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 ↗2019 Toyota Tacoma engine problems
severe Owners of the 2019 Toyota Tacoma have filed 15 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
15
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$3,100
| Model year | engine complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 Tacoma | 4 |
| 2016 Tacoma | 18 |
| 2017 Tacoma | 20 |
| 2018 Tacoma | 14 |
| 2019 Tacoma (this page) | 15 |
| 2020 Tacoma | 5 |
| 2021 Tacoma | 7 |
| 2022 Tacoma | 4 |
| 2023 Tacoma | 6 |
1crash
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
The 2019 Tacoma engine complaints span early stalling, catastrophic internal damage, and delayed recall remedies. One owner's truck stalled and hesitated from purchase at 8,000 miles; the dealer marked it unsafe but never repaired it. Another experienced engine stalls while coasting on a state highway six months after a January 2020 recall notice with no fix yet available.
The most severe cases involve the low-pressure fuel pump recall issued October 28, 2020. One owner's truck sat unrepaired for 581 days with a defective pump, racking 16,000 miles of lean-running conditions that damaged the wrist pin in cylinder #6 and required a $21,000 engine replacement at 62,000 miles—Toyota refused warranty coverage. A second owner reported fuel injector failure in cylinder #3 at 89,000 miles with misfire and check-engine light; dealerships diagnosed total engine failure but did not repair.
Block casting defects also appear: one owner discovered a bubble in the engine block that popped, causing coolant loss and risk of catastrophic overheating. A timing cover gasket failed at 70,000 miles, and another owner heard engine ticking four thousand miles after repeated stall episodes. Early-onset fuel pump replacement on a fourth vehicle did not definitively cure stalling. Throughout, owners report no warning lights beforehand or delayed manufacturer response to complaints.
Same Toyota Tacoma engine reports on nearby years: 2016 · 2017 · 2018
Failure modes owners describe
Low-pressure fuel pump failure and lean running damage
Toyota recalled low-pressure fuel pumps on 10/28/2020 for causing lean running conditions. One owner reported a defective pump remained installed for 16,000 miles (581 days post-recall notice) before repair, leading to elevated combustion temperatures, metallic contamination, wrist pin damage in cylinder #6, and ultimately catastrophic engine failure requiring replacement at approximately 62,000 miles. No warning lights appeared before ticking noise onset.
When: 62,000 miles; recall issued 10/28/2020, repaired 6/10/2022
Symptoms owners cite: Ticking noise from engine; Loss of power potential; Engine stall risk; Total engine failure
Codes mentioned: Wrist pin damage cylinder #6, Metallic contamination detected
Repairs/costs cited: Full engine replacement; cost $21,000
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall issued 10/28/2020 (low-pressure fuel pump); Toyota Brand Engagement Center denied warranty claim despite recall causation
Engine hesitation and stalling from purchase
Vehicle hesitated and stalled without warning while driving, with sensations of running out of fuel upon restart. Failure occurred repeatedly from vehicle purchase at 8,000 miles. Dealer diagnosed the vehicle as dangerous to drive and advised against operation but did not perform repairs. Manufacturer was notified but did not follow up.
When: 8,000 miles; began at purchase
Symptoms owners cite: Hesitation while driving; Stalling without warning; Sensation of running out of fuel; Repeated failures
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs performed; dealer declared vehicle unsafe
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer contacted but no follow-up provided
Fuel injector failure with engine misfire
Abnormal clattering sound with engine misfire at 89,000 miles. Check engine light illuminated. Multiple mechanics and dealership diagnosed failed fuel injector in cylinder #3 requiring engine replacement. Vehicle was not repaired.
When: 89,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Abnormal clattering from engine; Engine misfire; Check engine light illuminated
Codes mentioned: Fuel injector failure cylinder #3
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership diagnosed need for engine replacement; vehicle not repaired
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer made aware; no additional details provided
Engine block coolant leak and casting bubble defect
Bubble in engine block popped, causing coolant leak. Owner states Toyota has known issues with 2.5-liter engines where failed flow meter causes improper block casting. Dealer claimed defect was out of warranty. Risk of total coolant loss leading to catastrophic engine overheating and failure. Service director confirmed bubble would fail regardless of driving conditions.
When: Out of warranty period
Symptoms owners cite: Coolant leak; Bubble in engine block; Risk of complete coolant loss
Codes mentioned: Engine block casting defect with bubble formation
Repairs/costs cited: Passenger side of block near motor mount; dealer classified as out-of-warranty issue
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer refused coverage citing warranty expiration; owner characterizes as safety issue, not warranty matter
Fuel system surge causing unintended acceleration
Vehicle surged to high RPM while in Drive position after accelerator release during parking. Vehicle traveled 10–15 feet and struck a cement post. No warning lights prior to incident. Toyota contracted independent evaluator performing analysis. Cause undetermined at time of complaint.
When: Unknown mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden surge to high RPM without driver input; Loss of vehicle control; Unintended acceleration
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle at dealership for independent contractor diagnostic evaluation
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Toyota contracted third-party evaluator; outcome unknown
Sudden stalling at multiple speeds
Vehicle suddenly stalled on several occasions while driving at various speeds. Cause undetermined. Occurred around 120,000 miles. Local dealer contacted; manufacturer was not contacted.
When: 120,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden stalling while driving; Multiple occurrences
Repairs/costs cited: Cause not determined
Early-onset engine stalling after purchase
Engine began stalling weeks after purchase in early 2018. Owner took vehicle to shop four times; technician initially reported nothing wrong. On fourth visit, shop performed fuel pump replacement, but owner uncertain if issue was truly resolved. Continues to express concern with no definitive remedy.
When: Weeks after purchase, early 2018
Symptoms owners cite: Engine stalling; Intermittent failure
Repairs/costs cited: Fuel pump replaced; uncertain if repair successful
Cylinder compression loss from valve damage
Check engine light illuminated; dealership diagnostic revealed cylinder #1 had little to no compression due to damaged valves at 59,966 miles.
When: 59,966 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Check engine light; Loss of cylinder compression
Codes mentioned: Cylinder #1 compression loss, Damaged valves
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership diagnosis; no repair details provided
Stalling while coasting and delayed recall remedy
Engine stalls when vehicle coasts, occurring while vehicle was in motion on state highway. Recall notice issued January 13, 2020 for this exact issue, but at time of complaint (approximately 6 months later), no remedy was available. Owner expressed concern over prolonged delay.
When: Approximately 6 months after recall notice issuance (January 13, 2020)
Symptoms owners cite: Stalling while coasting; Loss of engine power while in motion
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall issued 1/13/2020 for coasting stall issue; no remedy available as of complaint date
Timing cover gasket failure
Timing cover gasket failed, with leak detected at 70,000 miles though actual failure may have occurred earlier. Owner characterizes as manufacturing defect and reports common issue among same generation vehicles.
When: Detected at 70,000 miles; failure likely earlier
Symptoms owners cite: Coolant or oil leak from timing cover area
Repairs/costs cited: Timing cover gasket replacement needed
Engine ticking noise post-stalling episodes
Engine developed ticking noise approximately 4,000 miles after repeated engine stall episodes. Suggests internal damage progression following stalling failures.
When: 4,000 miles after repeated stalls
Symptoms owners cite: Engine ticking noise; Follows repeated stalling episodes
Synthesized from 15 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 0 most recent
Had engine trouble with your 2019 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 2019 Toyota Tacoma?
It's a meaningful issue. 15 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $3,100.
At what mileage does the engine typically fail?
Based on the 15 complaints filed, engine issues most often appear around 57,000 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/2019/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.