2017 Toyota Tacoma: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
52%
113 of 218 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
52% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2017 Toyota Tacoma are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 67% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 21 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 47%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES04/12/2017CRASH1 INJURED
I PULLED UP TO PARK THE TRUCK. AFTER PUT IN PARK THE 2017 TOYOTA TACOMA LUNGED FORWARD. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO HIT A BRICK WALL. THERE WAS ALMOST $5950.00 IN DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT GO OFF. I WATCHED MYSELF CRASH INTO THE WALL AND COULD NOT STOP THE TRUCK.
POWER TRAIN09/02/2026
My 2017 Tacoma TRD Off Road (manual transmission) makes a constant chirping sound when the engine is running and increases chirping sound when accelerator is pressed. The chirping sound ceases when the clutch is pressed in. It's clear through research that this is a "throw out bearing" issue. Toyota dealership confi…
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM06/04/2026
Truck has 116k miles, started losing power and acceleration diminished. CEL and Trac Off light came on. Pulled over twice after experiencing same issue. Took to mechanic and diagnostic code P0301 (cylinder 1 misfire). Replaced 6 spark plugs to be safe, and replaced broken coil in cylinder 1. Drove less than a mile and …
Three of 113 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (5)
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runner and Tundra, 2018 Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Lexus GX460 and 2017 Toyota S…
ENGINE
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Tacoma vehicles equipped with a six-cylinder engine. The affected vehicles have a crank …
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 assem…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2017 Toyota Tacoma
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
5 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
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.
