Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Toyota Tacoma owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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 recall or leak. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who referred to the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
I have three signifcant issues with my Tacoma: 1. A few months after purchasing my Tacoma in 2016 Toyota (no accidents to date & 95% highway driving) and one outside alignment shop had never been able to get the truck aligned properly so it would never keep its alignment more than 3-4 months; repeated visits to Toyota maintence for alignment over the years became as routine as an oil change, sometimes more frequently; the unaligned suspension constantly was causing unsafe handling and unintentional swerving. 2. Toyota missed, and maybe purposefully, identifying major engine, transfer case, and transmission leaks during regular and routine serivces (always serviced at Toyota dealerships) until my mileage exceeded 60,000 miles. Then when I asked the dealership to recheck a recent transfer case refresh because I saw leaks, I needed and got over $3,000 in repairs e.g. …
My 2016 Toyota Tacoma has had multiple oil leaks in the timing cover. The dealer has already fixed this issue twice and the timing cover is currently leaking oil. This leak is expensive to fix because it involves removing the engine and the transmission to properly seal the timing cover. This is a know defect that poses a serious safety concern as the oil leak may go from a small leak to a large leak quickly, causing the engine to fail. Additionally the air pressure from driving can cause the oil to end up everywhere which can lead other components to degrade and fail. Because the fix is so complex, the process to remove and reinstall the engine and transmission may result in other mistakes. During one of the attempts to fix the issue, the dealer forgot to replace an engine bolt and forgot to hook up a vent hose. …
I brought my truck into Miller Toyota of Anaheim due to a violent shuddering and acceleration at about 40 to 50 mph. This could have caused driver to lose control and injure themselves, passengers, and other drivers on the road. Dealership diagnosed the problem as a bad torque converter in the transmission and said it would cost about $3200.00 to repair. Couldn't afford that so I took vehicle to an independent repair shop and they notified me that there was a Toyota Service Bulletin that addressed this concern and that they would have to do a complete reprogramming update of Transmission Control Module. I haven't had any issues since this was done but the dealership should have been aware of this problem which could be potentially fatal. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to this failure or during the failure.
I purchased the vehicle new and noticed right away that the transmisson would clunk right away when I put it into gear[ it's an automatic]. I asked the dealership about it and they said it was normal and no issues. Now I'm [redacted] and have owned many cars so.... Anyway, over the years I've asked several times and they say no issue. Now, just this morning, my wife found an article about the issue and Toyota is finally admitting there IS an issue. What can I do?
AT shifter was stiff from purchase. I thought this was normal. Sometimes it shifted OK, most times not. Had independent repair shops lubricate the shifter multiple times to no avail. Then the shifter wouldn't move at all and I was in a traffic lane causing a dangerous situation. Had truck towed to an independent repair shop that found a second way to lubricate the shaft. Curious how many trucks left the factory without AT shaft lubricated.
After starting the truck and idling for any length of time, I place my foot on the brake and shift into Reverse or Drive. The truck almost leaps if I don't keep my foot on the brake. There is a noticeable pause many times, so it seems to be electronically controlled transmission. I have read that dealerships can Flash the ECU module and it will resolve it, but I do not have any "unresolved recalls" at this time.
Vehicle has been jerking itself while driving at both low speeds and high speeds. Had taken it to the dealership Sept.2020 in order to get the ECU/PCM reflashed/updated to resolve issue; issue persists. Now, at highway speeds, 80% of the time it will be jerking itself, as off being momentarily shut off and on. Caused my rear end to fish tail on highway.
2016 Toyota Tacoma is known to have an issue with the timing cover leaking oil. This is a Fire Hazard: Oil leaking onto hot engine components can vaporize and ignite, posing a fire risk to the vehicle and surrounding areas and can cause environmental pollution.
First incident occured while vehicle was stuck in light snow and ice condition. 4-wheel drive system did not appear to be operating properly. Engaged new "crawl-control" system per owner's manual instructions. During use of crawl-control the motor RPM's exceeded 5,500; immediately pressed engine-stop button and applied brakes. Incident resulted in catastrophic damage of front drive-line. Damage included front drive-shaft failure; dealer indicated "drive-line" replaced. Significant damage to components adjacent to front drive-shaft. Vehicle repaired under warranty. Two days after service random brake lock-up occurs while driving; vehicle skids out of control. No malfunction indicators showing. ABS also does not activate during panic stop brake application. …
Related recalls
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.
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.
Transmission complaints in other Tacoma years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2016 Toyota Tacoma?
NHTSA has 136 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2016 Toyota Tacoma, 42% of the model year's 324 complaints. The component named most often is driveline › differential unit (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Toyota Tacoma transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 17V-285 (differential unit, Apr 27, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2016 Toyota Tacoma transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 11,000 miles, and 80% before 25,000 miles.
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.