This Service Bulletin provides updated non-electric water pump leak inspection and diagnostic tips for some 2008 – 2025 model year Toyota vehicles.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2016 Toyota Tacoma engine problems
moderate Owners of the 2016 Toyota Tacoma have filed 18 NHTSA complaints about the engine at roughly $3,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See engine across all vehicles →
Complaints
18
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$3,100
| Model year | engine complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 Tacoma | 91 |
| 2013 Tacoma | 5 |
| 2014 Tacoma | 4 |
| 2015 Tacoma | 4 |
| 2016 Tacoma (this page) | 18 |
| 2017 Tacoma | 20 |
| 2018 Tacoma | 14 |
| 2019 Tacoma | 15 |
| 2020 Tacoma | 5 |
What stands out
No new NHTSA engine complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 3 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering engine on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
This Service Bulletin provides updated non-electric water pump leak inspection and diagnostic tips for some 2008 – 2025 model year Toyota vehicles.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This is to advise of various price adjustments that will affect Toyota Genuine Motor Oil and Long Life Coolant, effective March 1, 2024. These products are ordered through the Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) website.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗TSB: Some 2019 ? 2022 model year Avalon, 2018 ? 2023 model year Camry, 2017 ? 2022 model year Highlander, 2017 ? 2020 model year Sienna, and 2016 ? 2023 model year Tacoma vehicles equipped with a 2GR-FKS engine may exhibit a knocking noise from the vacuum pump at idle. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to address this condition
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗TSB: This Service Bulletin provides a procedure to properly perform the Techstream ?Control the Injection Mode? active test in some 2016 ? 2022 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with an FKS engine
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners of 2016 Tacomas consistently report engine defects that hit the wallet hard and hit early. Timing cover leaks and front seal failures show up as early as 58,000 miles and require full front-end teardown or engine removal—bills running $4,500 to $5,700+. The timing cover issue is acknowledged as a known problem Toyota addressed in pre-2016 models with a technical service bulletin but refuses to extend to 2016+ V6 engines, even though 4-cylinder models were recalled.
Coolant crossover pipes leak, also requiring partial engine disassembly around $2,500. More catastrophic: fuel injectors fail without warning at 41,000 miles, dumping fuel into the engine and totaling it for $19,256 in parts and labor.
The upper intake manifold flap actuator (part 17190-0P101) breaks internally, triggering limp mode and sudden deceleration at highway speeds. Error codes reset when the truck is shut off, creating a false impression the problem fixed itself—until it happens again on the next hard acceleration.
Additional failures reported include crank position sensor stalling ($110 fix), erroneous brake-pedal sensor readings causing phantom slowdowns with no diagnostic code, and engine noise during acceleration that dealerships cannot diagnose.
One owner received recall notification (NHTSA 17V356000) but the dealership had no parts and the manufacturer couldn't confirm availability. The truck sat undrivable for months.
Same Toyota Tacoma engine reports on nearby years: 2017 · 2018 · 2019
Failure modes owners describe
Engine oil leaks from timing cover and front seal
Factory-installed seals or robotic assembly defects causing oil seepage from timing cover or front engine seal. Owners report this as a well-known issue that Toyota has not recalled for V6 engines despite recalling 4-cylinder versions.
When: 58,850 miles; 20k-80k+ miles reported across narratives
Symptoms owners cite: Noticeable oil leak visible during oil changes; No warning lights or indicators; Oil loss over time
Repairs/costs cited: $5,700+ reported; $4,500+ for full front-end teardown; engine removal often required
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall issued for 4-cylinder engines (NHTSA 17V356000) but not extended to V6; no warranty enhancement or reimbursement for V6 owners
Upper intake manifold flap actuator failure (part 17190-0P101)
Flap actuator in intake manifold breaks internally, causing incorrect air readings and forcing vehicle into limp mode. Part designed for fuel efficiency and emissions control but not repairable—requires complete replacement.
When: Unknown mileage; occurs during highway acceleration and mountain passes at speeds over 4000 RPM
Symptoms owners cite: Rapid vehicle deceleration at highway speeds; Vehicle enters limp mode; Error codes appear but reset when engine is turned off and on; False sense of security due to code reset
Codes mentioned: Multiple error codes that reset on restart
Repairs/costs cited: Part replacement required (17190-0P101); cost not specified
Leaking coolant crossover pipe
Crossover pipe develops leak requiring partial engine disassembly. Known problem across 2016+ Tacoma models with 3.5L V6 engine.
When: Under 90,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Coolant leak
Repairs/costs cited: Approximately $2,500 for partial engine disassembly repair
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No recall or warranty enhancement issued
Leaking timing chain cover
Timing chain cover develops oil leak requiring full front-end teardown. Known problem across 2016+ Tacoma models with 3.5L V6 engine; Toyota issued TSB for pre-2016 models but refuses to acknowledge the ongoing issue in post-2016 motors.
When: Under 90,000 miles; reported as occurring early in engine life
Symptoms owners cite: Oil leak from timing chain cover
Repairs/costs cited: Over $4,500 for full front-end teardown repair
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: TSB issued for pre-2016 models; no recall or warranty enhancement for 2016+ models
Fuel injector leak into engine
Fuel injector develops internal leak, allowing fuel to enter combustion chamber and crankcase. Can cause catastrophic engine failure without warning.
When: 41,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden loss of engine power while driving on freeway; No warning lights or prior symptoms; Complete engine shutdown
Repairs/costs cited: $19,256 for engine block, heads sub-assembly, injectors, and assorted parts plus labor
Crank position sensor failure
Sensor fails, causing engine bucking and stalling during normal driving with no warning indicators.
When: Unknown mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Engine bucking and stalling while vehicle in motion; No warning lights
Repairs/costs cited: $110 for replacement
Vehicle stalling and loss of power while driving
Engine stalls and loses power abruptly during freeway driving. Some instances reported after recall repair attempt at dealership with no improvement.
When: Unknown mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle lurches and loses power; Abrupt engine shutdown; Malfunction indicators illuminated
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership recall repair attempted (NHTSA 17V356000) but did not resolve issue
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall service attempted but ineffective
Erroneous accelerator and brake conflict sensor reading
Engine management system falsely detects simultaneous accelerator and brake pedal depression while driving at full speed, causing sudden deceleration. No error code appears in Toyota computer diagnostic.
When: Unknown mileage; occurred 3 times
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden vehicle slowdown while driving at full speed; Dashboard light indicating accelerator and brake pressed simultaneously; No actual brake pedal engagement; No error code registered
Repairs/costs cited: No repair documented; Toyota claims no error code detected
Rear coolant bypass joint leak
Rear coolant bypass pipe develops leak with coolant accumulating.
When: Unknown mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Coolant leak; Coolant accumulation
Cranking and tapping noise from engine during acceleration
Loud cranking and tapping noise heard from engine compartment when accelerating on incline. No warning lights. Noise recurred several times but could not be duplicated at dealership.
When: Unknown mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Cranking noise from engine compartment; Tapping noise from engine compartment; Occurs during acceleration on inclines; No warning lights
Repairs/costs cited: Could not be diagnosed; failure not duplicable at dealership
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall notification received (NHTSA 17V356000)
Recall repair parts shortage (NHTSA 17V356000)
Multiple owners received recall notification for NHTSA campaign 17V356000 (engine) but dealerships could not perform repair due to parts unavailability. Manufacturer unable to confirm when parts would be available, causing extended delay.
When: At time of recall notification
Symptoms owners cite: Inability to schedule recall repair; Parts unavailable at dealership; Extended delay beyond reasonable timeframe
Repairs/costs cited: Repair delayed indefinitely due to parts shortage
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 17V356000; parts distribution failure
Synthesized from 18 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
This vehicle is equipped with Toyota V6 Motor that was new in 2016. The issue is the Timing Chain Cover leaks oil. This was an issue on Toyota Motors before 2016 and Toyota issued a TSB for those. However Toyota has refused to acknowledge this ongoing issue in its post 2016 Motors. This is a very well know issue by Toyota.
Upper Intake manifold flap actuator ( part: Toyota 17190-0P101 ) brakes in the intake resulting in wrong air reading and forcing vehicle into limp mode causing the vehicle to rapidly decrease speed, and creating a potential accident with other vehicles and semi's. this will continue to happen but this will give a person a false sense of security since error codes will reset once vehicle is…
Had engine trouble with your 2016 Toyota Tacoma?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the engine problem on the 2016 Toyota Tacoma?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 18 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $3,100 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the engine typically fail?
Based on the 18 complaints filed, engine issues most often appear around 25,838 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $3,100 for engine repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to engine?
No active recalls currently cover engine issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2016/Toyota/Tacoma.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.