2017 Toyota Tacoma Powertrain (other) Problems

There is a leak the rear differential. There is a recall on this issue

NHTSA ID

11708042

Incident

Dec 31, 2025

I was driving on the highway when my vehicle suddenly lost power. The engine light and traction control light came on, and I lost power, and the engine started sputtering. I had to pull off to the side and put on hazards. My Tacoma would only drive about 25 MPH after this happened. Based on a quick search, this is a very common problem in 3rd-generation Tacomas!

NHTSA ID

11700837

Incident

Nov 20, 2025

The Tacoma still has only 10,000 original miles. We yearly replace the oil when we have our annual vehicle inspection. The truck has been trouble since the beginning. Early on I noticed when going downhill, the automatic transmission seems to slip when applying the gas. I have taken the truck back to the dealer in Kona to be told that it is not part of the rear end differential recall some years ago. I asked them to make a notation of this should the transmission or rear end differential fail in the future. Recently, we received an informational letter from Toyota regarding something about a possible faulty high pressure fuel pump. I made an appointment at the dealer and since I was there asked them for tire rotation, oil change and annual vehicle inspection. I explained to the service writer that I still believe there is a rear end or transmission problem. At first, she said, the recall was never done and later said it was done. More importantly, I have been smelling gasoline when I exit the truck although I see no visible fuel on the ground. I believe that this is related to the fuel pump issue which I received the letter from you. I was told several hours after I dropped off the truck that the fuel smell was not related to the letter I received.

NHTSA ID

11578089

Incident

Mar 13, 2024

Transmission line was described by two auto mechanics (one from a Toyota dealership) as “rusted out” and “porous”, “low pressure/fluid” and “needs to be fixed”. I was totally unaware of the issue until I had to get my AC recharged. Note: this is a 2017 truck with 82,000 miles driven in Massachusetts. No warning lights went off.

NHTSA ID

11530826

Incident

Jul 6, 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that after shutting off the vehicle with the push-button keyless ignition, the vehicle was parked inside of the garage with the garage door remaining opened and the contact exited the vehicle. When the contact came back to the garage, he noticed that the vehicle was missing as it had reversed down the driveway inadvertently while the engine was off. However, the transmission gear shifter was on the drive position. The vehicle had crashed into two trees in the woods. No police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to a body shop and remained at the body shop, waiting for repairs to the front and rear passenger side doors, rear windshield, rear fender, and passenger side mirror. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

NHTSA ID

11432280

Incident

Aug 31, 2021

Mileage

48,000 mi

as vehicle was being shifted from reverse to drive the shift lever locked up in neutral ! ! !

NHTSA ID

11431460

Incident

Sep 1, 2021

I have been having several intermittent issue with the automatic transmission on my 2017 Tacoma TRD off Road with 43000 miles. Among them are as follows: It fails to shift correctly (hunting for gears) on the highway and hesitates to accelerate when needed, Also the transmission sometimes has a delayed engagement when putting it into reverse or drive from a standstill. The engine will rev up like it was in neutral then abruptly catch the reverse gear causing a loud and disturbing “BANG” and even some tire spin on the pavement. I also intermittently experience a loud “CLUNK” when slowing down to a stop in traffic as if the transmission is not downshifting properly from the higher gears to the lower ones and is forced to come to an abrupt halt. The dealer has performed a software update but this has not helped. The dealer also cannot replicate these problems because the issues are intermittent. I understand that a lot of 3’rd generation Tacoma owners are experiencing the same exact issues but it seems that Toyota is not issuing a recall for some reason. I believe this is a potential safety hazard and should be addressed.

NHTSA ID

11419449

Incident

Mar 9, 2021

EVERY SO OFTEN I HEARD A BANG COMING FROM THE DRIVETRAIN WHILE I'M DRIVING AND ALSO WHEN I PUT THE TRUCK ON REVERSE THE SOUND IT'S LOUD. I DON'T KNOW IT'S A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM OR THE JOINTS WITH THE DIFFERENTIAL. BUT IT'S GETTING BAD. ALSO I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE CHARGING SYSTEM AND IT WAS BROUGHT IN AND THE DAY THERE IS NO PROBLEM BUT FOR SOME REASON SOME TIMES LIGHTS WILL COME UP OUT OF THE BUE.

NHTSA ID

11399560

Incident

Mar 3, 2021

Mileage

35,865 mi

IDLE SURGES . RPM SURGE WHILE AT PARK AND IT SURGES WHEN ABOUT TO DRIVE FROM THE PARKING

NHTSA ID

11389484

Incident

Jan 22, 2021

Mileage

23,000 mi

TRANSMISSION WHEN IN COLD WEATHER. HAS A VERY SLIGHT THUMP WHEN COMING TO A STOP AS IF THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT SHIFTING DOWN SMOOTHLY IN GEARS. YOU SOMETIMES HEAR AND FEEL THIS THUMB WHEN DRIVING AROUND CITY STREETS . NOT AS MUCH AS WHEN THE WEATHER IS COLD OR AT STARTUP.

NHTSA ID

11374403

Incident

Oct 30, 2020

Mileage

36,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE WITH GRAY SMOKE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST TIPS. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT PULLED OFF THE ROADWAY AND THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HIS RESIDENCE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AT THE RESIDENCE AND INFORMED HIM THAT A SECTION OF THE TRANSMISSION TRANSFER CASE WAS MISSING. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO ROCHESTER TOYOTA (48 FARMINGTON RD, ROCHESTER, NH 03867) WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11362254

Incident

Sep 25, 2020

Mileage

80,000 mi

MY TRUCK STALLED WHILE DRIVING. I LOOKED UP WHAT COULD OF CAUSED THIS AND FIND OUT I MAY HAVE A CRANK POSITION SENSOR THAT'S MALFUNCTIONING CAUSING MY TRUCK TO STALL.

NHTSA ID

11321503

Incident

Apr 18, 2020

Mileage

37,300 mi

ON ONE OF MY SERVICES I MENTIONED THAT I FEEL THAT THE STANDARD TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SHIFTING INTO 2ND GEAR VERY EASY. BECAUSE IT'S NEW TO ME AND IT ALSO HAS SOME KIND OF ANTI ROLL I THOUGHT MAYBE JUST WASN'T WORKING THE PEDAL FAR ENOUGH OR JUST MISSING IT BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM SMOOTH. MY OTHER CONCERN WAS ABOUT SHIFTING OR THY LACK OF ENGAGING IN FOUR WEEK DRIVE. TOYOTA AGREED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND SAID HERE YOU GO. UNFORTUNATELY THE SAME PROBLEMS ARE STILL OCCURRING. MY TRUCK HAS BEEN AT MAUI TOYOTA FOR MONTHS NOW. THEY ARE NOW SAYING THAT THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND THEY AGREE THAT IT'S NO BETTER BUT THA IT'S IN RUNNING CONDITION. I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO ALL SERVICE HONOLULU WHERE I HAVE BEEN BASICALLY LEFT BLIND. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A CRITICAL SITUATION GOING ON SO I FIGURED THAT HAS PART TO DO WITH NOT GETTING ANY UPDATES. YESTERDAY MAUI TOYOTA CALLS AND INFORMED ME THAT THEY WILL HAVE MY TRUCK TOWED ON TUESDAY. VERY UNPROFESSIONAL AND HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE TO SAY THE LEAST. I DON'T WANT A NEW TRANSMISSION THAT ACTS LIKE ONE THEY SAID WAS NOT RIGHT. I WANT A PROPER FUNCTIONING VEHICLE THAT WILL LAST THAT'S WHY THIS IS MY FOURTH TOYOTA TRUCK.

NHTSA ID

11320805

Incident

Dec 23, 2019

Mileage

16,000 mi

I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE SHIFTING FROM 4TH OR 5TH GEAR WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REACH HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHICH IN THIS AREA IS 70 MPH. THE TRUCK WOULD STICK AND THE RPMS WOULD GO ABOVE 3000 RPM. I HAD TOYOTA OF MIDLAND LOOK AT THIS ON 03/07/19. IN APRIL I CONTACTED TOYOTA CORPORATE AND TOLD THEM OF THE PROBLEM AND THEY ASSIGNED CASE #1904152129 AND SENT A CORPORATE REPRESENTATIVE HERE ON 04/24/19. THE CORPORATE REP, ALONG WITH A LOCAL TECHNICIAN, HOOKED UP A COMPUTER AND RODE WITH ME AND WITNESSED THE SHIFTING PROBLEM. THE CORPORATE REP. SAID THAT THIS WASN'T ANY FAULT OF THE VEHICLE AND THE LOCAL TECHINICIAN SAID THAT HIS 2017 TACOMA WAS DOING THE SAME THING. ON 01/22/2020 I BROUGHT MY TACOMA IN FOR IT'S 30K MAINTANCE AND TOLD THE SEVICE WRITER ABOUT THIS ISSUE AGAIN. THE SERVICE WRITER SAID THAT HE HAD EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING WHEN HE OWNED A 2017 & 2019 TACOMA, AND REMEDED THE PROBLEM WHEN HE TRADED FOR A 2020 TACOMA.. THIS IS MY FAMILIES 5TH TOYOTA VEHICLE; IT WILL BE MY LAST TOYOTA.

NHTSA ID

11308831

Incident

Apr 17, 2019

Mileage

17,614 mi

THE VEHICLE SURGES WHEN BACKING UP IN REVERSE AND WHEN TAKING FOOT OFF BRAKE PEDAL IN DRIVE.

NHTSA ID

11291012

Incident

Dec 16, 2019

Mileage

21,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED AN UNKNOWN RECALL NOTIFICATION REGARDING THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA OF ORANGE (1400 N TUSTIN ST, ORANGE, CA 92867, (714) 639-6750) WHERE AN INSPECTION OF THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS LEAKING OIL AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE REPAIR FEES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED THE CONTACT FIFTY PERCENT OFF TOWARDS THE REPAIR FEE. A CASE NUMBER WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000. *DT *BF *TR THE CONSUMER STATED TOYOTA DIDNT FIX THE ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

11266841

Incident

Aug 20, 2019

Mileage

60,000 mi

REAR DIFFERENTIAL SEEPING AND LEAKING AFTER SECOND REPAIR AND STILL NOT FIXED. ALSO SEEPING FROM FILL BOLT REAR DIFFERENTIAL, CARRIER GASKET, AND BOTTOM STUD AND CARRIER BOLT. IT ALSO POPS WHEN STARTING SOMETIMES.

NHTSA ID

11245629

Incident

Jul 15, 2019

Mileage

37,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE VEHICLE, IT BEGAN TO JERK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TUSTIN TOYOTA (36 AUTO CENTER DR, TUSTIN, CA 92782, (714) 602-5311) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED A SOFTWARE UPDATE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER A THIRD TIME WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,110.

NHTSA ID

11230772

Incident

Sep 1, 2017

Mileage

10,110 mi

WHILE ENTERING THE FREEWAY, PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR TO MERGE, THE TRUCK STUMBLED AS IF LOST ALL POWER FOR A FULL 4 TO 5 SECONDS CAUSING ME TO MISS MY CHANCE TO MERGE AND PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND WAIT FOR A CLEARING. IT HAS DONE THIS SEVERAL TIMES BUT NOT THIS BAD AND THIS TIME I HAD MY KIDS IN THE TRUCK. THERE IS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN FOR THIS BUT MY DEALERSHIP WILL NOT PERFORM IT IF THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE IT.

NHTSA ID

11230591

Incident

May 13, 2019

Mileage

15,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SIX SPEED AUTO TRANSMISSION FAILED TO DOWNSHIFT PROPERLY. IN ADDITION, THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLOW TO CHANGE OVER, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE, AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD, WHICH PRESENTED THE RISK OF A POTENTIAL CRASH. THE FAILURES OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. RECENTLY, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, IT LUNGED FORWARD WHILE A PASSERBY WAS WALKING IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. CAPITOL TOYOTA (765 CAPITOL EXPRESSWAY AUTO MALL, SAN JOSE, CA 95136, (408) 705-4707) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS AND INDICATED THAT A SOFTWARE UPDATE MAY REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED SEVERAL TIMES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15.

NHTSA ID

11222276

Incident

Oct 5, 2017

Mileage

15 mi

TRANSMISSION CONSTANT HUNTING/ SHIFTING.

NHTSA ID

11194552

Incident

Jan 1, 2018

Mileage

100 mi

IT DOESN'T TRACK STRAIGHT AT 45+MPH , UNDER POWERED, CRUISE IS LOST SHIFTS ERRATIC AN. 16-18MPG RUNNING 91OCT....ETC

NHTSA ID

11165313

Incident

Jan 3, 2018

Mileage

5,000 mi

NOTICING THAT AS I COME TO A STOP AT THE LAST SECOND THE DRIVETRAIN SEEMS TO SNAP OUT OF GEAR CAUSING A VERY LOUD CLUNK AT THIS POINT THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO FREE WHEEL FORWARD UNSAFELY. . THE JOLT YOU GET CAN BE COMPARED TO PUTTING THE VEHICLE INTO GEAR AT TOO HIGH OF AN IDOL, WHICH WILL CAUSE PREMATURE WEAR AND TEAR TO YOUR DRIVETRAIN. ALSO, THE ENGINE SEEMS TO SURGE AT IDOL WHILE IN GEAR AND IF YOU AREN'T READY FOR IT AND YOU ARE PARKING BEHIND SOMETHING, YOU RUN THE RISK OF HITTING IT.. I HAVE ADDRESSED THE DRIVETRAIN ISSUE WITH THE DEALER, BUT THEY SAY THEY CAN'T GET THIS TO HAPPEN FOR THEM. VERY INTERESTING CONSIDERING THERE SEEMS TO BE OTHERS WITH SIMILAR ISSUES.

NHTSA ID

11157194

Incident

Jun 20, 2017

Mileage

3,717 mi

TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ENGAGE (SLIPS) IN FIRST GEAR FROM A COLD START UP. I AM CONCERNED THIS DEFECT MAY CAUSE AN UNSAFE SITUATION IN THE FUTURE.

NHTSA ID

11145090

Incident

Jul 4, 2018

Mileage

15,000 mi

MY TRUCK MAKES A LOUD THUD SOUND WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A DEAD STOP, SLOWING DOWN TO A DEAD STOP, AND SLOWING DOWN FAST FROM HIGHER SPEEDS FROM 70-25. THIS HAPPENS MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY. I'M FEARING FOR MY LIFE AND AM NOT IN FINANCIAL POSITION TO GET ANOTHER CAR. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS QUICKLY. THANK YOU

NHTSA ID

11139879

Incident

Apr 1, 2018

Mileage

3,500 mi