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2023 Toyota Tacoma: engine and transmission complaints

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
38%
17 of 45 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

38% of relevant owner complaints on the 2023 Toyota Tacoma are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 57% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 9 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 31%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
17
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
54
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
4
5 crashes · 5 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM12 · 22%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER10 · 19%
STEERING9 · 17%
AIR BAGS8 · 15%
ENGINE8 · 15%
POWER TRAIN7 · 13%

The years either side

2010
17%
42 of 293
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 203
2019
50%
106 of 218
2020
48%
39 of 87
2021
38%
28 of 80
2022
33%
16 of 57
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.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other midsize pickups with no elevated signal

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,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL08/10/2026
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that the transmission failed to operate properly while driving 35 MPH and attempting to accelerate. While driving uphill or downhill, the transmission was slow to shift into the intended gear, and the vehicle was slow to accelerate. Additionally, there was an ab…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM03/09/2026
On February 16 I started my vehicle to drive home from work and the vehicle threw multiple error codes and shutdown while driving and would not start again. It was towed to the dealership. The dealership advised the problem was remedied. 11 days later the same problem occurred, vehicle threw multiple error codes and sh…
ENGINE03/03/2026
Oil cap went loosed and fell off after a few hundred miles of driving. This is a very common thing in 2023 Toyota tacoma.

Three of 17 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 (4)

CHILD SEAT:VEHICLE LATCH ANCHOR
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Tacoma vehicles. One or more of the individual welds in the upper child seat anchors may…
STEERING:COLUMN
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, 2023 Lexu…
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturer (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Tacoma vehicles. The axle shaft sub-assembly may separate from the axle housing due to de…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2023 Toyota Tacoma

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.

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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.