2018 Toyota Tacoma reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Toyota Tacoma has 204 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 41 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Tacoma years here — over the median of the other years, which is 16. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Fuel pump and Brake master cylinder.

2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport — Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

204

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (44 of 204), then Fuel and propulsion system (41) and Powertrain (29). Those filings include 7 that report a crash and 2 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Tacoma has 239 complaints, 39 per year, and the 2019 has 218 complaints, 48 per year. The 2018 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Toyota Tacoma. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

Recall Fuel pump 2020-11-04 · NHTSA campaign 20V682000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus RC200t, 2019 Lexus RC300, RC350, 2017 and 2019-2020 Lexus RX350, 2018-2020 RX350L, 2019 Lexus UX200, 2018-2019 Lexus NX300 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-012. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA01.

Recall Fuel pump 2020-01-13 · NHTSA campaign 20V012000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include certain 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser, 2018 Avalon, Corolla, 2014 FJ Cruiser, 2017 Sienna and Lexus 2018 ES 350, 2018-2019 GS 300, 2013-2014 GS350, 2014-2015 GX 460, IS 350 and LX 570, 2014 IS F, 2018-2019 IS 350, LC 500H and LS 500H, 2013-2015 LS 460, 2015 NX 200T and RC350, 2017 RC 200T and RX 350. Toyota also removed the 2018-2019 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser and 2018-2019 Lexus GX 460 and LX 570 and 2019 NX300 from inclusion in this recall. On March 19, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include 2015 Lexus GS350 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began May 4, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB02 and 20TA02 for Toyota vehicles and 20LB01 and 20LA01 for Lexus vehicles.

Recall Brake master cylinder 2018-12-13 · NHTSA campaign 18V888000

Summary Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Toyota Tacoma vehicles. Improper machining of the brake master cylinder may result in internal damage of one of the seals, affecting brake performance.

Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake master cylinder, free of charge. The recall began January 28, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J16/J06.

Complaints by component (204 total)

Service brakes

Fuel and propulsion system

Powertrain

Engine

Fuel system, gasoline

Speed control

Structure

Electrical system

Forward collision avoidance

Steering

Suspension

Air bags

Exterior lighting

Hydraulic brakes

Seat belts

Seats

Visibility and wipers

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Engine and engine cooling

Lane departure

Parking brake

Visibility

Show 14 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"I have a clear coat bubbling issue on my mirrors and also multiple clear coat stains on the hood that just developed on my Toyota Tacoma Off Road-Inferno Orange paint after two years that I own it. I called Toyota,…"
Structure · filed 2026-09-18
"I own a 2018 Toyota Tacoma SR, manufactured 11/2017, with factory paint code 1G3 Magnetic Gray Metallic. The factory clear coat is experiencing extensive delamination/failure on the hood and roof. This isn't isolated…"
Structure · filed 2026-09-08
"Vehicle hits a bump in the road and the check engine light comes on, followed by the gas pedal being non-responsive and an error code on the instrument panel saying “Brake Override System Malfunction. Check with…"
Unknown or other · filed 2026-07-22
"The cab vents failed causing water to soak the carpet and pad from the back wall to the front of the cab. Mold was growing through out the the cab. Carpet & pad had to be removed. This is a known problem by dealerships…"
Structure, Unknown or other · filed 2026-07-19
"WHAT FAILED: The clear coat finish on the exterior paint of my 2018 Toyota Tacoma has failed (cracking) in two separate locations on the same vehicle, indicating a manufacturing defect rather than normal wear. In late…"
Structure · filed 2026-07-13

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2018 Toyota Tacoma PU/CC 2WD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2018 Toyota Tacoma PU/CC 4WD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2018 Toyota Tacoma PU/EC 2WD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	4 stars
2018 Toyota Tacoma PU/EC 4WD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Tacoma two-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	19	24	21 MPG	$3100
Tacoma two-wheel drive	2.7L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	20	23	21 MPG	$3100
Tacoma four-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	18	22	20 MPG	$3250
Tacoma four-wheel drive	2.7L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	19	22	20 MPG	$3250
Tacoma four-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Part-time four-wheel drive	17	21	18 MPG	$3600
Tacoma four-wheel drive Double Cab Off-Road	3.5L, 6-cyl	Manual 6-speed	Part-time four-wheel drive	17	20	18 MPG	$3600

Specs and fitment

3rd generation, 2016–2023

Body styles Access Cab, Double Cab

Oil 0W-20 (2.7L 4-cyl and 3.5L V6)

Tire size 245/70R17, 265/70R17, 265/65R18 or 265/70R18 (trim-dependent)

Towing capacity 6,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Early third-generation production drew several Toyota safety recalls. NHTSA campaign 17V-285 (Toyota H0G) covers certain 2016-2017 Tacomas where oil may leak from the rear differential carrier joint; low oil can seize the differential and cause a loss of control. Campaign 17V-356 (Toyota H0H) covers certain 2016-2017 six-cylinder Tacomas whose crank position sensor may fail and stall the engine. NHTSA campaign 15V-656 (Toyota F0T) covers a small batch of 2016 Tacomas built in August-September 2015 with incorrect bolts on the driver knee air bag module, which can affect air bag performance in a crash.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Toyota Tacoma Next year 2019 Toyota Tacoma See every Toyota Tacoma model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Toyota Tacoma reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 Toyota Tacoma?

Is the 2018 Toyota Tacoma more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2018 Toyota Tacoma been recalled?

The 2018 Toyota Tacoma has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Toyota Tacoma?

Owners have filed 204 complaints about the 2018 Toyota Tacoma with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Toyota Tacoma get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Toyota Tacoma is 19.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2020 Toyota Tacoma?

3rd generation (2016-2023).

How much can a Toyota Tacoma tow?

Published maximums vary by generation, cab, engine, and equipment; many recent U.S. specs list up to 6,500 lb when properly equipped.

When did the 4th-generation Tacoma start?

The 2024 model year (4th generation) followed the 2016-2023 3rd generation in the U.S. lineup.