2022 Toyota Tacoma: What to check before buying

Transmission trouble dominates these reports. Drivers describe shudder under load, gear hunting with the engine revving between shifts, clanking from the bell housing, and black, burnt fluid. Outright failures are reported between 35k and 40200 miles. Other complaints describe the truck popping out of 2nd gear when cold, brief loss of power when accelerating, and Hill Assist releasing so the truck rolls backward. One crash involved a truck rolling down an embankment after being shifted into park. Dealers often cannot duplicate the problem or find no fault code.

Every report here describes air bags that did not deploy in a serious crash. All 8 complaints involve a crash, with 10 injuries. The impacts include rear-end hits at highway speed, side impacts at intersections, and a frontal collision with an elk. Several reports say the seatbelts did not lock, or that airbag and seatbelt malfunction warnings appeared after impact. Others saw no warning beforehand. In one case the manufacturer blamed the occupancy sensor for not detecting a passenger. Reported injuries include a torn disk and injuries that required surgery.

The most common complaint is a soft brake pedal that sinks toward the floor. It is often worst at a stop or on a cold morning. Some dealers call this normal. Others have replaced the master cylinder or brake booster, and in one case the master cylinder failed again after it was replaced. Other reports describe long stopping distances, pulling to one side, and wheels locking on a downhill or a steep driveway with Hill Start Assist active. Grooved rear drums caused seat vibration in one truck. One report involves a crash.

Paint peels and flakes on white trucks, mainly around the rear cab window frame and on the inner fenders, sometimes down to bare metal. Toyota runs a customer support program for this paint defect, but owners report being told their VIN is not covered, including on Super White paint code 040. Separate reports describe corrosion on frame welds within 6 months of purchase, which ended in a lemon law replacement, and corrosion where the windshield meets the roof.

Random stalls at any speed are reported. All the warning lights come on, the engine shuts off, and it needs a restart. Other complaints describe a speedometer that stops working or reads 80 mph while the truck is stopped, and blurry exterior cameras on a TRD Pro that the dealer called typical of 2022 trucks. One crash report says the truck accelerated from a parked position with the brake pressed and the steering locked, then struck a neighbor's home. No injuries were reported.

The most repeated issue is hesitation or a dead spot when pulling away from a stop, which nearly caused collisions while merging into traffic. One report adds rough idle, a misfire on a steep climb, and a metal-on-metal clanging from the engine bay. In another case a warning for the engine, throttle, or transmission control system appeared at 36,303 miles. A dealer called a leaking coolant hose a known issue. None of these complaints involve a crash.

Power steering pumps leak. One truck needed a new pump at 33000 miles, and the replacement was leaking again by 45500 miles. The same truck had a timing chain seal leak that required pulling the engine. A separate report describes steering wheel jitter starting around 45,000 miles and a steady pull to the right, later traced to a worn front wheel bearing at 78k miles. With only 2 complaints, no broad pattern is established.

Sidewalls fail early. One report describes repeated blowouts on 265/65/R17 Nitto Ridge Grappler tires within 8000 miles, at highway speeds and correct pressure, with no road hazard. Another describes cracking tires and several patches. Neither Nitto nor Toyota responded to the blowout complaint. Only 2 complaints exist, so the evidence is thin. A sudden sidewall failure at speed still carries a real loss-of-control risk.