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2011 Toyota Tacoma problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
11%
15 of 136 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2011 Toyota Tacoma. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 11% of relevant complaints.

Better than 97% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 50 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 8%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2011 Toyota Tacoma have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 15 of 136 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota Tacoma concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (11%). For comparison, the 2010 scores 17% and the 2012 scores 65%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
15
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
186
this model year
Fires reported
6
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
9
8 crashes · 7 injuries

Complaints by component

SUSPENSION60 · 32%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING32 · 17%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM22 · 12%
STRUCTURE21 · 11%
AIR BAGS17 · 9%
STEERING17 · 9%

The years either side

2010
17%
42 of 294
2011
11%
15 of 186
2012
65%
184 of 295
2013
29%
33 of 125
2014
26%
22 of 93
2015
23%
20 of 101
2016
58%
174 of 323
2017
52%
113 of 239
2018
42%
83 of 206
2019
50%
106 of 218
2020
48%
39 of 87
2021
38%
28 of 80
2022
33%
17 of 59
2023
38%
17 of 54

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2011 Toyota Tacoma

What one owner reported

STRUCTURE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM06/11/2025
The underside of my 2011 Toyota Tacoma is experiencing tremendous rust. Dealer said since there was not perforation, nothing to be done. Brackets holding wiring, body panels and now gas tank have rusted and failed. The gas tank strap is a major concern. It is available for inspection. The gas tank is held up now by on…

One of 15 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 Toyota Tacoma?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns on the 2011 Toyota Tacoma, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

9 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
structure: body: hood: hinge and attachments17V425000 · Jul 2017
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2011-2016 Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner vehicles equipped with accessory hood scoops installed by SET or SET dealers. The adhesive attaching…
seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler16V396000 · Jun 2016
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid,…
seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler14V743000 · Nov 2014
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011…
suspension: rear: springs: leaf spring assembly: leaf14V604000 · Sep 2014
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 Toyota Tacoma Pre-Runner and 4x4 vehicles manufactured September 14, 2009, to October 11, 2010. In the…
equipment: other: labels14V475000 · Aug 2014
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2008-2014 FJ Cruiser and Tacoma vehicles equipped with accessory wheels and tires installed by Toyota or dealers…
seat belts13V337000 · Aug 2013
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Tacoma Access Cab vehicles manufactured September 14, 2004, through March 29, 2010; and model year 2011 Tacoma Access Cab vehicles manufactured July…
equipment: other: labels13V123000 · Apr 2013
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013…
air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive13V014000 · Jan 2013
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius,…
tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems11V148000 · Mar 2011
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2011 FJ CRUISER, LAND CRUISER, TACOMA, SEQUOIA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2011 Toyota Tacoma? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2011 Toyota Tacoma

Does the 2011 Toyota Tacoma have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 15 of 136 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota Tacoma concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (11%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 Toyota Tacoma?

No. NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns on the 2011 Toyota Tacoma, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Toyota Tacoma years are better?

The 2011 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the Toyota Tacoma years we track (11%). The other years run higher.

Should I buy a 2011 Toyota Tacoma?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2011 Toyota Tacoma shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.