Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Outrageous windshield replacement - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By FeralEquine - July 30 - 1:02 am

  As in other reviews, the windshield spiders easily. The first hit made a small aggravating spider. The second small rock that hit far from the first made a tiny spot that at first was almost unnoticeable. It was quiescent for a few days then expanded to the whole windshield in the sun in one afternoon. Its $1200 or more to replace with the original. Turns out the old Tacoma windshields fit and are much, much, less expensive. The trucklet has only 11,000 miles.

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  Nice truck, but some standard equipment is missing - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Bill H - June 18 - 12:08 am

  Just purchased my 2016 Tacoma SR. Overall, I like the truck, but Toyotas SR is lacking some standard accessories that virtually every other car comes with. The most important is keyless entry. Yes, thats right, no key fob you need to manually unlock the door. This is absolutely crazy, the dealership even told me its not an option yet for the 2016 Tacoma SRs. They hinted keyless should be available for it in a few months for an extra $400. Also there is no homelink, so be prepared to find your garage door opener that you havent needed since the 90s. Also, there are no automatic head lights, must turn them on/off. Overall, I do like the truck, I am just still floored about the lack of keyless entry.

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  My Puny Tacoma - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Buster Hoffmaster - April 24 - 2:43 pm

  I previously owned a 2006 Tundra that I bought new and drove 160,000 miles....basically trouble free. I needed a new truck for a variety of reasons, but the Tundra had just gotten to "big truck" as it got older, so I focused on the Tacoma. I searched and searched for just the truck I wanted and finally found it....two states away (seems Toyota is not too keen on selling customers what they want....just what Toyota wants to build at the moment). But that is another story. Also, I realize that the complaints below are based on my experience owning a Tundra, which was a MUCH better truck. So as for the Tacoma, I get my truck, and my first trip is from Texas to Colorado for vacation. On the road, I discovered the three BIG DOWNERS about the truck almost immediately. The engine is very underpowered.......the transmission will drive you crazy with its constant downshifting just to get up a normal highway overpass, and the fuel economy is nowhere near what the manufacturer claims. Dont plan on any quick passing on the freeway. Wont happen. This engine is just not right for this size vehicle...... And the transmission........wow, what a piece of crap. Does a six-speed transmission really need to shift into THIRD just to get up an overpass?? I know this is really an engine/transmission problem, but you would think a company like Toyota could have figured this out a long time ago. Finally, this truck is supposed to get 20 MPG (I think) in the city. I get 14 (I am not an aggressive driver). I get 19 on the highway (driving the speed limit) and I think it is supposed to average 27 ? I have had it serviced at the dealership, and they assure me everything is as it should be. Really?? You should really be a died-in-the-wool Toyota fan to buy this truck.

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  Engineer who designed the key system is a moron! - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Jack Kendrick - November 1 - 7:40 am

  Overall I am very happy with my Tacoma TRD Offroad. My decision came down to the Taco or the Colorado and while in some ways the Colorado beat the Taco, I was looking for a camping, off-road, rough country performer and I felt Toyota had a superior 4WD system and was overall a more rugged vehicle. It drives great and feels unstoppable and indestructible. The Colorado would have been my choice if I was looking for a work truck that would spend most of its life on pavement. The Tacoma is the best vehicle I have ever owned. That said, the remainder of this review is going to address my very low opinion of the key system for the 2016 Tacoma. I admit that I am a little anal about keys. I need a set, my wife needs a set and there must be an emergency set. So the day my Tacoma arrived I went to the service department and ordered an extra set of keys. In my opinion, the Toyota engineer who designed this abomination should be stripped of his engineering credentials and reassigned to Fukushima clean-up duty! The design is moronic and I get the impression it was cobbled together from unwanted bits and pieces of other Toyota vehicles. And God help you if your ever need to order a duplicate set! It takes no less than THREE (3) keys to fully operate the Tacoma. Ive never heard of a vehicle that required 3 different keys to operate. There is one key for the tail gate. All it does is unlock the tailgate. It is just a simple mechanical lock. Toyota does not even bother to give you an extra one; they just give you only one key. If you order a spare key you are in for a surprise. The key blank is a $30 chip key but the CHIP DOES NOT DO ANYTHING because the lock is just a simple mechanical lock. So instead of selling you a $3 blank they sell you a $30 blank with a worthless chip in it. But at least these keys can be cut locally at your dealer. I actually got this key the same day which is far better than I did with the other two keys. The doors and ignition keys need to be special ordered and they dont come quick. I pity the poor fool who loses his keys because you might not get into your vehicle for two weeks while you wait on Toyota to pull their head from the nether regions and actually come up with a replacement. It is really two keys: an electronic proximity fob and a laser-cut mechanical key which stows cleverly inside of the fob. They cost about $150 dollars EACH which is beyond obscene and totally unnecessary. To add insult to injury, the fob costs an additional $55 to program. The fob can lock and unlock the doors with a push of a fob button or if it is in close proximity allow the key-holder to unlock and lock the drivers door by swiping the drivers door handle which is pretty neat but I bet I will be cursing that thing when it fails about 20 years from now. The fob also is needed to start the vehicle and must be in proximity (your pants pocket works) of the push button start which looks to be a leftover from a Prius. The fob is what you would give to a valet attendant and pray to god he does not lose that nearly priceless piece of hardware. I finally got my extra fob about 10 days after I ordered it. Thank goodness I was not locked out of my vehicle! The mechanical laser cut key can unlock the drivers door (nice if the battery is dead), and can also unlock the glove box. You would retain this when you gave the fob to the valet attendant which is clever. But why, Why, WHY could the witless Toyota engineer not design the tailgate to use this same key? How stupid is that? And what advantage is there to this laser cutting technology where a customer in Wyoming has to wait for a key to be cut at enormous cost in Battlefield Missouri? I am failing to see or appreciate the $150 of added utility over a simple $3 mechanically cut key that I could get made in 5 minutes any hardware store locally. Three weeks after ordering, I am still waiting for my replacement key. The first one was completely the wrong blank. It was too wide to fit in the fob or the lock. The 2nd one was cut from the correct blank and fit in the fob and the door lock but was cut with completely the wrong pattern and now I am hoping that about a week from now (a month total), the third try will prove to be the charm. My local parts guy showed me the orders that he had sent in and he was ordering the right thing. It is Toyota in Battlefield that is apparently incompetent. If a set of keys is so expensive and hard to obtain, it sets off some alarm bells. I just hope that this truck does not break very often because apparently Toyota parts are both dear and scarce and their parts process is sub-standard!

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  too little too late - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By keith crawley - July 24 - 7:12 am

  I did not buy the vehicle in the end. I still think the TACOMA was/is the right vehicle for me, but maybe not just now. I was offered too little ( in my opinion) too late as a trade for my spotless low mileage 2013 Honda CRV otherwise the deal would have happened. I had fancied a truck for some time as it would be better suited to my lifestyle, but was not REALLY sure I was doing the right thing getting rid of my Honda ( condition,mileage, fuel consumption - and, what you know ie no problems) to buy a new vehicle - truck or not. Due to the offered trade being quite a bit under what I felt it was worth I walked away. Phone calls and discussions later increasing the trade offer was still a little below what I was prepared to take, and I had enough time to think clearly on what my Honda was really worth to me - and that was way more than offered and more even than I had initially been prepared to take. thus I say "too little too late". had a better trade been offered on the day, I probably would have taken it. having said this however, when I am again ready to buy I would go back to the same dealer as my treatment there was good and my experience overall was positive - I just hope they offer me what my trade is really worth from the start and not push for the lowest price they can for it and cause me to "walk away " again. I NEVER buy a vehicle without doing my homework and NEVER when "desperate" to do so I am always able to "walk away" and in todays tough times many are like me.

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  I purposely find places to drive to - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By WilbursDad - May 16 - 6:34 am

  [1] Ride quality - its not a crossover, dont compare the ride quality to one. My wife drives the MDX, and there is a significant difference in the ride quality when we swap vehicles. Its a little rough around the edges, but then I expected that from the truck. However, it is a very solid ride. [2] Power - its sufficient. Its not fast nor is it meant to be a road racer. [3] Noise - this is where the truck suffers a bit. I havent driven the previous generation Tacomas, but from what Ive read Toyota has made significant improvements to dampen the cabin. However, it is not good enough to use the bluetooth to talk on the phone while driving. Also, the engine noise is a bit annoying, but nothing that drives me crazy. [4] Rear passenger space - my family members arent very tall. Were actually quite short, so having 4 adults in the truck is not a problem. However, I can see taller adults having a bit of a difficult time finding a comfortable spot in the rear seats. Its not ideal for long road trips, especially in the back seats. [5] Gas - I am averaging 19 - 20 mpg in mixed driving. [6] Infotainment - The system is reliable and responsive and I have no complaints. [6] Tires - I have the TRD Off-Road trim and the OEM tires are ok, but I will not be replacing them with the same tires when these wear out. [Summary] The ratings that I gave for this truck was based on its comparison to other mid-sized trucks. I think it would be unfair to compare the ride to a SUV as I wouldnt compare the ride of a Camry to a luxury sedan. Update 3/2/17: Having owned the vehicle for about half a year and using it as my daily driver, I still really enjoy driving the truck. The transmission issue that so many people complain about has been an issue for me, but the updates that Toyota are coming out with are helping. The truck starts off in overdrive mode and constantly wants to upshift, so you can either get in the habit of using ECT power or just give it a little more gas. The seats that many complain about isnt too much of an issue for me. However, for long distance trips (3+ hours), I definitely feel more fatigue. I listen to Pandora almost exclusively and while the Entune system is just fine when it works, sometimes it just has an issue establishing a connection with the vehicle. I dont know if its my phone, the vehicle, or just the app itself, but it is a nuisance as I will experience this a few times a week.

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  I wanted to purchase a Toyota Tacoma! - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Peter Tharp - April 1 - 10:58 pm

  I used various web tools to try to locate the Tacoma I wanted but I could never get the trade in value for my vehicle to make the trade. All the great values that Tacomas were advertised for were simply ploys to get you in the dealerships where they took the value off your trade in to get more than the vehicle I wanted to buy was worth. Like everything--there is no much smoke and mirrors and dishonest advertising.

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  DISAPPOINTING - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Brian - January 28 - 4:09 am

  I am a bit disappointed in the 2016 Tacoma. Tough to climb into; acceleration is not great in the V-6; the 6-speed is constantly shifting; shifting could be a lot smoother; engine noise is bad; road noise is bad; front seat is way too low and too soft - very uncomfortable and cheap looking; heater is ungodly loud on high. It looks great and rides fairly well. Given all that, Id still take it over any mid-size US truck. But Toyota has a lot of work to do if they want to keep the Tacoma as a best seller.

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  Windshield Issues - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By William Morris - January 23 - 1:17 am

  I traded in my 2009 Tacoma for the 2016. First impression was that it had everything that I wanted that the 2009 didnt have. It was lacking a little in the storage compartments with the redesign, but for me that is a minor issue. I love the technology, but do struggle a little with the bluetooth which doesnt want to talk from time to time. Could be a phone compatibility issue. I love the style, the comfort and the brand. But, with this model there is one thing Ive had problems with and thats the windshield. At 200 miles on the odometer, I picked up a pebble on the interstate that smacked the windshield and spider webbed it. I used to get hit by pebbles all the time in my 2009 and never even got a chip, much less a crack. I figured it was luck of the draw until I went to have it replaced. The windshield replacement company made a comment on how many 2016 Tacomas theyve had to replace windshields on. I did some research and found that they are using a new multi-glass layered windshield to cut down on cabin noise. It only makes sense, more layers = thinner glass on the outer layer making it more susceptible to cracking or chipping. At $1200 its no cheap replacement either. But, after paying my deductible, the insurance company took care of it. Now at 2700 miles on my odometer, guess what? Another pebble and now another cracked windshield. Because its new, they have no data on breakages at Toyota. I filed a report today. I have a strong feeling this will be a recall issue.

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  Well designed and built, but underpowered - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Dave in Arkansas - January 6 - 12:51 pm

  Truck is solidly built. No rattles or squeaks, good audio, comfortable and quiet at highway speeds. However, the engine lacks low- end torque and this issue is exacerbated by very poor software mapping for the transmission. In an apparent effort to improve mileage, the transmission shifts quickly to keep the RPMs low as a result, the engine is always out of its powerband, making it feel even more sluggish. You can overcome this annoyance to some degree by putting it in Sport mode, or selecting the ECT mode. But you shouldnt have to do this. It drives like a slug unless youre very aggressive on the throttle. At highway speeds, the transmission is always hunting for the right gear. The engine is very noisy at all speeds. This is apparently normal and is due to its injectors and Atkinson Cycle function. It sounds like a diesel with 500k miles on it. Very annoying and disappointing for a truck this expensive.