The 2017 Tacoma is generally reliable, but the 3.5L V6 has a known piston ring design flaw causing oil consumption that can grenade motors if ignored, and the transmission cooler line routing is garbage. The 2.7L I4 avoids most of the serious issues.
3.5L V6 Excessive Oil Consumption / Piston Ring Failure
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 40,000-80,000 mi
Symptoms: burning 1+ quart every 1,000 miles, blue smoke on startup or acceleration, check engine light P0301-P0306 misfires, complete engine failure if oil runs dry
Fix: Toyota issued a TSB (TSB-0094-18) acknowledging the problem. If caught early and under warranty extension, pistons/rings get replaced (25-30 hours). If you lunched the motor, it's a short block or complete rebuild. Diligent oil level checks every 500 miles are mandatory until fixed.
Estimated cost: $6,000-12,000
Transmission Oil Cooler Line Failure
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 50,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: transmission fluid pooling under truck, burnt transmission fluid smell, slipping gears or delayed engagement, cooler lines routed against frame rail chafe through
Fix: Factory cooler lines run too close to frame and vibrate against metal until they wear through. Replace lines and reroute with proper clearance (3-4 hours). Check fluid level immediately if you spot a leak—running low will toast the transmission. Aftermarket reroute kits available.
Estimated cost: $400-800
Rear Differential Pinion Seal Leak
Occasional · medium severity
Typical onset: 60,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: gear oil dripping from rear diff, oil coating inside of rear wheel, whining noise from rear end if fluid gets low, related to NHTSA recall for diff carrier bolts but seal is separate issue
Fix: Pinion seal and crush sleeve replacement. Requires removing driveshaft, pinion nut, pulling pinion to access seal, then resetting preload with new crush sleeve (3-4 hours). If caught early it's just a seal; if you drove it dry, diff rebuild is 8-12 hours.
Estimated cost: $500-900
Brake Vacuum Pump Failure (Diesel-style pump on V6)
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: hard brake pedal requiring excessive effort, check engine light P0443 or P2457, hissing noise from engine bay, brake warning light on dash
Fix: The 3.5L uses an electric vacuum pump instead of manifold vacuum. Pump motor or diaphragm fails. Direct replacement part (1.5-2 hours). There was a recall for some VINs (NHTSA 19V-703) but not all units covered. Brake function degrades significantly when it fails—not a 'drive it till payday' issue.
Estimated cost: $600-1,000
Transmission Mount Deterioration
Common · low severity
Typical onset: 70,000-120,000 mi
Symptoms: clunk when shifting from Park to Drive/Reverse, vibration at idle in gear, excessive driveline movement visible when rocking truck
Fix: Rear transmission mount tears or collapses. Toyota uses a liquid-filled mount that doesn't age gracefully. Replacement is straightforward—support trans with jack, unbolt old mount, bolt in new (1-1.5 hours). OEM mounts last longer than cheap aftermarket.
Estimated cost: $250-450
Fuel Pump Failure (Denso pump issue)
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: not mileage-driven
Symptoms: no-start condition—cranks but won't fire, intermittent stalling, fuel pump not priming when key turned on, related to NHTSA recall 20V-133 for low-pressure fuel pumps that can crack
Fix: Denso fuel pump impellers can deform or crack, stopping fuel flow. Covered under recall for many VINs but not all. Pump is in-tank—drop tank, replace pump module (2.5-3 hours). Check if your VIN is part of the recall before paying out of pocket.
Estimated cost: $800-1,200
Owner tips
Check oil level every 500 miles on the 3.5L V6—seriously, set a phone reminder. Catching consumption early can save you a $10k motor.
Inspect transmission cooler lines where they pass near the frame rail every oil change. A little chafing protection now beats a tow truck later.
Verify your VIN against Toyota recalls for fuel pump and brake vacuum pump—both are safety-critical and covered if applicable.
The 2.7L I4 avoids the piston ring and vacuum pump problems entirely but is underpowered for heavy towing.
Buy a 2.7L I4 model without hesitation; only buy a 3.5L V6 if oil consumption has already been addressed under warranty or you're prepared to rebuild the motor.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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Consequence: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:VACUUM · 18V211000
2018-04-03
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Camry and Highlander vehicles, 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles and 2017 Lexus RX350 vehicles. During the manufacturing process, the oil galley in the rotor for the brake booster vacuum pump assembly may have been improperly machined possibly resulting in a sudden loss of brake assist.
Consequence: A sudden loss of braking assist can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake booster vacuum pump, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2018. 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 J0K/JLD.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS · 17V831000
2017-12-20
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runner and Tundra, 2018 Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Lexus GX460 and 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles. These vehicles may have incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence: An incorrect load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and provide them with corrected labels, free of charge. The recall began on January 23, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are H0Z for Toyota vehicles, and HLF for Lexus vehicles.
ENGINE · 17V356000
2017-06-01
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Tacoma vehicles equipped with a six-cylinder engine. The affected vehicles have a crank position sensor that may malfunction, potentially resulting in an engine stall.
Consequence: An engine stall may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the crank position sensor with an improved design, free of charge. The recall began July 26, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0H.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT · 17V285000
2017-04-27
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Tacoma vehicles. Oil may leak from the area where the rear differential carrier is assembled to rear axle housing.
Consequence: If the vehicle is operated with an insufficient amount of oil in the rear differential, the differential may seize and cause a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear differential for oil leakage. Based on the inspection, dealers will either tightening the fastening nuts or replace the fastening nuts and gasket. If the rear differential components are damaged, the rear differential carrier assembly will be replaced. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall June 19, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0G.
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