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 2007 Toyota Tacoma owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owned a 2007 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH, there was smoke emerging from the engine compartment. The contact pulled to the side of the road and proceeded to vacate the vehicle. The contact noticed that the fire was coming from the bottom of the vehicle. A police report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire but the vehicle was destroyed. The contact had to be transported to the hospital by ambulance and diagnosed with smoke inhalation and suffered a heart attack. The contact had to stay hospitalized for eight days. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000. ...updated 07/10/17
Driving normally and approached a stoplight with a stopped truck ahead. Applied the brake and my vehicle began to accelerate. Struck the stopped truck with pressure still on the brake and the acceleration stopped. Minimal damage and no injury involved. Very frightening experience. The truck was towed to the toyata dealer( afraid to drive it) and they could find nothing wrong.
2007 Tacoma 4x4 4 door trd. Driver approached red light attempted to step on brakes to stop and they did not work. Driver ran through red light and noticed black smoke from engine compartment, then flames. Took about a mile, while the engine was on fire, to stop the vehicle by downshifting and e-brake. Had no prior brake problems with vehicle. Insurance is doing investigation at this time. Fire department advised the heaviest fire damage was located near the brake line and master cylinder area.
I have had a number of incidents where the RPM's and the speed of my 2007 Tacoma truck have shot up (run away uncontrolled) when I removed my foot from the accelerator pedal. The RPM's will ramp up and exceed 4500 in a matter of a second or two. The speed of the truck increases proportionally with the RPM's to 85+ MPH. It is difficult to observe the exact readings of RPM?s and speed, because all my attention is needed trying to control a situation where I might be killed in a head on collision with another vehicle or permanent fixtures along the road or freeway. The only way I have of avoiding a crash because of the excessive speed is to depress my clutch at which time the RPM?s go up even higher and then I brake extra heavy and pull off to the side of the freeway before shutting down the engine. Upon engine restart, I have no indication of having had any problem. …
While stopped to take a ticket before entering a garage, with the car in neutral and my right foot on the brake, the engine twice accelerated to over 6,000 rpms. The acceleration lasted about 3 or 4 seconds before the engine returned to normal idle. My foot was not on the gas pedal, but rather on the brake. My Tacoma has a standard transmission. Last week, the same thing happened as I approached a stop sign - car in neutral, foot on the brake, not on the accelerator, and the engine zoomed to 6K rpms. I contacted the dealer where I bought the truck new in 2007 and who has serviced the vehicle every 5K miles since purchase and I have a service appointment for this Friday. All the information I have been able to read about Toyota and this problem is from a couple of years ago and references Toyota's cover up of the issue, etc. …
I own a 2007 Toyota Tacoma double cab 4x4 pick-up truck . I have been experiencing the following situation : when stopped in traffic my foot on the brake with either the heater , fan , or ac on ( one of these components on ) the engine will periodically surge and you can feel the truck want to move forward . It sometimes feels like someone tapped me from behind. My foot on the brake pedal stops the truck from moving forward. This only occurs when one of the above mentioned components is being used. It seems to be associated with engaging the above mentioned items. I had lakewood Toyota of nj check it out however they were unable to reproduce the complaint at so they say. I'm very concerned about this situation because of the recent safety recalls. Maybe there is a problem mechanically or with the software. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Toyota Tacoma. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle suddenly decelerated independently. The failure recurred twice. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and sent an engineer to further inspect the vehicle. The engineer was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 62,000. The consumer stated while pulling out to pass another vehicle he attempted to use the kick down feature. The truck reared up when it down shifted, then immediately fell flat on its face. The engine did not shut off but, returned idle with the gas pedal to the floor. Updated 12/27/2012
While driving my 2007 Toyota Tacoma x-runner pickup it accelerated without driver input. I shifted into neutral gear and vehicle's engine revved to an excessive number of revolutions per minute, for approximately 5 to 6 seconds. I confirmed nothing was holding the accelerator pedal down. The engine's revolutions per minute was excessive to the extent, I feared the engine would fail. The uncontrolled engine revolution ended on it's own. My local Toyota dealer stated there is an electronic chip installed to limit excessive engine revolution, prior to causing any damage. Further, that none of the present "government recalls," apply to the above vehicle. This occurrence occurred once and has not been repeated.
2007 Toyota Tacoma double cab 4x4...pulled up to a stop sign, stopped, nudged forward to see intersection better, engine RPM's spiked, gas pedal floored itself...I placed both feed on the break pedal with every ounce of leg strength to keep the truck from going into intersection...rear wheels were spinning while both feet on break pedal. Truck inched toward intersection with oncoming traffic coming both ways...suddenly the gas pedal returned to normal position and wheels stopped spinning. This could have easily killed me and other drivers approaching in the intersection. Service department could find nothing wrong with vehicle.
Tl contact owns a 2007 Toyota Tacoma. While trying to park the vehicle in reverse, it completely shut off. The vehicle restarted minutes later. Five thousand miles later, the contact stopped at a traffic light and the engine made a loud revving noise, jerked forward, and the vehicle stalled. The engine and the oil light illuminated during each failure. He took the vehicle to the dealer on three occasions, but they could not duplicate the failures. The manufacturer stated that they would open an investigation. The speed was unknown. The failure mileage was 900 and current mileage was 17,000.
Engine complaints in other Tacoma years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2007 Toyota Tacoma?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2007 Toyota Tacoma, 4% of the model year's 541 complaints. The component named most often is engine (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Toyota Tacoma engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2007 Toyota Tacoma, though it has 10 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 2007 Toyota Tacoma engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 43,000 miles, and 32% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 2 injuries 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.