2021 Toyota Tacoma problems, complaints & recalls
NHTSA has received 81 owner complaints about the 2021 Toyota Tacoma, or 14.0 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.35, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #31 of 85 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Toyota models its rate is 59% lower; against other Midsize pickups it is 30% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2021-02-17 and 2026-10-09. Median delay from incident to filing: 12 days.
Analysis
The previous model year (2020) drew 13.1 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2022) drew 12.3 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2021 model collected 31 complaints, 49% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (17.3% of complaints), followed by Transmission / powertrain (14.8%) and Brakes (13.6%). 9 reports (11.1%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 15 injuries and 1 death.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 27 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (31% of incidents). In the last 12 months 20 new complaints were filed, versus 9 in the 12 months before — up 122%.
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for this model year.
Complaint index
- vs. all tracked vehicles0.35
- vs. other Toyota models0.41
- vs. other 2021 models0.36
- vs. other Midsize pickups0.7
- Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (31)0.51
- #31 of 85 · 2021Rankings ›
1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.
What owners complain about
vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average
Problem areas: Transmission / powertrain · Brakes · Fuel system · Engine · Body & structure · Electrical · Unspecified or other · Airbags & seat belts
When complaints were filed
- Crashes reported: 9
- Fires reported: 0
- Injuries: 15
- Deaths: 1
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 27 months
What owners report
My vehicle was hit on the door frame and rear door on the driver's side by someone who ran a red light.
The cabin vent system appears to have a design defect, specifically the passenger-side vent located in the back of the cabin. This component is available for inspection upon request.
Engine developed a loud knock while under normal driving conditions at 61,000 miles. Oil was changed every 5k miles since new.
Driving in town 30 to 40mph, (while in drive) the vehicle rev’d up like it was in neutral then went back to normal. That is concerning because it will cause transmission problems & pulling onto a road the truck could shift to (neutral) causing it to not go.
The cabin air pressure vents behind the back seat are leaking letting water into the vehicle. The seals have dried up. It's causing a moldy smell in the vehicle.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · 2021 · Midsize pickups
| Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Nissan Frontier | 20 | 3.5 | 0.09 |
| 2021 Chevrolet Colorado | 78 | 13.5 | 0.33 |
| 2021 Toyota Tacoma | 81 | 14.0 | 0.35 |
| 2021 Ford Ranger | 117 | 20.2 | 0.5 |
| 2021 Jeep Gladiator | 292 | 50.5 | 1.25 |
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year.
Investigations
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.