2021 Toyota Tacoma: problems, recalls and reliability
0 recalls and 78 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is service brakes (16% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 6 new complaints in the last 90 days
0
recalls
78
owner complaints
0
fire reports
38,000
typical failure mileage, mi
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
NHTSA crash testOverall ★★★★★Front ★★★★★Side ★★★★★Rollover ★★★★★
4-star NHTSA overall safety ratingNo fire reportsNo recall campaignsProblems reported early (median 38,000 mi)
Common problems
Computed from 78 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
Service Brakes (brakes)16% · 11 complaints
Power Train (transmission, axles, driveline)13% · 9 complaints
Electrical System (battery, wiring, electronics)10% · 7 complaints
Forward Collision Avoidance (automatic emergency braking, sensors)10% · 7 complaints
Engine (engine mechanics)7% · 5 complaints
Structure (body, frame, doors, rust)6% · 4 complaints
“Brake master cylinder is leaking in the interior of truck on driver side floor mat. Oil is come from brake master cylinder seal.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jul 2026
“Digital instrument panel speedometer screen has gone blank. No longer displays speed. This occurred while driving the vehicle.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jun 2026
“Having two issues major issues that's causing me a $10,000 bill. The timing cover is leaking and there is a coolant bypass hose that is leaking. I have spend a lot of maintenance on this truck on maintaining it to have to remove the engine. As for the forward collision warning ive had it go off multiple times witout a vehicle there. While in cruise control ive had it unexpectedly break on me when there was no visible vehicle infront or next to me.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Jun 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“About a month ago the Blind spot monitoring system failed, dealer said $2500.00 to repair, about 10 days ago, backup sonar parking system failed, dealer cost to repair $2200.00”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · May 2026
“The plastic coolant crossover valve or pipe failed at 66,000 miles and 5 years of usage. This led to the radiator cracking. After researching online, I read about thousands of Tacoma 3rd generation users with the same issue. Also, the same issue was recalled for several other models of Toyotas but not the Tacoma.”Owner report · Engine · May 2026
“There are three concerns in this write up: at 117000 miles the blind spot monitoring system has fails and will cost $300 to repair. More concerning is that it was recommended I replace the Power Steering Lines at a cost of $927 and the Transmission Lines at a cost of $797 due to severe rusting and corrosion. Its recommended before they rust through and break/leak.”Owner report · Power Train · Feb 2026
“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at highway speeds, the vehicle stalled with the engine oil warning light flashing on the instrument panel. The contact stated that her husband detected a fuel odor coming from the vehicle after the failure. The driver was able to restart the vehicle and drove the vehicle to the dealer. While at the dealer the vehicle was test driven and the failure was acknowledged. The vehicle was then diagnosed with a defective fuel pump. The vehicle was repaired but remained with the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Dec 2025
“truck is under 20 thousand miles right front brake shoes are loose and not in place. the whole brake assembly is completely rusted .brake lines are leaking.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Nov 2025
“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH, after depressing the accelerator pedal and then attempting to depress the brake pedal to make a left turn, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. An independent mechanic was contacted. The contact pulled over into a church parking lot. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 47,000.”Owner report · Power Train · Nov 2025
“Heated seat stopped working after smelling a slight burning smell. I investigate and found discolored and burnt electrical connections on the heated seat wires. This happened on the driver's seat. I'm worried the same thing could happen on the passenger side.”Owner report · Electrical System · Oct 2025
When filing, owners marked a crash in 9 of these complaints and injuries in 15 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
How other years compare
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Is the 2021 Toyota Tacoma reliable?
NHTSA has 78 owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns on record for the 2021 Toyota Tacoma. The most complained-about area is service brakes (16% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2021 Toyota Tacoma problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 38,000 miles or less.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.