added a reinforcement to the motor mount indicating that they knew of a problem but were not willing to alert owners to the problem. …
Engine complaints in other Tacoma years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2006 Toyota Tacoma?
NHTSA has 45 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2006 Toyota Tacoma, 6% of the model year's 782 complaints. The component named most often is engine (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Toyota Tacoma engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2006 Toyota Tacoma, though it has 11 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Toyota Tacoma engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 51,000 miles, and 37% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 2 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.