2021 Toyota Tacoma: What to check before buying

Rear differentials whine and fail early. Dealers find metal shavings, and some trucks are on a second or third unit at around 10,000 miles. Other reports describe oil leaks at the rear differential. The automatic hunts between 5th and 6th gear on cruise control, then drops suddenly to 5th or 4th and surges forward. Several drivers report unintended acceleration lasting 4 to 5 seconds, with RPM jumping to 4000 while braking. Dealers could not reproduce it. The plastic rear coolant bypass joint on the 3.5L V6 leaks, causing hissing, smoke and overheating.

Brake pedals sink to the floor or lose power. Causes in the reports include leaking brake lines, a failed master cylinder, and brake fluid leaking at the rear drum. One pedal failure came at about 9,400 miles, and a master cylinder replacement came at 51,000. Brakes also grab or pull hard to one side, and one dealer found a caliper malfunction code. Brake assemblies rust badly at low mileage. Two complaints involve crashes with 2 injuries, where the brakes or collision prevention did not stop the truck.

Airbags do not deploy in serious frontal, side-impact and rollover crashes. Five of the 7 complaints involve crashes, with 12 injuries reported. In one frontal crash into a tree, the passenger airbag stayed off and a belted child in the front passenger seat was killed. Other reports describe seats collapsing or bending forward, a driver seat belt failing in a rollover, and a headrest coming loose. Separately, the front passenger seat track develops play. The fix is a full seat frame assembly, which was on back order.

Electrical faults include sudden power loss at highway speed. Dash lights flicker, then the engine shuts off, and a failed battery was blamed in that case. Heated seat connectors burn and stop working after a burning smell. Water comes into the cabin through the rear passenger-side vent and soaks the carpet near wiring. Other reports cite pre-collision and stability control malfunction warnings, harsh shifting, and a speedometer that jolts at 85 mph on cruise control. One injury is reported.

Frames and subframes rust early. Frame paint peels, and owners say Toyota knows about it but has not started a repair program. One report describes severe subframe corrosion and cracked frame welds at 500 miles, which ended with a refund. Doors on both sides do not latch unless slammed hard. The one crash-related complaint involves another driver running a red light, not a defect in the truck.

The rear coolant bypass joint leaks. One repair at 47,800 miles cost $1490.36. Engines also surge from 1200 to 3500 rpm in traffic. Others stall with misfire codes and a check engine light while climbing hills on cruise control. Dealers blamed bad gas, but replacing the whole fuel system did not stop the stalling. Other reports cite engine knocking, plus white smoke and a strong gas smell from the exhaust at startup.

Automatic emergency braking slams on with nothing ahead, usually on cruise control. The rear tires skid, and in one case the truck slid into the next lane. The system also fails the other way: no warning and no brake help before a frontal crash, even at its most sensitive setting. Owners also mention a front radar recall for a unit that has no back cover and goes bad. One complaint involves a crash.

Fuel pumps fail or make noise. Reports include a highway stall with a fuel smell, traced to a bad pump at about 75,000 miles. Another truck cranked a long time on cold starts at about 62,000. A third pump clacked loudly, and the dealer called it normal. Owners point to two fuel pump campaigns, 23TE01 and 20V682000, but at least one truck was not included in the recall.