2018 Toyota Tacoma

Typical pattern

11.3% of complaints about the 2018 Toyota Tacoma came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2018 vehicle — around the middle of the 182 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 2.5 yr in service. The most-reported system is service brakes (44 complaints), typically at 2.6 yr or about 10,000 miles.

Complaints: 282
Median age at failure: 2.5 yr
Median mileage: 12,957 n=140
Crash / fire / tow: 3.9% of reports
Safety recalls: 3

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Service brakes

44 reports · 10,000 mi

2.6 yr

13.6%

Fuel / propulsion

41 reports · 24,000 mi

2.4 yr

Power train

29 reports · 6,500 mi

1.8 yr

Engine

25 reports · 15,000 mi

2.3 yr

Other

25 reports · 9,590 mi

2.4 yr

Fuel system

24 reports · 23,000 mi

2.5 yr

Speed control

19 reports · 5,150 mi

1.6 yr

Collision avoidance

16 reports · 23,500 mi

4.7 yr

12.5%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

20V682000 2020-11-04

Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus

If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

20V012000 2020-01-13

Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include certain 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser, 2018 Avalon, Corolla, 2014 FJ Cruiser, 2017 Sienna and Lexus 2018 ES 350, 2018-2019 GS 300, 2013-2014 GS350, 2014-2015 GX 460, IS 350 and LX 570, 2014

If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

18V888000 2018-12-13

Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Toyota Tacoma vehicles. Improper machining of the brake master cylinder may result in internal damage of one of the seals, affecting brake performance.

Reduced brake performance can lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

In owners’ own words

Fuel / propulsion 2,400 mi 6 mo in service

A MONTH AFTER I LEASE THE VEHICLE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ONE DAY AFTER WORK.

Fuel / propulsion 9,590 mi 1.4 yr in service

FUEL GAUGE ON THE DASHBOARD ITS NOT READING CORRECTLY THE TANK AMOUNT OF FUEL. WHEN ITS FULL OF GASOLINE THE GAUGE ON THE DASHBOARD GAVE ME WRONG READINGS MARKING AS EMPTY OR 1/4 OF THE FUEL TANK.

Fuel / propulsion 48,000 mi 2.3 yr in service

MY 2018 TACOMA HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON, THEN THE TRAC LIGHT CAME ON. CRUISE CONTROL QUIT WORKING AND ENGINE RUNS ROUGH. WHEN DRIVING, VEHICLE BEGINS TO LOSE ACCELERATION AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEGINS FLASHING. WHEN IDLING, ENGINE RUNS WITH WITH A MISS, AND WHEN DRIVING, AT LOWER SPEEDS THE VEHICLE SHUDDERS AS IF ITS LOSING POWER.

Engine 500 mi 10 mo in service

TRANSMISSION LOCKS OUT IN 4TH GEAR, MID SPEED SURGE, SURGE AT IDLE WHEN TURNING THE WHEELS. CRUISE CONTROL DOESN'T FUNCTION IT WILL INCREASE RPM'S ON A FLAT ROAD.

Other Tacoma model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.