3rd gen Toyota Tacoma 2016–2023

Watch out for

Reputation: what owners and the press report. Tap one to see what to check.

• Timing cover oil leak 2016–2017 One source so far

  What to check: Look for oil at the front of the V6, behind the timing cover.

  The repair means taking the engine out.

  $3,000 to $6,000, per FLEX Automotive

  Sources ¹

• Automatic transmission shudder 2016–2017 One source so far

  What to check: Feel for shudder and hunting between gears on the test drive.

  Sources ¹

• Frame rust 2016–2017 One source so far

  What to check: Look over the frame, and ask whether it was inspected, coated or replaced under Toyota's 2020 campaign.

  The campaign covered trucks built up to June 2017, above all in states that salt their roads.

  Sources ²

• Rear differential leak or howl All years One source so far

  What to check: Look for oil on the rear differential, and listen for a howl at highway speed.

  Two members of a TacomaWorld thread on 3rd gen problems report rear differential trouble: one a leak, and the other a howl that a service bulletin did little for.

  Sources ³

What buyers say

Reputation: what owners and the press report

• Sought after: 2018 to 2023 2018–2023 One source so far

  The same dealer says Toyota had addressed most of the early faults by 2018, with a recalibrated automatic and standard safety aids.¹

• Sought after: 6-speed manual All years One source so far

  Four members of a TacomaWorld thread on 3rd gen problems recommend a manual, and three of them name the 2017 6-speed manual 4x4.³

• Avoid: 2016 and 2017 2016–2017 Less sought after One source so far

  FLEX Automotive points to timing cover oil leaks, automatic shudder and recalls on the first two years.¹

Before you pay

Open the buyer's checklist

Every warning and recall for this generation, with a box to tick.